Qualys VMDR vs Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes comparison

Qualys and Red Hat are both solutions in the Container Security category. Qualys is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5, while Red Hat is ranked #23 with an average rating of 8.0. Qualys holds a 2.1% mindshare in Container Security, compared to Red Hat’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of Qualys users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

Qualys VMDR and Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes compete in the cybersecurity space, focusing on vulnerability management and security for Kubernetes environments, respectively. Qualys VMDR holds a minor advantage due to its comprehensive vulnerability management features and scalability, appealing to organizations with diverse infrastructure needs.

Features: Qualys VMDR excels in vulnerability management by using cloud agents for real-time insight and detailed threat reports. It provides integrated patch management for efficient remediation and a global asset view for wide visibility. Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security focuses on Kubernetes environments, offering features like network mapping for enhanced visibility, integration with Red Hat services for streamlined operations, and an emphasis on container and node access controls.

Room for Improvement: Qualys VMDR could enhance its vulnerability database to minimize false positives and improve asset tagging for better management. Additionally, expanding IT standards compliance and refining reporting capabilities are beneficial. Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security would benefit from better documentation for easier onboarding, improving command-line tools for advanced users, and enhancing stability during deployment.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Qualys VMDR accommodates on-premises and hybrid cloud environments, offering deployment flexibility but receiving mixed feedback on its technical support responsiveness. Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security is praised for excellent technical support with global reach, lowering dependency on local partners, despite its primary focus on on-premises deployments.

Pricing and ROI: Qualys VMDR is deemed expensive, particularly for mid-sized programs, due to its yearly licensing model and additional costs for advanced features. Despite this, users report good ROI through improved vulnerability and compliance management. Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security uses a more moderate subscription pricing, offering bundled options with OpenShift, perceived as economical, with a positive ROI by aiding in service availability and asset protection.

To learn more, read our detailed Qualys VMDR vs. Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Qualys VMDR vs. Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes

June 2026

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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 TotalCloud

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Container Security category, the mindshare of Qualys TotalCloud is 1.7%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Qualys VMDR is 2.1%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes is 1.4%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Container Security Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Qualys VMDR	2.1%
Qualys TotalCloud	1.7%
Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes	1.4%
Other	94.8%

Container Security

Featured Reviews

Robert Orłowski

IT Security Expert at Alior Bank S.A.

Unified risk scoring has improved our cloud visibility and simplifies remediation priorities

Qualys TotalCloud provides unified vulnerability and threat assessment across both IAS and SaaS. This solution provides a single prioritized view of risk, which helps reduce the work I would have to do. We are no longer based on CVSS; we are based on Qualys risk scoring, which is based on CVSS plus internal findings made by Qualys, and then assigns its own score. The TruRisk insight feature has found a small number of assets with high vulnerability scores, though I am cautious since some information is classified. Qualys TotalCloud has positively impacted our bank's performance, and we have definitely seen benefits after implementing this solution.

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Vaibhav Ghule

Soc Lead & Edr Administration at Persistent Systems

Continuous risk-based monitoring has strengthened incident response and vulnerability prioritization

I haven't explored Qualys VMDR's vulnerability lifecycle automation yet. One of my analysts mentioned that queries lack grouping operators in Qualys VMDR. From my experience, I would appreciate improvements in the query options in Qualys VMDR, specifically in the query-building process where I would need more features and operators. Additionally, we have been facing issues with Qualys on the cloud level. We cannot download the configuration profile from the cloud agent, and it is showing a pending action for download. During 2025, we noticed outages of Qualys a couple of times. I want to mention that there is an issue with receiving timely RCA deliveries. While this is not necessarily about the tool, it relates to support. The support has not been very responsive, and we are receiving RCAs a little delayed whenever we raise support cases or communicate with the TAMs. Additionally, the UI has a slight latency, which I and my team have experienced. They have also reported this latency issue when navigating through different pages.

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John-Riley

Cybersecurity Architect/System Security Engineer at General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada

Provides network mapping feature for visualizing container communication but complex setup

There is room for improvement in the setup process. All these tools come down to how you're integrating into your environment and having good knowledge of the tool. So that's the biggest problem with all these security tools – you gotta have knowledgeable people to build, integrate, and really flesh them out in your environment to make them work as they should.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I would recommend Qualys TotalCloud to other users because it is cost-efficient and has a good return on investment."

"I appreciate Qualys TotalCloud's ability to onboard any type of device with ease, including containers."

"I depend heavily on the reports that I have from this tool."

"Its dashboards are brilliant. It provides in-depth insights."

"CSPM is currently the most used feature, and we are enjoying the new feature, FlexScan, which is valuable for Internet-facing VMs."

