Best Container Security Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Qualys External Attack Surface Management is ranked #1 of 24 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Snyk Open Source and Deepfence ThreatMapper. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Snyk Open Source. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Docker Desktop at $9/mo.
Container security software addresses risks across images, registries, Kubernetes environments and runtime activity. Compared on image scanning, registry scanning, admission control, Kubernetes security, runtime protection and SBOM generation, the entries offer distinct criteria for assessing your security needs. Deployment model, free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add practical context. Qualys External Attack Surface Management, Deepfence ThreatMapper and Kubescape are among the options to consider. Use the listed capabilities to identify where your container workflow needs controls and which deployment arrangements fit your environment.
24 container security software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Container Security Software, one module each. A lit port is something its maker publishes; 8 of the 24 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 Deepfence ThreatMapper API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 04 Kubescape API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 05 Kyverno API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 06 Prisma Cloud SCA API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.9
- 07 Sysdig Secure API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.9
- 08 Google Artifact Analysis API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.7
- 09 Docker Desktop API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0$9/mo
- 10 RapidFort API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 11 Trivy API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 12 Falco API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 13 Grype API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 14 SUSE Multi-Linux Manager API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
- 15 Wiz Container and Kubernetes Security API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
- 16 Aqua Security API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2
- 17 Clair API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 18 KubeArmor API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 19 Tracee API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 20 CloudSploit API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.0
- 21 Dockle API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.0
- 22 Open Policy Agent Gatekeeper API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.0
- 23 Tetragon 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
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which container security software is ranked first on Inferse?
Qualys External Attack Surface Management is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 7.4. Snyk Open Source is second and Deepfence ThreatMapper third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 24 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Docker Desktop has the lowest first paid tier we found: $9/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. Paid placements never change a rank.