Symantec Cloud Workload Protection vs Tenable Cloud Security comparison

Symantec Cloud Workload Protection vs. Tenable Cloud Security

Download the complete report

Helped 914,262 peers since 2012

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 TotalCloud

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) category, the mindshare of Qualys TotalCloud is 1.8%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Cloud Workload Protection is 0.8%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable Cloud Security is 2.4%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Qualys TotalCloud	1.8%
Tenable Cloud Security	2.4%
Symantec Cloud Workload Protection	0.8%
Other	95.0%

Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2859021

Sr Security Engineer at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Risk-based triage has transformed container security and now prioritizes high-impact threats

The best features Qualys TotalCloud offers currently include managing cloud infrastructure and container security while facing major challenges such as alert fatigue. Traditional vulnerability scanners flag hundreds of CVEs on short-lived Kubernetes containers, some of which have no internet exposure or are gone before we can even triage them. I leverage Qualys TotalCloud to move beyond static CVSS. I use it to implement runtime exposure, correlation risk reprioritization, and shift-left integration. This notifies developers to fix a base image upstream rather than patching live ephemeral instances. In my work with cloud and container security, the biggest operational hurdle was alert fatigue. I use Qualys to shift left from static CVSS severity to context-aware risk prioritization. I correlated raw vulnerability data with real-time risk factors such as public network exposure, active runtime execution, or overly permissive IAM roles. This allows us to immediately drop the priority of isolated containers and escalate lower-severity CVEs that sit on an exposed, high-risk path. We can map these findings directly back to our CI/CD pipelines so developers can patch the root base images upstream. We have drastically cut down the signal-to-noise ratio, saved a lot of manual hours doing triage work, and ensured engineering effort goes directly towards high-impact risk reduction.

Read full review

Mahadi Ma

Engineer at M.Tech

Has a good active directory feature and good technical support

One area for improvement in Symantec Cloud Workload Protection is integration. Other features that could be improved are defense control and encryption, particularly in the USB. For example, users should be able to control the USB and have the capability of blocking and allowing USB reading and writing. Having a USB encryption feature in Symantec Cloud Workload Protection would also be very useful. An additional feature I'd like to see in the next release of Symantec Cloud Workload Protection is more advanced defense on mobile devices such as iOS and Android. For example, even offline or with no internet connection, it would be good if the solution could defend devices against malware and ransomware.

Read full review

DragosCernat

Information Security Architect at WSP

Has significantly improved proactive monitoring through automated asset discovery and seamless integration with cloud environments

Making the system smarter would be beneficial. Adding modules for integration with AWS and Azure would be helpful. Adding capabilities for the scanner to automatically pick up changes and add assets automatically would be valuable. When discussing a big company, it is mandatory to have tools that will assist us rather than waiting for manual input to add hosts. Adding assets manually is prone to mistakes. Humans might forget to add an asset or make errors when adding multiple assets. Taking the human element out of the context and making it more streamlined is the future for security. The human should be involved where expertise is needed, such as analysis and decision-making. Currently, with resource constraints, we need tools to collect and aggregate data, eliminate false positives as much as possible, and present relevant information to employees for action.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"By integrating TotalCloud, we have significantly reduced vulnerabilities in our deployment pipeline."

"The most valuable feature is the consolidated information that it provides from various platforms."

"Qualys TotalCloud has positively impacted our organization by helping us save time and manage all assets and remediation, allowing us to achieve quarterly and half-yearly goals."

"Once you have your vulnerabilities fixed and your patches pushed out using Qualys TotalCloud, then you are able to eliminate threats and cyber risk."

"The vulnerability management feature is the one I like the most because it provides a clear picture of all vulnerabilities."

"I would definitely recommend it because it is easy to handle any cloud resources."

"I appreciate Qualys TotalCloud's ability to onboard any type of device with ease, including containers."

"I would definitely recommend Qualys TotalCloud to other users."

More Qualys TotalCloud pros

"The most valuable features in Symantec Cloud Workload Protection are endpoint protection and active directory features. The active directory features in the product are very good, and in terms of security, the most valuable feature in Symantec Cloud Workload Protection is threat defense or threat protection."

"Symantec Cloud Workload Protection is a stable solution and it offers very good protection for organizations."

"It will read various logs, diagnose what is wrong, and then alert you."

"This is a very good tool for cloud protection."

