Features, pricing, ratings, and pros and cons, compared head to head.
Aqua Security Cloud VM Security is a commercial workload protection tool by Aqua Security Software Ltd.. Datadog Cloud Security is a commercial cloud-native application protection platform tool by Datadog. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best workload protection fit for your security stack. Independent and vendor-neutral: our scores and rankings are earned, never bought — sponsored placement is always labeled.
Security teams protecting Linux and Windows VMs across multi-cloud environments will value Aqua Security Cloud VM Security for its file integrity monitoring and registry protection, which actually catch configuration drift that compliance scanners alone miss. The tool covers six NIST CSF 2.0 functions from asset identification through incident analysis, with particular strength in continuous monitoring and forensic reconstruction. Skip this if your primary need is workload-level network segmentation; the automated firewall rules are basic and won't replace a dedicated microsegmentation platform. Mid-market and enterprise teams already running Datadog for observability should pick Datadog Cloud Security to collapse tool sprawl and eliminate context-switching between monitoring and security findings. Its tight integration with the Datadog platform means security alerts land in the same dashboards as performance data, cutting investigation time for teams managing AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud infrastructure. Skip this if your organization runs a fragmented stack with no existing Datadog footprint; the platform's value compounds only when observability and security share the same backend.
Based on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, integrations, company size fit, here is our conclusion:
Aqua Security Cloud VM Security
Security teams protecting Linux and Windows VMs across multi-cloud environments will value Aqua Security Cloud VM Security for its file integrity monitoring and registry protection, which actually catch configuration drift that compliance scanners alone miss. The tool covers six NIST CSF 2.0 functions from asset identification through incident analysis, with particular strength in continuous monitoring and forensic reconstruction. Skip this if your primary need is workload-level network segmentation; the automated firewall rules are basic and won't replace a dedicated microsegmentation platform.
Mid-market and enterprise teams already running Datadog for observability should pick Datadog Cloud Security to collapse tool sprawl and eliminate context-switching between monitoring and security findings. Its tight integration with the Datadog platform means security alerts land in the same dashboards as performance data, cutting investigation time for teams managing AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud infrastructure. Skip this if your organization runs a fragmented stack with no existing Datadog footprint; the platform's value compounds only when observability and security share the same backend.
VM security for cloud environments with compliance, runtime protection & monitoring
Cloud security platform with CSPM, CIEM, vulnerability mgmt, and compliance
Access NIST CSF 2.0 data from thousands of security products via MCP to assess your stack coverage.
Access via MCPNo reviews yet
No reviews yet
Explore more tools in this category or create a security stack with your selections.
Common questions about comparing Aqua Security Cloud VM Security vs Datadog Cloud Security for your workload protection needs.
Aqua Security Cloud VM Security: VM security for cloud environments with compliance, runtime protection & monitoring. built by Aqua Security Software Ltd.. Core capabilities include Vulnerability scanning and malware detection for cloud VMs, CIS Benchmark compliance assessment for Linux, Real-time VM configuration monitoring and drift prevention..
Datadog Cloud Security: Cloud security platform with CSPM, CIEM, vulnerability mgmt, and compliance. built by Datadog. Core capabilities include Cloud Security Posture Management, Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management, Vulnerability Management..
Both serve the Workload Protection market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.
Aqua Security Cloud VM Security differentiates with Vulnerability scanning and malware detection for cloud VMs, CIS Benchmark compliance assessment for Linux, Real-time VM configuration monitoring and drift prevention. Datadog Cloud Security differentiates with Cloud Security Posture Management, Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management, Vulnerability Management.
Aqua Security Cloud VM Security is developed by Aqua Security Software Ltd.. Datadog Cloud Security is developed by Datadog. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.
Aqua Security Cloud VM Security and Datadog Cloud Security serve similar Workload Protection use cases. Review the feature comparison above to determine which fits your requirements.
Get strategic cybersecurity insights in your inbox