Understanding Veracode SAST: Pros/Cons, Architecture, and Pricing

What is Veracode SAST?

Veracode SAST (static application security testing) helps developers identify and fix security flaws in source code during development. It scans code without executing it, allowing vulnerabilities to be detected early in the software development lifecycle. Veracode’s SAST tool integrates with common developer tools and CI/CD workflows.

The solution supports over 100 languages and frameworks, using whole-program analysis to detect exploitable code paths. Unlike SAST tools that require extensive tuning, Veracode claims to provide high accuracy out of the box with a low false positive rate.

Key features of Veracode SAST

Veracode SAST offers features to help development teams secure code quickly and accurately. Its focus on integration, low false positives, and broad language support makes it suitable for modern, fast-paced development environments. Below are the key capabilities that set it apart.

• Broad language and framework coverage: Scans code written in over 100 languages and frameworks, enabling secure development across diverse tech stacks.
• High accuracy with low false positives: Maintains a low false positive rate, reducing noise and increasing trust in scan results.
• Developer-centric workflow: Integrates directly into IDEs, repositories, and CI/CD pipelines, allowing developers to scan and receive results in minutes without leaving their environment.
• Multiple scan types: Supports IDE scans, pipeline scans, and policy scans to provide coverage at every phase of development.
• Prioritization and remediation: Uses “fix-first” prioritization, developer training, and expert guidance to help teams reduce mean time to resolution.
• Scalability and performance: Scales across enterprise environments without compromising speed or usability.
• Reporting and analytics: Offers centralized visibility into security posture across all applications, helping teams track progress and compliance.

Veracode SAST limitations

While Veracode SAST offers strong capabilities for identifying and fixing security flaws in code, it comes with several limitations that teams should consider when integrating it into their workflows. These limitations were reported by users on the G2 platform:

• Inconsistent scan results: Static scans can yield inconsistent outcomes, with the same flaw appearing in one scan, disappearing in the next, and reappearing later.
• Slow scan performance: Source code analysis can take a significant amount of time to complete. For fast-moving development teams, this can slow down the workflow.
• Dependency on internet speed: Scan progress relies heavily on internet speed. In slower networks, the upload and scanning process may appear stalled or delayed.
• Complicated flaw mitigation process: Addressing false positives or mitigating flaws is not straightforward. Teams often depend on Veracode administrators to complete the process, which introduces delays.
• Limited error context: Error descriptions in scan results can be minimal, making it hard for developers to understand the nature of issues and how to fix them.
• Lack of immediate feedback on upload failures: When artifact uploads fail (e.g., JARs, SDKs, IPAs), there is often no real-time notification.
• Complex licensing model: Veracode’s licensing structure is difficult to navigate, with costs increasing per application and requiring individual licenses.
• Disparity between documentation and delivery: There are gaps between the capabilities described in official documentation and what is actually delivered in practice.
• Regional feature gaps: Some features are prioritized for the US market and are either delayed or unavailable in the EU.
• Weak backend and customer support: Users have reported inadequate backend support and difficulty justifying the value of the customer success package.

How Veracode SAST works

Prescanning process

Before scanning, code must be packaged into artifacts like ZIP, TAR, or WAR files, depending on the language. These artifacts are uploaded for static analysis and must meet Veracode’s specific packaging requirements.

A prescan verification is performed after upload. It checks that the application is correctly packaged, identifies top-level modules with external entry points, and runs an initial SCA scan if enabled. If issues are found, such as missing files, unsupported platforms, or parse errors, the prescan flags them for resolution before continuing.

Top-level modules are the main components analyzed in the scan. These vary by language, for example, WAR or EAR files in Java, EXE files in .NET, and the main application binary in C++. Supporting files and debug information, while not always required, are recommended for more accurate results and detailed flaw reporting.

Veracode provides an auto-packaging tool to help ensure artifacts are scan-ready.

Code scanning solutions

Veracode static analysis is available in two main scanning options:

1. Upload and Scan

This scanning engine provides a security assessment by scanning both first-party code and open-source components. It supports policy scans, SCA integration, and sandbox environments. Results are available in the Veracode Platform and can be used to track compliance against internal security standards.

2. Pipeline Scan

This engine is optimized for speed and frequent use in CI/CD workflows. It scans source code directly in developer tools and pipelines but does not assess open-source components or integrate with the Veracode Platform. This makes it suitable for fast feedback cycles, such as scanning at every commit or pull request. 

You can also integrate Veracode Fix to apply suggested patches automatically and pair it with an SCA agent-based scan to cover open-source libraries. Both scanning types support multiple languages and can be used to enforce security thresholds or block builds when new vulnerabilities are introduced.

Learn more in our detailed guide to code scanning

Veracode SAST pricing

Veracode does not make pricing publicly available. According to UnderDefense, Veracode SAST pricing starts at $10,000 per year, covering up to 100,000 lines of code. This entry-level plan includes core features to support secure development workflows at scale.

The plan offers full code scanning of both source code and compiled binaries, helping identify vulnerabilities before deployment. It integrates with CI/CD pipelines, enabling automated scans as part of build and deployment processes.

Additionally, Veracode provides expert security guidance to help prioritize and fix vulnerabilities effectively.

Mend.io: Ultimate Veracode SAST alternative

Mend SAST, an agentic static analysis tool, stops new vulnerabilities at the point of code creation. It delivers AI-powered fixes and immediate feedback directly into the AI development workflow, enabling developers to resolve security issues, whether human or AI-generated, the moment they appear.

Key features include:

• Cloud compliance and governance with on-premises scanning to keep sensitive data private while enabling cloud-based reporting, quality gates, and workflow automations.
• Agentic SAST support for AI code assistants that autonomously finds and fixes code flaws pre-commit.
• Reduced noise and high precision to pinpoint new vulnerabilities linked to recent changes, delivering 38% better precision and 48% better recall than competitors.
• Pre-production AI-powered fixes with every commit that are 46% more accurate than competitors, allowing developers to remediate risks without context switching.
• Near real-time feedback in the repo with scans up to 10x faster than traditional SAST tools, keeping pace with rapid AI development.