Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Brakeman review

#25 of 26 in SAST ToolsRuby Static Analysis ToolsStatic Application Security Testing SoftwareStatic Application Security Testing Sast+1 more

A Rails-focused SAST tool with configurable checks, CI automation, and editor findings.

6.7/10Editor score
Visit Brakeman
Brakeman6.7 Visit Brakeman

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Brakeman is a command-line static-analysis security scanner for Ruby on Rails application source code. It examines source without requiring the full application stack and identifies potential issues such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, command injection, and unsafe deserialization. Rails teams can start with default settings, while security and development teams can tune checks, severity thresholds, confidence levels, and warning suppression to fit their review process.

Its strongest fit is an engineering workflow centered on Ruby and Rails. Brakeman can generate text, HTML, JSON, JUnit, Markdown, CSV, SARIF, and other report formats, which supports local review and automated pipelines. CI integrations include Jenkins, GitLab CI, Travis CI, Semaphore CI, and Electric Cloud. Ruby LSP integration adds inline findings in supported editors, while Guard::Brakeman and ALE for Vim extend the surrounding Ruby tooling. Selectable, excluded, and additional custom checks give teams control over how scanning is applied.

Commercial licensing is an important buying consideration. The current license permits use without charge for non-commercial purposes, while commercial use requires a commercial, non-free license. Teams evaluating Brakeman should therefore clarify licensing terms with Synopsys before adopting it in a commercial environment. Brakeman suits organizations that want focused Rails source analysis, configurable findings, and CI-oriented reporting. Teams securing applications across multiple languages or frameworks should choose a SAST product with broader verified coverage instead.

Brakeman pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Rails-specific checks run with zero configuration.
    • Supports SARIF, JUnit, HTML, JSON, and other report formats.
    • Integrates with CI systems and Ruby LSP-supported editors.
  • Where it doesn't
    • Commercial use requires a commercial, non-free license.
    • Its verified focus is limited to Ruby on Rails.
    • Command-line workflows may not suit teams seeking a broader platform.

Brakeman fact sheet, pricing and score →

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.

Last updated · How we research and update