Veracode Tops the Pyramid for Application Security Testing
An independent analyst report names Veracode a “Difference Maker” in the top tier of the 2026 AST vendor pyramid.
The AST market is mature, but the boundaries are changing. AI-generated code, CNAPP platforms, and software supply-chain exposure are reshaping where and how application security testing happens. This report from FOURCASTERS and Lionfish Tech Advisors maps the seven components every AST program needs and names which vendors actually deliver them. Veracode was classified as a “Difference Maker” in the Buyer’s Guide 2026 vendor pyramid, positioned in the top tier. The “Difference Maker” designation recognizes vendors with distinctive and unique market impact.
What’s Inside the report:
- An independent assessment of the AST market that cuts through the noise around CNAPP, ASPM, and AI to determine which vendors can actually support a program, not just run a scanner.
- The seven inclusion components that define a real AST program: SAST, DAST, SCA, reporting and trending, secure code training, remediation assistance, and pentesting services.
- A Buyer’s Guide 2026 vendor pyramid that classifies vendors into tiers. Veracode is named a “Difference Maker” at the top of the pyramid alongside Snyk and Checkmarx, positioned above Black Duck, OpenText, HCL Software, and GitLab.
- A clear argument for why AI makes testing more essential, not less, and why independent validation remains non-negotiable even as AI-driven remediation accelerates.
Three Reasons AST Is Evolving, Not Disappearing.
AI Demands More Testing, Not Less
AI is helping developers produce more code at higher velocity, but it still cannot reliably produce flaw-free code. AI moves AST from a periodic testing activity toward an always-on validation layer. AI-generated code can be created and changed continuously, and AI-driven remediation creates additional code changes that also need to be validated.
Finding Is Not Fixing. Fixing Is Not Validation.
To form an effective program, AST scan types are layered together with human pentesters and application security staff helping to remediate flaws. Simply trusting that AI can write flaw-free code or catch every flaw breaks the redundancy that forms the foundation of an AST program.
A Program, Not a Product
A real program means flaws get assigned, owned, remediated, certified, or accepted and recertified. This business process is the nexus of cooperation between development and security organizations, not merely a technology that is deployed. Veracode is one of the few vendors named in the report that delivers all seven components.
Independent analyst research from FOURCASTERS and Lionfish Tech Advisors (September 2026). FOURCASTERS and Lionfish Tech Advisors do not endorse any vendor, product, or service.