What is Qualys?
Qualys offers cloud-based vulnerability management (VM), web application scanning (WAS), and compliance solutions for infrastructure, containers, and applications.
Comparison at a glance
| Aspect | Barrion | Qualys |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Web app: URLs, headers, TLS, cookies, email, exposure | VM (infra, OS, cloud), WAS (web apps), compliance |
| Scan type | Passive, read-only, production-safe | Active: credentialed scans, crawlers, attack modules |
| Use case | Continuous web monitoring, compliance evidence, step-by-step fixes | Vulnerability management, patch prioritization, PCI and compliance |
| Production | Read-only checks, built for production | Active scans, so follow vendor guidance for production. VM covers internal, external and cloud assets |
| Remediation | Step-by-step fixes per finding, PDF/CSV export | Findings with remediation, integration with Qualys ecosystem |
| Pricing | Free tier, paid for monitoring | Commercial subscription, asset or scan based |
| Continuous AI pentest, checked against the live app | Yes. AI agents test your app on a schedule or on demand, and findings are checked against the live app before the report | Built as a scanner: scheduled vulnerability and web app scans (WAS) rather than a pentest |
Who Barrion is best for
Teams that need continuous web app visibility (headers, TLS, config) without infrastructure scanning, plus a self-serve AI pentest, paid in credits, for active testing. Good for engineering teams and audit-ready evidence.
Who Qualys is best for
Enterprises that need unified VM and web app scanning, compliance (e.g. PCI), and are set up for active scanning and asset management.
Frequently asked questions
Is Barrion a replacement for Qualys?
Only for the production web app monitoring slice. Qualys covers VM across infrastructure, WAS for web apps, and compliance modules. Barrion focuses on passive, production-safe web app monitoring with step-by-step fixes, plus an AI pentest for active testing on demand. For enterprise VM and broad asset coverage, Qualys remains the platform.
Can I use Barrion and Qualys together?
Yes. A common pattern is Qualys for infrastructure VM and active WAS scanning, plus Barrion in production for continuous, passive web app monitoring and audit-ready evidence. They cover different needs without overlap.
How is Barrion priced vs Qualys?
Barrion has a free tier and paid plans for monitoring. Qualys is a commercial subscription billed by assets or scans. Barrion is a lower-friction option for teams that only need continuous web app coverage.
Does Barrion test in production safely?
Yes. Barrion only runs passive, read-only web checks and is safe to run continuously in production. Qualys WAS runs active scans, so follow Qualys guidance on scanning production.
Summary
Barrion covers continuous, production-safe web app security. Qualys covers broad VM and WAS. Use Barrion for always-on web monitoring and compliance. Use Qualys for infrastructure and enterprise VM. Many use both: Qualys for infra and active app scanning, Barrion for production web monitoring.
Explore Barrion further
Try the same checks Qualys runs against your own site with the free website security scan (no signup), browse our full tool catalog covering TLS, security headers, CSP, cookies, DNS, and email auth, or read per-check explainers in /learn for the background on what each test means and why it matters. If you want a deeper look at how Barrion stacks up across the market, the full Barrion vs competitors comparison walks through the trade-offs in one place, and the pricing page shows what's included in each plan.