Qualys VMDR vs Sysdig Secure comparison

Qualys and Sysdig are both solutions in the Container Security category. Qualys is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.6, while Sysdig is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.3. Qualys holds a 2.2% mindshare in Container Security, compared to Sysdig’s 2.9% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of Qualys users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Sysdig users who would recommend it.

Qualys VMDR

Read 96 Qualys VMDR reviews

12,908 Views
2,582 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Sysdig Secure

Read 12 Sysdig Secure reviews

3,752 Views
3,152 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Qualys VMDR

Sysdig Secure

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Qualys VMDR and Sysdig Secure compete in the cybersecurity solutions category, with Qualys having an upper hand in vulnerability management features while Sysdig stands out in cloud-native capabilities.

Features: Qualys VMDR provides comprehensive vulnerability management, asset management, and policy compliance. It offers continuous monitoring, integrates with various environments, and includes features like certificate management. Sysdig Secure excels with robust cloud-native capabilities, runtime security, and effective cloud provider integrations, appealing strongly to DevSecOps and Kubernetes-focused organizations.

Room for Improvement: Qualys VMDR users recommend improving the reporting complexity, integration with other tools, and reducing false positives. Enhanced cloud features and simplified asset management processes are also suggested. Sysdig Secure requires better dashboarding and reporting, expanded scalability, and platform support. Both products have distinct areas to refine.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Qualys VMDR supports private cloud and hybrid deployment models, offering flexibility for businesses. However, its customer service experiences are inconsistent with slow response times. Sysdig Secure supports on-premises and cloud environments but also faces challenges in service efficiency despite strong community forum support.

Pricing and ROI: Qualys VMDR is considered expensive, particularly for smaller enterprises, but delivers value through comprehensive features leading to significant ROI by reducing vulnerabilities. Sysdig Secure's pricing is competitive in cloud environments, especially for Kubernetes-focused deployments. Both offer good ROI when aligned with specific organizational needs.

To learn more, read our detailed Qualys VMDR vs. Sysdig Secure Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Qualys VMDR vs. Sysdig Secure

March 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Qualys VMDR

Ranking in Container Security

9th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Asset Management (3rd), Vulnerability Management (3rd), Configuration Management Databases (3rd), Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (1st)

Sysdig Secure

Ranking in Container Security

18th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (21st), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (15th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (8th), AI Observability (40th)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Container Security category, the mindshare of Qualys VMDR is 2.2%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sysdig Secure is 2.9%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Container Security Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Qualys VMDR	2.2%
Sysdig Secure	2.9%
Other	94.9%

Container Security

Featured Reviews

Vaibhav Ghule

Soc Lead & Edr Administration at Persistent Systems

Continuous risk-based monitoring has strengthened incident response and vulnerability prioritization

I haven't explored Qualys VMDR's vulnerability lifecycle automation yet. One of my analysts mentioned that queries lack grouping operators in Qualys VMDR. From my experience, I would appreciate improvements in the query options in Qualys VMDR, specifically in the query-building process where I would need more features and operators. Additionally, we have been facing issues with Qualys on the cloud level. We cannot download the configuration profile from the cloud agent, and it is showing a pending action for download. During 2025, we noticed outages of Qualys a couple of times. I want to mention that there is an issue with receiving timely RCA deliveries. While this is not necessarily about the tool, it relates to support. The support has not been very responsive, and we are receiving RCAs a little delayed whenever we raise support cases or communicate with the TAMs. Additionally, the UI has a slight latency, which I and my team have experienced. They have also reported this latency issue when navigating through different pages.

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Mumu Muhaemin

DevSecOps Engineer at a outsourcing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Runtime threat detection has improved and security teams prioritize real Kubernetes risks

The best feature Sysdig Secure offers is threat detection. The threat detection feature on Sysdig Secure stands out compared to other solutions I have seen or used because Sysdig sees the actual behavior inside the container or kernel and correlates it with Kubernetes infrastructure, which makes detection both earlier and more precise in a cloud-native environment. Sysdig Secure has positively impacted our organization by improving visibility into our Kubernetes environment and focusing on real risk, which has reduced alert noise, improved threat detection at runtime, and made vulnerability management more efficient by prioritizing issues that actually affect running workloads.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"There are fewer false positives when using this solution."

