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HCL AppScan vs Venn Software comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

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
23rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.9
Number of Reviews
44
Ranking in other categories
Static Application Security Testing (SAST) (19th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (7th)
Venn Software
Ranking in Application Security Tools
56th
Average Rating
9.4
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (38th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (28th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Application Security Tools category, the mindshare of HCL AppScan is 2.3%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Venn Software is 0.6%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Security Tools Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
HCL AppScan2.3%
Venn Software0.6%
Other97.1%
Application Security Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Ravi Khanchandani - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder Director at Techsa Services
Has improved identification of encryption and authentication issues across cloud and on-prem applications
During the learning curve of onboarding HCL AppScan, we learned that HCL has altered the portfolio and now offers HCL AppScan 360, which has a much better look and feel with an improved user interface. However, there is one feature called SCA, which stands for Software Composition Analysis, that could be improved. When I'm doing an application scan, HCL AppScan has the ability to generate information about what components are in use. For example, if I'm scanning a web application, it shows me the various components being used. It tells me whether I have Java libraries, .NET frameworks, or other log management libraries such as Log4j, and what versions of those specific components are present. I would like to see more detailed reports from the tool. Currently, you can find out the components belonging to a specific software, but if detailed reporting became available, you would be in a better position to identify vulnerabilities. For instance, I could identify that I had the Log4j vulnerability and know that I need to fix my application accordingly. If they add the features I'm describing, I would consider giving them a higher rating. However, I've only been experienced with the product for three months.
reviewer2110356 - PeerSpot reviewer
Growth Specialist at Digitrends Soultions
Great for hybrid workers, minimizes latency and delivers great performance
We haven't encountered major issues with the solution. We are really happy that we decided to purchase Venn Software, although they are quite new. The initial setup is seamless. It's not overly complex. In our experience, for the most part, the solution is reliable. We haven't experienced any bugs or glitches. That said, the performance could be a bit better. We'd like to see a bit more done with the deployment capabilities. The solution needs to offer better local or regional support to cater to offshore users.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The HCL AppScan performance is both stable and reliable."
"The product has valuable features for static and dynamic testing."
"The platform has valuable security features, helping us identify sensitive code issues and the possibility of internal applications' exposure to external threats."
"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution...The initial setup or installation of HCL AppScan is easy."
"It has certainly improved our organization in terms of quality of solutions that are developed."
"The most valuable feature of HCL AppScan is its integration with the SDLC, particularly during the coding phase."
"SAST is the only feature that works using the on-prem version."
"For me, as a manager, it was the ease of use. Inserting security into the development process is not normally an easy project to do. The ability for the developer to actually use it and get results and focuses, that's what counted."
"We don't need to go to the physical office, and it only requires minimal supervision or assistance from our IT Team."
"Since the software is launched directly from the computer, not remotely delivered, it has minimized latency and response time."
"It allows us to improve our security and prevent company files and data leaks."
 

Cons

"AppScan is too complicated and should be made more user-friendly."
"Better detection of DOM-based XSS Better remediation guidance using code examples and contexts"
"The dashboard, for AppScan or the Fortified fast tool, which we use needs to be improved."
"There is not a central management for static and dynamic."
"Currently, we are satisfied with AppScan but I am sure there are better alternatives available because this is a very old product."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."
"One thing which I think can be improved is the CI/CD Integration"
"The depth was low, but the part that the user could miss was also diagnosed."
"Currently, Venn only uses two platforms/applications: Windows and Mac. It would be great if they could also add more platforms since some BYOD employees might be using an application other than Windows or Mac - for example, Linux."
"It would be better to have the back end more efficient."
"We'd like to see a bit more done with the deployment capabilities."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is very expensive."
"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."
"HCL AppScan is expensive."
"AppScan is a little bit expensive. IBM needs to work a little bit on the pricing model, decreasing the license cost."
"The solution is cheap."
"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."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
University
13%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Healthcare Company
10%
Construction Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise31
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with HCL AppScan?
During the learning curve of onboarding HCL AppScan, we learned that HCL has altered the portfolio and now offers HCL AppScan 360, which has a much better look and feel with an improved user interf...
What is your primary use case for HCL AppScan?
I'm currently working with BigFix and HCL AppScan. At least three people in my company are using HCL AppScan. Since we are a reseller, we run it in both lab environments and live production applica...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL AppScan?
AppScan is considered more cost-effective than Veracode, although I have not updated the exact pricing details. Companies often choose based on budget constraints, with Veracode being on the higher...
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Also Known As

IBM Security AppScan, Rational AppScan, AppScan
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Essex Technology Group Inc., Cisco, West Virginia University, APIS IT
Venn is currently being used by 700+ organizations. The newest version of our secure workspace is selling not only to our existing customer base but to new companies like Voya, ModSquad, TTech and many others.
Find out what your peers are saying about HCL AppScan vs. Venn Software and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
915,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.