CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Anchore vs Knox Systems

Anchore sells an SBOM-powered solution that enables continuous scanning of applications from cloud-native deployments to legacy on-prem installations for security and compliance issues. Knox Systems sells pre-authorized infrastructure on which SaaS vendors can inherit 60% to 80% of required controls. CISO Tribune files both under Compliance automation. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Anchore
  • Knox Systems
Anchore vs Knox Systems: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
AnchoreAnchore sells an SBOM-powered solution that enables continuous scanning of applications from cloud-native deployments to legacy on-prem installations for security and compliance issues.anchore.comKnox SystemsKnox Systems sells pre-authorized infrastructure on which SaaS vendors can inherit 60% to 80% of required controls.knoxsystems.com
What it sells
  • Anchore Enterprise[1][3][4][7][8][10]Anchore sells an SBOM-powered solution that enables continuous scanning of applications from cloud-native deployments to legacy on-prem installations for security and compliance issues.
  • Anchore SBOM[8]Anchore SBOM covers software components in both internally developed and third-party supplied software.
  • Anchore Enforce[8]Compliance checks run as part of the Anchore Enforce module.
  • Syft[7]Syft is an open source command line tool produced by Anchore that generates an SBOM from a filesystem such as a Git repo or a container image.
  • Grype[7]Grype is an open source command line tool produced by Anchore that takes a single SBOM and generates a list of vulnerabilities.
  • Container Image[7][12]A set of container images that can be installed via Helm on Kubernetes compatible platforms.
  • KnoxAI[2][5][6][7]Monitoring and remediation software that automates control mapping, vulnerability detection and real-time remediation.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Privately held[3]Privately held
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Anchore addresses organisations that release software products or host them as SaaS. Its home page copy also covers cloud-native and legacy applications across the development lifecycle. The site has a Public Sector section that lists Anchore Federal and DoD Software Factory. Its documentation includes a quickstart named Achieve Federal ATO. The site also lists EU CRA Compliance.Knox Systems states that any cloud software that processes, stores, or transmits federal data must be FedRAMP authorized before an agency can purchase it. Knox Systems sells to customers deployed on a major hyperscaler and using CI/CD pipelines for deployments. Knox Systems says its customers inherit existing ATOs across federal and DoD agencies.
Last verified
October 16, 2026November 5, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Anchore and Knox Systems are both filed under Compliance automation.
  • Both are privately held.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Anchore's primary category is Software supply chain security; Knox Systems's is Compliance automation.
  • Anchore is also filed under Software composition analysis and Vulnerability management.
  • Anchore lists Anchore Enterprise, Anchore SBOM, Anchore Enforce, Syft, Grype and 1 more. Knox Systems lists KnoxAI.

What it sells: Anchore

What Anchore Enterprise does[1][3][4][7][8][10]
Anchore Enterprise generates SBOMs for containers as part of CI/CD, registry, or runtime scanning. Anchore SBOM is included in all Anchore Enterprise subscriptions. Anchore Enterprise provides NIST compliance tools to automate various standards and controls, including NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-190, and NIST 800-218 Secure Software Development Framework.
What Anchore SBOM does[8]
Anchore allows users to upload SBOMs generated by non-Anchore tools, representing codebases under their control as well as third-party SBOMs provided by partners, contractors, and upstream suppliers. The Anchore Score is a computed composite security index that provides a numeric value for each vulnerability in the system.
What Anchore Enforce does[8]
Anchore Enterprise includes policy packs covering FedRAMP v5, NIST 800-53, 800-190, DISA, and Docker CIS. An Anchore Enterprise deployment allows users to comply with the NIST 800-218 attestation requirements. All Anchore policy rules are stored in a simple JSON format that can be edited by a human or managed programmatically via Git.

What it sells: Knox Systems

What KnoxAI does[2][5][6][7]
KnoxAI is Knox's proprietary monitoring and remediation software, trained on 10 years of Federal audit data. KnoxAI automates control mapping, vulnerability detection and real-time remediation. Knox Systems provides a dedicated, isolated sub-account for each customer, protected by KnoxAI and with no shared tenant data.

Questions about Anchore and Knox Systems

What do Anchore and Knox Systems sell?
Anchore sells Anchore Enterprise, Anchore SBOM, Anchore Enforce, Syft, Grype and 1 more. Knox Systems sells KnoxAI.
Are Anchore and Knox Systems in the same category?
They share Compliance automation. Anchore's primary category is Software supply chain security and Knox Systems's is Compliance automation.
Who owns Anchore and Knox Systems?
Anchore is privately held. Knox Systems is privately held.
Who are Anchore and Knox Systems sold to?
From its own pages, Anchore addresses organisations that release software products or host them as SaaS. Knox Systems states that any cloud software that processes, stores, or transmits federal data must be FedRAMP authorized before an agency can purchase it.