"Once you are set up properly and have proper acceptance from support teams, device owners and senior management you can start to scan your environment much more often which increases your organizations ability to detect vulnerabilities more often reducing your overall vulnerability footprint and corresponding business risk."

"The reporting functionality is great."

"It gives you a lot of options, and it integrates with our ServiceNow for ticketing and all."

"Performs automated, regular scans in the network."

"I find Qualys VM very robust, and it's very useful for vulnerability management and patch management. The value that it brings to my environment is economies of scale. There is no limitation on adding any endpoints. You go by the rule, and it's added once another endpoint is added to our environment. It's automatically installed, and it's less work from our end. It frees up my license automatically if I don't need an endpoint or if my machine is decommissioned. I like the dashboard displays because I don't see any duplication. The most important part is vulnerability management and prioritization. Unlike Symantec, it shows the kind of vulnerability I would want to patch first. It provides a holistic view of the kind of vulnerabilities and the ones I should remediate first. I don't have to do a scan; it just brings up those critical kinds of vulnerabilities like zero-day vulnerabilities and tells me to prioritize them. You have to prioritize these vulnerabilities first and go on with the rest. The dashboard shows me the ones that have been fixed, so I don't have to complete an aging report. The user experience and the graphical interface are good. As it's user-friendly and understandable on an executive level, it brings real value. We also use this solution because it's robust and flexibile."

"Use it. It is a great product."

"This is one of the best products I have worked with so far. I like the power of Qualys, and it's a better solution because you can scan a compact file, a BIT file, or batch files. The product already knows what's happening inside, and you don't need to expand the package. Tenable will do the same thing, but you need to have a package issuance claim. With Qualys, we can immediately understand the file, even a compact file. If there's some kind of discovery or incident, you will know what happened in the environment."

More Qualys VMDR pros

"The most valuable feature is the level of support that we get. Our solutions or customer success representative is very valuable. I see them as an extension of our security team."

"I see Sysdig as the most comprehensive solution in comparison to its competitors."

"The tool has the capability to conduct scans initially. It can perform scans on your virtual machines, physical machines, containers, and container images. A standout feature is its ability to scan offline container images stored in your container registry. Additionally, it can scan runtime images in your cluster or on your host machine. This allows for the detection of vulnerabilities in running containers, including loaded libraries. Notably, the tool can identify which library vulnerabilities are already present in your system. An added advantage is its capacity to take action beyond threat detection. It has the ability to block access and respond to encountered threats."

"In terms of measurable outcomes, I have seen a reduction in vulnerabilities, as Sysdig Secure can tell us how many vulnerabilities are present on a day-to-day report basis, which has improved our efficiency by more than 50% and helps us stay compliant with necessary regulations."

"We appreciate this feature, especially when combined with CD monitoring. The implementation of requested features has been remarkable, such as scanning for compliance in CRM processes for the US government. We heavily rely on this feature to assess compliance with federal requirements."

"The log monitor is the most valuable feature."

"Sysdig Secure has positively impacted our organization by improving visibility into our Kubernetes environment and focusing on real risk, which has reduced alert noise, improved threat detection at runtime, and made vulnerability management more efficient by prioritizing issues that actually affect running workloads."

"I have not seen any stability issues so far."

More Sysdig Secure pros

Cons

"There needs to be better documentation."

"The user interface (UI) is quite complicated."

"We face issues while scanning multiple assets."

"I’m convinced it could be possible to do a simpler interface."

"One of the biggest issues from the clients' perspective is that all Qualys computing is on the cloud."

"What we have found is that the solution is not closely tied with the patch management. It is okay with newer ones, like Windows 10 machines; it gives the correct patch, but for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008, it does not give us the correct patch so we have to manually identify the patches."

"I would like to have CSPM, a continuous scan-like cloud added to the solution."

"One area of the product that could be improved is the management of vulnerabilities detected on disabled applications."

More Qualys VMDR cons

"I give it an eight because of the bugs, specifically the fix version bug where sometimes there is no fix version shown, and I wish Sysdig Secure would create a customizable UI that orders features by importance to enhance user experience."

