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Qualys Policy Compliance vs RSA Archer comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Qualys Policy Compliance
Ranking in IT Governance
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
RSA Archer
Ranking in IT Governance
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
GRC (1st), IT Vendor Risk Management (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the IT Governance category, the mindshare of Qualys Policy Compliance is 2.5%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of RSA Archer is 33.4%, down from 34.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Governance
 

Featured Reviews

Bhupendra Nayak - PeerSpot reviewer
A VMDR solution that can be used to detect, block, and mitigate vulnerabilities
We use QualysGuard Policy Compliance for VMDR (Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response). We can use the solution to detect, block, and mitigate vulnerabilities The most valuable feature of QualysGuard Policy Compliance is the automation that can detect real-time threats and decrease…
IMRAN ALMARZOOQI - PeerSpot reviewer
Automates compliance management effectively but needs improved interface and dashboards
The tool basically automates whatever processes you already have, so I cannot specify improvements in that regard. However, my main issue with Archer is the graphics. The graphics have always been lacking. I always need to depend on another tool to read information from Archer to have better dashboards. It is like using Linux, and it has a Linux mindset and interface. I want to use Archer for top management and CEOs, but it looks too technical, and the dashboards are not really friendly. They are bulky, like opening an old Nintendo system from nineteen-ninety. The management agrees that Archer lacks in terms of presentation and dashboarding. It is complex, not user-friendly, and bulky. The interface just looks old.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The platform allows multiple features that are very useful. The first one is being able to define the enterprise policy. The second one is to be able to automatically check the compliance level based on that policy, and the third one is that it allows us to generate reports and dashboards to see the compliance level easily."
"The most valuable feature of QualysGuard Policy Compliance is the automation that can detect real-time threats and decrease risks."
"It's a simple product."
"The reporting and security checks are valuable."
"The solution's interface looks good, which enhances asset scanning and ensures automatic patching."
"From my perspective, because I've always done it as a consultant, I do like the way it is configured. They've gone into changing the application builder interface, so it is even easier. When you're working with users, it is really easy to show them how to do things quickly and how to configure, change, and design stuff quickly."
"I like how Archer requires very little programming ability. A person with minimum coding experience can configure the necessary fields in Archer. It's more of a drag-and-drop solution."
"First of all, its access control feature where it provides application level access, solution level access, and even recall access, as well."
"One of the useful features is the ability to connect to various systems in order to accommodate data."
"The part I liked about Archer was the risk assessment for deficiencies and being able to use it there."
"RSA Archer has reduced the time and effort required for meetings."
"The most valuable features of RSA Archer are the asset management, risk management, and vendor management."
"Archer seamlessly integrates data systems without requiring additional software."
 

Cons

"There is no clear mapping for the CIS controls in terms of how they should be implemented into Qualys, so the implementation stage might be a little bit challenging for the customer. That means that the customer will end up opening support cases, which will overload their support team to explain those. If they are somehow published somewhere, it would save time and effort for both sides."
"The reporting needs improvement."
"It would be good if the solution’s technical support could be faster."
"Some sort of education or knowledge base about the product would be beneficial for beginners."
"The policy creation aspect needs improvement."
"The design and advanced workflow need to be improved."
"The first improvement I would suggest for RSA Archer is a better search feature. The search criteria needs to be improved. Sometimes I do a search and the search doesn't return the exact item I'm looking for. RSA Archer could also be improved by being more user-friendly. Maybe I have been using a limited version of RSA Archer, but I'm not sure whether it has ESG, environmental and social governance. In the next couple of years, ESG is the next feature that will be integrated into GRC tools. I would recommend RSA Archer adds ESG."
"It would be useful for customers if COBIT 2019 could be translated into different languages."
"An area for improvement would be the user interface. They could also offer more on-demand applications free of cost."
"Solution could use more inbuilt applications."
"It would be nice if RSA Archer featured more customization. When customers are updating, they should be notified whether certain updates are optional. The install screen should not proceed to the next page unless we make some selections about which updates we want to install."
"The bullet chart is the best graph for my purposes, and it should be available for inclusion in the dashboards."
"The user interface needs work. There are many small text boxes, like credit card size's boxes, where we need to input a lot of text. You can't see what you're typing beyond the tiny window, so you have to scroll or type elsewhere and copy-paste it. It's very inconvenient."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The prices might be a little bit high. I cannot compare it with another product because we did not try any other product, but this is my impression when comparing different modules."
"The solution's pricing is in the mid-range, where it is neither expensive nor very cheap."
"The pricing is okay. The licensing costs are very reasonable; it is very affordable to us."
"As I am a developer and responsible for providing production support, I do not have personal knowledge of the pricing. However, my colleagues claim that it is very expensive in comparison with other tools."
"Fairly highly-priced, especially for smaller companies."
"It is not expensive. It is reasonable. We only pay for the licensing."
"The solution's price should be reduced. You only have to pay the license and there are no additional fees."
"I am not sure about other companies, but it's quite expensive."
"At the higher end of the price scale, but provides better, more accessible functionality and customization than cheaper products."
"I am not 100% familiar with that, especially with their new model. I just know that the way they've licensed per user to scale is good."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
24%
Healthcare Company
18%
Government
10%
Educational Organization
8%
Educational Organization
51%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
5%
Manufacturing Company
3%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about QualysGuard Policy Compliance?
The most valuable feature of QualysGuard Policy Compliance is the automation that can detect real-time threats and decrease risks.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for QualysGuard Policy Compliance?
The product is very expensive, rated nine out of ten, however, it is worth trying and can potentially replace other platforms.
What needs improvement with QualysGuard Policy Compliance?
Some sort of education or knowledge base about the product would be beneficial for beginners. They could offer more training sessions for beginners who are new to the solution, as learning would be...
What do you like most about RSA Archer?
It has various valuable features. For example, showing us if a control aligns with specific standards or frameworks helps us understand it better and verify its compliance.
What needs improvement with RSA Archer?
If the user needs to fill data, they need to go to one page and then to the next page if they can reduce the number of clicks to perform some activities and would like RSA to improve in this area. ...
What is your primary use case for RSA Archer?
I perform all of our information security management governance and risk -related activities through Archer. My organization manages all types of audits and Enterprise risk activities using Archer.
 

Comparisons

No data available
 

Also Known As

No data available
Archer
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

PDX, Cigna
T-Systems, Bridge Point, Equifax, First Data, Global Imaging Company, Manulife Financial
Find out what your peers are saying about Qualys Policy Compliance vs. RSA Archer and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.