Best Container Image Scanning Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: Qualys External Attack Surface Management is ranked #1 of 27 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Snyk Open Source and Trivy. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Snyk Open Source. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Uptycs Container Security at $0.25/mo.
Container image scanning tools help teams examine images for security issues as they move through development and deployment. The entries are ranked and compared on CI pipeline scanning, registry scanning, Kubernetes admission, and deployment model, alongside fix recommendations and SBOM generation. Free plans and paid starting prices offer another point of comparison. Snyk Open Source and Docker Desktop appear among the first entries, followed by Mondoo CSPM and O3 Security Image Scanner. Consider where scanning needs to fit into your workflow, which environments or registries matter, and whether you need recommendations for addressing findings or software bill of materials generation.
27 container image scanning tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Qualys External Attack Surface Management No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4 Deployment model: hybridRegistry scanning: Yes
- 2 Snyk Open Source No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$25/mo Deployment model: hybridRegistry scanning: Yes
- 3 Trivy No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free
- 4 Docker Desktop No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3$9/mo Deployment model: saasRegistry scanning: Yes
- 5 Grype No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free
- 6 Mondoo CSPM No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free
- 7 RapidFort No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment model: hybridRegistry scanning: Yes
- 8 Aqua Container Security No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Deployment model: hybridRegistry scanning: YesCI pipeline scanning: Yes
- 9 Wiz Defend No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Deployment model: saasRegistry scanning: YesCI pipeline scanning: Yes
- 10 FortiCNAPP No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Deployment model: hybrid
- 11 O3 Security Image Scanner No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Registry scanning: YesCI pipeline scanning: Yes
- 12 Sysdig Secure No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Deployment model: hybridRegistry scanning: Yes
- 13 Check Point CloudGuard Data Security No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.6 Deployment model: hybridRegistry scanning: YesCI pipeline scanning: Yes
- 14 Checkmarx API Security No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.6 Deployment model: hybridRegistry scanning: YesCI pipeline scanning: Yes
- 15 CrowdStrike Falcon Surface No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.6 Deployment model: hybrid
- 16 Uptycs Container Security No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.6$0.25/mo Deployment model: hybridRegistry scanning: YesCI pipeline scanning: Yes
- 17 Google Artifact Analysis No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5 Deployment model: saasRegistry scanning: Yes
- 18 SUSE Multi-Linux Manager No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5 Deployment model: self_hostedRegistry scanning: Yes
- 19 ZeroPath No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5$1,000/mo
- 20 Alibaba Cloud Container Registry No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4
- 21 Sonatype Container Scanner No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: hybridRegistry scanning: YesCI pipeline scanning: Yes
- 22 Clair No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Deployment model: self_hostedRegistry scanning: Yes
- 23 Dagda No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Deployment model: self_hosted
- 24 Anchore Enterprise No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.0
- 25 Mirantis Secure Registry No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.8
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which container image scanning tool is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Qualys External Attack Surface Management is ranked #1 of 27 with a score of 6.4. Snyk Open Source is second and Trivy third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Uptycs Container Security has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.25/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.