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Cybersecurity · head to head

Arnica vs Azure Government

Arnica logo

Arnica

Cybersecurity

AI-native application security platform detecting and fixing vulnerabilities across the SDLC

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Azure Government logo

Azure Government

Government

Trusted Cloud for Government

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Arnica has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Arnica per-identity pricing ($25-$50/person/year) requires tracking active developers; Azure Government restricted to US government entities, their solution providers and contractors handling government data, with Microsoft validating eligibility first
  • They diverge on capability: Arnica covers AI SAST, Azure Government covers FedRAMP High Authorized.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arnica and Azure Government actually diverge.

Attributes where Arnica and Azure Government differ
AttributeArnicaAzure Government
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer-identity subscription with annual discountusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, GitHub, IDEWeb, Cli, Sdk
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown1975

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Arnica

  • AI SAST
  • Software Composition Analysis
  • Secrets detection
  • IaC scanning
  • Container scanning
  • SBOM generation
  • Agentic rules
  • Pipelineless integration

Only in Azure Government

  • FedRAMP High Authorized
  • DOD IL5 Approved
  • Isolated Datacenters
  • Hybrid Cloud
  • AI & ML Services
  • Microsoft 365
  • Dynamics 365
  • Power Platform

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arnica

  • Detecting AI-generated vulnerabilities in Copilot and Cursor suggestionsnot Azure Government
  • Finding hardcoded secrets before they reach productionnot Azure Government
  • Mapping container vulnerabilities back to source codenot Azure Government
  • Generating SBOM for supply chain compliance requirementsnot Azure Government
  • Scanning infrastructure-as-code for misconfiguration risksnot Azure Government

Azure Government

  • Hosting US government workloads in dedicated domestic datacentresnot Arnica
  • Systems needing FedRAMP High, DoD IL2 to IL5, CJIS or ITAR authorisationnot Arnica
  • State, local and tribal government cloud servicesnot Arnica
  • Contractors processing controlled government datanot Arnica

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Arnica

  • Per-identity pricing ($25-$50/person/year) requires tracking active developers
  • Overage identity tracking via 90-day PR activity can be unpredictable
  • Free plan limited to weekly updates, requiring upgrade for real-time scanning
  • Advanced add-ons (Image Scanning, AI SAST, Agentic Rules Enforcer) pricing not published
  • On-premises deployment limited to Enterprise tier

Azure Government

  • Restricted to US government entities, their solution providers and contractors handling government data, with Microsoft validating eligibility first
  • A narrower service catalogue than commercial Azure
  • New features arrive later than in the commercial regions
  • Pricing is not published and runs through federal contract vehicles such as JWCC, GSA and NASA SEWP

Pricing, plan by plan

Arnica

Free
  • FreeFree
    • No credit card required
    • 14-day trial available
    • Weekly risk identification updates
  • Core Business$360/year
    • Monthly billing option at $30/identity/month
    • Annual billing at $25/identity/month (17% discount)
    • Real-time risk scanning and notifications
  • Core Enterprise$720/year
    • Monthly billing option at $60/identity/month
    • Annual billing at $50/identity/month (17% discount)
    • All Core Business features

Azure Government

On request
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Virtual Machines
    • Azure SQL
    • Storage

Which should you pick?

Choose Arnica if

  • You need ai sast.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, GitHub, IDE.
  • You also want software composition analysis.
Arnica review

Choose Azure Government if

  • You need fedramp high authorized.
  • You work on Web, Cli, Sdk.
  • You also want dod il5 approved.
Azure Government review

Questions people ask

Is Arnica or Azure Government better?
Neither clearly leads. Arnica starts at Free and Azure Government at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arnica or Azure Government?
Arnica has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Arnica and On request for Azure Government.
Does Arnica or Azure Government run on more platforms?
Arnica runs on Web, GitHub, IDE. Azure Government runs on Web, Cli, Sdk.
Can I use Arnica for free?
Yes. Arnica has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Azure Government starts at On request.
What is Arnica best used for?
Arnica is most often used for detecting ai-generated vulnerabilities in copilot and cursor suggestions, finding hardcoded secrets before they reach production, mapping container vulnerabilities back to source code, generating sbom for supply chain compliance requirements. Of those, detecting ai-generated vulnerabilities in copilot and cursor suggestions and finding hardcoded secrets before they reach production are not what Azure Government is typically brought in for.
What can Arnica do that Azure Government cannot?
Arnica covers AI SAST, Software Composition Analysis, Secrets detection, IaC scanning. Azure Government covers FedRAMP High Authorized, DOD IL5 Approved, Isolated Datacenters, Hybrid Cloud.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arnica: How are identities defined in Arnica pricing?

Identities are any users and other contributing entities that contributed code and/or had PR activity during the last 90 days. This ensures billing matches active developers.

Source
Azure Government: How is Azure Government pricing determined?

Azure pricing follows a pay-as-you-go model where you only pay for services you use. Prices vary by product, region, and usage patterns. Committed use discounts and reserved instances can save up to 65% for compute services.

Source
Arnica: What is the annual discount?

Annual prepayment offers approximately 17% savings versus monthly billing. Core Business annual is $300/identity versus $360 for monthly.

Source
Arnica: Can I cancel or downgrade Arnica anytime?

Yes. Subscriptions can be cancelled or downgraded at any time. Overage identities receive automatic protection with true-up invoicing.

Source
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