Modern apps are made of many parts. You write your own code, you pull in open source packages, and you ship everything in containers to the cloud. So, application security (AppSec) now covers much more than one scan. AppSec is the process of finding, fixing and preventing security flaws in applications.
Black Duck offers application security testing software. Black Duck Polaris combines SAST (scanning your own source code for flaws), SCA (scanning the outside libraries in your app for known flaws and license issues) and DAST (testing a running app the way an attacker would). Besides, it also adds IaC (infrastructure as code) analysis and secrets detection in one SaaS (online) platform.
Still, teams compare AppSec platforms for many reasons, such as coverage, workflow or setup. Plus, Checkmarx One includes SAST, DAST, SCA, API, IaC and container scans in one platform. Below, you’ll find 7 Black Duck competitors, what each tool scans and which teams each tool fits.
Quick Overview
The table below shows the main use of each tool and the setup options each vendor offers.
| Tool | Main Use | Setup Options |
| Aikido | One platform for code, cloud and runtime security | Cloud platform with no agents; a local scanner runs inside your own infrastructure |
| Snyk | Developer security for code, open source, containers and IaC | Snyk platform; Snyk Broker connects it to on-premises and private-network systems (Enterprise plans) |
| Checkmarx One | Unified AppSec platform with one risk view | Cloud-native platform; CxSAST runs on-premises with the same SAST engine |
| Veracode | Application risk management across SAST, DAST, SCA, containers and IaC | Cloud-native platform; Veracode CLI for Windows, Linux and macOS; DAST can scan apps behind your firewall |
| Semgrep | SAST, SCA and secrets scanning that pairs rules with AI | Scans run in your CI; works with self-hosted code managers such as GitLab Self-Managed |
| GitHub Advanced Security | Code security and secret protection inside GitHub | GitHub, GitHub Enterprise Server and Azure DevOps (as an add-on) |
| Mend.io | AppSec for code, open source and containers | SaaS, hybrid or on-premises; Mend SAST can scan code inside your own environment |
1. Aikido
Aikido Security is fully API based, so teams do not need to install agents to deploy Aikido. It covers code, cloud and runtime environments (your apps while they run). Plus, Aikido links code, cloud and runtime data, so its products work together to find the right issues and fix them faster.
What Aikido Covers
- Code: Aikido SAST scans your source code for flaws such as SQL injection, XSS (cross-site scripting) and buffer overflows, and Aikido SAST supports all major languages.
- Open source: Aikido SCA checks libraries, frameworks and other third-party parts for flaws. Aikido SCA also filters out false positives (alerts that are not real problems) and can fix a flaw in one click.
- Containers: Aikido Container Security scans the operating system packages in your container images (packaged copies of an app and everything it needs to run).
- Cloud: Aikido CSPM (cloud security posture management) scans your cloud accounts for misconfigurations and overly broad user roles. Aikido CSPM also runs compliance checks for SOC 2, ISO 27001, CIS and NIS2.
On top of that, Aikido checks code for leaked secrets (passwords, API keys and tokens) and tests your app and APIs with DAST. Aikido is a good match for teams that want code, open source, container and cloud checks in one central system.
2. Snyk
Snyk is a developer security platform that finds and fixes flaws in code, open source packages, container images and IaC. Snyk says Snyk Code finds and fixes critical unsafe code up to 50 times faster.
What Snyk Covers
- Code: Snyk Code is a SAST tool that shows results and one-click fixes inside the IDE (the editor developers code in) and in pull requests (proposed code changes), with no build step needed.
- Open source: Snyk Open Source checks open source packages and their transitive dependencies (packages that your packages rely on). Snyk Open Source can also rank risks by business and app context.
- Containers: Snyk Container recommends safer base images and offers one-click upgrades to fix flawed container images.
- Cloud: Snyk IaC finds misconfigurations in Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, Helm charts and ARM templates. Teams on Enterprise plans can add custom rules with Open Policy Agent (OPA).
Snyk is a good match for teams that want separate Snyk products for code, open source, containers and IaC to report to one platform.
3. Checkmarx One
Checkmarx One is an AI-powered application security platform that gathers findings from many scanners into one risk view.
What Checkmarx One Covers
- Code: Checkmarx One includes SAST, secrets detection, IaC security and API security in its code security engines.
