Aqua Trivy vs Grype: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Aqua Trivy is a free security scanning tool by Aqua Security Software Ltd.. Grype is a free security scanning tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best security scanning fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of core features, integrations, here is our conclusion:
DevOps teams and early-stage security programs should choose Aqua Trivy because it's free, runs offline, and catches vulnerabilities in container images and infrastructure code before they reach production, with no vendor lock-in. The tool scans across OS packages, application dependencies, and IaC misconfigurations in a single CLI pass, integrates natively with GitHub Actions and Kubernetes, and maintains an auto-updating CVE database that doesn't require a paid subscription. Skip this if you need runtime threat detection, policy enforcement across cloud resources, or a graphical dashboard; Trivy is deliberately scan-focused and hands-off, which is its strength for teams that prefer shifting left over centralizing visibility.
DevOps teams scanning container images in CI/CD pipelines should use Grype because it's free, fast, and integrates directly into build workflows without requiring a separate service or account. With 10,600+ GitHub stars and active maintenance, it's battle-tested across thousands of deployments and handles multiple image formats that competing open-source scanners skip. Skip Grype if your team needs prioritized remediation guidance, supply chain attestation, or integration with a broader vulnerability management platform; it's a scanner, not a risk decisioning tool.
