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Developer-FirstAlternative to Black Duck

StackHawk delivers automated DAST and comprehensive API security testing, plus CI/CD-native integration that runs in minutes instead of requiring complex enterprise setup, source code-driven API discovery that reveals your complete attack surface before deployment, and developer-friendly workflows that enable same-day fixes without waiting on security teams or expert validation services.

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Why Choose StackHawk Over Black Duck DAST?

StackHawk is the only true shift-left DAST platform that’s purpose-built to bridge the gap between security and dev teams to enable secure software delivery at the speed of AI development. Unlike Black Duck, which positions DAST as part of an enterprise security audit platform requiring manual expert validation services and complex enterprise setup, StackHawk integrates directly into CI/CD workflows and delivers security testing results to developers in minutes, so vulnerabilities are automatically identified and quickly fixed before they reach production.

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Built for Developer Velocity

StackHawk is purpose-built for continuous security testing in CI/CD pipelines where developers are invested in security outcomes. Tests run in the same infrastructure where your code builds and deploys—completing scans in minutes and delivering actionable findings immediately to developers where they already work. Security testing becomes a natural extension of the development workflow, not a separate audit process requiring external review.

Black Duck positions DAST as part of an enterprise security audit platform with SCA, SAST, and DAST tools combined through software acquisitions. DAST scans typically execute in Black Duck’s cloud environments rather than your infrastructure, requiring network connectivity to external systems and introducing dependencies on vendor availability. While expert validation reduces false positives, it introduces delays between vulnerability detection and remediation, creating bottlenecks incompatible with teams shipping code multiple times daily.

Proactive API Discovery

StackHawk is more than just testing. By integrating into your source code repositories, StackHawk automatically discovers your complete attack surface, mapping every REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and SOAP API the moment they’re committed, including shadow APIs, internal microservices, and AI/LLM interfaces. This proactive visibility means you test and secure APIs before production exposure, preventing the security blind spots that lead to breaches.

Black Duck discovers vulnerabilities reactively through production scanning or requires a separate pre-production configuration. Their approach focuses on testing deployed applications rather than discovering APIs from code, meaning APIs reach production before security testing occurs. While they support OpenAPI specifications and Postman collections, teams must provide these artifacts rather than having them automatically generated from source code.

Seamless, Developer-Driven Remediation Loops

StackHawk enables security teams to keep up with development velocity by empowering developers to perform self-service security testing through configuration-as-code. This means security testing lives in version control, replicates across microservices as easily as copying a file, requires no specialized security expertise, and is consistent across every scan. Developers get immediate feedback in their existing tools so they can fix vulnerabilities when context is fresh and fixes are cheapest, without dependency on security teams.

Black Duck operates through security team workflows, where expert validation services review findings before they reach developers. While this reduces false positives, it creates delays as it depends on external expert schedules. The platform’s enterprise focus and complex setup, inherited from acquisitions, make it challenging for individual developers to adopt without security team involvement and extensive configuration.

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Black Duck vs StackHawk Feature Comparison Guide

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Features

StackHawk

Black Duck

Developer Experience

Actionable vulnerability feedback integrated into every pull request with clear remediation steps that fit developer workflows

Security team-focused dashboards and reporting with expert validation services, but findings are delivered through separate portals rather than integrated into developer workflows

API Discovery

Source code-driven discovery finds internal and public-facing APIs before deployment, preventing exposure

Runtime discovery of APIs through instrumentation (Seeker IAST) and can generate OpenAPI docs for missing specifications, but discovery happens during testing rather than proactively from source code

API Security Testing

Comprehensive testing for all API types: REST, SOAP, GraphQL, and gRPC

Supports OpenAPI specs, Postman collections, .HAR files, and GraphQL (.sdl) scanning with focus on standard vulnerability detection but limited business logic testing capabilities in automated scans

CI/CD Integration

Native pipeline integration across all major platforms with scans that complete within standard build times

Available CI/CD integrations but scans typically run in vendor cloud environments with longer execution times, requiring separate scan scheduling rather than true pipeline-native execution

Business Logic Testing

Deterministic tests support detection of complex business logic flaws with full transparency and customization

Manual Business Logic Assessments (BLA) available as premium add-on with expert-led testing, but not integrated into automated DAST scans and requires separate scheduling and licensing

Frequently Asked Questions About StackHawk and Black Duck DAST

What about Black Duck's expert validation which eliminates false positives?

Black Duck’s expert human validation through Continuous Dynamic does reduce false positives, but it fundamentally changes the value proposition from “fast developer feedback” to “accurate security audit.” Expert validation introduces delays—findings must be reviewed by external security experts before reaching developers, typically adding days or weeks to remediation cycles. StackHawk takes a different approach: we deliver high-confidence findings with minimal false positives through runtime validation and exploitability verification. Plus, results reach developers immediately while code context is fresh. For teams shipping code daily with the help of AI, fast feedback matters more than zero false positives, especially when developers can quickly triage findings themselves.

Black Duck offers both SAST and SCA alongside DAST; isn't a platform better?

Black Duck’s “Big Three” (SAST, DAST, SCA) platform sounds comprehensive, but in practice, it creates complexity in managing disparate tools stitched together from multiple acquisitions. Their offerings remain somewhat parallel products rather than truly unified. StackHawk is a best-of-breed DAST that integrates with other best-of-breed tools like Semgrep or GitHub CodeQL for correlated findings. Plus, our platform goes beyond testing to deliver code-based attack surface mapping and program oversight. This approach gives you the best DAST on the market and the visibility you need to improve and scale your AppSec program.

How does pricing compare between StackHawk and Black Duck?

StackHawk uses transparent per-developer pricing with unlimited applications and scanning, which makes it cost-effective for microservices architectures and predictable as teams grow. Black Duck employs custom enterprise pricing with no public rates, typically requiring sales consultation and resulting in median contracts around $22K annually according to third-party data. Their model includes separate charges for professional services, implementation support, and expert validation hours. For organizations with many applications or rapid growth, StackHawk’s model typically provides better value and predictability.

Can StackHawk handle production scanning like Black Duck's Continuous Dynamic?

StackHawk is designed for pre-production testing in CI/CD pipelines, where vulnerabilities are caught before deployment, which prevents production exposure entirely rather than discovering issues after they’re live. This shift-left approach means vulnerabilities never reach production in the first place, eliminating the need for production scanning. If you need production validation for compliance, StackHawk can scan staging environments that mirror production, or you can run ad-hoc scans against production using the same configuration that runs in CI/CD. The key difference: we prevent vulnerabilities from reaching production rather than discovering them afterward.

Security testing at the speed of AI development

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