Checkov: Infrastructure as Code Security Scanner Review: Features, Pricing, and Why Startups Use It
Introduction
Checkov is an open-source static code analysis tool designed to secure Infrastructure as Code (IaC) before it reaches production. It scans configuration files such as Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes manifests, Helm charts, ARM templates, and others for misconfigurations and security risks.
For startups, Checkov fits naturally into a “shift-left” security approach: catching cloud and infrastructure issues at commit or pull request time, instead of after a costly incident. Early-stage teams often lack dedicated security staff, so having an automated, codified security scanner integrated into CI/CD pipelines is a pragmatic way to raise the bar on cloud security without slowing development.
What the Tool Does
Checkov analyzes your Infrastructure as Code files and compares them against hundreds of built-in policies covering security, compliance, and best practices. The tool identifies:
- Security misconfigurations (e.g., open security groups, public S3 buckets)
- Compliance issues (e.g., violating CIS benchmarks, NIST, PCI-DSS rules in its commercial form)
- Operational risks (e.g., missing encryption, weak IAM policies, lack of logging)
It runs locally via CLI, inside CI/CD pipelines, or as part of developer workflows in IDEs. Instead of relying on manual reviews of Terraform or Kubernetes YAML, Checkov automates the review and surfaces actionable findings before code is merged.
Key Features
Multi-IaC Support
Checkov supports a wide range of IaC frameworks, including:
- Terraform and Terraform Plan
- CloudFormation
- Kubernetes manifests and Helm charts
- Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and Bicep
- Serverless framework, Kustomize, Pulumi (via plans), and others
This is useful for startups that evolve their stack quickly and may use different IaC tools across teams or products.
Built-In Policy Library
Checkov ships with hundreds of predefined policies that cover:
- Network security (e.g., disallowing 0.0.0.0/0 on sensitive ports)
- Data protection (e.g., encryption at rest for databases and storage)
- Identity and access management (e.g., avoiding wildcard IAM permissions)
- Logging, monitoring, and auditing configuration
These policies give resource-constrained startups immediate security coverage without writing rules from scratch.
Custom Policies
Teams can define custom policies in:
- YAML or JSON
- Python (for more complex logic)
This is valuable when you want to encode internal security standards or requirements that go beyond default checks.
CI/CD Integration
Checkov integrates easily with popular CI/CD tools:
- GitHub Actions
- GitLab CI/CD
- CircleCI, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket Pipelines
It can block merges on failed security checks, generate reports, and produce exit codes that are CI-friendly. This helps enforce security as a non-negotiable gate without heavy manual oversight.
Developer Tooling and IDE Plugins
Through Bridgecrew (the company behind Checkov, now part of Palo Alto Networks), Checkov capabilities are available via:
- IDE extensions (VS Code, JetBrains) that highlight issues as you type
- Git pre-commit hooks to prevent risky configurations from entering the repo
This “local-first” feedback reduces friction for developers and shortens the loop from coding to fixing.
Policy-as-Code and Suppressions
Checkov treats policies as code and allows:
- Version-controlled policy sets
- Inline suppressions with justifications when exceptions are necessary
- Enforcement modes (warning vs blocking) to phase in stricter rules
This is important for startups balancing speed and control, allowing gradual hardening rather than all-or-nothing enforcement.
Integration with Bridgecrew Platform (Commercial)
While Checkov itself is open source, many startups pair it with the commercial Bridgecrew platform to get:
- Centralized dashboards for all findings across repos and environments
- Compliance frameworks mapping (e.g., SOC 2, CIS benchmarks)
- Auto-remediation suggestions and pull-request-based fixes
- Post-deployment cloud runtime scanning that links back to IaC
Use Cases for Startups
1. Pre-Commit IaC Scanning for Fast-Moving Teams
Early-stage teams using Terraform or Kubernetes can run Checkov locally or via pre-commit hooks to catch mistakes such as:
- Accidentally public S3 buckets
- Overly permissive security groups or firewall rules
- Resources created without encryption or backups
2. Security Gate in CI/CD Pipelines
Founders and DevOps engineers can treat Checkov as a gatekeeper in CI:
