13 Best DevSecOps Tools: 2025’s Best Open-Source Options Sorted by Use Case

In the past, security was often treated as a late-stage addition in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) — primarily as a safeguard to protect software and its underlying infrastructure. However, with development teams shifting to shorter, more frequent iterations of applications, DevSecOps rose to the fore to become a widespread and ongoing practice for ensuring that applications are secure and resilient earlier. 

We’re comparing the features of 13 top DevSecOps tools that cover a range of capabilities, including static and dynamic application security testing (SAST/DAST), software composition analysis (SCA), infrastructure as code (IaC) security, and more.

DevSecOps Tools: Overview and Key Features

DevSecOps tools aren’t their own product. They’re an entire suite of tools that are designed to:

1. Enhance security
2. Integrate into DevOps workflows

However, there are many types of security issues and multiple stages of the SDLC. Regardless of their function, the basic strategy remains the same: by embedding security at every development stage, from code and build to test, deployment, and runtime, these tools all proactively mitigate risks and optimize security management. Ideally, the shift-left approach ensures applications stay secure without impeding innovation.

DevSecOps Tool Functions

DevSecOps tooling encompasses myriad functions across multiple layers and phases of the SDLC, from static code analysis to container security and compliance automation. Here’s a quick overview of different types of DevSecOps tools and their functions.

• Code Security: Uses static application security testing (SAST) 
• Open-Source Security: Leverages software composition analysis (SCA)
• Secrets Management: Detects hardcoded API keys, passwords, and other sensitive credentials within repositories
• CI/CD Pipeline Security: Secures the pipeline so only safe code and artifacts pass through
• Infrastructure Security: Scans Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) configurations
• Supply Chain Security: Verifies software dependencies 
• Compliance and Security Policy Enforcement: Automate compliance checks within DevSecOps workflows
• Container and Kubernetes Security Tools: Secures containerized applications before they go live

Essential DevSecOps Tools for 2025

The DevSecOps tools listed below were chosen for their widespread adoption among DevOps and security teams and the unique features that set them apart from their peers. And while there are multiple categories of tools that may fall into “DevSecOps,” we’ve broken open-source management tools down by use case.

Best for DAST Testing for Applications

ZAP

The Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is an open-source web app and security scanner maintained by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). OWASP ZAP scans all web requests between servers and browsers to monitor for malicious elements and is a community-based GitHub Top 1000 project, which has undoubtedly helped it become the world’s most widely used web app scanner. It’s actively maintained, regularly updated, and has one-click scanning that’s simple to conduct, so even newcomers to DevSecOps can scan their running web applications for security vulnerabilities like XSS, SQL injection, broken authentication, and misconfigurations.

Best for SAST Testing

Semgrep

Semgrep is a fast, lightweight, and highly customizable testing tool for scanning source code for vulnerabilities and code quality. Unlike older SAST tools, it doesn’t require full builds, so it’s great for real-time incremental scanning in CI/CD pipelines. Further, with pre-built and community-driven security rules, it supports multiple programming languages. It also integrates easily into DevSecOps workflows, with low-noise results delivered as a simple command-line interface (CLI) tool in various pipeline systems. 

Best SCA Tool 

Trivy

Trivy wins in the SCA category because it scans open-source dependencies, containers, and infrastructure configurations for vulnerabilities — all in one tool. It has an easy-to-use CLI, supports multiple package managers, and integrates with CI/CD pipelines easily. Compared to OWASP Dependency-Check, Trivy has faster scanning and better vulnerability coverage, making it the best open-source alternative to commercial SCA tools.

Best Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) Tool

Checkov

Checkov is the best IaC security tool because it provides deep scanning for Terraform, Kubernetes, CloudFormation, and other infrastructure code, detecting misconfigurations before deployment. It’s lightweight, integrates easily into DevOps pipelines, and enforces cloud security policies automatically for a less obtrusive experience. And Checkov stands out for its policy-as-code approach, so teams can enforce security rules in a scalable way.