"The solution’s vulnerability management feature has helped us identify and mitigate risks well."

"Scanning and reporting are the most valuable features of Tenable Cloud Security"

"Ermetic can provide super visibility for our cloud environment (we are using AWS)."

"Element is precisely what we needed for close to real-time external surface monitoring, and the automatic integration capabilities, particularly with DNS, Azure, and AWS, are extremely valuable."

"The product's visibility and remediation work fine for me."

"Tenable Cloud Security excels in vulnerability detection, one of its strongest features. Another valuable feature is software composition analysis, which highlights and automates the detection of security flaws. Additionally, their knowledge base is excellent; if anything goes wrong, they provide clear guidance on what needs to be done to address specific vulnerabilities."

"The key benefit lies in having the largest and most up-to-date database. When it comes to using any Tenable product, it excels in finding vulnerabilities and providing analytics."

"Tenable Cloud Security has positively impacted my organization with risk reduction and compliance."

More Tenable Cloud Security pros

Cons

"Regarding technical support from Qualys, they respond, but the response time can be too long. Sometimes we need to wait weeks for solutions to simple questions."

"Two areas for improvement in Qualys TotalCloud are the speed of the public cloud platform and vulnerability detection."

"Enhancing clarity regarding its compliance capabilities would be beneficial, as the current scope is limited in geographic coverage."

"The main area needing improvement is integration. Although the team is strengthening TotalCloud, integration can be enhanced with SIEM, SOAR, ITSM, and other sources."

"Qualys TotalCloud has the potential to improve by integrating a hybrid platform for comprehensive management of both on-premises and cloud infrastructures."

"The downside is only in container security, but it has not been a long time since they introduced these models."

"One thing that could be improved is the user experience and navigation."

"An area for improvement would be to focus on risks related to AI, such as large language models and potential data leakage."

More Qualys TotalCloud cons

"One area for improvement in Symantec Cloud Workload Protection is integration."

"In the future, we may need to use features that are only available in one of the competing products."

"One area for improvement in Symantec Cloud Workload Protection is integration. Other features that could be improved are defense control and encryption, particularly in the USB. For example, users should be able to control the USB and have the capability of blocking and allowing USB reading and writing. Having a USB encryption feature in Symantec Cloud Workload Protection would also be very useful."

"I do think there might be room for more integrations. This could allow for further customization and flexibility, essentially offering different functionality options to accommodate various budgets."

"There is a need for the support team to improve their response time since it is one of the areas where the product's technical team has certain shortcomings."

"If Tenable Cloud Security offers a complete Cnapp solution with CWP, CIEM, and Waap security, it will be able to compete with other competitors."

"In my experience, Tenable Cloud Security is not very stable."

"Ermetic needs to improve its security scanning. I would like to see more dynamic graphical forms."

"I didn't find anything that wasn't useful or needed to be added."

"I have faced several bug incidents with the solution"

"Due to its robust nature, the platform's adoption can be overwhelming initially. However, once organizations start using it, they tend to get used to it. I haven't had much direct interaction with the support team, but some partners have reported a desire for better support for the product."

More Tenable Cloud Security cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Although Qualys TotalCloud is relatively expensive due to its unique automation features, its cost-effectiveness is rated an eight out of ten, with ten being the most costly."

"Qualys TotalCloud is cost-efficient and was selected for its value compared to other products."

"Qualys TotalCloud offers competitive pricing given its comprehensive suite of features, including integration, assessment, remediation, and detection capabilities, all within a single platform."

"The pricing is comparable. It is built into our other product, so I cannot piecemeal it. It is a part of our subscription."

"I am not sure about the pricing. From what I understand, it is a bit on the higher side, but I do not have the exact numbers."

"The pricing for TotalCloud is attractive and competitive in the market. Given the features, especially the dashboard, I have no concerns regarding pricing."

"Qualys TotalCloud offers cost-effective licensing flexibility."

"It isn't cheap, but it's reasonable. It helps us to manage things with very few resources."

More Qualys TotalCloud pricing and cost advice

"The licensing cost for Symantec Cloud Workload Protection is paid yearly."

"There is a need to opt for a subscription-based pricing model to use Tenable Cloud Security. I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"The tool's price is good compared to other brands. The tool's subscription is for a year."

"The tool's pricing is fair."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

914,262 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

16%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

No data available

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	34

No data available

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

Questions from the Community

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

The price is very expensive, actually.

