Applause vs Bugcrowd
Applause vs Bugcrowd, compared side by side on 14 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: Applause is on 60/100 and Bugcrowd on 70/100.
Where each one leads
Applause
- agent readiness: 49/100 against 43/100
Bugcrowd
- our overall score: 70/100 against 60/100
- domain rating: 83/100 against 73/100
- headcount: 3,687 against 1,615
- LinkedIn following: 145,618 against 110,973
At a glance
| Measure | Applause | Bugcrowd |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Applause provides in-the-wild testing services, software tools, and analytics to help companies deliver high-quality digital experiences. | Crowdsourced security platform connecting organizations with ethical hackers for vulnerability discovery. |
| Category | App, Testing, Software Development, Artificial Intelligence | Cybersecurity, Threat Detection, Crowdsourced Security, Vulnerability Management |
| Sells toBusiness model | B2B | B2B |
| Offering | Software | Platform |
| Founded | 2007 | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Framingham, United States | San Francisco, United States |
| Status | Active | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | Applause | Bugcrowd |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 1,615 | 3,687 |
| Total funding | $138M | Not published |
| Latest round | Series F | Not published |
| LinkedIn followers | 110,973 | 145,618 |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | Applause | Bugcrowd |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 60/100 | 70/100 |
| Traction | 60/100 | Not published |
| Team | 60/100 | Not published |
| Search visibility | 30/100 | 2/100 |
| Quality | 65/100 | Not published |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (49/100) | D (43/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 73/100 | 83/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | Applause | Bugcrowd |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Not detected | Self Managed |
| CDN | Cloudflare | Not detected |
| CMS | WordPress | WordPress |
| Frameworks | Not detected | Jquery, Bootstrap |
| Analytics | Not detected | Google Tag Manager, Segment |
Applause vs Bugcrowd: common questions
Which is better, Applause or Bugcrowd?
On our 0-100 score Bugcrowd rates higher (70/100 against 60/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 14 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do Applause and Bugcrowd compare on the numbers?
Applause leads on agent readiness (49/100 against 43/100). Bugcrowd leads on our overall score (70/100 against 60/100), domain rating (83/100 against 73/100), headcount (3,687 against 1,615), LinkedIn following (145,618 against 110,973).
Read the full Applause review and pricing or the Bugcrowd review and pricing. You can also browse other Applause alternatives we track.