"The solution needs to improve overall from a CSPM standpoint since they can't compete with Wiz or Orca."

"There was a security concern related to a specific feature. While the feature itself was promising, it posed a challenge. The situation revolved around code scanning. If your source code is hosted within your own premises, say on Bitbucket, you naturally wouldn't want your code to be accessible to external parties beyond your company. Keeping your code base private is a standard practice. However, in the case of code scanning using Sysdig Secure, they copy your code to their SaaS platform. This posed an issue for us. When we inquired about this, their response acknowledged the concern. In an upcoming release, they plan to enable code scanning within your on-premises environment through the assistance of an agent. This change is already in progress. While this tool stands out compared to existing solutions in the market, it's important to note that there are still some limitations to consider. Another drawback we encountered relates to our expertise with Kubernetes. The tool can monitor Kubernetes audit logs, triggering alerts and notifications. However, it falls short in terms of taking direct action based on these alerts. There are different methods of event capture, including through system labels and system calls, as well as via Kubernetes audit events. Notably, at the system level, Sysdig Secure can both detect and respond to events, allowing actions like blocking and warning. This proactive approach is effective at the system call level. However, when it comes to monitoring Kubernetes audit events, Sysdig Secure can only notify without being able to execute any further actions. It can't block access or containers. The vendor likened their role to that of a monitoring camera, observing events and sending notifications without the capacity to intervene. This limitation applies to Kubernetes audit events. Given that everything operates within our system, there is a workaround available: configuring system-level policies to block containers as necessary."

"They should make it specific with a couple of features only."

"Sysdig's biggest weakness is dashboarding and reporting. You have access to the data and can get everything you need, but we need the ability to summarize the information quickly in a format that senior leaders can understand. We report to the executive level and global board. I need to roll all that in-depth information into a quick summary, and their maturity level isn't there. I'm seeing that on the future road map, but it isn't there now."

"Reporting can definitely be better. Live dashboards should be configurable for a longer period of time rather than 30 days. Being able to go back in time to compare six months ago to today would be valuable."

"Sysdig Secure works well for us, but there are a few areas for improvement, such as the alerting and notification system being more flexible for complex workflows, and some dashboard and reporting features could be more customizable to match specific team needs."

"Perhaps, it could support more custom implementations, as our company utilizes custom implementations rather than standard ones. Configuring it requires a deep understanding and adjustment to our specific needs, which took some time. Other than that, I'm unsure about potential improvements. We were considering the possibility of compartmentalizing their tools. Currently, in Sysdig Secure, they bundle multiple features, and we are unable to use them individually. For instance, if we only need compliance scanning, we have to deploy the entire secure package. This is because of the way their agent functions, but I can't delve into more details."

More Sysdig Secure cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's pricing is expensive and I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten."

"We do see over $100,000 in terms of price, for mid-size programs. You likely will pay more than $100,000 without any discount. It is a bit pricey."

"When you want to cover yourself for scalability, you will be charged for the number you place on the scan itself."

"There are no additional fees in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"In Nigerian Naira, we spend about roughly four to five million to use this solution and this is expensive compared to solutions like Nessus."

"We have an annual contract for Qualys VMDR. I believe it's for either two years or five years."

"I used to work there, so I never paid for the product. As an employee, we get a lifetime license for personal use, and that's what I'm using. It is a comprehensive platform, so there is a lot more to it. There could be other solutions that are probably a little bit cheaper, but it depends on what people need. Different people have different needs. It offers many things on the same platform. If you add all the things up, it should be cheaper, but I have not done any analysis specifically."

"Qualys is cheaper and more affordable than other solutions."

More Qualys VMDR pricing and cost advice

"It is quite costly compared to other tools."

"In comparison to other cloud solutions, it's reasonably priced. However, when compared to in-house built open-source projects, it might be considered somewhat costly. The cost depends on whether someone sees the support provided by Sysdig as an advantage or if it's deemed unnecessary. Personally, I find the support to be excellent and consider it a good value."

"The solution's pricing depends on the agents...In short, the price depends on the environment of its user."

