Kubescape vs Qualys TotalCloud
Kubescape
kubescape.ioQualys TotalCloud
qualys.comSide by side
| Figure | Kubescape | Qualys TotalCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $30/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 6 | 3 |
| Spec score · Cloud Vulnerability Scanners | 9.1 (#1) | 8.1 (#11) |
| Spec score · Cloud Security Platforms | 9.0 (#2) | 8.1 (#10) |
| Compliance | Kubescape supports security frameworks including CIS, NSA-CISA, MITRE ATT&CK, and SOC 2. | Built-in policy frameworks include CIS, PCI-DSS, HIPAA and NIST, with compliance reports and alert rules. |
| Founded | 2021 | 1999 |
| Integrations | Documented integrations include GitHub, GitLab CI/CD, Lens and Visual Studio Code. | Supported TotalCloud integrations include GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Jenkins, Bamboo, Azure DevOps, VSCode, Jira, and ServiceNow. |
| Support | The project says it aims to respond to issues within 48 hours and provides CNCF Slack users and developers channels. | Qualys subscriptions include 24/7/365 telephone and online customer and technical support, free training, and certification. |
| What it does | Kubescape is an open-source Kubernetes security platform covering configuration, vulnerability, compliance, policy and runtime security. | Qualys TotalCloud is a cloud-native application protection platform covering cloud infrastructure, workloads, applications, containers, identities, SaaS and AI security. |
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
Qualys TotalCloud
- 30-day free trialFree
- TotalCloud Free licenseFree
- Qualys Cloud Platform subscriptionPriced 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.
Qualys TotalCloud
Qualys TotalCloud is a cloud-native application protection platform for multi-cloud and container environments. It covers AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure through a single license, control plane, and TruRisk score. Its security domains include CSPM, CWPP, CIEM, CDR, Kubernetes and container security, IaC, SSPM, DSPM, and AI-SPM. TruRisk prioritizes verified, attackable exposures using exploitability, threat intelligence, asset criticality, and runtime context. FlexScan offers agentless, agent-based, network, and pipeline scanning. QFlow provides more than 300 automated playbooks and integrates with ServiceNow, Jira, SIEM, and SOAR platforms. Qualys says TotalCloud can assess cloud resources, including transient and ephemeral resources, in under 10 minutes. It also manages SaaS security posture for Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Zoom, and Google Workspace. Pre-built policy frameworks include CIS, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and NIST. A free license with limited API calls for control evaluation is listed; subscription pricing is available on request.