HCL AppScan vs Synopsys Defensics comparison

The compared HCLSoftware and Black Duck solutions aren't in the same category. HCLSoftware is ranked #15 in AS , with an average rating of 8.3, and holds a 2.7% mindshare in the category. Black Duck is ranked #5 in FTT , and holds a 22.4% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Black Duck users who would recommend it.

HCL AppScan

Read 43 HCL AppScan reviews

4,632 Views
3,381 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

Synopsys Defensics

Read 4 Synopsys Defensics reviews

1,116 Views
112 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

HCL AppScan

Synopsys Defensics

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between HCL AppScan and Synopsys Defensics based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Sonar, Veracode, Checkmarx and others in Application Security Tools.

To learn more, read our detailed Application Security Tools Report (Updated: July 2025).

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Application Security Tools

July 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

HCL AppScan

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (15th), Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (15th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (1st)

Synopsys Defensics

Average Rating

8.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Fuzz Testing Tools (5th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Quality Assurance solutions, they serve different purposes. HCL AppScan is designed for Application Security Tools and holds a mindshare of 2.7%, up 2.7% compared to last year.
Synopsys Defensics, on the other hand, focuses on Fuzz Testing Tools, holds 22.4% mindshare, up 17.4% since last year.

Application Security Tools

Fuzz Testing Tools

Featured Reviews

Sthembiso Zondi

Head of Software Engineering at ronaldmariah@gmail.com

Has a straightforward setup process and valuable security features

We use AppScan primarily for security testing and performance monitoring across our systems The product's features for comprehensive code analysis (static) and live environment testing (dynamic) have significantly enhanced our ability to identify and address vulnerabilities, improving overall…

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Sarath Kumar Choday

Senior Technical Lead at HCL Technologies

Product security tests for switches and router sections

Codenomicon Defensics should be more advanced for the testing sector. It should be somewhat easy and flexible to install. What I see in the documentation isn't that. Even if something doesn't malfunction, sometimes it is hard to install and execute. The product needs video documentation. This would help a lot more.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It highlights, with several grades of severity, the types of vulnerabilities, so we can focus on the most severe security vulnerabilities in the code."

"This is a stable solution."

"We are now deploying less defects to production."

"AppScan's most valuable features include its ability to identify vulnerabilities accurately, provide detailed remediation steps, and the newly introduced AI-powered features that enhance its functionality further."

"I like the recording feature."

"IBM AppScan has made our work easy, as we can do four to five scans of websites at a time, which saves time when it comes to vulnerability."

"It identifies all the URLs and domains on its own and then performs tests and provides the results."

"The product has valuable features for static and dynamic testing."

More HCL AppScan pros

"The product is related to US usage with TLS contact fees, i.e. how more data center connections will help lower networking costs."

"We have found multiple issues in our embedded system network protocols, related to buffer overflow. We have reduced some of these issues."

"Whatever the test suit they give, it is intelligent. It will understand the protocol and it will generate the test cases based on the protocol: protocol, message sequence, protocol, message structure... Because of that, we can eliminate a lot of unwanted test cases, so we can execute the tests and complete them very quickly."

Cons

"HCL AppScan needs to improve security."

"The product has some technical limitations."

"AppScan is too complicated and should be made more user-friendly."

"Improving usability could enhance the overall experience with AppScan. It would be beneficial to make the solution more user-friendly, ensuring that everyone can easily navigate and utilize its features."

"The databases for HCL are small and have room for improvement."

"In future releases, I would like to see more aggressive reports. I would also like to see less false positives."

"They could add a software component analysis tool."

"It's a little bit basic when you talk about the Web Services. If AppScan improved its maturity on Web Services testing, that would be good."

More HCL AppScan cons

"Sometimes, when we are testing embedded devices, when we trigger the test cases, the target will crash immediately. It is very difficult for us to identify the root cause of the crash because they do not provide sophisticated tools on the target side. They cover only the client-side application... They do not have diagnostic tools for the target side. Rather, they have them but they are very minimal and not very helpful."

"It does not support the complete protocol stack. There are some IoT protocols that are not supported and new protocols that are not supported."

"Codenomicon Defensics should be more advanced for the testing sector. It should be somewhat easy and flexible to install."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is moderately priced, though it's an investment due to extensive code analysis needs."

"With the features, that they offer, and the support, they offer, AppScan pricing is on a higher level."

"The solution is cheap."

"Our clients are willing to pay the extra money. It is expensive."

"I would rate the product's pricing a nine out of ten. The product's pricing is expensive compared to the features that they offer."

"Pricing was the main reason that we went ahead with this solution as they were the lowest in the market."

"AppScan is a little bit expensive. IBM needs to work a little bit on the pricing model, decreasing the license cost."

"HCL AppScan is expensive."

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

"Licensing is a bit expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

20%

Manufacturing Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

Media Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL AppScan?

The most valuable feature of HCL AppScan is its integration with the SDLC, particularly during the coding phase.

See all answers

What needs improvement with HCL AppScan?

AppScan needs to improve its handling of false positives. It also requires enhancements in customer support, similar to what Veracode provides. Regularly scheduling calls with clients to discuss fe...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for HCL AppScan?

The primary use case for AppScan is for security purposes. I compare AppScan with other tools such as Veracode. We use AppScan for vulnerability detection and auto-remediation of vulnerabilities wi...

See all answers

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Also Known As

IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan

Defensics, Codenomicon Defensics

Overview

IBM Security AppScan enhances web application security and mobile application security, improves application security program management and strengthens regulatory compliance. By scanning your web and mobile applications prior to deployment, AppScan enables you to identify security vulnerabilities and generate reports and fix recommendations.

HCLSoftware

Defensics® fuzz testing is a comprehensive, powerful, and automated black box solution that enables organizations to effectively and efficiently discover and remediate security weaknesses in software. By taking a systematic and intelligent approach to negative testing, Defensics allows organizations to ensure software security without compromising on product innovation, increasing time to market, or inflating operational costs.

Black Duck

Sample Customers

Essex Technology Group Inc., Cisco, West Virginia University, APIS IT

Coriant, CERT-FI, Next Generation Networks

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

July 2025

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