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Head-to-head · IaC Security Scanners

Pulumi vs Kubescape

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Pulumi #4 in IaC Security Scanners 8.5/10 Free plan · paid from $40/mo Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Pulumi
Kubescape #6 in IaC Security Scanners 8.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Kubescape

Pulumi leads on 1 check, Kubescape on 0, and 2 are 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 scorePulumi · 8.5/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresPulumi · 2 of 5

Pulumi scores higher on our rubric for iac security scanners: 8.5 against 8.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.

Pulumi offers drift detection; Kubescape doesn't publish it.

Pulumi is the better fit for iaC teams needing policy and drift management. Kubescape is the better fit for teams securing Kubernetes beyond configuration scanning.

  • Pulumi fits best

    IaC teams needing policy and drift management

  • Kubescape fits best

    Teams securing Kubernetes beyond configuration scanning

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

Side by side

Feature Pulumi 8.5/10 Visit ↗ Kubescape 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.5 8.1
Ranking #4 in IaC Security Scanners #6 in IaC Security Scanners
Best for IaC teams needing policy and drift management Teams securing Kubernetes beyond configuration scanning
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Tickets, Community, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 8 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Pulumi 2/5 · Kubescape 1/5
Custom policies Not published Not published
CI/PR integration Not published Not published
Fix suggestions Not published Not published
Drift detection ✓ (best) Not published
Open-source option ✓ ✓
Specs
IaC frameworks Not published Not published
Our review
Pros
  • Define infrastructure in TypeScript, Python, Go, .NET, Java, or YAML
  • Centralize policy enforcement across cloud and Kubernetes resources
  • Import infrastructure and schedule drift detection with remediation
  • Scans Kubernetes configurations, YAML files, Helm charts, clusters, and images
  • Adds eBPF runtime threat detection and continuous cluster monitoring
  • Generates SBOMs and supports Validating Admission Policy enforcement
Cons
  • The Free plan is limited to 1 user and advisory policy is on Essentials
  • Preventative policies and drift remediation require the $400/month Pro plan
  • Enterprise pricing is contract-based, and self-hosting has edition requirements
  • Self-hosted deployment puts operation and upkeep on the team
  • Kubernetes-specific scope may not suit broader infrastructure scanning needs
  • Support channels are community and documentation
Our verdict

Pulumi combines infrastructure as code with cloud resource management and governance. Developers and platform teams can define infrastructure in TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Go, .NET, Java, or YAML, and work across AWS, Azure, Google…

Read the review →

Kubescape is an open-source Kubernetes security platform from ARMO for engineers, DevOps teams, and cluster operators. It covers scanning across development and live environments, including Kubernetes configurations, YAML files, Helm…

Read the review →
  1. PulumiIaC Security Scanners 8.5Free plan · paid from $40/mo
  2. KubescapeIaC Security Scanners 8.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Pulumi — where it wins

    • Define infrastructure in TypeScript, Python, Go, .NET, Java, or YAML
    • Centralize policy enforcement across cloud and Kubernetes resources
    • Import infrastructure and schedule drift detection with remediation

    Where it doesn't

    • The Free plan is limited to 1 user and advisory policy is on Essentials
    • Preventative policies and drift remediation require the $400/month Pro plan
    • Enterprise pricing is contract-based, and self-hosting has edition requirements

  • Kubescape — where it wins

    • Scans Kubernetes configurations, YAML files, Helm charts, clusters, and images
    • Adds eBPF runtime threat detection and continuous cluster monitoring
    • Generates SBOMs and supports Validating Admission Policy enforcement

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment puts operation and upkeep on the team
    • Kubernetes-specific scope may not suit broader infrastructure scanning needs
    • Support channels are community and documentation
  • Pulumi8.5/10 · Free plan · paid from $40/mo

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

    Visit PulumiFull verdict →
  • Kubescape8.1/10 · Free plan

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

    Visit KubescapeFull verdict →

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