Snyk
Developer-first security platform that finds and fixes vulnerabilities in code, open-source dependencies, containers, and infrastructure as code.
Use Cases
Free Tier
200 SCA tests, 100 SAST tests, 300 IaC tests, 100 container tests per month
How to Maximize the Free Tier
Start with the Free plan — no credit card needed. Focus your 200 monthly SCA tests on your most actively-maintained repositories. Use the CLI (`snyk test`) in CI to scan on every PR instead of manually. Prioritize Snyk Code (SAST) for your own application code — the 100 tests/month are enough for a small-to-medium codebase scanned weekly. Enable GitHub integration for automatic PR checks. If you hit the test limit mid-month, defer lower-priority scans to the first of next month when credits reset.
Getting Started
Sign up at snyk.io → install the CLI (`npm i -g snyk`) → run `snyk auth` to authenticate → run `snyk test` in your project directory → connect your GitHub/GitLab repo for automatic PR monitoring → review the Snyk dashboard for vulnerability details and fix recommendations.
Pros
- Multi-vector scanning: Covers open source (SCA), custom code (SAST), containers, and IaC in one platform — no need for separate security tools
- Developer-first UX: IDE plugins for VS Code/JetBrains show vulnerabilities inline, and PR checks block merges on critical issues
- Fix guidance: Every vulnerability comes with actionable fix advice — auto-upgrade, patch, or alternative package suggestions
Cons
- Monthly test caps: Free tier limits (200 SCA, 100 SAST) run out fast on active monorepos — you'll need to prioritize which repos to scan
- No custom rules on free: Custom security rules and risk-based prioritization require the Ignite plan ($1,260/year)
- False positives: SAST scanning can produce noisy results on dynamically-typed languages — requires tuning to reduce alert fatigue