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Head-to-head · Infrastructure as Code Security Software

Checkov vs Safeguard IaC Security

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 8 checks side by side
Higher score Checkov #2 in Infrastructure as Code Security Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 7 of 7 features Visit Checkov
Safeguard IaC Security #4 in Infrastructure as Code Security Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 7 features Visit Safeguard

Checkov leads on 0 checks, Safeguard IaC Security on 0, and 8 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 8 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreCheckov · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresCheckov · 7 of 7

Checkov scores higher on our rubric for infrastructure as code security software: 9.3 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #4.

Checkov is the better fit for open-source multi-framework scanning. Safeguard IaC Security is the better fit for low-cost, feature-rich IaC security.

  • Checkov fits best

    Open-source multi-framework scanning

  • Safeguard IaC Security fits best

    Low-cost, feature-rich IaC security

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Checkov 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Safeguard IaC Security 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 9.0
Ranking #2 in Infrastructure as Code Security Software #4 in Infrastructure as Code Security Software
Best for Open-source multi-framework scanning Low-cost, feature-rich IaC security
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan $89/yr
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Linux, macOS Web
Support Community, Docs Email, Tickets, Docs
Integrations 9 integrations 13 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Checkov 7/7 · Safeguard IaC Security 6/7
Terraform analysis ✓ ✓
Kubernetes analysis ✓ ✓
CloudFormation analysis ✓ ✓
Custom policies ✓ ✓
Secrets detection ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Pull request scanning ✓ ✓
IDE integration ✓ ✓
Our review
Pros
  • Scans Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, and AWS SAM
  • Supports graph analysis, secrets detection, and custom policies
  • Integrates with CI/CD tools, pre-commit hooks, and IDEs
  • Scans Terraform, CloudFormation, Pulumi, Helm, and Kubernetes
  • Gates Terraform plans and CloudFormation change sets before deployment
  • Supports custom Rego and Cue policies plus scheduled drift reconciliation
Cons
  • Command-line workflows may require development-tool familiarity
  • Policy customization requires Python or YAML knowledge
  • Commercial platform capabilities are separate from Checkov itself
  • Pricing is presented through platform tiers rather than an IaC-only plan
  • The product is proprietary rather than open source
  • Advanced remediation capabilities require higher-priced tiers
Our verdict

Checkov is an open-source static analysis tool for infrastructure as code. It scans Terraform and Terraform plans, CloudFormation, AWS SAM, Kubernetes manifests, Helm, ARM templates, Serverless Framework files, Dockerfiles, and other…

Read the review →

Safeguard IaC Security analyzes infrastructure-as-code configurations before deployment for engineering, platform, and security teams. It covers Terraform, CloudFormation, Pulumi, Helm, Kubernetes manifests, Kustomize, and Crossplane,…

Read the review →
  1. CheckovInfrastructure as Code Security Software 9.3Free plan
  2. Safeguard IaC SecurityInfrastructure as Code Security Software 9.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Checkov — where it wins

    • Scans Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, and AWS SAM
    • Supports graph analysis, secrets detection, and custom policies
    • Integrates with CI/CD tools, pre-commit hooks, and IDEs

    Where it doesn't

    • Command-line workflows may require development-tool familiarity
    • Policy customization requires Python or YAML knowledge
    • Commercial platform capabilities are separate from Checkov itself

  • Safeguard IaC Security — where it wins

    • Scans Terraform, CloudFormation, Pulumi, Helm, and Kubernetes
    • Gates Terraform plans and CloudFormation change sets before deployment
    • Supports custom Rego and Cue policies plus scheduled drift reconciliation

    Where it doesn't

    • Pricing is presented through platform tiers rather than an IaC-only plan
    • The product is proprietary rather than open source
    • Advanced remediation capabilities require higher-priced tiers

More comparisons

All infrastructure as code security software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update