"I am always going to say that it could be a little bit cheaper. I do feel that it is a little bit on the expensive side."

"Sysdig is competitive. The quality matches the pricing. Obviously, everyone wants things to be cheaper, but if you're realistic, you acknowledge that quality service comes with a price. Sysdig is the gold standard for Kubernetes, and I wouldn't choose anything else. We live in Kubernetes. Everything is containerized, so that means a lot to us, and we're willing to make an investment."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	70

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Qualys VMDR?

I like that we have many scanners and channels that don't overload. It helps us scan and track easily. Also, the tagging system is good for tagging. We can still use QualysAgent task ID tools even ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys VMDR?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing shows that we can consider both time and money saved.

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What needs improvement with Qualys VMDR?

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What do you like most about Sysdig Secure?

The proactiveness of the support has been fantastic. Every time we mention something in a meeting that we're trying to do, he proactively takes that as an investigation topic and looks into it. He'...

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What needs improvement with Sysdig Secure?

Sysdig Secure works well for us, but there are a few areas for improvement, such as the alerting and notification system being more flexible for complex workflows, and some dashboard and reporting ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Sysdig Secure?

Our primary use case for Sysdig Secure is runtime threat detection and vulnerability management.

See all answers

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Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

Wiz vs Qualys VMDR

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Compared 11% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Sysdig Secure

Compared 8% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security vs Sysdig Secure

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Sysdig Falco vs Sysdig Secure

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Qualys VMDR

March 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Sysdig Secure

February 2026

Download Sysdig Secure product report

Also Known As

Qualys VM, QualysGuard VM, Qualys Asset Inventory, Qualys Container Security

No data available

Overview

Vulnerability Management, Detection, and Response (VMDR) is a cornerstone product of the Qualys TruRisk Platform and a global leader in the enterprise-grade vulnerability management (VM) vendor space. With VMDR, enterprises are empowered with visibility and insight into cyber risk exposure - making it easy to prioritize vulnerabilities, assets, or groups of assets based on business risk. Security teams can take action to mitigate risk, helping the business measure their actual risk exposure over time.

Qualys VMDR offers an all-inclusive risk-based vulnerability management solution to prioritize vulnerabilities and assets based on risk and business criticality. VMDR seamlessly integrates with configuration management databases (CMDB), Qualys Patch Management, Custom Assessment and Remediation (CAR), Qualys TotalCloud and other Qualys and non-Qualys solutions to facilitate vulnerability detection and remediation across the entire enterprise.

With VMDR, users are empowered with actionable risk insights that translate vulnerabilities and exploits into optimized remediation actions based on business impact. Qualys customers can now aggregate and orchestrate data from the Qualys Threat Library, 25+ threat intelligence feeds, and third-party security and IT solutions, empowering organizations to measure, communicate, and eliminate risk across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments.

Qualys

In the cloud, every second counts. Attacks move at warp speed, and security teams must protect the business without slowing it down. Sysdig stops cloud attacks in real time, instantly detecting changes in risk with runtime insights, a unique AI architecture, and open source Falco. Sysdig delivers live visibility by correlating signals across cloud workloads, identities, and services to uncover hidden attack paths. By knowing what is running, teams can prioritize the vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, permissions, and threats that matter most. From prevention to defense, Sysdig helps enterprises move faster and focus on what matters: innovation.

Sysdig. Secure Every Second.

Sysdig

Sample Customers

Agrokor Group, American Specialty Health, American State Bank, Arval, Life:), Axway, Bank of the West, Blueport Commerce, BSkyB, Brinks, CaixaBank, Cartagena, Catholic Health System, CEC Bank, Cegedim, CIGNA, Clickability, Colby-Sawyer College, Commercial Bank of Dubai, University of Utah, eBay Inc., ING Singapore, National Theatre, OTP Bank, Sodexo, WebEx

SAP Concur, Goldman Sachs, Worldpay, Experian, BigCommerce, Arkose Labs, Calendly, Noteable, Bloomreach. More here: https://sysdig.com/customers/

Buyer's Guide

Qualys VMDR vs. Sysdig Secure

March 2026

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