Primary references
Use the original standards below to check terminology and requirements. These references explain the standards; they do not endorse CISGuard or independently verify its product coverage.
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CISGuard vs Qualys Policy Compliance
Qualys Policy Compliance is a long-standing, capable cloud-based compliance platform. CISGuard is an on-premises, purpose-built CIS benchmark compliance automation product. Both can scan against CIS benchmarks and produce framework reports. The most consequential differences are deployment model, continuous monitoring depth, and licensing structure.
This comparison focuses on the dimensions that matter when on-premises deployment, data sovereignty, drift detection, and predictable per-deployment licensing are core requirements.
Choose CISGuard when
- • On-premises or air-gapped deployment is required
- • Data residency / sovereignty is a hard constraint
- • Continuous drift detection between scans is needed
- • Per-deployment, all-features-included pricing matters
- • You want managed onboarding by compliance engineers
Choose Qualys when
- • Cloud-native SaaS deployment is preferred
- • You are already standardized on Qualys VMDR
- • You need a single platform across vuln, web app, and compliance
- • Multi-region cloud scaling is more important than data locality
Yes Partial / Limited No
| Feature | CISGuard | Qualys Policy Compliance |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment & Sovereignty | ||
On-Premises Deployment Qualys is a cloud-native SaaS platform with on-prem scanning appliances; the management plane is hosted by Qualys. | ||
Fully Air-Gapped Operation | ||
Data Stays in Customer Network | ||
No Required Cloud Console | ||
Single Installer Setup | ||
| Continuous Compliance | ||
CIS Benchmark Scanning | ||
Continuous Compliance Monitoring Qualys runs scheduled scans; CISGuard adds inter-scan baseline comparison and drift alerting. | ||
Drift Detection Between Scans | ||
Real-Time Drift Alerts | ||
Regression vs Improvement Categorization | ||
| Multi-Framework Mapping | ||
NIST 800-53 Rev. 5 Mapping Qualys maps to many frameworks via Policy Compliance; CISGuard maps each CIS control directly to NIST control IDs in a single base license. | ||
ISO 27001:2022 Annex A Mapping | ||
SOC 2 Trust Services Mapping | ||
Framework Coverage Reports (NIST, ISO, SOC 2) | ||
Single Scan, Multiple Framework Reports | ||
| Workflow | ||
Exception / Waiver Management | ||
Approval Workflow with Audit Trail | ||
Auto-Expiry of Exceptions | ||
Per-Asset Compliance Drill-Down | ||
One-Click Audit Report Export | ||
| Pricing & Licensing | ||
Per-Deployment Licensing (no per-asset fees) Qualys is licensed per asset / IP, with separate modules for VMDR, Policy Compliance, FIM, and CSPM. | ||
All Features Included in Base License | ||
No Hidden Module Fees | ||
Managed Onboarding Included | ||
Why teams pick CISGuard over Qualys
True On-Premises and Air-Gapped
CISGuard runs entirely within your network, with no Qualys cloud console, no SaaS dependency, and no licensing call-home. Designed for sovereign and classified networks.
Drift Detection Between Scans
CISGuard compares every scan against the previous baseline and alerts in minutes when configurations regress. Qualys reports drift only at the next scheduled scan window.
All Frameworks in One License
NIST 800-53, ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are mapped automatically from a single CIS scan in every CISGuard plan. Qualys requires the Policy Compliance module separately.
Predictable Per-Deployment Pricing
No per-asset fees, no per-module fees, no surprise costs as your fleet grows. CISGuard pricing remains predictable from 100 endpoints to 10,000.
Frequently asked questions
Can Qualys be deployed fully on-premises?
Qualys is architected as a cloud-native SaaS platform. Customers deploy on-premises scanner appliances inside their network, but the management plane, configuration database, and reporting console are hosted by Qualys. Some Qualys customers in regulated industries can request a private cloud or sovereign deployment, but the standard product is not designed for fully self-hosted or air-gapped operation. CISGuard runs entirely within the customer network perimeter with no SaaS dependency.
Does Qualys Policy Compliance detect configuration drift in real time?
Qualys produces a fresh compliance scan report at each scheduled scan and supports trend reporting over time. It does not perform automated baseline comparison between consecutive scans, categorize regressions vs improvements, or send drift alerts at the moment a configuration changes. CISGuard compares every scan against the previous baseline and alerts by email, signed webhook, or SIEM within minutes when configurations regress.
Why would I need an on-premises alternative to Qualys?
On-premises alternatives matter for data sovereignty (UAE PDPL, NCA ECC, GDPR, FedRAMP High, IL4/IL5 environments), classified networks where outbound internet access is prohibited, organizations with strict data residency contracts, and customers that do not want compliance scan data leaving their perimeter. CISGuard was built specifically for these constraints, with single-installer deployment and no licensing call-home.
How does CISGuard licensing compare to Qualys?
Qualys licensing is per asset (IP / host) with separate subscriptions for VMDR (vulnerability management), Policy Compliance, File Integrity Monitoring, Container Security, and CSPM. CISGuard uses per-deployment licensing with all features included in the base license: continuous monitoring, drift detection, multi-framework mapping (NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2), exception management, SIEM integration, and SSO. For organizations with thousands of endpoints and a need for full feature breadth, CISGuard typically delivers materially lower TCO.
When is Qualys the better choice over CISGuard?
Qualys is the better choice when your organization is already standardized on Qualys VMDR for vulnerability management and you want to add policy compliance as an adjacent module, when you need a single SaaS platform across vulnerability management, web application scanning, and compliance, or when on-premises and air-gapped deployment are not requirements. CISGuard is the better choice when on-premises or air-gapped deployment is required, when continuous drift detection is core to your monitoring strategy, or when you need predictable per-deployment licensing.
See CISGuard run on-prem
Our compliance engineers will deploy CISGuard inside your network (fully on-premises, no cloud console) and run a side-by-side scan so you can compare results to your current Qualys output. Deployment is seamless and handled end to end by our engineers.
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