Aqua vs Sysdig: cloud security facts side by side
How do their category maps compare?
- Described on the vendor's pages we read
- Not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it on the pages we read)
What are the facts, side by side?
| Fact | Aqua | Sysdig |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | A cloud native security platform built around kernel-layer runtime enforcement, with agentless posture visibility, for public, private and disconnected environments. | A cloud security platform with runtime detection built on Falco, the open-source project Sysdig created, plus agentless posture. |
| Agent approach | Agentless parts, agent for depth Offers agentless posture visibility; the platform's depth comes from kernel-layer enforcement on the workload. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | Agentless parts, agent for depth Agentless posture covers vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, permissions and threats; process-level analysis needs the agent. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| Runtime sensor | Kernel-layer enforcement that blocks attacks without killing the container itself. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | The Sysdig agent with Falco-based detection, showing which packages are in use. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| Clouds namedDiffers | AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI, Alibaba Aqua names AWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle and Alibaba Cloud environments, plus Kubernetes; its platform page also describes private cloud and disconnected environments. Source: Aqua pricing, read . | AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI AWS, GCP and Azure support all of Sysdig's agentless cloud features; Oracle Cloud supports agentless CSPM only. Source: Sysdig docs: connect cloud accounts, read . |
| CNAPP | Described Positions one platform across posture, pipeline scanning and runtime enforcement. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | Described Sysdig describes Sysdig Secure as a CNAPP. Source: Sysdig press release: Sysdig Secure AI, read . |
| CSPM | Described CSPM is listed among the capabilities on its pricing page, alongside CWPP, agentless and agent-based scanning and eBPF runtime detection. Source: Aqua pricing, read . | Described CSPM is listed. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| CWPP | Described Monitor, detect, enforce and contain inside running workloads, with kernel-layer enforcement. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | Described Runtime threat detection for containers and Kubernetes through the agent. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| CIEMDiffers | Not in our sources Not named as an Aqua capability on the pricing or CSPM pages we read. Source: Aqua CSPM product page, read . | Described Basic CIEM and Advanced CIEM are named. Source: Sysdig docs: connect cloud accounts, read . |
| DSPMDiffers | Not in our sources Not described on the pages we read. | Described DSPM is listed. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| Vulnerability management | Described Ranks vulnerabilities by reachability, EPSS scores and evidence of active exploitation. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | Described Agentless vulnerability host scanning and agent-based scanning, with in-use prioritization. Source: Sysdig pricing (re-read), read . |
| Code securityDiffers | Scans images and repositories for vulnerabilities, secrets and misconfigurations and blocks noncompliant artifacts in the pipeline. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | Vulnerability management covers images and workloads; source-code scanning is not a stated focus on the pages we read. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| AI security | GenAI application security from code to runtime, and detection of unsanctioned AI usage. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | AI workload security, integrated into Sysdig's CNAPP, covers AI engines such as Amazon Bedrock, OpenAI and Vertex AI, and AI coding agents. Source: AI Workload Security | Sysdig, read . |
| Kubernetes runtime | Runtime enforcement for containers that blocks attacks without killing the container. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | Runtime detection for containers and Kubernetes built on Falco. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| Private cloud or on-premisesDiffers | Supports private cloud environments. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | Not in our sources |
| Disconnected environmentsDiffers | Supports disconnected environments. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | Not in our sources |
| Compliance reporting | Out-of-the-box compliance reporting, with built-in compliance and custom reports; the page does not list the frameworks. Source: Aqua pricing, read . | Out-of-the-box compliance policies include NIST CSF v2.0, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, CIS benchmarks, PCI DSS v4.0, HIPAA, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC 2, GDPR, DORA and NIS2. Source: Sysdig docs: compliance, read . |
| Public-sector authorizationDiffers | States FedRAMP High Authorization. Source: Aqua cloud native security platform, read . | Not in our sources |
| Price | Not published No list prices. Cloud Security is priced by number of workloads (EC2 instances, Fargate containers, Lambda functions) and Dev Security by number of code repositories; request a trial or demo. Source: Aqua pricing, read . | Not published No list prices on its own site; CNAPP licensing is based on the number of hosts. AWS Marketplace (Sysdig Cloud Security and Observability), 1-month contract: CNAPP Enterprise $72.00 per unit per month; the unit is not described in our notes. 12-month contracts are listed as saving up to 17%. Source: AWS Marketplace: Sysdig Cloud Security and Observability, read . |
| Open source | Trivy (maintained by Aqua Security, Apache-2.0) | Falco (created by Sysdig, CNCF graduated project) |
| Ownership | Aqua Security. Named Mike Dube CEO and Nir Makovski CTO in February 2026. Source: Aqua press release: new leadership and runtime focus, read . | Sysdig. Hatem Naguib became CEO in June 2026; founder Loris Degioanni remains CTO. Source: Sysdig press release: Hatem Naguib named CEO, read . |
Where do they differ?
- Clouds named: Aqua names AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI and Alibaba; Sysdig names AWS, Azure, GCP and OCI.
- CIEM: Aqua is not in our sources; Sysdig describes it.
- DSPM: Aqua is not in our sources; Sysdig describes it.
- Code security: Aqua matches; Sysdig partly matches.
- Private cloud or on-premises: Aqua matches; Sysdig is not in our sources.
- Disconnected environments: Aqua matches; Sysdig is not in our sources.
- Public-sector authorization: Aqua matches; Sysdig is not in our sources.
Choose Aqua if
- You run disconnected or private environments, or need FedRAMP High.
- You want enforcement inside containers and already use Trivy.
Choose Sysdig if
- You run Kubernetes at scale and already know Falco.
- You want vulnerability lists filtered by what actually runs.
Which limits should you check?
Aqua
- CIEM and DSPM are not described on the pages we read.
- No list prices: Cloud Security is priced by number of workloads, by quote.
Sysdig
- Process-level depth needs the agent, and on Oracle Cloud only agentless CSPM is supported.
- List prices are by quote.
Frequently asked questions
How do Aqua and Sysdig differ?
Neither is scored on this site. Aqua describes 4 of six categories and Sysdig 6 on the pages we read, and they differ on 7 recorded facts. Which fits depends on your clouds, agent tolerance and existing tools; the finder checks those.
Which of the two needs an agent?
Aqua: Agentless parts, agent for depth. Sysdig: Agentless parts, agent for depth.
Do Aqua or Sysdig publish prices?
Aqua: No list prices. Cloud Security is priced by number of workloads (EC2 instances, Fargate containers, Lambda functions) and Dev Security by number of code repositories; request a trial or demo. Sysdig: No list prices on its own site; CNAPP licensing is based on the number of hosts. AWS Marketplace (Sysdig Cloud Security and Observability), 1-month contract: CNAPP Enterprise $72.00 per unit per month; the unit is not described in our notes. 12-month contracts are listed as saving up to 17%.