GitHub Advanced Security review
A GitHub-native DevSecOps suite covering code, secrets, dependencies, and remediation.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
GitHub Advanced Security is GitHub’s application-security offering for development teams and organizations. It combines GitHub Secret Protection and GitHub Code Security within GitHub workflows, covering code scanning, secret detection, dependency analysis, remediation campaigns, SBOM workflows, audit logging, and compliance-report access. It supports GitHub.com and GitHub Enterprise Server deployments, making it a natural fit for organizations already building and managing software in GitHub.
According to the vendor’s published plans, GitHub Secret Protection costs $19 USD per active committer per month and includes secret scanning, push protection, AI-detected and generic secret detection, and secret security insights. GitHub Code Security costs $30 USD per active committer per month, adding CodeQL code scanning, Copilot Autofix, dependency review, security campaigns, and a security overview. A free plan is available, with some capabilities free for public repositories; private, GHE.com, and GitHub Enterprise Server repositories require paid licensing. The plan structure lets organizations focus on secrets or add broader code and dependency security.
The platform’s main advantage is its breadth inside the GitHub ecosystem. Teams can combine CodeQL with third-party SARIF uploads, Dependabot updates, dependency review, security dashboards, SPDX-format SBOM export, and workflows for assigning and tracking remediation. Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Terraform integrations extend its fit beyond the repository interface, while web, API, and self-hosted deployment options support different operating models. Organizations seeking GitHub-centered application security should find the coverage aligned with their workflow; teams working primarily outside GitHub should consider a platform built around their existing development environment instead.
GitHub Advanced Security pros and cons
- Where it wins
- CodeQL scanning, third-party SARIF uploads, and Copilot Autofix
- Secret scanning, push protection, and dependency security
- Security campaigns, SBOM export, audit logs, and compliance reports
- Where it doesn't
- Paid licensing applies to private and enterprise repositories
- Strongest fit requires development workflows centered on GitHub
- Capabilities are divided across two separately priced plans
GitHub Advanced Security 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