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Developer Tools · head to head

Garden vs Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud

Garden logo

Garden

Developer Tools

Kubernetes development and testing automation with shared caching, now owned by Incredibuild

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud logo

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud

Cybersecurity

Cloud-native application protection platform

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Garden has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Garden incredibuild acquired Garden in November 2024 and the pricing page now redirects to documentation, so there is no public commercial offer and no published roadmap for a team betting a platform on it.; Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud listed on UK G-Cloud at £147.54 per unit for Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud, via reseller Phoenix Software Limited, with the billing period not stated on the listing
  • They diverge on capability: Garden covers Action graph, Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud covers Cloud Security Posture Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Garden and Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Garden and Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud differ
AttributeGardenPalo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, KubernetesWeb, Api
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity
FoundedUnknown2005

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 Garden

  • Action graph
  • Shared result caching
  • Remote Kubernetes environments
  • In-cluster builds
  • Same config everywhere
  • Hot reload sync
  • Helm and Kustomize support
  • Templating

Only in Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud

  • Cloud Security Posture Management
  • Cloud Workload Protection
  • Cloud Network Security
  • Cloud Identity Security
  • Code Security
  • API Security
  • Data Security
  • Microsegmentation

What people use each for

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

Garden

  • A platform team whose integration test suite takes longer than the coffee break and needs caching to cut the loopnot Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud
  • An organisation with thirty or more services on Kubernetes where docker-compose no longer approximates productionnot Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud
  • Giving every developer an ephemeral namespace instead of queuing for one shared staging environmentnot Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud
  • Running the identical build and test definition locally and in CI so failures reproduce on a laptopnot Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud

  • Cloud Securitynot Garden
  • Cspmnot Garden
  • Cwppnot Garden

Where each one falls short

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

Garden

  • Incredibuild acquired Garden in November 2024 and the pricing page now redirects to documentation, so there is no public commercial offer and no published roadmap for a team betting a platform on it.
  • It is tightly bound to Kubernetes, so teams running on ECS, Nomad, plain VMs or serverless get little from it and would need a different tool entirely.
  • The YAML action graph is a real configuration surface: a large monorepo needs someone to own and maintain Garden config as a first-class artefact, which is a standing platform-engineering cost.
  • Shared remote environments mean every developer needs cluster access and a cost allocation model, so cloud spend rises and namespace sprawl becomes a thing you have to police.
  • Caching correctness depends on declaring dependencies accurately; an under-declared action will serve a stale cached pass and hide a genuine test failure, which is a hard class of bug to notice.

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £147.54 per unit for Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud, via reseller Phoenix Software Limited, with the billing period not stated on the listing

Pricing, plan by plan

Garden

Free
  • Garden open sourceFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed CLI
    • Full action graph and caching
    • Self-managed clusters
  • Commercial tier$undefined/year
    • Hosted caching and team features
    • Support and onboarding
    • Pricing no longer published since the Incredibuild acquisition

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud

On request
  • Cloud SecurityFree
    • CSPM
    • CWPP
    • CIEM
  • Code SecurityFree
    • IaC security
    • SCA
    • Secrets scanning
  • Prisma Cloud EnterpriseFree
    • Full platform
    • API security
    • Data security

Which should you pick?

Choose Garden if

  • You need action graph.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes.
  • You also want shared result caching.
Garden review

Choose Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud if

  • You need cloud security posture management.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want cloud workload protection.
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Garden or Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Garden starts at Free and Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Garden or Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud?
Garden has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Garden and On request for Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud.
Does Garden or Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud run on more platforms?
Garden runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes. Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Garden for free?
Yes. Garden has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud starts at On request.
What is Garden best used for?
Garden is most often used for a platform team whose integration test suite takes longer than the coffee break and needs caching to cut the loop, an organisation with thirty or more services on kubernetes where docker-compose no longer approximates production, giving every developer an ephemeral namespace instead of queuing for one shared staging environment, running the identical build and test definition locally and in ci so failures reproduce on a laptop. Of those, a platform team whose integration test suite takes longer than the coffee break and needs caching to cut the loop and an organisation with thirty or more services on kubernetes where docker-compose no longer approximates production are not what Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Garden do that Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud cannot?
Garden covers Action graph, Shared result caching, Remote Kubernetes environments, In-cluster builds. Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud covers Cloud Security Posture Management, Cloud Workload Protection, Cloud Network Security, Cloud Identity Security.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Garden: Is Garden still maintained?

The open source project remains on GitHub under Incredibuild ownership, but the commercial pricing page redirects to the docs and there is no public paid offer.

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud: How much does Prisma Cloud cost?

Prisma Cloud pricing is not published publicly. Pricing is provided through the sales team via a custom quote based on your deployment scope and requirements.

Source
Garden: Do I need Kubernetes?

Effectively yes. Garden is built around Kubernetes environments and offers little to teams on other runtimes.

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud: Is there a free trial for Prisma Cloud?

No free trial is available without contacting the sales team. The company offers a demo through the product demo center or by requesting a demo through their sales process.

Source
Garden: Does it replace my CI system?

No. It runs inside GitHub Actions, GitLab CI or similar and speeds up what those pipelines execute.

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud: What do I need to do to get Prisma Cloud pricing and start a trial?

You must contact the sales team via the Contact Us link or request a demo. Pricing details are provided only through direct sales engagement.

Source
Garden: What is the actual saving?

It comes from skipping builds and tests whose inputs have not changed, so the benefit scales with how many services you have and how often only a few change.

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Related pages

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