Qualys is an enterprise security platform
Qualys is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: QLYS) founded in 1999. They pioneered SaaS-based vulnerability management. Their Web Application Scanning (WAS) product is part of a larger cloud platform that includes:
- Vulnerability Management (VMDR)
- Web Application Scanning (WAS)
- Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- Policy Compliance
- Container Security
- Endpoint Detection and Response
It's built for large organizations with dedicated security teams. Setup involves account provisioning, agent deployment, network scanner configuration, authentication credentials, schedule management, compliance mapping, and team access controls.
What Qualys WAS does extremely well
- Authenticated scanning: Logs into your app with provided credentials and crawls authenticated pages
- Full DAST: Dynamic application security testing with actual payloads and exploit attempts
- Massive KnowledgeBase: Tens of thousands of vulnerability signatures updated continuously
- Compliance reporting: Pre-built reports for PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001
- Enterprise integrations: SIEM (Splunk, QRadar), ticketing (Jira, ServiceNow), WAF
- Scheduled continuous scans: Weekly, monthly, or triggered by code changes
Why ismycodesafe.com exists
Qualys WAS starts at around $89/month for the most basic tier and goes into many thousands for enterprise deployments. It's priced for companies with compliance budgets, not for indie developers or small businesses.
We built ismycodesafe.com to fill the gap: comprehensive external vulnerability scanning that's free, fast, and requires zero setup. Our target user is:
- A developer shipping their first SaaS
- An agency building client websites who needs quick security audits
- A small business owner who can't afford enterprise security tools
- A security-curious developer using AI coding tools who wants a sanity check
What we do and don't do
We do:
- External unauthenticated scans (what an attacker sees from the internet)
- 160+ checks including OWASP Top 10, SSL/TLS, CVEs, threat intelligence
- Fast scans (30 seconds)
- Zero setup — enter URL and go
- Free tier with all checks included
We don't do:
- Authenticated scanning (logging into your app)
- Deep DAST with exploit verification
- SAST (static code analysis)
- Compliance report generation (PCI, HIPAA, SOC 2)
- Enterprise integrations (SIEM, ticketing, WAF)
When you actually need Qualys
If any of these are true, ismycodesafe.com isn't enough and you need Qualys (or a similar enterprise tool):
- You need authenticated scanning of logged-in pages
- You need formal compliance certification (PCI, HIPAA, SOC 2)
- You need to scan internal applications behind a VPN
- You need DAST with actual exploit verification
- You have a dedicated security team managing the platform
- You're a regulated enterprise (healthcare, finance, government)
When ismycodesafe.com is enough
For most developers, indie hackers, and small businesses, our 160+ checks cover the vast majority of real-world attack surface:
- Exposed sensitive files (.env, .git, backups)
- Missing security headers (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options)
- Vulnerable dependencies (npm packages, JS libraries)
- SSL/TLS misconfigurations
- OWASP Top 10 issues
- Open ports and exposed services
- Subdomain takeover risks
These are the issues attackers actually exploit. Authenticated DAST finds more, but most indie devs don't need that level of coverage.
The honest summary
Qualys WAS: Enterprise vulnerability scanner with authenticated scanning, compliance reports, and full DAST. Use it if you're at scale with compliance requirements.
ismycodesafe.com: Free external vulnerability scanner with 160+ checks in 30 seconds. Use it if you're a developer or small business.
The gap between these tools is pricing and setup complexity, not scan quality. Our external scan catches most real-world issues. Qualys catches more, but you'll pay for it in dollars and setup time.