Best API Security Tool

Kiterunner

Kiterunner is an open-source API fuzzer designed to input unexpected data into APIs to detect hidden misconfigurations and security flaws. It’s great for finding unprotected or undocumented API calls in DevSecOps testing pipelines. Most open-source API scanners only test known endpoints, but Kiterunner uses API wordlists to discover hidden endpoints that attackers could exploit, making it the top pick.

Best Container and Kubernetes Security Tool

Trivy

Trivy provides fast, accurate scanning of container images, Kubernetes clusters, and cloud environments. Unlike older tools like Clair, which scans the OS layer, Trivy covers both OS package vulnerabilities and application dependencies in one scan and supports package managers like npm, pip, and Maven. It also integrates into CI/CD pipelines for DevSecOps workflows.

Best Secrets Detection Tool

GitLeaks

GitLeaks prevents hardcoded secrets in repositories by scanning Git history and pre-commit hooks for exposed API keys and passwords. It’s lightweight, fast, and can be used in automated CI/CD pipelines to block commits containing secrets before they reach production. Further, compared to other open-source tools like TruffleHog, GitLeaks has better customization options like custom regex patterns and fine-tuned allowlists for secret types.

Best Compliance and Continuous Monitoring Tool

OpenSCAP

OpenSCAP helps teams enforce compliance standards like CIS benchmarks, NIST, and PCI DSS by scanning systems, containers, and cloud environments against security baselines. But unlike other open-source compliance tools, OpenSCAP is backed by Red Hat and the security community, making it widely used in enterprise security automation. That benefit alone means OpenSCAP is the compliance tool of choice for Linux distributions RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora. It frequently updates its benchmarks, supporting industry standards like CIS benchmarks without customizations.

Best Tool for Cloud Security and Governance

Prowler

Prowler is an AWS-focused security scanner that detects misconfigurations across cloud accounts, IAM roles, networking, and storage. Unlike broader CSPM tools, Prowler is a lightweight standalone security solution. It’s also CLI-based, and can be easily integrated into DevSecOps pipelines to ensure cloud security policies are enforced before deployment. Prowler is purpose-built for AWS security compliance with over 300+ checks based on CIS benchmarks, GDPR, NIST, and SOC 2.

Best for Supply Chain Security

Sigstore

Sigstore is an open-source software signing and verification framework that ensures supply chain integrity by cryptographically verifying software artifacts (code, dependencies, and containers). It prevents dependency hijacking and build tampering. Unlike traditional SCA tools, Sigstore protects the entire software lifecycle, making it one of the most promising open-source supply chain security tools in DevSecOps.

Best for Zero Trust and Identity Security

Keycloak

Keycloak is a versatile open-source identity and access management (IAM) solution that enables secure authentication, SSO, and RBAC enforcement for DevSecOps workflows. It integrates with GitHub, GitLab, AWS, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines to control access and enforce security policies. Unlike proprietary IAM solutions, Keycloak is self-hostable, and it integrates with OAuth, OpenID, and LDAP.

Best for Insider Threat Detection and a Secure DevOps Pipeline

Legitify

Legitify is an open-source Git security scanner to identify security threats in Git repositories. Whether it’s insecure repo settings, overly permissive access controls, or risky GitHub Actions, Legitify helps teams enforce security best practices automatically — instead of relying on manual audits. And because it’s built for Git repositories and CI/CD workflows, it outshines the competition, with tight integrations with GitHub actions and continuous monitoring of repo security configurations. 

Best for Incident Response and Continuous Threat Scanning

Infection Monkey

Instead of waiting for an attack, Infection Monkey helps DevSecOps teams test defenses proactively, making it a must-have for red-teaming workflows. It stands out in this category because it directly targets CI/CD security risks at the repository level, rather than focusing only on code vulnerabilities (Semgrep), secrets detection (GitLeaks, TruffleHog), or IaC security (Checkov).