About Anchore

Anchore sells an SBOM-powered solution that enables continuous scanning of applications from cloud-native deployments to legacy on-prem installations for security and compliance issues. Anchore is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, and its team works from across the United States and Europe. Saïd Ziouani and Daniel Nurmi opened Anchore in 2016. Anchore Enterprise is a solution for organizations with DevSecOps or compliance programs for software delivered in containers.[1][4][5][7]

Anchore SBOM covers software components in both internally developed and third-party supplied software. Anchore SBOM is included in all Anchore Enterprise subscriptions. Anchore Enterprise generates SBOMs for containers as part of CI/CD, registry, or runtime scanning. Anchore allows users to upload SBOMs generated by non-Anchore tools, representing codebases under their control as well as third-party SBOMs provided by partners, contractors, and upstream suppliers.[8]

The Anchore Score is a computed composite security index that provides a numeric value for each vulnerability in the system. The Anchore Score is derived from a combination of the CVSS score, vulnerability severity, EPSS percentile, and KEV status.[8]

Anchore Enterprise scans container images, generates an SBOM, identifies vulnerabilities and other security problems, and enables users to prioritize and remediate issues. By storing the SBOMs generated from a pipeline, Anchore can send alerts when a new vulnerability is announced without needing to rescan the original software. Anchore integrates at every stage of the software development process from source code to build to runtime. Anchore automatically generates and analyzes software bills of materials at each step of the software development lifecycle.[7][8][9]

Syft is an open source command line tool produced by Anchore that generates an SBOM from a filesystem such as a Git repo or a container image. Anchore Enterprise embeds Syft into its integrations and backend so it can generate the SBOMs for all artifacts in CI pipelines, registries, or runtime images. Grype is an open source command line tool produced by Anchore that takes a single SBOM and generates a list of vulnerabilities.[7]

Anchore says companies that sell software to governments or regulated industries need software security programs. Anchore Enterprise provides NIST compliance tools to automate various standards and controls, including NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-190, and NIST 800-218 Secure Software Development Framework. Anchore Enterprise includes policy packs covering FedRAMP v5, NIST 800-53, 800-190, DISA, and Docker CIS. Compliance checks run as part of the Anchore Enforce module. All Anchore policy rules are stored in a simple JSON format that can be edited by a human or managed programmatically via Git.[1][8][10]

Anchore experts help support DevSecOps initiatives at the Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Navy, DISA, and GSA. Pre-built policy packs automate compliance checks for United States government standards, including DoD, DISA STIG, FedRAMP, NIST, and CIS Benchmarks. Email, Slack, Jira, and GitHub can be used to notify developers and security teams of policy violations, secrets, and malware.[11]

Anchore can be deployed in an air-gapped environment for use in classified or restricted access environments. Anchore can be deployed on-premise with no internet connection to run in DoD IL-6 environments. Anchore offers a set of container images that can be installed via Helm on Kubernetes compatible platforms. Every feature and operation in Anchore can be instrumented using an API call.[1][2][4][5][7][10][11][12]

Anchore on the record

Sources

Anchore full record

  1. [1]anchore.comAnchore · anchore.com · undated page, accessed October 16, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Anchore continues remarkable growth and business momentumAnchore · anchore.com · published January 14, 2021 · Tier A
  3. [3]SBOM-Powered Software Composition Analysis • AnchoreAnchore · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Compliance Management via Policy Enforcement | Anchore Enterprise Product DocumentationAnchore · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Software Supply Chain Management Platform | Anchore EnterpriseAnchore · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]About AnchoreAnchore · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Anchore Secure: Container Security SolutionsAnchore · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Anchore SBOM: Enterprise SBOM Analysis & ComplianceAnchore · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Software Supply Chain Security Tools for Modern DevSecOpsAnchore · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Anchore Enforce: Compliance Automation & Continuous MonitoringAnchore · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Software supply chain security for the public sector | AnchoreAnchore · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Anchore Pricing for Enterprise and Public SectorAnchore · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

Knox Systems full record

  1. [1]knoxsystems.comKnox Systems · knoxsystems.com · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Knox systems awarded mission critical saas security company of the yearKnox Systems · knoxsystems.com · published January 12, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Knox systems raises 25m series a to scale largest ai managed cloud to deliver 90 day fedramp at 90 lower costPRNewswire · knoxsystems.com · published March 17, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]What Is FedRAMP Compliance? Guide for SaaS LeadersKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Platform | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Why Knox | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Knox Systems | FedRAMP in 90 Days for 90% LessKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Knox AI for FedRAMP 20xKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]About | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Adobe | Customer Stories | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]7AI | Customer Stories | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]6 FedRAMP Automation Solutions for SaaS Vendors Pursuing ATOKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Vannevar | Customer Stories | Knox SystemsKnox Systems · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

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