Black Duck vs Sonatype:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sonatype had more branded searches than Black Duck among dependency scanning tools worldwide. Sonatype had about 9,900 branded searches, while Black Duck had 1,440. Sonatype made up 6.8% of all dependency scanning tool searches we track, and Black Duck accounted for 0.98%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about dependency scanning tools, Black Duck and Sonatype each appeared in two of the five answers. Black Duck was mentioned before Sonatype in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Sonatype, about 7 searches for every 1 for Black Duck
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Black Duck, named ahead of Sonatype in 2 of 3 answers
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Top dependency scanning tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Black Duck was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Sonatype was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Black Duck was listed before Sonatype in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Trivy1st
Dependabot2nd
Snyk3rd
OWASP Dependency-Check4th
Socket5th- Sonatype6th
Renovate7th- Mend8th
- Black Duck9th
OWASP Dependency-Track10th- +1 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Trivy4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Dependabot4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Snyk3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- OWASP Dependency-Check3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sonatype2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Renovate2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Socket2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Black Duck2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Mend2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- OWASP Dependency-Track1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about dependency scanning tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which dependency scanning tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best dependency scanning tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best dependency scanning tool for a software team?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“dependency scanning tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“open source dependency scanner”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Black Duck or Sonatype more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Black Duck and Sonatype by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 dependency scanning tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Sonatype, Black Duck. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Snyk | Trivy | Dependabot | OWASP Dependency-Track | Sonatype | Renovate | OWASP Dependency-Check | Socket | Black Duck | Mend | FOSSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.6% | 19.5% | 13% | 5.8% | 7.1% | 3.2% | 4.8% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 0.72% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 40.2% | 22% | 12% | 6.6% | 8% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 1.3% | 0.98% | 0.81% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 39.8% | 21.8% | 14.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 4.3% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 0.8% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 39.2% | 21.5% | 14.3% | 6.4% | 7.8% | 3.5% | 4.3% | 1.1% | 1% | 0.79% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 44% | 19.7% | 13.2% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 1.2% | 0.95% | 0.73% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 26.3% | 47.7% | 9.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 1.4% | 0.76% | 0.43% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 35.6% | 29.2% | 13.1% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2.4% | 0.94% | 0.77% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 39% | 21.3% | 14.3% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 2.8% | 4.6% | 0.93% | 0.64% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.8% | 21.8% | 14.6% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.1% | 0.95% | 0.58% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.4% | 23.7% | 15.9% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.72% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 33.8% | 27.6% | 15.1% | 5.5% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 3.3% | 0.98% | 0.68% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 33.9% | 27.7% | 15.2% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 2% | 0.98% | 0.6% | <0.01% |
How has the Black Duck and Sonatype comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sonatype was ahead of Black Duck in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Black Duck’s share of searches among dependency scanning tools worldwide moved from 1.1% to 0.98%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.5K to 1.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sonatype’s share of searches among dependency scanning tools worldwide moved from 7.1% to 6.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for dependency scanning tools worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, OWASP Dependency-Track overtook Sonatype to rank 4th among dependency scanning tools worldwide, with 6.8% of the searches.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Black Duck’s and Sonatype’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Black Duck
2 branded search terms
- black duck sca
- synopsys black duck
Sonatype
1 branded search term
- sonatype
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