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Cybersecurity · head to head

Trivy vs Authelia

Trivy logo

Trivy

Cybersecurity

Open-source vulnerability and misconfiguration scanner

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Authelia logo

Authelia

Cybersecurity

Open-source authentication and two-factor portal for reverse proxies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Trivy reports what public advisory databases know, so coverage varies by ecosystem and unfixed CVEs create noise; Authelia depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider
  • They diverge on capability: Trivy covers Multi-target scanning, Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Trivy and Authelia actually diverge.

Attributes where Trivy and Authelia differ
AttributeTrivyAuthelia
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, KubernetesDocker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 Trivy

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

Only in Authelia

  • Reverse proxy integration
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Access control rules
  • Lightweight backends

What people use each for

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

Trivy

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

Authelia

  • Putting a login and 2FA in front of self-hosted services that have nonenot Trivy
  • Adding SSO across a small set of internal tools without a full identity platformnot Trivy
  • Home and small-team infrastructure behind a single reverse proxynot Trivy

Where each one falls short

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

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

Authelia

  • Depends on a reverse proxy: it is not a standalone identity provider
  • Configuration is YAML-first with no administrative interface, so changes mean editing files
  • Not a full IAM: user management, provisioning and federation are limited compared with Keycloak
  • Scales poorly as an organisation-wide identity solution, which is not its target

Pricing, plan by plan

Trivy

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

Authelia

Free
  • AutheliaFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Authelia if

  • You need reverse proxy integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted.
  • You also want two-factor authentication.
Authelia review

Questions people ask

Is Trivy or Authelia better?
Neither clearly leads. Trivy starts at Free and Authelia at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Trivy or Authelia?
Trivy starts at Free and Authelia at Free.
Does Trivy or Authelia run on more platforms?
Trivy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes. Authelia runs on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Self-hosted.
Can I use Trivy for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Trivy best used for?
Trivy is most often used for failing a pull request when a container image introduces a known cve, scanning terraform and kubernetes manifests for misconfiguration before apply, catching committed secrets as part of an existing ci step. Of those, failing a pull request when a container image introduces a known cve and scanning terraform and kubernetes manifests for misconfiguration before apply are not what Authelia is typically brought in for.
What can Trivy do that Authelia cannot?
Trivy covers Multi-target scanning, Vulnerability detection, Misconfiguration checks, Secret detection. Authelia covers Reverse proxy integration, Two-factor authentication, Access control rules, Lightweight backends.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Trivy: Is Trivy free?

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

Authelia: Is Authelia free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Trivy: What can Trivy scan?

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

Authelia: Does Authelia need a reverse proxy?

Yes. It integrates through forward authentication with Nginx, Traefik, Caddy or HAProxy rather than sitting in front of traffic itself.

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.

Authelia: Authelia or Keycloak?

Authelia is far lighter and aimed at protecting self-hosted services behind a proxy. Keycloak is a full identity and access management platform, and much more to run.

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