Kubescape vs Kyverno
Kubescape
kubescape.ioKyverno
kyverno.ioSide by side
| Figure | Kubescape | Kyverno |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $30/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 2 |
| Spec score · Kubernetes Security Software | 9.1 (#1) | 8.6 (#4) |
| Spec score · Container Security Software | 9.1 (#1) | 8.7 (#3) |
| Spec score · Infrastructure as Code Security Software | 8.9 (#5) | 8.4 (#8) |
| Deployment | The CLI supports offline and air-gapped operation by downloading artifacts for local use. | Kyverno is installed in a Kubernetes cluster, with Helm recommended for production deployments and YAML manifests also available. |
| Documentation | The documentation covers installation, scanning, frameworks, controls, operator services, integrations, runtime detection, telemetry and troubleshooting. | The documentation covers installation, policy types, testing, reporting, monitoring, tracing, security, troubleshooting, high availability and CLI usage. |
| Founded | 2021 | 2019 |
| Integrations | Documented integrations include GitHub, GitLab CI/CD, Lens and Visual Studio Code. | CNCF lists common integrations with Argo CD, Backstage, Flux and Kubernetes for GitOps and platform governance. |
| Purpose | Kubescape is an open-source Kubernetes security platform for end-to-end security coverage. | Kyverno is a Kubernetes-native policy engine for defining and enforcing policy as code. |
| Self-hosting | The operator is installed with Helm and runs as Kubernetes microservices inside the customer cluster. | Kyverno runs as admission and background controllers inside a Kubernetes cluster that the operator manages. |
| Support | The project says it aims to respond to issues within 48 hours and provides CNCF Slack users and developers channels. | The project directs users to its Kubernetes Slack channels, GitHub, and mailing list for questions and discussion. |
| What it does | Kubescape is an open-source Kubernetes security platform covering configuration, vulnerability, compliance, policy and runtime security. | Kyverno is a cloud-native policy engine for automating Kubernetes security, compliance, governance and best-practice checks. |
Plans
Kubescape
- ARMO Platform FreeFree
- Kubescape open sourceFree
- Kubescape Open SourceFree
- ARMO Platform Startup$30 a month
- ARMO PlatformPriced on request
- ARMO Platform EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Kubescape
Kubescape is an open-source platform for Kubernetes security across configuration, images, compliance, and activity in running clusters. It analyzes Kubernetes manifests, Helm charts, and live clusters for misconfigurations. Its operator scans deployed container images for vulnerabilities using Grype and public vulnerability databases, and monitors active clusters for suspicious behavior and threats. Kubescape supports CIS, NSA-CISA, MITRE ATT&CK, and SOC 2 frameworks. Its policy engine uses Open Policy Agent to evaluate Kubernetes objects against posture controls written in Rego; the operator runs as microservices that continuously monitor cluster posture. Integrations are available for GitHub, GitLab CI/CD, Lens, and Visual Studio Code. The CLI can download artifacts for local use, including in offline and air-gapped environments. Results can be exported as JSON or JUnit XML or rendered as HTML or PDF. The CLI and Kubernetes operator are self-hosted and free under Apache License 2.0. ARMO Platform is a compatible provider for uploading scan results and downloading custom artifacts; its price depends on vCPUs and other cloud resources.
Kyverno
Kyverno is a free, open-source policy engine for defining and enforcing policy as code in Kubernetes. Its stable policy types can validate, mutate, generate or delete resources, and verify container image signatures and attestations. The Kyverno CLI can test policies against Kubernetes resource manifests in CI before they are applied to a live cluster. Documentation describes use with Helm, YAML manifests, GitHub Actions and GitOps tools such as ArgoCD. Kyverno is installed in a Kubernetes cluster; Helm is recommended for production, and YAML manifests are also available. A standard installation requires an admission controller, while background, reports and cleanup controllers are optional. Production installations should use high availability mode. The project supports CEL-based policy types and describes applying Kubernetes-style policies outside Kubernetes as part of its mission. Its webhooks default to fail-closed, so matching requests can fail if the API server cannot reach Kyverno. The project documents Cosign signatures for images and manifests, and lists CLI binaries for Linux, macOS and Windows.