Executive Summary
Application Security Testing (AST) has become a critical control as software development accelerates and applications grow more complex, distributed, and automated. Modern development pipelines rely heavily on open-source components, APIs, cloud-native services, and increasingly, AI-assisted code generation. These shifts have expanded the attack surface and introduced new classes of vulnerabilities that require continuous and integrated security testing throughout the software development lifecycle.
The widespread use of coding copilots and generative AI tools is changing how software is written and maintained. While these tools improve developer productivity, they can also introduce insecure patterns, hidden dependencies, and logic flaws at scale. In parallel, the emergence of agentic software, where applications make decisions, invoke tools, and interact autonomously with other systems, adds runtime behaviors that are difficult to assess through static analysis alone. As a result, AST platforms must evolve beyond point-in-time scans to support continuous, context-aware testing across code, dependencies, APIs, and runtime interactions.
Leading AST solutions now integrate deeply into CI/CD pipelines, developer workflows, and cloud-native environments. They combine static, dynamic, and composition analysis with automation, prioritization, and remediation guidance to help teams address risk earlier and more consistently. This ShortList reflects AST’s transition from standalone testing tools to an essential layer of secure software delivery, supporting both traditional application development and the next generation of AI-enabled and agent-driven systems.
Threshold Criteria
Constellation considers the following criteria for these solutions:
Core Capabilities
- Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
Analyzes source code and build artifacts to identify security vulnerabilities early in the development process.
- Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
Tests running applications to identify runtime vulnerabilities.
- Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
Identifies security risks, licensing issues, and vulnerabilities in open-source and third-party dependencies.
- API and service security testing
Detects vulnerabilities in APIs and service-to-service interactions that underpin modern and cloud-native applications.
- CI/CD and developer workflow integration
Integrates into CI/CD pipelines, repositories, and developer tools to support continuous and automated testing.
- Reporting and remediation guidance
Provides actionable findings, prioritization, and remediation recommendations tailored for developers and security teams.
Differentiated Capabilities
- Support for AI-generated code and dependencies
Identifies insecure patterns, logic flaws, and dependency risks introduced through AI-assisted code generation.
- Runtime-aware and behavior-based testing
Extends beyond static analysis to account for runtime behavior, dynamic inputs, and execution paths.
- Contextual risk prioritization
Correlates findings with exploitability, application context, and business impact to reduce noise and alert fatigue.
- Coverage for agentic and workflow-driven applications
Supports testing of applications that orchestrate tools, APIs, and external services through autonomous or semi-autonomous logic.
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Automation and scalability for high-velocity development
Demonstrates the ability to operate at scale across large codebases, frequent releases, and distributed development teams.
The Constellation ShortList
Constellation evaluates more than 25 solutions categorized in this market. This Constellation ShortList is determined by client inquiries, partner conversations, customer references, vendor selection projects market share and internal research.
Apiiro
Black Duck
Checkmarx
GitHub
GitLab
HCLSoftware
Kodem
OpenText
Snyk
Sonatype
Veracode
Frequency of Evaluation
Each Constellation ShortList is updated at least once per year. Updates may occur after six months if deemed necessary.
Evaluation Services
Constellation clients can work with the analyst and research team to conduct a more thorough discussion of this Constellation ShortList. Constellation can also provide guidance in vendor selection and contract negotiation.