- Open source: Checkmarx One covers the software supply chain (all the outside code that goes into your app) with SCA, malicious package checks and repository health checks.
- Containers: Checkmarx One links container findings with code, open source and runtime signals to show risk in real time.
- Developer help: Checkmarx One Developer Assist finds flaws in the IDE as code is written and suggests safe fixes there.
Checkmarx One is a good match for teams that want one ranked risk view across code, open source, containers and runtime.
4. Veracode
The next tool is Veracode, an application risk management platform that runs SAST, DAST, SCA, IaC and container scans. As per Veracode, Veracode Dynamic Analysis has a false positive rate below 5%.
What Veracode Covers
- Code: Veracode Static Analysis scans your own source code, plus third-party code when the source is not available.
- Open source: Veracode Package Firewall stops flawed packages, malware and policy violations before they reach your development pipelines.
- Containers: Veracode Container finds flaws in container images, along with exposed API keys, passwords and other secrets.
- IaC: Veracode Container checks IaC files and spots insecure deployments caused by IaC misconfigurations.
Veracode works well for teams that want static, dynamic, open source and container testing on one platform, along with AI fixes from Veracode Fix.
5. Semgrep
Semgrep is an AppSec platform that combines SAST, SCA, secrets scanning and malware protection. It mixes rule-based analysis with AI. Semgrep claims that Semgrep Supply Chain reduces false positives by up to 98%.
What Semgrep Covers
- Code: Semgrep Code uses rule-based SAST for issues like XSS and SQL injection. Semgrep Code also uses AI analysis for harder flaws, such as IDOR (access to another user’s data) and business logic bugs.
- Open source: Semgrep Supply Chain flags the exact lines of code that a package upgrade may break.
- Secrets: Semgrep Secrets checks whether a found token still works, and the check runs inside your own infrastructure.
- Malware: Semgrep Malware Firewall runs on developer machines and stops harmful packages from public registries before they reach your environment.
Semgrep is a good pick for teams that want triage decisions saved as reusable memories that hide repeat false positives.
6. GitHub Advanced Security
GitHub Advanced Security is GitHub’s set of security products. GitHub Advanced Security is made up of GitHub Code Security and GitHub Secret Protection.
What GitHub Advanced Security Covers
- Code: GitHub Code Security uses CodeQL to trace how data flows through your app and find security issues.
- Open source: GitHub dependency review checks pull requests for flawed dependencies before they are merged.
- Secrets: GitHub Secret Protection uses push protection to block secrets before they reach a repository.
- AI fixes: GitHub Copilot Autofix suggests AI-written fixes for the flaws that CodeQL finds.
GitHub Advanced Security is a good match for teams that already build in GitHub and want security campaigns to track fixes across many repositories.
7. Mend.io
Finally, the last security tool is Mend.io, which is an application security and AI security company. The Mend AppSec platform combines SCA, SAST, dependency management and container image scanning.
What Mend.io Covers
- Code: Mend SAST scans source code inside your own environment, so your code does not leave your network.
- Open source: Mend Renovate patches and upgrades open source dependencies automatically.
- Containers: Mend AppSec scans container images, from single images up to entire registries. Mend AppSec also checks which flaws in an image can be reached at runtime.
- Cloud: Mend AppSec connects to Kubernetes on Amazon EKS, Microsoft AKS and Google GKE to show which images are deployed and where.
Mend.io is a good match for teams that want to secure both their apps and the AI models and agents inside them.
Final Thoughts
Well, picking a Black Duck competitor depends on what your team needs to scan and where your code is hosted. So, list the areas that matter most to you, such as code, open source, containers, cloud or secrets. From there, check which setup your team needs, whether that’s cloud, on-premises or inside GitHub.
Next, try two or three tools on a real project and compare the results your team gets. Aikido, for example, covers code, open source, containers and cloud from one place, and its local scanner can run inside your own infrastructure.
FAQs
Do these tools work in CI pipelines?
Yes. For example, Aikido integrates with CI/CD pipelines (the automated steps that build, test and release code). Snyk IaC can test and gate security issues in CI/CD pipelines, and Semgrep runs its scanners as part of CI.
Can these tools run self-hosted or air-gapped?
Some can. Mend AppSec supports SaaS, hybrid and on-premises setups, Aikido’s local scanner runs inside your own infrastructure, and Checkmarx CxSAST runs on-premises.
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