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Qualys VM vs Socket Comparison

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Qualys VM

4.1(103 reviews)

Starting at Contact for pricing

  • Free Trial
  • Large Enterprises
  • Medium Business

Qualys Vulnerability Management (VM) is a scalable, flexible, and cost-effective vulnerability management solution to identify and fix vulnerable software across the enterprise. VM continuously monitors public and local…

Socket

4.7(160 reviews)

Starting at Free free

  • Small Business
  • Mid-Market

Socket is a software supply chain security tool that protects against malicious npm, PyPI, and Maven packages — the new attack vector where attackers publish malicious packages that mimic popular libraries. Unlike SCA to…

Socket leads on user satisfaction with a 4.7-star rating across 160 reviews.

Qualys VM vs Socket — at a glance

FeatureQualys VMSocket
Rating4.1 / 54.7 / 5
Reviews103160
Starting priceContact for pricingFree free
Free trial Yes No
Free version No No
Best forLarge Enterprises, Medium Business, Small BusinessSmall Business, Mid-Market, Enterprise
CategoryVulnerability Management SoftwareVulnerability Management Software
PlatformsSaaS/Web/CloudCloud
APIAvailable
Support modesOnlineGitHub Issues, Email Support, Help Center, Enterprise Support
CertificationsSOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001
Data residencyGlobal

Key differences between Qualys VM and Socket

  • Pricing: Socket starts at Free free. Qualys VM pricing is not publicly listed.
  • Free trial: Qualys VM offers a free trial; Socket does not.
  • Target audience: Qualys VM is built for Large Enterprises and Medium Business, while Socket targets Small Business and Mid-Market.
  • User satisfaction: Socket scores higher with a 4.7-star average.
  • Deployment: Qualys VM supports SaaS/Web/Cloud; Socket supports Cloud.

Qualys VM vs Socket — find the better fit before you commit.

01

Which tool fits your team best

02

Which is actually cheaper for your team size

03

Where each product wins, per real buyers

Most Vulnerability Management Software tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.

Qualys VM
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Socket logo
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Talk to an expert

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Biggest differences

Start here before you go deeper into features.

Qualys VM

Best for scalable, continuous enterprise vulnerability management with real-time updates.

Choose if
  • You need a solution that scales across large and mid-sized enterprises with flexible deployment.
  • Your security team requires continuous, real-time monitoring and automatic vulnerability signature updates.
  • You want comprehensive asset discovery combining forensic analysis, code review, and penetration testing.
Consider alternatives if
  • You are a very small business with limited IT resources and need a simple setup.
  • You prefer a standalone vulnerability scanner without complex integration or sales engagement for pricing.

Socket

Best for

Small Business, Mid-Market, Enterprise

Qualys VM typically suits Large Enterprises and Medium Business. Socket tends to fit Small Business and Mid-Market better. The right choice depends on your team size, workflow, and whether a free trial matters.

Description

Qualys Vulnerability Management (VM) is a scalable, flexible, and cost-effective vulnerability management solution to identify and fix vulnerable software across the enterprise. VM ... Read More about Qualys VM

Socket is a software supply chain security tool that protects against malicious npm, PyPI, and Maven packages — the new attack vector where attackers publish malicious packages that mimic ... Read More about Socket

Entry Level Pricing

  • Not Available
  • Starts from Free , public repos

Free Trial Availability

  • Free Trial available
  • No free trial

SpotScore

What's this? ↗

Not Available

9.4/10

User Ratings

Based on verified Spotsaas reviews

Best Company Size

51-500 employees500+ employees
Get pricing help
Get pricing help

Where each option fits best

See where each product is strongest, which teams it fits, and what causes buyers to keep looking — before you commit.

Based on buyer reviews and verified product data collected by Spotsaas.

Strengths

Key strengths

Socket

  • Stop Attacks CVE Databases Miss: Malicious packages are active for days before CVEs are published — Socket's behavioral detection catches threats in the zero-day window.
  • Security Before the Commit: PR-level review means malicious dependencies are flagged before they merge, not discovered in weekly SCA scans after they are already in production.
  • Protect Against Typosquatting: Automatic detection of packages with names similar to popular libraries (e.g., `lodahs` vs `lodash`) blocks the most common supply chain attack vector.
Best fit

Best fit

Socket

  • Development teams adding supply chain security to prevent the class of attacks (XZ Utils, event-stream) that CVE databases cannot catch
  • Open-source project maintainers using Socket to screen dependency PRs from contributors for malicious packages
  • Enterprise software teams generating SBOMs for customer security requirements and regulatory compliance

Software Demo

Demo

No software demo available

Qualys VM has not given any software demo yet

If you're the owner of this profile, add your demo.Contact us

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Step 1 of 4

How big is your team?

