Black Duck vs Snyk: What are the differences?

Introduction

Black Duck and Snyk are both popular software composition analysis (SCA) tools used to identify and manage open source security and license compliance risks in software development projects. While both tools serve similar purposes, there are key differences between Black Duck and Snyk that can impact the choice of tool for organizations. The following are the six key differences between Black Duck and Snyk:

1. Integration: Black Duck provides integrations with a wide range of development tools such as IDEs, build systems, and issue trackers, allowing seamless integration into existing software development workflows. On the other hand, Snyk focuses on providing integrations with popular development platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, enabling developers to easily scan and fix vulnerabilities within their repositories.

2. Approach to vulnerability identification: Black Duck primarily relies on a signature-based approach to identify known vulnerabilities in open source components. It maintains a comprehensive vulnerability database and matches component signatures to identify any security vulnerabilities. In contrast, Snyk utilizes a unique approach called "fingerprinting" which involves analyzing the behavior and dependencies of the components to detect vulnerabilities, even for those without known signatures.

3. Continuous monitoring: Black Duck offers continuous monitoring capabilities, allowing organizations to track the security posture of their applications throughout the software development lifecycle. It provides real-time alerts and reports on new vulnerabilities and license compliance issues. Snyk also offers continuous monitoring but focuses more on providing real-time vulnerability alerts and automatic fixes for open source dependencies within code repositories.

4. Developer-centricity: Snyk emphasizes a developer-centric approach by integrating security testing directly into the developer's workflow. It offers CLI (command-line interface) and IDE plugins that enable developers to scan their code for vulnerabilities and receive remediation advice on the go. Black Duck, although it provides developer-friendly integrations, is commonly used by security teams and compliance officers for tracking and managing open source risks.

5. Language and ecosystem support: Black Duck has broad language support for scanning and analyzing code written in multiple programming languages. It also covers a wide range of software ecosystems including mobile, web development, and IoT (Internet of Things). Snyk, while it also offers support for multiple languages, has particularly strong support for JavaScript-based technologies and frameworks, making it a popular choice for projects heavily reliant on Node.js and JavaScript ecosystems.

6. License compliance management: Black Duck's focus extends beyond security vulnerabilities to include comprehensive license compliance management. It offers features like software bill of materials (SBOM) generation, license risk analysis, and policy enforcement to ensure compliance with open source licenses. In comparison, Snyk primarily focuses on security vulnerabilities and provides limited license management capabilities, such as identifying licenses and their associated risks.

In summary, Black Duck and Snyk differ in terms of integration options, vulnerability identification approaches, continuous monitoring capabilities, target audience, language and ecosystem support, and license compliance management. These differences should be considered when selecting an SCA tool based on specific project requirements and organizational needs.