Kubescape vs Open Policy Agent Gatekeeper
Kubescape
kubescape.io
Open Policy Agent Gatekeeper
open-policy-agent.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Kubescape | Open Policy Agent Gatekeeper |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $30/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 2 |
| Spec score · Kubernetes Security Software | 9.1 (#1) | 8.3 (#5) |
| Spec score · Container Security Software | 9.1 (#1) | 8.4 (#5) |
| Limit: learning curve | A G2 reviewer says the breadth of features creates an initial learning curve and advanced functions need extra configuration. | A production user reports that implementation can be difficult for unprepared organizations because Gatekeeper adds components and requires learning Rego. |
| Policy engine | Controls are written in Rego and evaluated with Open Policy Agent; controls are maintained in a public regolibrary repository. | Gatekeeper uses Open Policy Agent and the Rego policy language for portable, flexible policy evaluation. |
| Purpose | Kubescape is an open-source Kubernetes security platform for end-to-end security coverage. | Gatekeeper is a validating and mutating Kubernetes webhook that enforces CRD-based policies evaluated by Open Policy Agent. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.5 out of 5 from 44 reviews | 4.5 out of 5 from 93 reviews, but the page identifies this as a vendor and contract lifecycle product rather than OPA Gatekeeper. |
| What it does | Kubescape is an open-source Kubernetes security platform covering configuration, vulnerability, compliance, policy and runtime security. | Gatekeeper is a Kubernetes policy controller that enforces policy during admission and can audit running resources. |
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
Open Policy Agent Gatekeeper
- GatekeeperFree
- Open-source GatekeeperFree
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.
Open Policy Agent Gatekeeper
Open Policy Agent Gatekeeper is a free, open-source Kubernetes policy controller for Linux and self-hosted deployments. It runs as a validating and mutating webhook, enforcing CRD-based policies evaluated by Open Policy Agent. Validation constraints can deny requests, warn, run in dry-run mode or report violations without changing resources. Mutation policies can alter matching resources during admission before validation checks the final object. An audit function periodically evaluates existing cluster resources against constraints to identify pre-existing misconfigurations. The project includes an extensible policy library with parameterized examples, and provider connections to external data such as image registries and directory services. Named integrations or backed services include Azure Policy for Kubernetes, Google Kubernetes Engine Policy Controller, Rancher, AWS EKS Blueprints and Alibaba Cloud. Installation options include prebuilt, development or locally built images and Helm. Gatekeeper requires Kubernetes resources introduced in version 1.16 and cluster-admin permissions for installation. The gator CLI is documented as beta from version 3.11.