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MetricStream vs Qualys Policy Compliance comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.1
MetricStream enhances ROI by reducing manual tasks, improving audits, and lowering compliance costs, with quick ROI realization.
Sentiment score
5.7
Qualys Policy Compliance improves data visibility and reliability, with many users noting efficiency despite challenges in ROI calculation.
It delivers strong ROI as an enterprise-wide GRC platform with value realized through automation, reduced compliance effort, improved visibility, and efficient auditing.
Senior GRC Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
I definitely saw a return on investment; there was a lesser number of audit headcount required, which saved us money and time on audits.
Student at a university with 501-1,000 employees
There is a measurable return on investment since we have reduced the time for Risk and Control Assessment from three to four months to approximately 30 to 40 days, which lowers costs significantly.
GRC Senior Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.2
MetricStream's customer support is responsive and expert but faces occasional language and service challenges despite positive feedback.
Sentiment score
8.1
Users commend Qualys Policy Compliance's responsive support, rating it highly, despite occasional challenges in providing necessary evidence.
Additionally, when needed, they help set up additional training to walk us through demos of each module to help us make the best use of MetricStream for our organization's needs.
Business Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
We had to engage with senior management from time to time, but they were responsive and quick in working through our issues.
Owner at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Customer support was very quick to respond anytime I needed assistance.
Student at a university with 501-1,000 employees
They understood the scope, and we were ready to jump into the implementation phase in a day or two.
Information Security Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Qualys Policy Compliance customer support is very good.
Technical Security Solutions Architecture at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
MetricStream's adaptable scalability supports diverse industries, offering robust automation for enterprises while requiring careful configuration for efficiency.
Sentiment score
7.8
Qualys Policy Compliance offers scalable solutions for complex environments, managing large IP volumes, despite minor web interface speed issues.
It is an enterprise-grade platform designed to support large global organizations with thousands of users, handling high volumes of risk controls, audits, issues, and assessments.
Senior GRC Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The biggest issue I have encountered with clients has been around upgrades that require re-implementing customizations to the out-of-box solutions after significant upgrades.
Owner at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
MetricStream demonstrates strong scalability by supporting enterprise compliance programs with large volumes of regulatory requirements, controls, assessments, evidence records, and user activity.
Business Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
In terms of scalability with Qualys Policy Compliance, we did not face any issues. It was scalable.
Information Security Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
MetricStream is stable, effective for tasks, despite occasional complexities and data losses, ensuring smooth operations and user experience.
Sentiment score
8.3
Qualys Policy Compliance is highly reliable, offering stability, excellent performance, and rare performance issues, earning a 9/10 rating.
MetricStream performs well in managing large volumes of data.
Business Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
We had the necessary infrastructure in place, including minimum server space and RAM requirements, so we did not experience any outages or issues.
Deputy Manager at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
I experience more data losses and flow control issues as data volume increases.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Once everything is set and done with Qualys Policy Compliance, we did not face any performance issues or issues in terms of it being resource-friendly or utilizing any machine resources.
Information Security Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
It is very rare to encounter performance issues, about 0.1 to 0.01%.
Technical Security Solutions Architecture at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

MetricStream needs an improved UI, mobile enhancements, better integration, and more intuitive low-code tools for optimal performance.
Users seek improved reporting, support, customization, and educational resources in Qualys Policy Compliance for better industry alignment.
Low-code or no-code enhancements and easier integration with enterprise systems such as SharePoint, ServiceNow, SAP, or Azure DevOps could reduce implementation effort and operational time.
Business Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
We desire a product that does not require development teams for customization but enables users to make configurations or adjustments with little effort.
GRC Senior Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
There is a need to improve form loading performance and address potential data loss when multiple users submit forms simultaneously.
Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
They need to improve the reporting part of the CI/CD pipelines and the ability to download scans from pods.
Technical Security Solutions Architecture at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
If there were some sort of reporting that fulfills auditor's requirements, particularly if there is an external audit and they ask us for any historical data like how long we have been compliant to the PCI framework, that would be valuable.
Information Security Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Setup Cost

MetricStream's pricing is costly but worthwhile due to flexibility and effectiveness, though customization requires additional fees.
Qualys Policy Compliance pricing is device-based, viewed as mid-range, with value in security features and potential cost-effectiveness.
MetricStream is a bit costly.
GRC Senior Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
MetricStream is a very costly application; we cannot save money.
Quality Management at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Despite having to extend our budget to accommodate it.
Deputy Manager at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

