HCL AppScan vs Tenable.io Web Application Scanning comparison

HCLSoftware and Tenable are both solutions in the Application Security Tools category. HCLSoftware is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.3, while Tenable is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.5. HCLSoftware holds a 2.5% mindshare in AS, compared to Tenable’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 84% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Tenable users who would recommend it.

HCL AppScan

Read 43 HCL AppScan reviews

4,377 Views
3,151 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

Tenable.io Web Application ...

Read 17 Tenable.io Web Application Scanning reviews

1,889 Views
1,492 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

HCL AppScan

Tenable.io Web Application ...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

HCL AppScan and Tenable.io Web Application Scanning compete in the security scanning category. Tenable.io seems to have the upper hand in feature offerings, which makes it a preferred choice for many users, despite higher costs.

Features: HCL AppScan is appreciated for its extensive scanning capabilities, offering a variety of integration options that facilitate thorough vulnerability assessments. Tenable.io is favored for its comprehensive dashboards and ease of use during scanning tasks. Differences arise in real-time notifications and report generation efficiency, with Tenable.io appearing superior in these areas.

Room for Improvement: HCL AppScan users frequently mention the need for more intuitive navigation and better documentation. Additionally, they highlight the necessity for enhanced user interface design. Tenable.io reviewers suggest improvements in scan speed and finer-tuned configuration options to suit diverse environments, alongside more detailed in-app guidance for new users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL AppScan offers a straightforward deployment model that is well-regarded by users, with strong customer service support. Tenable.io, while having an efficient deployment process, could improve customer service according to some reviews. Its robust cloud-based deployment model appeals to users seeking flexibility and scalability.

Pricing and ROI: HCL AppScan is often seen as offering better immediate value with reasonable setup costs, although its long-term ROI is mixed. Tenable.io, despite its higher price point, is perceived as offering substantial ROI over time. Its pricing aligns with the feature depth, thus justifying its cost for extensive enterprise-level deployments.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL AppScan vs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning

September 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

Ranking in Application Security Tools

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (14th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (1st)

Tenable.io Web Application ...

Ranking in Application Security Tools

18th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.5%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is 1.3%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Security Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
HCL AppScan	2.5%
Tenable.io Web Application Scanning	1.3%
Other	96.2%

Application Security Tools

Featured Reviews

Gladwin Christian

QA manager at SmartStream Technologies ltd.

A useful tool to scan applications that can be easily installed

Given that we have been using HCL AppScan for many years, I think the setup process is not difficult at all. Sometimes, some issues stop or prevent my company from moving forward with the product's setup phase. We have to call HCL's support team and engage in long discussions to smoothly carry out the setup phase. In general, the product's setup phase is not difficult in our company. The solution is deployed on an on-premises model. The licenses for the solution are available only on cloud deployments nowadays. The solution is already installed in our environment. Every time a new release or software comes out from HCL, our company does a scan, which takes maybe a day or two.

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Jahanzeb Feroze Khan

Assistant Manager Network Security at Institute of Business Administration, Karachi

The setup of the solution is straightforward. It involves installing the package and gaining access. It took no time at all since we deployed it on the cloud. We assigned the necessary configurations, and everything was set up and ready to go within a few seconds. I would rate the setup as a perfect ten.

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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

"The UI was very intuitive."

"The solution is cheap."

"The platform has valuable security features, helping us identify sensitive code issues and the possibility of internal applications' exposure to external threats."

"The reporting part is the most valuable feature."

"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution...The initial setup or installation of HCL AppScan is easy."

"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."

"The solution is easy to use."

"I like the recording feature."

More HCL AppScan pros

"All the features are valuable to us as they offer cutting-edge scanning methods and address the latest issues with a contemporary approach. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is highly stable. I rate it a nine out ten. Since the solution works on the Cloud, it's highly scalable. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten. The setup of the solution is straightforward. The Return on Investment is substantial. I recommend the solution to all."

"Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is very easy to use."

"The solution's instant reports feature is the most effective for detecting threats."

"Now that the license is centralized, it's a significant feature to manipulate assets based on their functions."