We tailor recommendations to companies your size.

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How do Qualys VM and Socket Compare on Features?

Total Features

6 Features

5 Features

Unique Features

No unique features

No unique features

Get Quote
Get Quote

Compare Qualys VM and Socket on pricing

Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.

Pricing Option

      Starting From

      • Not Available
      • Free , public repos

      Pricing Plans

      • Not Available
      • Free

        Free

        • GitHub App

        • Malicious package detection

        • Community support

      • Pro

        $10

        paid

        • Private repos

        • All ecosystems

        • SBOM

        Show more +

      • Enterprise

        Custom

        paid

        • SSO

        • SLA

        • Custom policies

        Show more +

      Other Details

      Organization Types supported

      • Large Enterprises
      • Medium Business
      • Small Business
      • Individuals
      • Large Enterprises
      • Medium Business
      • Small Business
      • Individuals

      Platforms Supported

      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Installed - Windows
      • Installed - Mac
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Installed - Windows
      • Installed - Mac
      • Browser Based (Cloud)

      Modes of support

      • 24/7 (Live rep)
      • Business Hours
      • Online
      • 24/7 (Live rep)
      • Business Hours
      • Online

      API Support

      • Not Available
      • Available
      Get help choosing
      Get help choosing

      Security & Compliance

      Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.

      SOC 2

      ✓ Yes

      HIPAA

      ✓ Yes

      GDPR

      ✓ Yes

      ISO 27001

      ✓ Yes

      Single Sign-On (SSO)

      ✓ Yes

      Multi-Factor Auth (MFA)

      ✓ Yes

      Data Encryption

      ✓ Yes

      Audit Logs

      ✓ Yes

      Data Residency

      🌐 Global

      Qualys VM User Reviews & Rating Comparison

      User Ratings

      4.1

      (based on 103 reviews)

      4.7

      (based on 160 reviews)

      Rating Distribution

      0

      0

      0

      0

      0

      0

      0

      0

      0

      0

      Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI

      Buyer sentiment

      Overall positive sentiment highlights scalability and comprehensive monitoring, with some concerns about pricing transparency and setup complexity.

      What buyers like

      • Scalability
      • Real-time monitoring
      • Comprehensive vulnerability detection

      Common complaints

      • Pricing opacity
      • Complex setup

      Buyer sentiment

      Buyer sentiment is very strong across 160 reviews, with consistently positive feedback.

      What buyers like

      • Behavioral analysis catches malicious packages that have no CVE yet — the XZ Utils attack and similar supply chain compromises would have been flagged by Socket before install.
      • GitHub App integration blocks malicious packages at the PR level — the dependency never enters the codebase rather than being found in a post-install audit.
      • Free tier for public repos makes it accessible to open-source projects and teams evaluating before commitment.

      Common complaints

      • Focused specifically on supply chain security — does not replace broader SCA tools for CVE tracking, license compliance, and dependency management.
      • Behavioral scanning occasionally flags legitimate packages with unusual install behavior — teams need to tune policies to balance security and developer friction.

      Pros and Cons

      • Scalable and flexible deployment across enterprise environments

      • Continuous real-time monitoring and automatic updates

      • Comprehensive asset discovery including forensic and code review analysis

      • Pricing is not publicly available and requires sales engagement

      • Setup and configuration can be complex for smaller teams

      • Behavioral analysis catches malicious packages that have no CVE yet — the XZ Utils attack and similar supply chain compromises would have been flagged by Socket before install.

      • GitHub App integration blocks malicious packages at the PR level — the dependency never enters the codebase rather than being found in a post-install audit.

      • Free tier for public repos makes it accessible to open-source projects and teams evaluating before commitment.

      • Focused specifically on supply chain security — does not replace broader SCA tools for CVE tracking, license compliance, and dependency management.

      • Behavioral scanning occasionally flags legitimate packages with unusual install behavior — teams need to tune policies to balance security and developer friction.

      Used Qualys VM or Socket? Tell buyers what actually differs.

      Media and Screenshots

      Screenshots

      Qualys VM screenshot

      6 Screenshots

      No screenshots available.

      Top Alternatives to Qualys VM and Socket in 2026

      Alternatives

      No Alternative products available.

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      Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

      Frequently asked questions

      Which is better, Qualys VM or Socket?
      Socket edges out the other on user ratings (4.7 vs 4.1). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
      Do Qualys VM and Socket offer a free trial?
      Qualys VM offers a free trial. Socket does not.
      What is the starting price of Qualys VM vs Socket?
      Qualys VM starts at Contact for pricing. Socket starts at Free free.
      What are the top alternatives to Qualys VM?
      Top alternatives to Qualys VM include Microsoft Threat Vulnerability Management, TAC Security, Brinqa, Defendify, SAINTCloud.