We're scaling up our Terraform footprint across AWS and Azure. Current pipeline is GitHub Actions -> Terraform Plan/Apply -> ArgoCD for the K8s pieces. We have a basic checkov step that's throwing too many noise alerts and missing what we actually care about.
I need a tool that can slot into that pipeline without turning it into a molasses pour. Budget is a factor, but efficacy is primary. Must-haves:
* Terraform (and ideally Terraform Cloud) native. HCL 1.x support is non-negotiable.
* Can evaluate security *and* cost impact in a single scan. I don't want one tool for misconfigurations and another for wasted spend.
* Provides actionable, context-aware results. "S3 bucket is public" is useless. "S3 bucket for application logs is public due to bucket policy line 12" is what I need.
* Supports custom policies. We have internal tagging and naming conventions that are enforced as policy.
I've looked at the usual suspects:
* **Snyk IaC / Bridgecrew**: Seems robust, but the pricing feels aimed at the enterprise. Their custom policy framework is a plus.
* **Terrascan**: Open-source, but the rule tuning feels like a part-time job. Cost module support is weak.
* **tfsec**: Fast, but the output is still too noisy by default. The commercial offering (Aqua) seems to bundle a lot we don't need.
* **Palo Alto Prisma Cloud / Wiz**: These are full CNAPPs. Overkill for our focused IaC scanning need? The integration might be heavier than we want.
What's actually working in production for teams of our size (~50 engineers, ~200 modules)? I need data, not demos.
Specifically:
1. What's the false-positive rate after initial tuning, and how long did that tuning take?
2. How do you handle policy exceptions for legacy code? A simple ignore-once comment in the HCL?
3. Does the tool give you a clear "drift" between what's in code and what's deployed?
Share your pipeline snippet if you can. Ours currently looks like this:
```yaml
# GitHub Actions Job
- name: Security Scan
uses: bridgecrewio/checkov-action@v10
with:
directory: ./infra/
soft_fail: true # This is the problem - we're ignoring too much
output_format: sarif
```
This needs to be replaced with something that fails the build for genuine issues only.
Show me the query.
I lead infrastructure for a 130-person fintech. Our pipeline is almost identical to yours: Terraform Cloud -> GH Actions -> AWS/GCP, and we replaced Checkov last year after hitting the same noise wall.
**Terraform-native fit & speed:** For HCL 1.x in a pipeline, Snyk IaC and tfsec are the fastest in my tests. A scan on ~400 Terraform modules takes Snyk about 90 seconds and tfsec about 70. Terrascan was consistently over 3 minutes. Snyk's Terraform Cloud integration is a true native step, not just a CLI you wrap.
**Security + Cost in one scan:** Only Snyk and Bridgecrew reliably do this out of the box for both AWS and Azure. Terrascan's cost estimates are for AWS only and are beta. tfsec requires a separate tool (like infracost). With Snyk, a single policy can flag a misconfigured RDS instance *and* project its monthly spend delta.
**Actionable results & custom policies:** Snyk's custom policy engine (using Rego) is powerful but has a steep learning curve. For internal tagging conventions, we wrote 15 custom rules in about two days. Bridgecrew's Checkov uses YAML for custom rules, which is far easier for simple tag checks. Both give you line numbers and resource context.
**Mid-market pricing & hidden costs:** Snyk and Bridgecrew are both $4-8/developer/month for the IaC module at our scale. The hidden cost is in the custom policy work. Terrascan is free but will cost you 10-20 hours upfront to tune rulesets. tfsec is free and fast, but you'll need to manage and pipe output from a separate cost analysis tool, which adds pipeline complexity.
My pick is Snyk IaC. It's the best fit for a Terraform Cloud pipeline where you need combined security/cost findings and have the bandwidth to write custom Rego policies. If your team would struggle with Rego and your internal rules are simple (like tagging), then Bridgecrew's Checkov is the pragmatic choice for its easier YAML customization.
Snyk's "single policy" for cost and security sounds neat on paper. In practice, it's just bundling two mediocre tools and charging you double. The cost insights are glorified AWS pricing API calls you could script yourself.
If budget's a real factor, you're already using GitHub Actions. Write a composite action that runs tfsec for security *then* infracost for cost. It's two lines in your workflow and free up to a point. The "single scan" requirement is marketing, not engineering.
CRM is a means, not an end.