The Best IaC Security Scanners in 2026

• 17 tools ranked
• Updated Sep 2026
• Researched from official sources
• Compare tools in this directory

We researched IaC security scanners using official vendor websites, including pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. Rankings focus on how well each product scans infrastructure-as-code for misconfigurations and policy violations, its value for money and its verified features, including framework coverage and workflow support.

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

The full ranking 17 tools, best first

1. 1
   
   Snyk IaC 9.2

   Best forEnterprise IaC security with broad integrations

   A broad IaC scanner with policy controls, workflow integrations, and a free starting tier.

   • Custom policies

   Free plan · paid from $25/mo Our Snyk IaC verdict → + Compare Visit SnykFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #1 · $149/mo →
   9.2/10★★★★★

   Visit Snyk
2. 2
   
   KICS 8.2

   Best forFree, broad open-source IaC scanning

   A free, broad scanner for IaC security, compliance, misconfigurations and secrets.

   • Custom policies
   • Open-source option

   Free plan Our KICS verdict → + Compare Visit KICSFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #2 · $99/mo →
   8.2/10★★★★☆

   Visit KICS
3. 3
   
   Checkov 7.7

   Best forOpen-source multi-framework scanning

   A self-hosted, multi-framework IaC scanner with broad policy and CI/CD coverage.

   • Custom policies
   • Open-source option

   Free plan Our Checkov verdict → + Compare Visit CheckovFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #3 · $79/mo →
   7.7/10★★★★☆

   Visit Checkov
4. 4
   
   Pulumi 7.7

   Best forIaC teams needing policy and drift management

   A code-first IaC platform whose policy and drift controls deepen on paid plans.

   • Drift detection
   • Open-source option

   Free plan · paid from $40/mo Our Pulumi verdict → + Compare Visit PulumiFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #4 · $69/mo →
   7.7/10★★★★☆

   Visit Pulumi
5. 5
   
   DeepSource 7.3

   Best forTeams combining IaC and code security

   Combines IaC checks with code, secrets, and dependency scanning in pull requests.

   Free plan · paid from $24/user/mo (annual) · 14-day trial Our DeepSource verdict → + Compare Visit DeepSourceFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #5 · $59/mo →
   7.3/10★★★★☆

   Visit DeepSource
6. 6
   
   Fairwinds Polaris 7.1

   Best forKubernetes policy auditing and admission control

   Focused Kubernetes auditing and admission control with flexible policy enforcement.

   • Custom policies
   • Open-source option

   Free plan Our Fairwinds Polaris verdict → + Compare Visit Polaris
   7.1/10★★★★☆

   Visit Polaris
7. 7
   
   Kubescape 6.9

   Best forTeams securing Kubernetes beyond configuration scanning

   A self-hosted scanner that extends Kubernetes checks into runtime monitoring and policy enforcement.

   • Open-source option

   Free plan Our Kubescape verdict → + Compare Visit Kubescape
   6.9/10★★★☆☆

   Visit Kubescape
8. 8
   T
   TFLint 6.6

   Best forTerraform linting and provider best practices

   A free, local Terraform linter with cloud-provider rules, plugins, and autofixing.

   Free plan Our TFLint verdict → + Compare Visit TFLint
   6.6/10★★★☆☆

   Visit TFLint
9. 9
   
   Trivy 6.5

   Best forBroad open-source cloud and artifact scanning

   A free, broad scanner for IaC, containers, repositories, secrets, licenses, and SBOMs.

   • Open-source option

   Free plan Our Trivy verdict → + Compare Visit Trivy
   6.5/10★★★☆☆

   Visit Trivy
10. 10
    
    Safeguard IaC Security 6.5

    Best forLow-cost broad IaC policy scanning

    Broad IaC policy scanning with a free tier and paid remediation workflows.

    • Custom policies

    Free plan · paid from $9/mo Our Safeguard IaC Security verdict → + Compare Visit Safeguard IaC
    6.5/10★★★☆☆

    Visit Safeguard IaC
11. 11
    AC
    AWS CloudFormation Guard 6.2

    Best forPolicy testing across CloudFormation and JSON IaC

    A self-hosted policy scanner for CloudFormation, Terraform JSON, and Kubernetes.

