Qualys TotalCloud vs Aqua Security

Qualys TotalCloud9.4Visit Aqua Security9.0Visit

Higher score Qualys TotalCloud #1 in Cloud Workload Protection Platforms 9.4/10 Pricing on request · 30-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Qualys

vs

Aqua Security #3 in Cloud Workload Protection Platforms 9.0/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Aqua Security

• Qualys TotalCloud fits best

  Broad multi-cloud workload protection

• Aqua Security fits best

  Container and Kubernetes security teams

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Side by side

Feature	Qualys TotalCloud 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Aqua Security 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.0
Ranking	#1 in Cloud Workload Protection Platforms	#3 in Cloud Workload Protection Platforms
Best for	Broad multi-cloud workload protection	Container and Kubernetes security teams
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request · 30-day trial	—
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web, Linux
Support	Phone, Docs · 24/7	Email, Tickets
Integrations	100+ integrations	17 integrations
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Qualys TotalCloud 3/3 · Aqua Security 0/3
Container protection	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Serverless protection	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Kubernetes protection	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment model	Hybrid	Hybrid
Response actions	Email, Slack, Microsoft Teams, PagerDuty, Jira tickets	Not checked yet
Supported host OS	CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu	Not checked yet
Cloud platforms	AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Covers AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI in one inventory Combines agent-based and agentless workload protection Includes Kubernetes, containers, serverless, and response workflows	Combines image, registry, Kubernetes, and runtime security controls Adds admission control, SBOMs, drift prevention, and deployment gates Supports major cloud, registry, CI/CD, Kubernetes, and SIEM integrations
Cons	Contact-sales pricing makes budget comparison less direct Its broad scope may exceed the needs of narrowly focused teams The trial is limited to 30 days rather than a perpetual free plan	No free plan is available Pricing requires contact with sales Its breadth may exceed the needs of teams seeking a narrow scanner
Our verdict	Qualys TotalCloud is a cloud-native application protection platform for security teams managing multi-cloud infrastructure, workloads, containers, Kubernetes, and applications. It brings together inventory across AWS, Microsoft Azure,… Read the review →	Aqua Security provides cloud-native application protection for organizations securing software from development through production. Its coverage spans container images, registries, Kubernetes environments, serverless workloads, virtual… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Qualys TotalCloud — where it wins

  • Covers AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI in one inventory
  • Combines agent-based and agentless workload protection
  • Includes Kubernetes, containers, serverless, and response workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • Contact-sales pricing makes budget comparison less direct
  • Its broad scope may exceed the needs of narrowly focused teams
  • The trial is limited to 30 days rather than a perpetual free plan

• Aqua Security — where it wins

  • Combines image, registry, Kubernetes, and runtime security controls
  • Adds admission control, SBOMs, drift prevention, and deployment gates
  • Supports major cloud, registry, CI/CD, Kubernetes, and SIEM integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Pricing requires contact with sales
  • Its breadth may exceed the needs of teams seeking a narrow scanner

• Qualys TotalCloud9.4/10 · Pricing on request · 30-day trial

  Broad workload, container, Kubernetes, and serverless coverage for multi-cloud security teams.

  Visit QualysFull verdict →
• Aqua Security9.0/10 · Pricing on request

  Deep container and Kubernetes protection for teams securing workloads across development and production.

  Visit Aqua SecurityFull verdict →