Black Duck vs Qualys: What are the differences?

Key differences between Black Duck and Qualys

Black Duck and Qualys are two popular software security platforms that offer different features and capabilities. Here are the key differences between the two:

1. Integration with DevOps: Black Duck is specifically tailored towards integrating with DevOps processes, offering seamless integrations with popular Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools like Jenkins, JFrog, and Electric Cloud. This allows for scanning and detecting vulnerabilities in real-time during the development and deployment pipeline, ensuring early detection and remediation of security issues.

2. Focus on Software Composition Analysis (SCA): Black Duck focuses heavily on Software Composition Analysis, which involves identifying and managing open source components used in the development process. Black Duck provides comprehensive reports on the security vulnerabilities associated with these components, allowing developers to make informed decisions regarding their usage.

3. Broad vulnerability assessment: Qualys, on the other hand, offers a broader range of security assessments beyond just software composition analysis. It provides vulnerability management, web application security, network security, and compliance management, making it a comprehensive security platform suitable for organizations with different security needs.

4. Qualys' cloud-based solution: Qualys offers a cloud-based solution, providing scalability and convenience for organizations. The platform is accessible from anywhere, and updates and patches are automatically managed by Qualys, reducing the burden on IT teams for management and maintenance.

5. Black Duck's open source focus: Black Duck has a strong focus on open source security, specifically targeting vulnerabilities that may arise from the use of open source code. It maintains an extensive and frequently updated vulnerability database specific to open source components, providing accurate and up-to-date information for developers.

6. Different pricing models: Black Duck typically follows an annual subscription-based pricing model, while Qualys offers a more flexible pricing structure with both annual subscriptions and per-scan options. This can be advantageous for organizations with varying security needs or budget constraints.

In summary, Black Duck primarily focuses on software composition analysis, integrates well with DevOps processes, and has an open source security emphasis. On the other hand, Qualys offers a broader range of security assessments, cloud-based scalability, and flexible pricing options.