Cloud · head to head
Nomad vs Orca Security
Orca Security
Cloud
Agentless cloud-native application protection platform for code-to-runtime security.
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Nomad has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Nomad nomad 1.7.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence; Orca Security no public pricing; requires a demo and custom quote from sales.
- They diverge on capability: Nomad covers Container orchestration, Orca Security covers Agentless cloud scanning.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Nomad and Orca Security actually diverge.
| Attribute | Nomad | Orca Security |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | open-source | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud | web, api |
| Founded | 2015 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).
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 Nomad
- Container orchestration
- Job scheduling
- Multi-cloud support
- Auto-scaling
- Service discovery
- Rolling deployments
- Monitoring integration
- High availability
Only in Orca Security
- Agentless cloud scanning
- Attack path analysis
- Shadow AI detection
- Secure code development
- Alert prioritization
- Workload protection
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Nomad
- Container and workload orchestration across infrastructurenot Orca Security
- Multi-region application deploymentnot Orca Security
- Flexible scheduling for batch jobs and servicesnot Orca Security
Orca Security
- Gaining full cloud asset visibility without deploying agentsnot Nomad
- Prioritizing cloud risk with attack path correlationnot Nomad
- Detecting shadow AI usage across cloud environmentsnot Nomad
- Scanning code, containers, and IaC before deploymentnot Nomad
- Reducing alert fatigue through contextual risk scoringnot Nomad
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Nomad
- Nomad 1.7.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
- The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Nomad to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions
- Each version converts to MPL 2.0 only four years after that version is published
- Resource quotas, Sentinel policies and audit logging sit in a Governance and Policy add-on module that is separate from the Enterprise base platform package
- Multi-region deployments, multiple Vault namespaces and Nomad Autopilot advanced server management require Nomad Enterprise
Orca Security
- No public pricing; requires a demo and custom quote from sales.
- Agentless-only scanning may miss some runtime telemetry that agent-based tools capture.
- Full value depends on integrating many of the platform's modules across code, cloud, and AI.
- Primarily targeted at mid-to-large organizations with multi-cloud environments.
Pricing, plan by plan
Nomad
Free- Open SourceFree
- Workload orchestration
- Multi-cloud
- Flexible scheduling
Orca Security
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Orca Security review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Nomad if
- You need container orchestration.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
- You also want job scheduling.
Choose Orca Security if
- You need agentless cloud scanning.
- You work on web, api.
- You also want attack path analysis.
Questions people ask
- Is Nomad or Orca Security better?
- Neither clearly leads. Nomad starts at Free and Orca Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Nomad or Orca Security?
- Nomad has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Nomad and On request for Orca Security.
- Does Nomad or Orca Security run on more platforms?
- Nomad runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud. Orca Security runs on web, api.
- Can I use Nomad for free?
- Yes. Nomad has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Orca Security starts at On request.
- What is Nomad best used for?
- Nomad is most often used for container and workload orchestration across infrastructure, multi-region application deployment, flexible scheduling for batch jobs and services. Of those, container and workload orchestration across infrastructure and multi-region application deployment are not what Orca Security is typically brought in for.
- What can Nomad do that Orca Security cannot?
- Nomad covers Container orchestration, Job scheduling, Multi-cloud support, Auto-scaling. Orca Security covers Agentless cloud scanning, Attack path analysis, Shadow AI detection, Secure code development.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Nomad: Is HashiCorp Nomad free?
HashiCorp Nomad is open source and free to use. Commercial enterprise support and hosting options may be available through HashiCorp, but the core product is free.
SourceOrca Security: How much does Orca Security cost?
Orca Security does not publish pricing tiers or rates on their website. Organizations must contact Orca Security directly or request a demo to receive custom pricing information based on their specific use case and requirements.
SourceNomad: Does HashiCorp Nomad have a pricing model?
Nomad is open source software with no published pricing tiers. HashiCorp offers commercial hosting and support for their products on a usage-based or custom pricing model, but Nomad itself is free to download and deploy.
SourceNomad: What is HashiCorp's pricing model for enterprise Nomad?
HashiCorp offers flexible pricing for enterprise Nomad support including pay-as-you-go (PAYG) billing with no long-term commitment, flex plans with preferred pricing, and enterprise self-managed plans. Contact HashiCorp sales for custom quotes.
SourceRelated pages
More on Orca Security
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