Key Features
Code Security
Scans code for security vulnerabilities in real time — integrates into IDE, CI/CD and pull requests to catch issues early.
Dependency Scanning
Identifies vulnerabilities in open-source dependencies with fix recommendations — covers npm, pip, Maven, Go and more.
Container Security
Scans Docker images and Kubernetes configs for vulnerabilities — secures your container supply chain.
IaC Security
Scans Terraform, CloudFormation and Kubernetes manifests for misconfigurations before deployment.
Auto-Fix PRs
Automatically opens pull requests to fix known vulnerabilities — reduces the manual effort of patching dependencies.
IDE Integration
VS Code, IntelliJ and JetBrains plugins surface vulnerabilities as you write code — shift security left.
Pros & Cons
What we like
Developer-friendly — built for devs not just security teams
Free plan is genuinely capable for open-source projects
Auto-fix PRs reduce time to remediation significantly
Covers the full stack — code, dependencies, containers and IaC
Integrates with GitHub, GitLab, CI/CD and IDEs
Large vulnerability database with accurate severity ratings
Watch out for
Per-user pricing adds up for large engineering teams
Some false positives require manual triage
Advanced features require Business or Enterprise plan
Container scanning can be slow on large images
Best Alternatives
GitHub Copilot
AI code completion — pairs well with Snyk for secure code generation
Cursor
AI code editor — use alongside Snyk for secure development
SonarQube
Competing code quality and security scanner — more focused on code quality
Checkov
Free open-source IaC security scanner — alternative for infrastructure scanning
Frequently Asked Questions
Snyk has a free plan for individual developers and open-source projects that includes unlimited tests for open-source vulnerabilities, container scanning and IaC scanning with limited results. Team and Business plans from $25/user/month add more test limits, reporting and policy controls.
Snyk scans four areas: application code (SAST), open-source dependencies (SCA), container images and Kubernetes configs, and infrastructure as code (Terraform, CloudFormation). This covers the majority of modern application security risks across the development lifecycle.
Snyk focuses on security vulnerabilities — it's better for finding CVEs in dependencies and containers. SonarQube focuses on code quality alongside security — better for enforcing coding standards, detecting code smells and maintaining overall code health. Many teams use both: Snyk for security, SonarQube for quality.