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Head-to-head · IaC Security Scanners

Checkov vs TFLint

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Checkov #3 in IaC Security Scanners 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Checkov
TFLint #8 in IaC Security Scanners 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit TFLint

Checkov leads on 2 checks, TFLint on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreCheckov · 8.7/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresCheckov · 2 of 5

Checkov scores higher on our rubric for iac security scanners: 8.7 against 7.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #8.

Checkov offers custom policies; TFLint doesn't publish it. Checkov offers open-source option; TFLint doesn't publish it.

Checkov is the better fit for open-source multi-framework scanning. TFLint is the better fit for terraform linting and provider best practices.

  • Checkov fits best

    Open-source multi-framework scanning

  • TFLint fits best

    Terraform linting and provider best practices

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

Side by side

Feature Checkov 8.7/10 Visit ↗ TFLint 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 7.8
Ranking #3 in IaC Security Scanners #8 in IaC Security Scanners
Best for Open-source multi-framework scanning Terraform linting and provider best practices
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms Linux, macOS Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community, Docs Docs, Community
Integrations 9 integrations 2 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Checkov 2/5 · TFLint 0/5
Custom policies ✓ (best) Not published
CI/PR integration Not published Not published
Fix suggestions Not published Not published
Drift detection Not published Not published
Open-source option ✓ (best) Not published
Specs
IaC frameworks Not published Not published
Our review
Pros
  • Scans Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes and Terraform plans
  • Supports secrets detection, graph analysis and custom Python or YAML policies
  • Integrates with major CI/CD tools, pre-commit and IDE environments
  • Checks Terraform syntax, semantics, deprecated syntax, and unused declarations.
  • Adds AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud rules through a plugin-based architecture.
  • Offers JSON, Checkstyle, JUnit, compact, and SARIF output plus automatic fixing.
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the scanner
  • Support channels are limited to community resources and documentation
  • Runs on Linux and macOS, narrowing supported host platforms
  • Scans Terraform rather than multiple infrastructure-as-code languages.
  • Does not provide configuration compliance or provisioning and deployed tests.
  • Support is through documentation and community channels.
Our verdict

Checkov is an open-source static analysis tool for infrastructure as code, designed for teams that need policy checks across multiple configuration frameworks. It scans Terraform and Terraform plans, CloudFormation and AWS SAM, Kubernetes…

Read the review →

TFLint is a command-line linter for developers and infrastructure teams maintaining Terraform configurations. It checks syntax and semantics, flags deprecated syntax and unused declarations, and can identify invalid resource settings and…

Read the review →
  1. CheckovIaC Security Scanners 8.7Free plan
  2. TFLintIaC Security Scanners 7.8Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Checkov — where it wins

    • Scans Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes and Terraform plans
    • Supports secrets detection, graph analysis and custom Python or YAML policies
    • Integrates with major CI/CD tools, pre-commit and IDE environments

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the scanner
    • Support channels are limited to community resources and documentation
    • Runs on Linux and macOS, narrowing supported host platforms

  • TFLint — where it wins

    • Checks Terraform syntax, semantics, deprecated syntax, and unused declarations.
    • Adds AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud rules through a plugin-based architecture.
    • Offers JSON, Checkstyle, JUnit, compact, and SARIF output plus automatic fixing.

    Where it doesn't

    • Scans Terraform rather than multiple infrastructure-as-code languages.
    • Does not provide configuration compliance or provisioning and deployed tests.
    • Support is through documentation and community channels.

More comparisons

All IaC security scanners comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update