Last Updated: 2026-03-07

Securing cloud infrastructure starts long before deployment, ideally at the infrastructure-as-code (IaC) stage. For DevSecOps engineers and cloud security teams, choosing the right IaC security scanner is crucial for shifting left and preventing misconfigurations. This article provides an honest, practical comparison of Checkov and Terrascan, two leading open-source tools designed to identify security vulnerabilities and compliance issues in your IaC templates. We'll cut through the marketing to give you the real information you need to make an informed decision for your organization.

TL;DR Verdict

Checkov: A robust, policy-rich scanner from Bridgecrew (Palo Alto Networks) with extensive IaC support and a strong focus on built-in policies, making it quick to start for broad coverage across many cloud providers and IaC frameworks.

Terrascan: An open-source tool from Accurics (now Tenable) that champions policy-as-code with OPA/Rego, offering deep customization and flexibility for complex, bespoke policy enforcement, particularly strong for Terraform and Kubernetes.

Try Checkov → Checkov — Free and open-source

Feature-by-Feature Comparison