What needs improvement with Qualys TotalCloud?

In terms of improvement, remediation still belongs to the cloud team, which is one of the issues we faced with Qualys...

What is your primary use case for Qualys TotalCloud?

My main use case for Qualys TotalCloud is regarding the cloud visibility that we were not having previously. Previous...

What needs improvement with Tenable Cloud Security?

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

Making the system smarter would be beneficial. Adding modules for integration with AWS and Azure would be helpful. Ad...

What is your primary use case for Tenable Cloud Security?

We had other solutions that we used. One solution was that we did not have something exactly similar to what Element ...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ermetic CSPM?

I wasn't involved with the pricing, setup cost and licensing for Tenable Cloud Security.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Qualys TotalCloud

Comparisons

Wiz vs Qualys TotalCloud

Compared 11% of the time

Compared 7% of the time

JupiterOne vs Qualys TotalCloud

Compared 6% of the time

Orca Security vs Qualys TotalCloud

Compared 6% of the time

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Qualys TotalCloud

Compared 5% of the time

More Qualys TotalCloud Competitors

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Symantec Cloud Workload Protection

Compared 36% of the time

Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) vs Symantec Cloud Workload Protection

Compared 24% of the time

AWS GuardDuty vs Symantec Cloud Workload Protection

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Symantec Cloud Workload Protection

Compared 7% of the time

FortiCNAPP vs Symantec Cloud Workload Protection

Compared 4% of the time

More Symantec Cloud Workload Protection Competitors

Wiz vs Tenable Cloud Security

Compared 7% of the time

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Tenable Cloud Security

Compared 6% of the time

Orca Security vs Tenable Cloud Security

Compared 6% of the time

Plerion vs Tenable Cloud Security

Compared 5% of the time

Sonrai Security vs Tenable Cloud Security

Compared 5% of the time

More Tenable Cloud Security Competitors

Product Reports

Qualys TotalCloud

Download Qualys TotalCloud product report

Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP)

Download Symantec Cloud Workload Protection product report

Symantec Cloud Workload Protection report

Download Tenable Cloud Security product report

Tenable Cloud Security

August 2026

Also Known As

Qualys TotalCloud with FlexScan

No data available

Ermetic, Ermetic Identity Governance for AWS

Overview

Qualys TotalCloud enhances security posture across cloud environments with continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and risk visualization, ensuring efficient threat assessment and automated remediation for improved cyber risk reduction.

Qualys TotalCloud offers a robust suite of security tools essential for organizations managing multi-cloud infrastructures. By integrating cloud accounts and automating workflows, it supports AWS, Azure, and GCP, offering comprehensive vulnerability management and zero-day detection. The platform's user-friendly design, combined with its extensive risk management and unified threat assessment capabilities, enables organizations to prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities effectively. TruRisk Insights provides clear insights on cyber risks, while the automation options streamline patch management and scanning processes. API integration across IaaS and SaaS environments further enhances resource allocation efficiency and saves time, addressing misconfigurations across cloud environments.

What are the most important features of Qualys TotalCloud?

Accurate Vulnerability Reports: Delivers precise and actionable insights for risk mitigation.
Zero-Day Detection: Identifies and addresses zero-day vulnerabilities proactively.
Unified Threat Assessment: Offers comprehensive evaluation of threats across the environment.
Extensive Risk Management: Manages risks effectively with advanced insights and prioritization.
Continuous Monitoring: Provides non-stop surveillance for vulnerabilities and threats.
Cloud-Native Automation: Streamlines processes and reduces manual efforts using automation.
FlexScan for Internet-Facing VMs: Scans external VMs efficiently to detect vulnerabilities.
Dashboard Risk Visualization: Clear visualization helps prioritize vulnerabilities.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Improved Security Posture: Enhances threat detection and response across clouds.
Time Savings: Automation reduces time spent on manual vulnerability management.
Resource Efficiency: Better allocation of resources through streamlined workflows.
Enhanced Risk Prioritization: Focus on critical vulnerabilities for effective mitigation.
Integrated Cloud Accounts: Facilitates seamless cloud management and security.

Qualys TotalCloud is deployed in sectors needing rigorous vulnerability management, such as finance and healthcare. Companies utilize it to secure multi-cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and GCP, focus on compliance, and integrate security into CI/CD pipelines to detect and remedy threats pre-deployment.