"I would definitely recommend it because it is easy to handle any cloud resources."

"If I had to say something positive about the product that brings me the biggest benefit, I would say it has accurate reports, gets new update CVEs, zero-day attack detection, and is easy to manage with its GUI."

"Qualys TotalCloud is an excellent platform, and the beauty of the platform is that we can get all the vulnerabilities, see all the reports in a single dashboard, view them segregated, and easily learn about critical, high, and medium findings with appropriately provided remediation steps."

More Qualys TotalCloud pros

"Qualys VMDR has positively impacted my organization by reducing vulnerability exposure time through faster detection and patching, and it has improved compliance reporting with accurate and up-to-date data."

"Continuous monitoring is a crucial feature that we use more frequently."

"Qualys VM is very stable."

"It is a simple solution that makes scanning easy. You just give it a scheduled task, and it will do everything for you."

"It provides fully automated internal and external vulnerability management."

"Using this product, we now have a vulnerability management cycle wherein VMDR plays a major role."

"The solution shows us classic categories, including high, medium, and low risks. It also shows critical items, and that gives us the advantage of prioritizing things."

"I strongly recommend that you use this solution."

More Qualys VMDR pros

"The technical support is good."

"One of the most valuable features I found was the ability of this solution to map the network and show you the communication between your containers and your different nodes."

"I am impressed with the tool's visibility."

"The most beneficial security feature of the product revolves around the areas of vulnerability and configuration."

"Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten."

"Segmentation is the most powerful feature."

"It is easy to install and manage."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its monitoring feature."

More Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes pros

Cons

"The support process is inefficient due to the excessive number of replies required when submitting tickets."

"The patching process with Qualys Patch Management, which is part of TotalCloud, does not cover installing certain prerequisites on the servers or workstations. This shortcoming means we must rely on SCCM when any service stack updates or additional prerequisites are needed."

"The areas in the solution that have room for improvement include the UI/UX design, which should be improved, and they should integrate more artificial intelligence into the product."

"I think Qualys TotalCloud needs to improve its handling of zero-day vulnerabilities and supply chain management because modern ransomware attacks not only target prime critical infrastructures but also the supply chain system."

"A feature improvement could be the inclusion of Windows OS support for container security, as it is currently only supported for Linux."

"One of the things that could be improved is the alerts. Qualys is a fantastic tool, especially with the TruRisk feature, but one challenge that most leaders face involves alert fatigue."

"The response part of the Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) module can be improved."

"There should be improvement from a dashboard perspective when collecting and showcasing data to lead management."

More Qualys TotalCloud cons

"Qualys should improve their customer experience. They need to improve the tech support experience and the turnaround time."

"The reporting capabilities are good but I would like to be able to make more customized reports."

"Sometimes we face a problem with accessing the tool and not getting an expected result. From a technology point of view, they need to look into this."

"I would like to have CSPM, a continuous scan-like cloud added to the solution."

"I'd like to see additional security for the app."

"When you want to cover yourself for scalability, you will be charged for the number you place on the scan itself."

"It would be nice to have an all-in-one solution that was automated and could handle the scanning and reports as well as the patching and updating."

"The support needs to improve a lot, their response is absolutely slow."

More Qualys VMDR cons

"I do see that some features associated with the IAST part are not included in the tool, making it an area where improvements are required."

"Red Hat is somewhat expensive."

"The deprecation of APIs is a concern since the deprecation of APIs will cause issues for us every time we upgrade."

"The solution lacks features when compared to some of the competitors such as Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks and has room for improvement."

"The support and specifications need to be up to date for the cluster technologies"

"They're trying to convert it to the platform as a source. They are moving in the direction of Cloud Foundry so it can be easier for a developer to deploy it."

"The documentation about Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security available online is very limited... So it's very limited to the documentation."

"The solution's visibility and vulnerability prevention should be improved."

More Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Although Qualys TotalCloud is relatively expensive due to its unique automation features, its cost-effectiveness is rated an eight out of ten, with ten being the most costly."

"I am not sure about the pricing. From what I understand, it is a bit on the higher side, but I do not have the exact numbers."

"While Qualys TotalCloud's pricing is currently acceptable, it is becoming increasingly expensive and may soon be considered overpriced."

"The pricing is comparable. It is built into our other product, so I cannot piecemeal it. It is a part of our subscription."

"Qualys TotalCloud is cost-efficient and was selected for its value compared to other products."

"Qualys TotalCloud is expensive, but it offers a premier solution with no headaches."

"Qualys TotalCloud offers cost-effective licensing flexibility."