- Block merges that introduce high-risk infrastructure changes
- Generate reports for every pull request
- Provide auditors with evidence of proactive security controls
3. Compliance Preparation (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.)
Startups preparing for SOC 2 or similar certifications can use Checkov (and Bridgecrew) to prove controls around infrastructure hardening. The ability to show automated checks and versioned policies can significantly simplify the compliance story.
4. Standardizing Infrastructure Practices Across Teams
As a startup grows, different teams may manage separate services or environments. Checkov can enforce a baseline of:
- Consistent tagging, logging, and backup policies
- Minimum encryption and network security standards
- Shared policies across multi-cloud deployments
Pricing
Checkov itself is an open-source tool under the Apache 2.0 license, which means:
- Free to use for individuals and companies
- No per-seat cost for the core CLI scanner
However, many startups use Checkov in conjunction with the commercial Bridgecrew platform from Palo Alto Networks for additional capabilities.
| Plan | What You Get | Best For | Indicative Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-Source Checkov (CLI) | Local and CI/CD IaC scanning, built-in policies, custom policies | Early-stage startups, solo DevOps, cost-sensitive teams | Free |
| Bridgecrew / Prisma Cloud (Commercial) | Centralized dashboard, compliance mapping, integrations, auto-remediation, runtime-to-IaC mapping | Growing startups, security-conscious teams, regulated industries | Custom / quote-based; typically per-resource or per-seat |
Pricing for the commercial offering is not publicly fixed and usually depends on cloud footprint and team size. For very early-stage startups, the open-source Checkov CLI is often sufficient.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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Alternatives
| Tool | Type | Key Focus | How It Compares to Checkov |
|---|---|---|---|
| tfsec (now part of Trivy) | Open-source IaC scanner | Terraform security | Similar scope for Terraform; Checkov supports more IaC types and broader ecosystem. |
| Trivy | Open-source security scanner | Containers, IaC, dependencies | More of a general-purpose scanner; Checkov is more focused and mature for IaC-specific checks. |
| Terrascan | Open-source IaC scanner | IaC security and compliance | Comparable feature set; Checkov tends to have more active community and integrations through Bridgecrew. |
| Aqua Security (commercial) | Commercial platform | Cloud-native security | Broader cloud security platform; Checkov is lighter-weight and friendlier for early-stage teams starting with IaC. |
| Snyk IaC | Commercial with free tier | Developer-first IaC scanning | Strong IDE and Git integration; Checkov offers more open flexibility and policy customization without vendor lock-in. |
Who Should Use It
Checkov is a strong fit for startups that:
- Rely heavily on Terraform, Kubernetes, or CloudFormation for provisioning
- Want to adopt or maintain a DevSecOps approach without a large security team
- Are preparing for compliance certifications and need evidence of infrastructure controls
- Operate in regulated or security-sensitive domains (FinTech, HealthTech, B2B SaaS handling sensitive data)
It may be less of a priority for very small teams that still configure everything manually in cloud consoles, although adopting IaC plus Checkov can be a powerful modernization step.
Key Takeaways
- Checkov is an open-source Infrastructure as Code security scanner that catches misconfigurations early.
- It supports a wide range of IaC formats and integrates seamlessly into local development and CI/CD pipelines.
- The policy library and custom rules allow startups to codify security standards without a full security team.
- For more advanced use cases, the Bridgecrew / Prisma Cloud platform adds dashboards, compliance views, and remediation workflows.
- For growth-oriented startups building on cloud infrastructure, Checkov is a practical, low-friction way to raise the bar on security from day one.
URL for Start Using
You can start using Checkov from its official repository and documentation:
