Aqua Security Cloud VM Security vs Falco: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Aqua Security Cloud VM Security is a commercial workload protection tool by Aqua Security Software Ltd.. Falco is a free workload protection tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best workload protection 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:
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.
DevOps and platform engineering teams managing Kubernetes clusters on a budget will get the most from Falco; its syscall-level kernel monitoring catches runtime anomalies that signature-based tools miss, and the CNCF graduation status means you're adopting what mature teams already run at scale. The free pricing removes procurement friction for teams piloting runtime security or standardizing across multiple clusters. Skip Falco if you need out-of-the-box response automation or a managed SaaS; tuning detection rules and operationalizing alerts requires engineering bandwidth that smaller security teams often don't have.