Qualys

Symantec Cloud Workload Protection offers a robust security solution designed for safeguarding workloads in cloud environments, providing users with comprehensive threat protection and adaptability across diverse platforms.

As cloud deployments grow, Symantec Cloud Workload Protection provides end-to-end visibility and control over workloads, ensuring strong security. It specializes in securing complex and dynamic cloud infrastructures. By leveraging its advanced threat detection capabilities, it mitigates risks effectively, facilitates compliance, and automates security processes. Its adaptability to multi-cloud environments and continuous monitoring make it an essential tool for businesses focusing on cloud security.

What are the key features?

Comprehensive Threat Detection: Identifies and mitigates threats efficiently using real-time analytics.
Automated Security Responses: Enables automated remediation to minimize response times.
Multi-Cloud Support: Provides seamless integration across leading cloud platforms.
Compliance Management: Assists in adhering to industry standards for cloud security.

What benefits or ROI can users expect?

Enhanced Security Posture: Reduces risk exposure by addressing threats quickly.
Cost Efficiency: Lowers overall security costs through automation and streamlined processes.
Improved Compliance: Helps achieve and maintain necessary compliance standards.
Scalability: Adapts to evolving cloud environments without significant overhead.

In industries like finance and healthcare, where data security is critical, Symantec Cloud Workload Protection is implemented to bolster defenses against potential breaches and ensure compliance with strict regulations. Its capability to integrate seamlessly into existing infrastructures makes it an attractive option for industries aiming to safeguard sensitive data effectively.

Broadcom

Tenable Cloud Security is a comprehensive solution designed to help organizations secure their cloud environments across various platforms, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. It offers continuous visibility, compliance management, and threat detection to ensure that cloud infrastructure and applications are protected from vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

Tenable Cloud Security exemplifies a comprehensive Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) by providing a unified solution that covers the entire cloud security lifecycle, from development to runtime. This platform is designed to address vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, threats, and compliance risks across multi-cloud environments, making it an essential tool for organizations adopting cloud-native architectures. In practice, Tenable Cloud Security integrates security into the development process through its shift-left approach, particularly with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) security. This ensures that security measures are embedded early in the development lifecycle, allowing teams to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities before they reach production. Once in production, the platform continues to provide real-time visibility into cloud environments, enabling continuous monitoring and proactive threat detection.

The solution's comprehensive protection spans various aspects of cloud security, including the identification and remediation of misconfigurations, automated compliance management, and advanced threat intelligence. By automating these processes, Tenable Cloud Security reduces the manual effort required to manage cloud security, freeing up resources for more strategic initiatives.

What are the key features of Tenable Cloud Security?

Unified Platform: Covers the entire cloud security lifecycle, from development to runtime, providing comprehensive protection.
Shift-Left Approach with IaC Security: Integrates security early in the development process, ensuring that vulnerabilities are caught and remediated before deployment.
Continuous Monitoring: Offers real-time visibility and monitoring of cloud environments, enabling proactive threat detection and response.
Automation: Streamlines security operations, reducing the need for manual intervention and increasing operational efficiency.
Comprehensive Threat and Compliance Management: Identifies and mitigates vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance risks across multi-cloud environments.

What are the benefits of using Tenable Cloud Security?

Improved Security Posture: Early detection and remediation of vulnerabilities lead to a stronger overall security posture.
Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces the workload on security teams, allowing them to focus on higher-priority tasks.
Risk Reduction: Proactively identifies and addresses risks before they impact production environments.
Simplified Compliance: Helps organizations meet and maintain compliance with industry standards, reducing the complexity and cost of audits.

Tenable Cloud Security is particularly valuable in industries with stringent regulatory requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and retail. For example, in the financial sector, it helps organizations ensure compliance with regulations like PCI-DSS while safeguarding sensitive data across cloud environments.

In summary, Tenable Cloud Security is a robust CNAPP solution that integrates security throughout the cloud lifecycle, providing comprehensive protection and operational efficiency for cloud-native environments.

Tenable

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

LifeLock

Tyler Technologies, Bilfinger, BarkBox, MongoDB, airSlate, Adama, Latch, Cloudinary, Riskified, AppsFlyer, IntelyCare, Aidoc, 42Dot, and more.

Symantec Cloud Workload Protection vs. Tenable Cloud Security