Anchore CLI vs Anchore Enforce: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Anchore CLI is a free container security tool. Anchore Enforce is a commercial container security tool by Anchore. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best container security fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
DevOps and platform teams scanning container images in CI/CD pipelines will find Anchore CLI's value in its policy-as-code enforcement, letting you codify vulnerability thresholds and compliance rules once, then apply them consistently across thousands of builds without GUI overhead. The tool integrates directly with the Anchore Engine REST API and runs for free, making it a natural fit for teams already managing their own container registries rather than outsourcing to managed services. Skip this if you need a point-and-click interface or prefer vendor-managed scanning; Anchore CLI rewards operators comfortable with command-line tooling and willing to maintain their own policy definitions.
Mid-market and enterprise security teams operating Kubernetes environments need Anchore Enforce for its policy-as-code enforcement model, which closes the gap between vulnerability scanning and actual compliance gates in the pipeline. Pre-built policy packs for FedRAMP, NIST, and DISA compliance plus runtime monitoring of live clusters means you're covering both ID.AM (asset inventory) and DE.CM (continuous monitoring) without bolting on separate tools. Skip this if your organization lacks the infrastructure-as-code discipline to maintain JSON policies or if you need vulnerability remediation guidance; Anchore Enforce is strict enforcement, not hand-holding.