Best for Compliance as Code and Continuous Auditing 

Chef InSpec

Chef InSpec is an open-source compliance-as-code framework that automates security and compliance checks across infrastructure, applications, and CI/CD pipelines. Unlike manual audits, Chef InSpec ensures continuous compliance monitoring without slowing down development, so teams get readable, test-driven policies that work across cloud, containers, and infrastructure, with real-time compliance enforcement.

Choosing the Right DevSecOps Tools for Your Organization

Have a complicated DevOps pipeline, multiple types of assets, and more than one use case? These teams may have to consider multiple factors to optimize their DevSecOps pipeline for security. Here’s where the “best” open-source solutions may not serve you best, and what to consider instead.

If You Need Application Security Testing (DAST & SAST)

Choose ZAP to scan live web applications for vulnerabilities like XSS and SQL injection. It’s best for automated and manual dynamic security testing.

However, consider Semgrep for fast, lightweight static code analysis in CI/CD without requiring full builds.

If You Need Open-Source & Dependency Security (SCA)

Choose Trivy for scanning third-party dependencies across codebases, containers, and infrastructure, as when working with containers and Kubernetes. It’s a fast, all-in-one scanner.

Choose Sigstore to cryptographically verify software artifacts, when teams need provenance tracking and to confirm software integrity before deployment.

If You Need Infrastructure & Cloud Security

Choose Checkov for IaC scanning of Terraform, Kubernetes, and cloud configurations before deployment.

Choose Prowler for AWS-specific misconfiguration scanning and CIS benchmark enforcement. Prowler audits live environments post-deployment, so it’s best for teams that don’t need build phase scanning.

If You Need Secure Development Pipelines & Governance

Choose GitLeaks to prevent hardcoded API keys and secrets from being committed to repositories. It prevents secret leaks by scanning code before it’s committed. 

Choose Legitify if you need Git repository security monitoring, ensuring safe repo configurations and CI/CD governance. It continuously monitors Git repository configurations and CI/CD workflows to enforce security best practices.

If You Need Compliance & Continuous Security Enforcement

Choose OpenSCAP for enterprise security baseline enforcement across systems and containers. It enforces predefined security baselines on systems and containers.

Choose Chef InSpec if you need compliance as code for continuous auditing in CI/CD pipelines. It provides flexible, code-driven compliance testing that integrates into the CI/CD pipeline for continuous auditing and more secure code from the start, making it straightforward for operations teams and developers to use across production environments and the entire development cycle.

Upwind Supports The DevSecOps Toolchain

Upwind’s cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) enables thorough DevSecOps implementation through comprehensive security monitoring and automated validation. By providing integrated vulnerability scanning, runtime and container protection integrated into the CI/CD pipeline, and compliance monitoring in a unified all in one place, Upwind helps organizations maintain a strong security posture with less complexity.

To see how it works, schedule a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How do you choose the right combination of DevSecOps tools? 

Selecting the right open-source DevSecOps tool means covering all SDLC phases and security layer without redundancy. What does that mean? It’s different for every organization, but here are some key rules to keep in mind:

• Cover All SDLC Phases: For example, use SAST (Semgrep) and SCA (Trivy) at the coding stage, DAST (ZAP) and IaC Security (Checkov) at testing, and Container & Cloud Security (Trivy, Prowler) at deployment.
• Secure Multiple Security Layers: Ensure code (Semgrep), dependencies (Trivy), infrastructure (Checkov), APIs (Kiterunner), cloud (Prowler), and CI/CD pipelines (Legitify) are all protected.
• Prioritize Automation & CI/CD Integration: Choose CLI-based and API-friendly tools that integrate with pipelines for continuous security enforcement.
• Avoid Tool Overlap: Pick one per category to prevent redundancy.

• Choose Based on Your Environment: AWS teams might use Prowler + Checkov, while Kubernetes users may prioritize Trivy + Kiterunner for workload and API security.
• Consider Compliance Needs: Use Chef InSpec or OpenSCAP if operating under regulatory frameworks like SOC 2, PCI DSS, or NIST.

