Checkov vs TaskCat
Checkov
checkov.io
TaskCat
aws-ia.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Checkov | TaskCat |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Infrastructure Testing Tools | 8.0 (#10) | 6.6 (#26) |
| Installation | The project documents installation through pip and Homebrew; Homebrew is specified for macOS or Linux. | The guide offers installation through PyPI, a development install from GitHub, or the official Docker image. |
| License | The Checkov GitHub repository identifies its license as Apache-2.0. | The GitHub repository lists an Apache-2.0 license. |
| Purpose | Checkov scans infrastructure-as-code files for misconfigurations that can cause security or compliance problems. | TaskCat tests AWS CloudFormation templates by deploying them across multiple AWS Regions and reporting pass or fail for each Region. |
| Support | The project directs users to its documentation for tutorials and examples and identifies Prisma Cloud as the maintainer. | The documentation directs users to its guides, GitHub issues, and community discussions for help. |
Plans
In their own words
Checkov
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.