Pricing Overview
Aqua Security operates on an enterprise pricing model built around annual contracts and per-workload billing. The platform serves organizations running containers, Kubernetes, serverless functions, and VM workloads, with pricing scaled to match deployment size. Cloud Security plans start at $12,000/year for small teams, while full Platform plans begin at $36,000/year. Notably, Aqua maintains Trivy, a widely adopted open-source vulnerability scanner that remains completely free. This dual approach lets smaller teams start with Trivy at zero cost and graduate to paid plans as their cloud-native security requirements grow. All paid plans require direct engagement with Aqua's sales team, and pricing varies based on workload volume, feature requirements, and contract length.
Plan Comparison
Aqua Security structures its offering across three distinct tiers, each targeting different organizational needs.
| Feature | Trivy (Open Source) | Cloud Security | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free | From $12,000/year | From $36,000/year |
| Billing Model | N/A | Annual contract | Annual contract |
| Vulnerability Scanning | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Container Security | Basic scanning | Full runtime protection | Full runtime protection |
| Kubernetes Security | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Serverless Protection | No | Limited | Yes |
| VM Workload Security | No | Limited | Yes |
| Policy Enforcement | No | Basic | Advanced custom policies |
| Compliance Reporting | No | Standard | Full audit-ready reports |
| RBAC & SSO | No | Add-on | Included |
| Support | Community only | Standard SLA | Premium SLA |
Trivy works well as a standalone scanner for CI/CD pipelines, but it lacks runtime protection and policy enforcement. Cloud Security fills the gap for teams focused primarily on container and Kubernetes workloads. The full Platform tier covers the entire application lifecycle across all workload types, adds advanced compliance features, and includes premium support with guaranteed response times.
Hidden Costs and Considerations
Aqua's per-workload pricing model means costs scale directly with your infrastructure footprint. Teams running ephemeral workloads or auto-scaling Kubernetes clusters should model peak workload counts, not averages, when estimating spend. Additional costs we frequently see overlooked include onboarding and professional services fees, add-on charges for SSO and RBAC on lower tiers, and potential overage charges when workload counts exceed contracted limits. Annual contracts also lock teams in, so negotiating flexible scaling terms upfront is worth the effort.
Cost Estimates by Team Size
Based on Aqua Security's published starting prices and per-workload model, here are realistic annual cost ranges.
| Team Size | Workload Estimate | Recommended Plan | Estimated Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (5-10 engineers) | 50-100 workloads | Cloud Security | $12,000 - $20,000 |
| Mid-size (20-50 engineers) | 200-500 workloads | Platform | $36,000 - $72,000 |
| Enterprise (100+ engineers) | 1,000+ workloads | Platform (custom) | $100,000+ |
These estimates assume standard workload counts. Organizations with microservices architectures or heavy Kubernetes usage will land toward the higher end. We recommend requesting a tailored quote from Aqua's sales team for an accurate figure based on your specific environment.
How Aqua Security Pricing Compares
Aqua Security sits firmly in the enterprise segment of the cloud-native security market. We compared its pricing against key competitors to put costs in context.
| Tool | Pricing Model | Starting Price | Free Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Security | Enterprise (annual) | $12,000/year | Yes (Trivy) | Full-lifecycle cloud-native security |
| Snyk | Freemium | $0 (free tier) / $25/dev/mo (Team) | Yes (200 OSS tests/mo) | Developer-first vulnerability scanning |
| CodeWatchdog | Freemium | $9/mo | Yes (1 user) | Lightweight code security monitoring |
| PromptBrake | Paid | $79/mo | No | AI/prompt security |
Snyk is the closest direct competitor, offering a generous free tier and transparent per-developer pricing at $25/developer/month for Team plans. For a 20-person team, Snyk Team costs roughly $6,000/year compared to Aqua's $36,000+ Platform price. However, Aqua provides significantly broader runtime protection and workload coverage that Snyk does not match. CodeWatchdog and PromptBrake address narrower security niches and are not direct substitutes for Aqua's full-platform capabilities. Organizations choosing between Aqua and Snyk should evaluate whether they need runtime workload protection or primarily developer-stage scanning.