Anchore CLI vs Aqua Security Holistic Kubernetes Security: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

Anchore CLI: A command-line interface tool for managing container image security analysis, vulnerability scanning, and policy enforcement through the Anchore Engine REST API..

Aqua Security Holistic Kubernetes Security: K8s security platform with KSPM, runtime protection, and admission control. built by Aqua Security Software Ltd.. Core capabilities include Kubernetes Security Posture Management (KSPM), Dynamic risk visualization and prioritization for K8s clusters, Workload admission control using OPA and custom Rego rules..

Both serve the Container Security market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.

Anchore CLI is open-source with 112 GitHub stars. Aqua Security Holistic Kubernetes Security is developed by Aqua Security Software Ltd.. Vendor maturity, funding stage, and team size can be important factors when evaluating long-term viability and support quality.

Anchore CLI and Aqua Security Holistic Kubernetes Security serve similar Container Security use cases: both are Container Security tools. Key differences: Anchore CLI is Free while Aqua Security Holistic Kubernetes Security is Commercial, Anchore CLI is open-source. Review the feature comparison above to determine which fits your requirements.