    • Open-source option

    Open source Our AWS CloudFormation Guard verdict → + Compare Visit AWS Guard
    6.2/10★★★☆☆

    Visit AWS Guard
12. 12
    
    PSRule for Azure 6.1

    Best forTeams governing Azure Bicep and ARM templates

    An open-source Azure scanner for Bicep and ARM governance, from templates to deployed resources.

    • CI/PR integration
    • Fix suggestions
    • Custom policies

    Free plan Our PSRule for Azure verdict → + Compare Try PSRule for Azure
    6.1/10★★★☆☆

    Try PSRule for Azure
13. 13
    AC
    AWS CDK Nag 6.0

    Best forAWS CDK and CloudFormation compliance checks

    Free, AWS-focused rule-pack scanning for CDK and CloudFormation compliance.

    • Fix suggestions
    • Custom policies
    • Open-source option

    Free plan Our AWS CDK Nag verdict → + Compare Visit AWS CDK Nag
    6.0/10★★★☆☆

    Visit AWS CDK Nag
14. 14
    K
    KubeLinter 6.0

    Best forKubernetes YAML, Helm and Kustomize linting

    An open-source scanner for Kubernetes configuration checks in local and CI workflows.

    • Custom policies
    • Open-source option

    Open source Our KubeLinter verdict → + Compare Visit KubeLinter
    6.0/10★★★☆☆

    Visit KubeLinter
15. 15
    CN
    cfn-nag 5.9

    Best forCloudFormation security rule scanning

    A focused, free scanner for finding common security issues in CloudFormation.

    • Custom policies
    • Open-source option

    Free plan Our cfn-nag verdict → + Compare Visit cfn-nag
    5.9/10★★★☆☆

    Visit cfn-nag
16. 16
    KS
    kube-score 5.8

    Best forSimple Kubernetes manifest quality checks

    A free, open-source scanner for Kubernetes manifest quality checks in CI or a browser.

    • CI/PR integration
    • Fix suggestions
    • Open-source option

    Open source Our kube-score verdict → + Compare Visit kube-score
    5.8/10★★★☆☆

    Visit kube-score
17. 17
    TC
    terraform-compliance 5.7

    Best forTeams writing BDD compliance checks for Terraform

    Readable feature files validate Terraform plans and state before deployment.

    • Open-source option

    Free plan Our terraform-compliance verdict → + Compare Visit site
    5.7/10★★★☆☆

    Visit site

No tools match those filters.

Compare at a glance

#	Tool	Free plan	Paid from	IaC frameworks	Custom policies	CI/PR integration	Fix suggestions	Score
1	Snyk IaC	Yes	—	—	Yes	—	—	9.2
2	KICS	Yes	None	—	Yes	—	—	8.2
3	Checkov	Yes	None	—	Yes	—	—	7.7
4	Pulumi	Yes	—	—	—	—	—	7.7
5	DeepSource	Yes	$24/user/mo	—	—	—	—	7.3
6	Fairwinds Polaris	Yes	None	—	Yes	—	—	7.1
7	Kubescape	Yes	None	—	—	—	—	6.9
8	TTFLint	Yes	None	—	—	—	—	6.6
9	Trivy	Yes	None	—	—	—	—	6.5
10	Safeguard IaC Security	Yes	—	—	Yes	—	—	6.5
11	ACAWS CloudFormation Guard	—	None	—	—	—	—	6.2
12	PSRule for Azure	Yes	None	Bicep, Azure Resource Manager templates	Yes	Yes	Yes	6.1
13	ACAWS CDK Nag	Yes	None	AWS CDK; CloudFormation templates	Yes	—	Yes	6.0
14	KKubeLinter	—	None	—	Yes	—	—	6.0
15	CNcfn-nag	Yes	None	—	Yes	—	—	5.9
16	KSkube-score	Yes	None	Kubernetes YAML/JSON; Helm-rendered manifests; Kustomize output	No	Yes	Yes	5.8
17	TCterraform-compliance	Yes	None	—	—	—	—	5.7

Head-to-head All 25 comparisons →

• Snyk IaC vs Pulumi
• Snyk IaC vs DeepSource
• Snyk IaC vs Fairwinds Polaris
• Snyk IaC vs Kubescape
• TSnyk IaC vs TFLint
• KICS vs Pulumi
• KICS vs DeepSource
• KICS vs Fairwinds Polaris
• KICS vs Kubescape

How we rank IaC security scanners

Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated 28 Sep 2026 · How we research and update