Terrascan vs tfsec: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Terrascan and tfsec side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Terrascan
Detect compliance and security violations across Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to mitigate risk.
Best for you if:
- • You want infrastructure as Code security scanner
tfsec
Security scanner for your Terraform code.
Best for you if:
- • You want terraform security scanner
| At a Glance | Terrascan | tfsec |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free 100% free | Free 100% free |
Category | DevOps Security | DevOps Infrastructure as Code |
Rating | n/a | n/a |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Terrascan or tfsec?
Choose Terrascan if
- You want infrastructure as Code security scanner
- You want policy as code approach
Choose tfsec if
- You want terraform security scanner
- You want static analysis for IaC
In-Depth Analysis
Terrascan
Detect compliance and security violations across Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to mitigate risk.
Terrascan offers a highly generous Open Source tier at $0, providing extensive features like 500+ built-in rules and CIS benchmarks.
Strengths
- Pro: Infrastructure as Code security scanner
- Pro: Policy as code approach
- Pro: Multi-IaC support (Terraform, K8s, etc.)
- Pro: Open-source and free
- Pro: CI/CD integration ready
Weaknesses
- Con: Configuration required
- Con: False positives possible
- Con: Policy writing needed
- Con: Learning curve for rules
- Con: May slow CI pipelines
Key features
tfsec
Security scanner for your Terraform code.
tfsec offers an extremely generous pricing model, as it is entirely free and open-source.
Strengths
- Pro: Terraform security scanner
- Pro: Static analysis for IaC
- Pro: Many built-in rules
- Pro: CI/CD integration ready
- Pro: Open-source and free
Weaknesses
- Con: Terraform specific only
- Con: False positives possible
- Con: Rule customization needed
- Con: Now part of Trivy (Aqua Security)
- Con: Migration to Trivy recommended
Key features
Plans and prices: Terrascan vs tfsec
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Terrascan |
| runterrascan.io read Oct 26, 2026 |
| tfsec |
| aquasecurity.github.io/tfsec read Oct 8, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Terrascan pricing and tfsec pricing.
Key Takeaways
Terrascan
- Choose if you want detect compliance and security violations across Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to mitigate risk
tfsec
- Choose if you want security scanner for your Terraform code
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Terrascan and tfsec compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Both have a free plan.
What are Terrascan and tfsec used for?
Terrascan: Detect compliance and security violations across Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to mitigate risk. tfsec: Security scanner for your Terraform code.
What does Terrascan cost vs tfsec?
Terrascan is free. tfsec is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 26, 2026.
What's the main difference between Terrascan and tfsec?
Terrascan's main strength: infrastructure as Code security scanner. tfsec's main strength: terraform security scanner.