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Developer Tools · head to head

Tilt vs Trivy

Tilt logo

Tilt

Developer Tools

Local Kubernetes development loop that rebuilds and live-updates containers on save

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trivy logo

Trivy

Cybersecurity

Open-source vulnerability and misconfiguration scanner

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Tilt docker acquired Tilt in 2022 and the team now splits its time across Compose and Docker Desktop, so feature velocity is modest and the product's long-term priority inside Docker is not guaranteed; treat it as a stable utility, not a growing platform.; Trivy reports what public advisory databases know, so coverage varies by ecosystem and unfixed CVEs create noise
  • They diverge on capability: Tilt covers Live update, Trivy covers Multi-target scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tilt and Trivy actually diverge.

Attributes where Tilt and Trivy differ
AttributeTiltTrivy
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WindowsLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), 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 Tilt

  • Live update
  • Tiltfile as code
  • Unified web UI
  • Selective rebuilds
  • Local and remote clusters
  • Resource dependencies
  • Extensions registry
  • Custom buttons and triggers

Only in Trivy

  • Multi-target scanning
  • Vulnerability detection
  • Misconfiguration checks
  • Secret detection

What people use each for

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

Tilt

  • A team of ten or more engineers whose application is fifteen microservices on Kubernetes and who currently wait on CI to test a changenot Trivy
  • An organisation onboarding new developers who want a single command that stands up the whole stack from a committed Tiltfilenot Trivy
  • A platform team giving product engineers a consistent local environment against a shared remote development clusternot Trivy
  • A codebase where one repository contains several services and rebuilding all of them on every edit is the main source of lost timenot Trivy

Trivy

  • Failing a pull request when a container image introduces a known CVEnot Tilt
  • Scanning Terraform and Kubernetes manifests for misconfiguration before applynot Tilt
  • Catching committed secrets as part of an existing CI stepnot Tilt

Where each one falls short

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

Tilt

  • Docker acquired Tilt in 2022 and the team now splits its time across Compose and Docker Desktop, so feature velocity is modest and the product's long-term priority inside Docker is not guaranteed; treat it as a stable utility, not a growing platform.
  • The Tiltfile is Starlark, a Python dialect, so non-trivial setups become real programs that need reviewing and maintaining, and the person who wrote yours becomes a single point of failure.
  • Live update only works when the running container can accept synced files and restart the process; compiled languages, distroless images and read-only filesystems often force you back to a full image rebuild, which removes the main benefit.
  • It assumes Kubernetes. If your development target is plain Docker Compose or serverless functions, Tilt adds a cluster you did not need and a layer of abstraction with no payoff.
  • There is no commercial support contract, no SLA and no paid tier, so when a Kubernetes version upgrade breaks something you are dependent on GitHub issues and a Slack channel rather than a vendor you can escalate to.

Trivy

  • Reports what public advisory databases know, so coverage varies by ecosystem and unfixed CVEs create noise
  • No built-in triage or exception workflow, so suppressing accepted risk is managed in config files
  • Findings are point-in-time from CI, with no continuous runtime monitoring unless you add the commercial platform

Pricing, plan by plan

Tilt

Free
  • TiltFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed
    • All features, no paid tier
    • Community support via the Kubernetes Slack #tilt channel

Trivy

Free
  • TrivyFree
    • Full scanner
    • Unlimited scans
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Tilt if

  • You need live update.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want tiltfile as code.
Tilt review

Choose Trivy if

  • You need multi-target scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want vulnerability detection.
Trivy review

Questions people ask

Is Tilt or Trivy better?
Neither clearly leads. Tilt starts at Free and Trivy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tilt or Trivy?
Tilt starts at Free and Trivy at Free.
Does Tilt or Trivy run on more platforms?
Tilt runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. Trivy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use Tilt for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Tilt best used for?
Tilt is most often used for a team of ten or more engineers whose application is fifteen microservices on kubernetes and who currently wait on ci to test a change, an organisation onboarding new developers who want a single command that stands up the whole stack from a committed tiltfile, a platform team giving product engineers a consistent local environment against a shared remote development cluster, a codebase where one repository contains several services and rebuilding all of them on every edit is the main source of lost time. Of those, a team of ten or more engineers whose application is fifteen microservices on kubernetes and who currently wait on ci to test a change and an organisation onboarding new developers who want a single command that stands up the whole stack from a committed tiltfile are not what Trivy is typically brought in for.
What can Tilt do that Trivy cannot?
Tilt covers Live update, Tiltfile as code, Unified web UI, Selective rebuilds. Trivy covers Multi-target scanning, Vulnerability detection, Misconfiguration checks, Secret detection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Tilt: Is Tilt free?

Yes, entirely. It is Apache 2.0 open source with no paid tier and no licence fee.

Trivy: Is Trivy free?

Yes, open source from Aqua Security with no licence fee. Aqua sells a commercial platform around it.

Tilt: Who owns Tilt now?

Docker, which acquired it in May 2022. It remains open source and the repository is still actively maintained.

Trivy: What can Trivy scan?

Container images, filesystems, Git repositories, Kubernetes clusters and infrastructure-as-code, for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, secrets and licences.

Tilt: Do I need a remote cluster?

No. It works against a local cluster such as kind, minikube or Docker Desktop, and also against a shared remote development cluster if your services are too heavy to run locally.

Trivy: Does Trivy need a server?

No. It is a single binary, which is a large part of why it became a default in CI.

Tilt: How is it different from Skaffold?

Both automate the build-deploy loop. Tilt puts more weight on the live-update path and a multi-service dashboard; Skaffold is more configuration-driven and closer to Google's tooling.

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