It suits software teams looking to automate pull-request review and scan code or infrastructure for security issues.
Free plan Free trial From $30 a month, billed yearly WebWindowsMacLinuxAPISelf-hosted
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Best IaC Security Scanners 2026
Facts read 20 Sep 2026 – 20 Oct 2026
DeepSource leads this list of 16 (record score 6.0, free plan). Kubescape is next (record score 5.8, free plan), and Pulumi is the next highest-placed with a free plan (record score 5.8).
Infrastructure-as-code (IaC) scanners look for security problems in configuration code, helping teams assess policies ahead of deployment. Compare framework coverage, policy customization, CI/PR connections, remediation suggestions, drift detection, and free or open-source availability.
The standings: top 10
| Name | In a line | Record score | Price from | Try it free | Runs on | Facts read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 DeepSource | It suits software teams looking to automate pull-request review and scan code or infrastructure for security issues. | 6.0 | $30 a month, billed yearly | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 14 Oct 2026 |
| 02 Kubescape | Kubescape checks Kubernetes configuration and deployed container images for security issues. | 5.8 | $30 a month | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux, API | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 03 Pulumi | Pulumi is for engineers who want to manage infrastructure in general-purpose languages across supported cloud providers. | 5.8 | $40 a month | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 30 Sep 2026 |
| 04 Fairwinds Polaris | Fairwinds Polaris validates and can remediate Kubernetes resource settings. | 5.0 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 8 Oct 2026 |
| 05 kube-score | kube-score reviews Kubernetes object definitions for ways to improve application security and resilience. | 5.0 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 8 Oct 2026 |
| 06 Trivy | Trivy suits teams and developers who need to scan code, artifacts, container images, or Kubernetes environments. | 4.8 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux, Self-hosted | 4 Oct 2026 |
| 07 Checkov | Checkov suits developers and teams scanning infrastructure-as-code for configuration issues, credentials, and compliance checks. | 4.5 | Free plan | Free plan | Mac, Linux | 29 Sep 2026 |
| 08 KubeLinter | It suits developers and platform teams checking Kubernetes configuration against security and readiness policies. | 4.5 | Free plan | Free plan | Mac, Linux, Self-hosted | 4 Oct 2026 |
| 09 TFLint | TFLint checks Terraform code for cloud-provider errors, deprecated syntax, and naming rules through plugins. | 4.5 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux, Self-hosted | 29 Sep 2026 |
| 10 cfn-nag | cfn-nag flags risky infrastructure settings in JSON or YAML CloudFormation files. | 4.4 | Free plan | Free plan | Mac, Linux, Self-hosted | 3 Oct 2026 |
This page compares scanners on free plans, starting prices, IaC frameworks, policy controls, integrations and other listed features. The ranking basis has not been published.
02
Kubescape
Kubescape checks Kubernetes configuration and deployed container images for security issues.
WindowsMacLinux+2 Record5.8 Visit
03
Pulumi
Pulumi is for engineers who want to manage infrastructure in general-purpose languages across supported cloud providers.
WebWindowsMac+3 Record5.8 Visit
04
Fairwinds Polaris
Fairwinds Polaris validates and can remediate Kubernetes resource settings.
WebWindowsMac+2 Record5.0 Visit
05
kube-score
kube-score reviews Kubernetes object definitions for ways to improve application security and resilience.
WebWindowsMac+2 Record5.0 Visit
6
Trivy
WindowsMacLinux+1 Free plan Record4.8 Visit Trivy suits teams and developers who need to scan code, artifacts, container images, or Kubernetes environments.
7
Checkov
MacLinux Free plan Record4.5 Visit Checkov suits developers and teams scanning infrastructure-as-code for configuration issues, credentials, and compliance checks.
8
KubeLinter
MacLinuxSelf-hosted Free plan Record4.5 Visit It suits developers and platform teams checking Kubernetes configuration against security and readiness policies.
9
TFLint
WindowsMacLinux+1 Free plan Record4.5 Visit TFLint checks Terraform code for cloud-provider errors, deprecated syntax, and naming rules through plugins.
10
cfn-nag
MacLinuxSelf-hosted Free plan Record4.4 Visit cfn-nag flags risky infrastructure settings in JSON or YAML CloudFormation files.
11
terraform-compliance
LinuxSelf-hosted Free plan Record4.2 Visit terraform-compliance checks Terraform plans using behavior-driven policy scenarios.
Before you choose
Which IaC frameworks are covered?
Look for support for the IaC frameworks your codebase uses. Framework coverage is one of the comparison points on this page.
Tools in this category range from AWS CloudFormation Guard and cfn-nag to Checkov and Pulumi. Confirm the specific framework fit before choosing.
Does it fit your code review workflow?
For findings during code review, look for CI/PR connections. The list also compares fix suggestions and drift detection, which relate to separate aspects of reviewing infrastructure changes.
Can you use custom security policies?
If you need rules tailored to your environment, compare custom-policy support. AWS CDK Nag, AWS CloudFormation Guard and PSRule for Azure are examples to assess for fit with your code and policy requirements.
Can you start with a free plan?
Compare free-plan access with trial availability and paid pricing.
Can it run on your platform?
Match platform support to where you build and run infrastructure. The platforms compared here include Linux, macOS, Windows, self-hosted environments, and web.
Questions
What does an IaC security scanner do?
It reviews infrastructure-as-code for security concerns and may help assess policies ahead of deployment.
Which IaC security scanners have a free plan?
The list marks 15 of 16 tools as having a free plan. Check the individual tool's terms for what that plan includes.
Are any IaC security scanners open source?
The list marks one tool as open source. Open-source pricing notes appear for examples including AWS CloudFormation Guard, KubeLinter, and kube-score.
What platforms do IaC security scanners support?
Platform labels across the list cover Linux, macOS, Windows, self-hosted environments, web, and API. Availability varies by tool.
Which IaC scanner offers a free trial?
Two listed tools have a free trial. DeepSource specifies a 14-day trial in its pricing note.
What features should I compare in IaC scanners?
Review framework support, custom policies, CI/PR integration, fix suggestions, drift detection, free plans, paid starting prices, and open-source availability.
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