"The cost is high, but it meets our organizational needs."

More Qualys TotalCloud pricing and cost advice

"Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance isn't expensive right now. But the price for their product bundles could be better."

"There are no additional fees in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"We do see over $100,000 in terms of price, for mid-size programs. You likely will pay more than $100,000 without any discount. It is a bit pricey."

"Qualys VM is better suited for medium to large companies because the price can be too much for smaller customers."

"It is more expensive than other products on the market."

"Usually every implementation is different and the quote is in function of number of assets."

"The product is more expensive than that of any other vendor."

"We have an annual contract for Qualys VMDR. I believe it's for either two years or five years."

More Qualys VMDR pricing and cost advice

"We purchase a yearly basis license for the solution."

"Red Hat offers two pricing options for their solution: a separate price, and a bundled price under the OpenShift Platform Plus."

"The price of Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes is better than Palo Alto Prisma."

"It's a costly solution"

"The pricing model is moderate, meaning it is not very expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

13%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

27%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	30

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	70

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys TotalCloud?

The price is very expensive, actually.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Qualys TotalCloud?

To be totally honest, I do not have any best features because I have had a bad experience using this tool, especially...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Qualys TotalCloud?

My main use case for Qualys TotalCloud is vulnerability management and exposure management. I use this tool to evalua...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys VMDR?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing shows that we can consider both time and money saved.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Qualys VMDR?

I haven't explored Qualys VMDR's vulnerability lifecycle automation yet. One of my analysts mentioned that queries la...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Qualys VMDR?

I have some understanding about PeerSpot, and I have visited the website. PeerSpot is similar to TrustRadius. It take...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes?

From an improvement perspective, I would like to create new policies in the tool, especially if it is deployed for th...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes?

I use the solution in my company for vulnerability management, configuration management, compliance, safety handling,...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes?

The tool's policy management supports our company's compliance efforts since any corporate entity or enterprise must ...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Qualys TotalCloud

Compared 6% of the time

Amazon Inspector vs Qualys TotalCloud

Compared 2% of the time

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Rapid7 Metasploit vs Qualys VMDR

Compared 3% of the time

Wiz vs Qualys VMDR

Compared 3% of the time

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Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes

Compared 11% of the time

Tenable.io Container Security vs Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes

Compared 11% of the time

Aqua Cloud Security Platform vs Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes

Compared 10% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes

Compared 5% of the time

SUSE NeuVector vs Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes

Compared 4% of the time

More Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Qualys TotalCloud

July 2026

Download Qualys TotalCloud product report

Buyer's Guide

Qualys VMDR

July 2026

Download Qualys VMDR product report

Buyer's Guide

Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes

July 2026

Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes report

Download Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes product report

Also Known As

Qualys TotalCloud with FlexScan

Qualys VM, QualysGuard VM, Qualys Asset Inventory, Qualys Container Security

StackRox

Overview

Qualys TotalCloud enhances security posture across cloud environments with continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and risk visualization, ensuring efficient threat assessment and automated remediation for improved cyber risk reduction.

Qualys TotalCloud offers a robust suite of security tools essential for organizations managing multi-cloud infrastructures. By integrating cloud accounts and automating workflows, it supports AWS, Azure, and GCP, offering comprehensive vulnerability management and zero-day detection. The platform's user-friendly design, combined with its extensive risk management and unified threat assessment capabilities, enables organizations to prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities effectively. TruRisk Insights provides clear insights on cyber risks, while the automation options streamline patch management and scanning processes. API integration across IaaS and SaaS environments further enhances resource allocation efficiency and saves time, addressing misconfigurations across cloud environments.

What are the most important features of Qualys TotalCloud?

Accurate Vulnerability Reports: Delivers precise and actionable insights for risk mitigation.
Zero-Day Detection: Identifies and addresses zero-day vulnerabilities proactively.
Unified Threat Assessment: Offers comprehensive evaluation of threats across the environment.
Extensive Risk Management: Manages risks effectively with advanced insights and prioritization.
Continuous Monitoring: Provides non-stop surveillance for vulnerabilities and threats.
Cloud-Native Automation: Streamlines processes and reduces manual efforts using automation.
FlexScan for Internet-Facing VMs: Scans external VMs efficiently to detect vulnerabilities.
Dashboard Risk Visualization: Clear visualization helps prioritize vulnerabilities.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Improved Security Posture: Enhances threat detection and response across clouds.
Time Savings: Automation reduces time spent on manual vulnerability management.
Resource Efficiency: Better allocation of resources through streamlined workflows.
Enhanced Risk Prioritization: Focus on critical vulnerabilities for effective mitigation.
Integrated Cloud Accounts: Facilitates seamless cloud management and security.