MetricStream enhances risk management, efficiency, and decision-making with customizable solutions and streamlined compliance for diverse sectors.
Qualys Policy Compliance provides automated threat detection, customizable policies, robust reporting, and integrates well with tools like Confluence and Jira.
We have had the ability to essentially write SQL code that allows us to develop a report in real time that gives us insight into various different KPIs or KRIs leveraged across the organization.
Owner at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Control and compliance mapping was one of the most powerful features for NERC compliance as we can map NERC standards and requirements directly to controls, risks, evidence, and corrective actions, creating end-to-end traceability.
Business Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
The best features that MetricStream offers for the automation of audits include the alerting system and the ability to attach evidence.
Student at a university with 501-1,000 employees
From the Qualys Policy Compliance, the best feature is that they have predefined templates for compliances, allowing easy application of compliance requirements against our products and providing clear reports on whether assets are compliant or not.
Technical Security Solutions Architecture at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
In Qualys Policy Compliance, the best feature is that they keep their vulnerability database updated.
Information Security Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

MetricStream
Ranking in IT Governance
2nd
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
Continuous Controls Monitoring (2nd), GRC (2nd), IT Vendor Risk Management (4th)
Qualys Policy Compliance
Ranking in IT Governance
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the IT Governance category, the mindshare of MetricStream is 15.3%, down from 23.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Qualys Policy Compliance is 3.7%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Governance Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
MetricStream15.3%
Qualys Policy Compliance3.7%
Other81.0%
IT Governance
 

Featured Reviews

CP
Senior GRC Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Automated workflows have reduced manual follow-ups and improve third-party risk oversight
MetricStream's best features include its ease of use, compliance program, TPRM, audit management, and implementation effort. It effectively handles large data volumes and provides good workflow capabilities with decent reporting flexibility and a better user interface. MetricStream impacts the organization by reducing follow-ups through reminder settings during questionnaire assignments. It automatically sends reminders based on set reminders, fostering trust when configured with the organization's email domain. Metrics improvements like operational efficiency, centralized GRC management, enhanced risk visibility, streamlined compliance, reduced manual efforts, enhanced third-party risk monitoring, improved decision-making with real-time dashboards, and risk analytics follow from automated workflows and issue tracking.
reviewer1906245 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Security Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Facilitates continuous compliance monitoring and simplifies vulnerability tracking for distributed cloud assets
Regarding improvements I would like to see in Qualys Policy Compliance, there are a couple of vulnerabilities where the metrics that are already there and the way Qualys measures those metrics and labels them as critical, high, or low does not align with my understanding from a user standpoint. Every time, I have to put in a false positive. Since I have been doing that for the past one year, the same vulnerability tends to pop up and they mark it as critical. Qualys needs to update and rediscover those weaknesses and re-label them. I understand what the company design and what the tool does, but it takes some time for us to manage those things. In terms of missing features that I would like to see included in Qualys Policy Compliance, I do not think there are any. The feature does what we require and does the job. If there were some sort of reporting that fulfills auditor's requirements, particularly if there is an external audit and they ask us for any historical data like how long we have been compliant to the PCI framework, that would be valuable. Having reporting that shows historical data that we have been compliant from the date of inception, for example, from 2023 to 2025 onwards, would bring value to what we are reporting.
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
16%
Healthcare Company
9%
Real Estate/Law Firm
9%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Healthcare Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Marketing Services Firm
11%
Outsourcing Company
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with MetricStream?
MetricStream at that point did not have a template, and I had to build the entire SOX 404 IT general controls testing framework myself. It depended on how knowledgeable the person using it was. If ...
What is your primary use case for MetricStream?
My main use case for MetricStream is the automation of the IT audit process, governance, risk, and compliance. I was working for a specific third-party client who was implementing MetricStream, and...
What advice do you have for others considering MetricStream?
Overall, the API integrations of MetricStream were very good, and I did not face any issues, so it was good. I did not face any major challenges when customizing MetricStream to fit my organization...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for QualysGuard Policy Compliance?
I was involved in the purchasing of Qualys Policy Compliance in my previous company, where the costs are based on the number of devices and features, with enterprise level pricing which I cannot sp...
What needs improvement with QualysGuard Policy Compliance?
Regarding improvements I would like to see in Qualys Policy Compliance, there are a couple of vulnerabilities where the metrics that are already there and the way Qualys measures those metrics and ...
What is your primary use case for QualysGuard Policy Compliance?
I have been working with Qualys Policy Compliance for the past four years. Our complete infrastructure is on cloud and we have assets distributed across Asia and North America. We have a couple of ...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, ACCO Brands Corporation, AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, AIB International, Associated Banc-Corp, BAE Systems, Barclaycard, Dell Inc, DIRECTV, Energizer, Fresenius Kabi, Hasbro, Goodyear, HudsonCity Savings Bank, Infigen Energy, Kaydon, Leroy Merlin, Mountry Financial Corp., Nicholas Piramal, Pepco, Pfizer, Societe Generale, Whitney Bank
PDX, Cigna
Find out what your peers are saying about MetricStream vs. Qualys Policy Compliance and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,800 professionals have used our research since 2012.