Checkov vs Serverspec

Checkov is a free tool for scanning infrastructure-as-code files for configuration problems that could affect security or compliance. Its documented targets include Terraform, CloudFormation, ARM, Serverless, Helm, Kubernetes, and Docker. The policy library contains more than 750 predefined checks, including checks for standards such as CIS and the AWS Foundations Benchmark. Checkov can also identify common credentials in IaC files, including AWS access keys, Azure service credentials, and private keys. Teams can create custom attribute policies in Python or YAML and composite policies in YAML. Documented continuous-integration integrations include Jenkins, Bitbucket Cloud Pipelines, GitHub Actions, and GitLab CI. Add-ons for Visual Studio Code and JetBrains provide real-time scanning and inline fixes. Installation is documented through pip and Homebrew, with Homebrew specified for macOS or Linux. The project supports Python 3.9 through 3.13 and is distributed under the Apache-2.0 license. Prisma Cloud extends Checkov with runtime scanning, visibility, native VCS integrations, drift detection, and pull request annotations. Alpine is not officially tested or supported; it requires Python 3.11 or later.

Serverspec is an open-source Ruby gem for writing RSpec tests that verify server configuration. It examines actual machine state by executing commands locally or through SSH, WinRM, and the Docker API, without requiring agent software on target servers. Checks cover packages, services, files, ports, users, Docker containers and images, Windows features, and X.509 certificates and private keys. Both RSpec should and expect syntax are supported. Serverspec can accompany Puppet, Ansible, CFEngine, Itamae, and Chef, with infrastructure-code refactoring stated as its central aim. The tutorial names Linux distributions, macOS, Windows, BSD systems, Solaris, SmartOS, and others, while noting incomplete support for some. Each suite targets one machine or Docker container, so separate RSpec commands are advised for separate targets. Install through Bundler or gem install serverspec. It is MIT licensed and maintained by Gosuke Miyashita.