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Head-to-head · Infrastructure Testing Tools

KICS vs AWS CloudFormation

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score KICS #5 in Infrastructure Testing Tools 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit KICS
AWS CloudFormation #6 in Infrastructure Testing Tools 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit site

KICS leads on 0 checks, AWS CloudFormation on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreKICS · 8.8/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresAWS CloudFormation · 1 of 4

KICS scores higher on our rubric for infrastructure testing tools: 8.8 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #6.

KICS is the better fit for multi-format IaC security scanning. AWS CloudFormation is the better fit for managed AWS infrastructure lifecycle validation.

  • KICS fits best

    Multi-format IaC security scanning

  • AWS CloudFormation fits best

    Managed AWS infrastructure lifecycle validation

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 KICS 8.8/10 Visit ↗ AWS CloudFormation 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.7
Ranking #5 in Infrastructure Testing Tools #6 in Infrastructure Testing Tools
Best for Multi-format IaC security scanning Managed AWS infrastructure lifecycle validation
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Email, Community, Docs Docs
Integrations 16 integrations 7 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features KICS 0/4 · AWS CloudFormation 1/4
Config compliance Not checked yet Not checked yet
Provisioning tests Not checked yet Not checked yet
Deployed checks Not checked yet Not checked yet
Policy as code Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
IaC support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Execution model Not checked yet Not checked yet
Cloud support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Scans Terraform, Kubernetes, CloudFormation, Pulumi, and many other formats
  • Customizable OPA Rego queries support policy testing and tailored checks
  • CI/CD integrations and reports in JSON, SARIF, HTML, PDF, CSV, and more
  • Change sets preview proposed updates before deployment
  • Drift detection and resource import support lifecycle control
  • StackSets deploy across multiple AWS accounts and Regions
Cons
  • CLI-first workflows may not suit teams seeking a hosted SaaS interface
  • Broad format coverage can require different policies across technologies
  • Automatic remediation is provided as a command rather than a managed workflow
  • Supports AWS rather than multiple cloud providers
  • Provisioning execution is not self-hosted
  • Some third-party providers and custom hooks incur usage-based charges
Our verdict

KICS, or Keeping Infrastructure as Code Secure, is an open-source command-line tool from Checkmarx for infrastructure-as-code security scanning. It is designed for engineering and security teams that need to identify vulnerabilities,…

Read the review →

AWS CloudFormation is a managed infrastructure-as-code service for defining, provisioning, updating, and deleting AWS resources as stacks. It is aimed at teams managing AWS infrastructure through declarative YAML or JSON templates, with…

Read the review →
  1. KICSInfrastructure Testing Tools 8.8Free plan
  2. AWS CloudFormationInfrastructure Testing Tools 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • KICS — where it wins

    • Scans Terraform, Kubernetes, CloudFormation, Pulumi, and many other formats
    • Customizable OPA Rego queries support policy testing and tailored checks
    • CI/CD integrations and reports in JSON, SARIF, HTML, PDF, CSV, and more

    Where it doesn't

    • CLI-first workflows may not suit teams seeking a hosted SaaS interface
    • Broad format coverage can require different policies across technologies
    • Automatic remediation is provided as a command rather than a managed workflow

  • AWS CloudFormation — where it wins

    • Change sets preview proposed updates before deployment
    • Drift detection and resource import support lifecycle control
    • StackSets deploy across multiple AWS accounts and Regions

    Where it doesn't

    • Supports AWS rather than multiple cloud providers
    • Provisioning execution is not self-hosted
    • Some third-party providers and custom hooks incur usage-based charges
  • KICS8.8/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source CLI for broad IaC security, compliance, secrets, and policy scanning.

    Visit KICSFull verdict →
  • AWS CloudFormation8.7/10 · Free plan

    A managed, AWS-focused way to provision, update, validate, and organize infrastructure as stacks.

    Visit siteFull verdict →

More comparisons

All infrastructure testing tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update