What are the essential tools for CI/CD security? 

Securing CI/CD requires tools that scan code, secure dependencies, harden infrastructure, protect builds, and monitor cloud deployments without slowing down development. Further, a well-rounded CI/CD security stack should integrate seamlessly into build pipelines as well as automate security enforcement. That can include a suite of tools in multiple categories:

• Code & Dependency Security: Use Semgrep (SAST) for code scanning and Trivy (SCA) for open-source dependency security in build pipelines.
• Secrets & Credential Protection: Prevent exposed API keys and passwords with GitLeaks or TruffleHog in pre-commit and push stages.
• Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) Security: Ensure secure cloud deployments with Checkov (Terraform/Kubernetes scanning) or Prowler (AWS security checks) in CI/CD workflows.
• Container & Image Security: Scan Docker images pre-deployment using Trivy or Grype to detect vulnerabilities before reaching production.
• Application & API Security Testing: Automate ZAP (DAST) for web app security. Use Kiterunner for API fuzzing before deployment.
• CI/CD Pipeline Hardening: Use Legitify or OWASP Dependency-Track to monitor for misconfigurations and risks in GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins.
• Compliance & Security Enforcement: Enforce security benchmarks with Chef InSpec (Compliance as Code) or OpenSCAP for system-wide security validation.

How do you manage tool overlap and integration?

The number of tool categories and development phases to cover begs the question: when is enough enough? Using too many overlapping tools can create redundancy, inefficiencies, and integration headaches, yet poor integration can lead to security gaps. Here are key best practices to balance coverage with tool sprawl.

• Map Tools to SDLC Phases: Assign one tool per function in code (Semgrep, Trivy), build (Checkov, GitLeaks), test (ZAP, Kiterunner), and deploy (Trivy, Prowler) stages.
• Avoid Redundant Tools: Pick one per category (e.g., Checkov OR tfsec for IaC security, Trivy OR Clair for container security) to reduce duplication.
• Ensure CI/CD Integration: Use CLI-based and API-first tools that fit into pipelines (e.g., Trivy, Semgrep, Checkov, ZAP) for automated security enforcement.
• Centralize Security Findings: Send all security reports to a SIEM, security dashboard, or DevOps toolchain (e.g., OWASP Dependency-Track for SCA results).
• Standardize Policies & Automation: Enforce security as code with Checkov for IaC policies, Chef InSpec for compliance, and Legitify for Git security governance.
• Minimize Performance Overhead: Schedule full scans in non-blocking environments (e.g., daily Trivy image scans) while using lightweight SAST/SCA scans on commits.

How do you measure DevSecOps tool effectiveness?

The effectiveness of DevSecOps tools is measured by how well they identify, prevent, and automate security tasks without disrupting development. Here’s what to track: 

• Vulnerability Detection Accuracy: Measure false positives in SAST (Semgrep), SCA (Trivy), and DAST (ZAP) scans. A high false positive rate suggests noisy and less effective scanning.
• Coverage Across SDLC Phases: Make sure tools cover code (SAST/SCA), infrastructure (IaC security), runtime (container/cloud security), and compliance (Chef InSpec, OpenSCAP) without gaps.
• CI/CD Integration Success: Assess whether security tools run automatically in pipelines, provide fast feedback, and block insecure deployments only when necessary.
• Mean Time to Remediate (MTTR): Track how quickly teams resolve security findings from SAST, DAST, and infrastructure scans. Faster fixes indicate better tool usability.
• Security Drift Prevention: Use IaC security (Checkov, Prowler) and policy enforcement (Legitify) to monitor configuration drift and track compliance over time.
• Developer Adoption & Usability: Evaluate developer engagement with security tooling. If SAST tools like Semgrep are often ignored, the problem may lie with noisy tools.
• Reduction in Security Incidents: Measure how many vulnerabilities escape to production after implementing DevSecOps tools. Fewer escapes mean tools are effectively shifting security left.