Qualys TotalCloud is deployed in sectors needing rigorous vulnerability management, such as finance and healthcare. Companies utilize it to secure multi-cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and GCP, focus on compliance, and integrate security into CI/CD pipelines to detect and remedy threats pre-deployment.

Qualys

Qualys VMDR is a comprehensive cybersecurity tool offering vulnerability management, patch management, and continuous monitoring with real-time asset discovery. It delivers scalable, cloud-based solutions that enhance security operations without additional infrastructure.

Qualys VMDR provides a robust platform for enterprise security, integrating vulnerability management, compliance, and asset inventory for full visibility across cloud and on-premises environments. It features a comprehensive dashboard with threat intelligence-driven prioritization and remediation capabilities. Users benefit from accurate assessments via agent-based scanning and appreciate the intuitive, customizable scanning and reporting interface. However, there's room for improvement in false positive reduction, UI simplification, and integration capabilities, along with enhancements in asset management for large-scale deployments and the vulnerability database. Enhancing technical support speed, patch management, compliance standards, and inter-module navigation would further enrich user experience.

What are the key features of Qualys VMDR?

Vulnerability Management: Identifies and manages security vulnerabilities across environments.
Patch Management: Ensures systems are updated with the latest patches.
Continuous Monitoring: Offers real-time insights into security posture.
Asset Discovery: Provides up-to-date asset inventory and visibility.
Threat Intelligence: Enhances prioritization and remediation processes.
Customizable Dashboard: Facilitates easier scanning and reporting through an intuitive interface.

What benefits can users expect when evaluating Qualys VMDR?

Scalability: Cloud-based deployment offers easy, cost-effective expansion.
Accurate Assessment: Agent-based scanning keeps security data current.
Enhanced Security Operations: Comprehensive features streamline vulnerability management.
Advanced Reporting: Facilitates detailed insights for better security decision-making.

Qualys VMDR is widely used in industries needing stringent security and compliance measures, offering comprehensive vulnerability and compliance management. It is deployed to secure web applications, servers, and crucial assets, supporting a wide range of sectors by ensuring policy adherence and vulnerability tracking through its powerful cloud platform.

Qualys

Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes empowers organizations with robust capabilities in container security, vulnerability management, and workload transition, seamlessly integrated with OpenShift for optimal orchestration.

Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes stands out with its comprehensive features like authentication, authorization, and API integration. Users appreciate resource sharing, segmentation, and virtualization capabilities, all facilitated by a user-friendly Cockpit web interface and command administration. The system's strengths are visible through effective security protocols, such as secure UPI images, container networking, and built-in security features. Its advanced cluster management and monitoring ensure efficiency, while focus on vulnerability and configuration management addresses key concerns. However, improvements in documentation, web UI, and API flexibility are needed, with challenges in command line configuration and deployment also noted. Stability issues due to API deprecation and the need for enhanced zero trust, access control, and database connectivity present room for growth.

What are the key features of Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes?

API Integration: Seamless integration capabilities with APIs for enhanced automation.
Resource Sharing: Effective resource distribution within clustered environments.
Secure UPI Images: Encrypted images for heightened security and safety.
Container Networking: Modern networking protocols for efficient container communication.
Communication Mapping: Detailed network traffic visualization and analysis.

What benefits and ROI can users expect from Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes?

Vulnerability Management: In-depth identification and mitigation of security threats.
Compliance Management: Ensures adherence to regulatory standards and practices.
Integration with OpenShift: Streamlined orchestration for enhanced deployment flexibility.
Threat Detection: Advanced capabilities for monitoring and responding to potential security breaches.

Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes is implemented across various industries to facilitate the transition from traditional monolithic applications to dynamic containerized environments. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and technology benefit from its robust segmentation, monitoring abilities, and behavior analysis. With the integration of Istio and GRPC, industries achieve secure microservices communication and improved visibility for comprehensive threat monitoring.

Red Hat

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Agrokor Group, American Specialty Health, American State Bank, Arval, Life:), Axway, Bank of the West, Blueport Commerce, BSkyB, Brinks, CaixaBank, Cartagena, Catholic Health System, CEC Bank, Cegedim, CIGNA, Clickability, Colby-Sawyer College, Commercial Bank of Dubai, University of Utah, eBay Inc., ING Singapore, National Theatre, OTP Bank, Sodexo, WebEx

City National Bank, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Buyer's Guide

Qualys VMDR vs. Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes

June 2026

Free Report: Qualys VMDR vs. Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes

Find out what your peers are saying about Qualys VMDR vs. Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.

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