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Cybersecurity · head to head

Trivy vs Infisical

Trivy logo

Trivy

Cybersecurity

Open-source vulnerability and misconfiguration scanner

From
Free
Rated
-
Infisical logo

Infisical

Cybersecurity

Security infrastructure for developers and AI agents

From
Free
Rated
-

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; Infisical free tier limited to 5 identities, suitable only for small teams or evaluation
  • They diverge on capability: Trivy covers Multi-target scanning, Infisical covers Secrets management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Trivy and Infisical actually diverge.

Attributes where Trivy and Infisical differ
AttributeTrivyInfisical
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, KubernetesWeb, CLI, Cloud, Self-Hosted

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Infisical

  • Secrets management
  • Certificate management
  • Privileged access management
  • Secret versioning
  • Dynamic secrets
  • SAML SSO
  • Open-source core
  • Secrets scanning

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 Infisical
  • Scanning Terraform and Kubernetes manifests for misconfiguration before applynot Infisical
  • Catching committed secrets as part of an existing CI stepnot Infisical

Infisical

  • Managing secrets across Kubernetes clustersnot Trivy
  • Automating certificate lifecycle for internal PKInot Trivy
  • Providing privileged database access with audit trailsnot Trivy
  • Securing credentials for AI agents at runtimenot 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

Infisical

  • Free tier limited to 5 identities, suitable only for small teams or evaluation
  • Pricing tiers are per-identity, which scales costs with team size
  • Certificate management requires Enterprise plan for advanced features like wildcards
  • Privileged access tier is separate billing from secrets management

Pricing, plan by plan

Trivy

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

Infisical

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 identities
    • Unlimited projects
    • 3 environments
  • Pro - Secrets$20/month
    • Per-identity pricing
    • Unlimited identities
    • SAML SSO
  • Pro - Secrets (Annual)$20/year
    • Annual discount available
    • Unlimited identities
    • SAML SSO
  • Advanced - Secrets$40/month
    • Per-identity pricing
    • Dynamic secrets
    • Gateways

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.

Choose Infisical if

  • You need secrets management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, Cloud, Self-Hosted.
  • You also want certificate management.

Questions people ask

Is Trivy or Infisical better?
Neither clearly leads. Trivy starts at Free and Infisical at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Trivy or Infisical?
Trivy starts at Free and Infisical at Free.
Does Trivy or Infisical run on more platforms?
Trivy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes. Infisical runs on Web, CLI, Cloud, 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 Infisical is typically brought in for.
What can Trivy do that Infisical cannot?
Trivy covers Multi-target scanning, Vulnerability detection, Misconfiguration checks, Secret detection. Infisical covers Secrets management, Certificate management, Privileged access management, Secret versioning.

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.

Infisical: How is pricing calculated for Secrets Management?

Pricing is per-identity per month. Free tier includes 5 identities. Pro tier is $20/identity/month, Advanced is $40/identity/month. All pricing in USD.

Source
Trivy: What can Trivy scan?

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

Infisical: Can I self-host Infisical?

Yes, Infisical's core is open-source under the MIT license and can be self-hosted. The managed cloud service is also available with additional features.

Source
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.

Infisical: What is included in the Enterprise plan?

Enterprise plan includes SCIM, LDAP, approval workflows, external KMS/HSM support, and 99.99% SLA. Pricing is custom and determined by annual commitment.

Source
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