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Terrascan

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Detect compliance and security violations across Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to mitigate risk.

SecurityDevOpsInfrastructure as CodeTesting & QA
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Tracked since2026
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The Bottom Line

Entry price

Free, no paid tier

Biggest pro

Infrastructure as Code security scanner

Biggest con

Configuration required

TL;DR - Terrascan

  • Scans Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for security and compliance violations.
  • Includes 500+ out-of-the-box policies and supports custom policies via OPA/Rego.
  • Integrates with popular IaC tools like Terraform, Kubernetes, and CloudFormation.
Pricing: Free forever
Best for: Individuals & startups

What is Terrascan?

Editorial review
Terrascan is an open-source security scanner designed to detect compliance and security violations in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) configurations. It helps organizations ensure that security best practices and compliance requirements are observed before provisioning cloud-native infrastructure, supporting popular IaC tools like Terraform, Kubernetes, Argo CD, Atlantis, and AWS CloudFormation. The tool comes with over 500 out-of-the-box policies, allowing users to scan their IaC against common policy standards such as the CIS Benchmark. For advanced users, Terrascan leverages the Open Policy Agent (OPA) engine, enabling the creation of custom policies using the Rego query language. This flexibility makes it suitable for developers, DevOps engineers, and security teams looking to integrate security early into their development lifecycle and maintain secure cloud infrastructure.

Available on: Web

how we evaluateSourcerunterrascan.io ↗

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Infrastructure as Code security scanner
  • Policy as code approach
  • Multi-IaC support (Terraform, K8s, etc.)
  • Open-source and free
  • CI/CD integration ready

Cons

  • Configuration required
  • False positives possible
  • Policy writing needed
  • Learning curve for rules
  • May slow CI pipelines

Key Features

IaC securityPolicy as codeCompliance scanningMulti-platformCI/CD integrationOpen source

Pricing Plans

Pricing checked Aug 22, 2026

Open Source

Free

  • Free Apache 2.0 license
  • 500+ built-in rules
  • CIS benchmarks
  • IaC security scanning
  • Community support
Calculate your costView full pricing

Is Terrascan worth the price?

95/100

Terrascan offers a highly generous Open Source tier at $0, providing extensive features like 500+ built-in rules and CIS benchmarks.

This makes it an incredibly fair and accessible option for many users. It's best for individual developers, small teams, and open-source projects looking for robust IaC security scanning without a budget.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

No enterprise support without custom pricing

Scalability limitations for large organizations

Integration costs with existing CI/CD pipelines

How Terrascan Compares to Competitors

Compared to commercial tools like Bridgecrew (now Prisma Cloud) or Snyk IaC, Terrascan's Open Source offering at $0 is significantly more accessible. While competitors offer more advanced enterprise features and dedicated support, Terrascan provides core IaC security scanning capabilities without any cost, making it a strong alternative for basic needs.

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Still deciding?

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Terrascan FAQ

How does Terrascan help ensure compliance in cloud infrastructure?

Terrascan detects compliance and security violations across Infrastructure as Code (IaC) configurations, helping organizations adhere to security best practices and compliance requirements before cloud resources are provisioned. It supports scanning against common policy standards like the CIS Benchmark with over 500 out-of-the-box policies.

Which teams benefit most from using Terrascan?

Terrascan is best suited for developers, DevOps engineers, and security teams who aim to integrate security early into their development lifecycle. It helps these teams maintain secure cloud infrastructure by scanning IaC configurations for violations.

How does Terrascan compare to Checkov for IaC security scanning?

Terrascan, like Checkov, is an open-source security scanner designed to detect compliance and security violations in Infrastructure as Code. Terrascan offers multi-IaC support for tools like Terraform, Kubernetes, and AWS CloudFormation, and it leverages the Open Policy Agent (OPA) engine for custom policy creation.

What kind of limitations might users encounter with Terrascan?

Users may experience a learning curve for writing custom policies and might need to manage potential false positives. Additionally, integrating Terrascan into CI/CD pipelines could potentially slow down the pipeline due to the scanning process.

Does Terrascan include a free tier?

Terrascan is an open-source tool that is free to use, meaning no paid plan is required to access its features. This makes it accessible for organizations looking to implement IaC security scanning without licensing costs.

Can Terrascan be integrated into existing CI/CD workflows?

Yes, Terrascan is designed to be CI/CD integration ready, allowing teams to embed security scanning directly into their automated deployment pipelines. This helps in detecting compliance and security violations early in the development lifecycle.

How does Terrascan support custom security policies?

Terrascan leverages the Open Policy Agent (OPA) engine, enabling advanced users to create custom policies using the Rego query language. This flexibility allows organizations to tailor security checks to their specific requirements beyond the 500+ out-of-the-box policies.

Source: runterrascan.io

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