"We use the tool for our websites. We have a vulnerable subdomain. The tool helps to scan it for vulnerabilities."

"It collects the vulnerabilities on the hostnames and sends them to the Tenable.io cloud. Tenable has its own cloud where Tenable.io is running, but there are many connectors to other cloud solutions. Tenable can do vulnerability scanning for other cloud managers such as Azure, Amazon, and so on."

"The solution is stable."

"Tenable.io Web Application Scanning provides a detailed report, identifying functions that are complex and need to be more maintainable and readable."

More Tenable.io Web Application Scanning pros

Cons

"Scans become slow on large websites."

"I would love to see more containers. Many of the tools are great, they require an amount of configuration, setup and infrastructure. If most the applications were in a container, I think everything would be a little bit faster, because all our clients are now using containers."

"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 solution needs to improve in some areas. The tool needs to add more languages. It also needs to improve its speed."

"It has crashed at times."

"Visibility is an issue for us. Our partners do not know we have integrations with some of IBM products."

"The tool should improve its output. Scanning is not a challenge anymore since there are many such tools available in the market. The product needs to focus on how its output is being used by end users. It should be also more user-friendly. One of the major challenges is in the tool's integration with applications that need to be scanned. Sometimes, the scanning is not proper."

"Sometimes it doesn't work so well."

More HCL AppScan cons

"The dashboard could be more user-friendly."

"The technical support needs improvement. Currently, it takes time, which might be due to the free version, but providing some level of support could encourage future purchase decisions."

"The reporting has a very limited customization capability."

"The technical support should be improved. Currently, some attacks are detected while others are not."

"The platform's technical support services could be better."

"Tenable.io Web Application Scanning conducts a general scan, which wastes time. The scan needs to be specific."

"The cloud and the on-premises versions have their own controllers, and there is no way to centrally manage controllers."

"Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is not very user-friendly and you need a lot of information to get proper reports. The tool's support is not very responsive."

More Tenable.io Web Application Scanning cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

"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."

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

"HCL AppScan is expensive."

"The price of HCL AppScan is okay, in my opinion. You just buy HCL AppScan and don't pay anything anymore, meaning it is just a one-time purchase."

"The product has premium pricing and could be more competitive."

"I rate the product's price a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high. HCL AppScan is an expensive tool."

More HCL AppScan pricing and cost advice

"For Tenable.io Web Application Scanning, it comes to around 6,50,000 Indian rupees, plus taxes."

"The pricing is okay."

"It follows the same licensing scheme as Tenable.io and Tenable. sc."

"The price of the solution is reasonable compared to the competitors. The license cost is based on the number of users and the annual usage."

"The application is extremely affordable. There are no additional costs involved with licensing. We switched to Tenable.io Web Application Scanning from other solutions due to pricing."

"I rate the product's pricing a four out of ten."

"Tenable.io Web Application Scanning is expensive for small businesses."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

10%

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	13
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	31

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	7

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

What do you like most about Tenable.io Web Application Scanning?

The most effective feature of the product is the ability to scan the entire environment.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Tenable.io Web Application Scanning?

Improvements could include providing coverage reports in the free version and features related to security reports. Also, enhancing technical support would be beneficial as there is room for improv...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Tenable.io Web Application Scanning?

I would recommend Tenable.io Web Application Scanning as it provides us with good reports, which help improve our code base, despite the lack of financial benefits. Overall, I would rate it seven o...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan

October 2025

Download HCL AppScan product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Security Tools

September 2025

Tenable.io Web Application Scanning report

Download Tenable.io Web Application Scanning product report

Also Known As

IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan

No data available

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

Tenable.io Web Application Scanning safely, accurately and automatically scans your web applications, providing deep visibility into vulnerabilities and valuable context to prioritize remediation.

Tenable

Sample Customers

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

IMDEX

Buyer's Guide

HCL AppScan vs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning

September 2025

Free Report: HCL AppScan vs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning

Find out what your peers are saying about HCL AppScan vs. Tenable.io Web Application Scanning and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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