Best Container Image Scanning Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: Qualys External Attack Surface Management is ranked #1 of 28 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Snyk Open Source and Clair. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Snyk Open Source. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Uptycs Container Security at $3/mo.
Image scanning can enter a development workflow through CI pipelines, registries or Kubernetes admission controls. Compare the ranked tools on those scanning points and their deployment models, then consider whether fix recommendations and SBOM generation match your security process. Free-plan availability and paid starting prices provide further comparison points. The first entries are Snyk Open Source, Mondoo CSPM and Sysdig Secure, with Checkmarx API Security and Qualys External Attack Surface Management also near the top. Think about where images need to be checked in your stack and which environments your team operates. The listed criteria help distinguish workflow coverage and the supporting capabilities available.
28 container image scanning tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Container Image Scanning Tools, one module each. A lit port is something its maker publishes; 9 of the 25 on this page have a public API.
- 01 Qualys External Attack Surface Management API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.4
- 02 Snyk Open Source API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.4$25/mo
- 03 Clair API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 04 Mondoo CSPM API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 05 Sysdig Secure API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.9
- 06 Checkmarx API Security API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.8
- 07 Uptycs Container Security API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.8$3/mo
- 08 Google Artifact Analysis API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.7
- 09 ZeroPath API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.7$1,000/mo
- 10 Trivy API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 11 Docker Desktop API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9$9/mo
- 12 Grype API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 13 RapidFort API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 14 Aqua Container Security API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.5
- 15 FortiCNAPP API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.5
- 16 O3 Security Image Scanner API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.5
- 17 Wiz Defend API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.5
- 18 Check Point CloudGuard Data Security API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
- 19 CrowdStrike Falcon Surface API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
- 20 SUSE Multi-Linux Manager API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.3
- 21 Alibaba Cloud Container Registry API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2
- 22 Sonatype Container Scanner API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 23 Checkmarx Container Security API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.0
- 24 Anchore Enterprise API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 4.9
- 25 Dagda API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 4.9
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | Registry scanning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qualys External Attack Surface Management | 7.4 | No | — | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 2 | Snyk Open Source | 7.4 | Free plan | $25/mo | Yes | 25 /mo | hybrid | Yes |
| 3 | Clair | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | self_hosted | Yes |
| 4 | Mondoo CSPM | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | Sysdig Secure | 6.9 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 6 | Checkmarx API Security | 6.8 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 7 | Uptycs Container Security | 6.8 | No | $3/mo | No | 3 /mo | hybrid | Yes |
| 8 | Google Artifact Analysis | 6.7 | No | — | No | — | saas | Yes |
| 9 | ZeroPath | 6.7 | No | $1,000/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 10 | Trivy | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 11 | Docker Desktop | 5.9 | Free plan | $9/mo | Yes | — | saas | Yes |
| 12 | Grype | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | RapidFort | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 14 | Aqua Container Security | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 15 | FortiCNAPP | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | — |
| 16 | O3 Security Image Scanner | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 17 | Wiz Defend | 5.5 | No | — | No | — | saas | Yes |
| 18 | Check Point CloudGuard Data Security | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 19 | CrowdStrike Falcon Surface | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | — |
| 20 | SUSE Multi-Linux Manager | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | self_hosted | Yes |
| 21 | Alibaba Cloud Container Registry | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 22 | Sonatype Container Scanner | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 23 | Checkmarx Container Security | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 24 | Anchore Enterprise | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 25 | Dagda | 4.9 | No | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | — |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which container image scanning tool is ranked first on Inferse?
Qualys External Attack Surface Management is ranked #1 of 28 with a score of 7.4. Snyk Open Source is second and Clair third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Uptycs Container Security has the lowest first paid tier we found: $3/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it.