# git-secrets vs Gitleaks

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Gitleaks

| Attribute | git-secrets | Gitleaks |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 33.6 (63% (medium)) | 40.2 (43% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 0 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 42 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 13,413 | 29,885 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"git-secrets is an open-source command-line utility that integrates with Git as a pre-commit hook to detect and block attempts to commit secrets, API keys, and other sensitive credentials. It uses pattern matching to identify common secret formats and can be customized with additional patterns. It is indexed under Secrets Scanning.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"What is git-secrets?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"git-secrets is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"Is git-secrets free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"git-secrets supports Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"What platforms does git-secrets support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. git-secrets can be deployed on-premise, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"Can git-secrets be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. git-secrets is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/awslabs/git-secrets","question":"Is git-secrets open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"An open-source utility that automatically scans git repositories, individual files, and directories to identify secrets and sensitive credentials. It integrates with GitHub Actions to enable continuous secret scanning on pull requests and commits. It is indexed under Secrets Scanning.","source":"https://gitleaks.io","question":"What is Gitleaks?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Gitleaks is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://gitleaks.io","question":"Is Gitleaks free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Gitleaks supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://gitleaks.io","question":"What platforms does Gitleaks support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Gitleaks can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://gitleaks.io","question":"Can Gitleaks be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Gitleaks is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks","question":"Is Gitleaks open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Open source utility that scans commits for sensitive information like passwords and AWS keys, using configurable regex patterns and blocking commits that contain them before they reach the repository. | An open-source utility that automatically scans git repositories, individual files, and directories to identify secrets and sensitive credentials. It integrates with GitHub Actions to enable continuous secret scanning on pull requests and commits. |
| features.capabilities | `{"iso_27001":false,"soc2_type_ii":false,"pricing_model":"open_source","deployment_model":"local_cli_only","slack_teams_jira_scanning":false,"compliance_audit_reporting":false,"custom_regex_rules_support":true,"pre_commit_developer_hooks":true,"high_entropy_regex_detection":true,"automated_key_revocation_apis":false,"ci_cd_pipeline_build_blocking":false,"git_repository_historical_scanning":true}` | `{"pricing_model":"open_source","git_repository_historical_scanning":true}` |
| integrations.count | 2 | 1 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Git"},{"name":"pre-commit","native":true}]` | `[{"name":"GitHub"}]` |
| language.primary | Shell | Go |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://github.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-09-13T20:04:48.824Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Free and open-source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://gitleaks.io","retrievedAt":"2026-08-19T21:35:55.718Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | - | 13 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.30.1","date":"2026-03-21T02:17:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.30.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.30.0","date":"2025-11-26T16:31:23Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.30.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.29.1","date":"2025-11-19T21:18:33Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.29.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.29.0","date":"2025-11-04T21:42:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.29.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.28.0","date":"2025-07-20T16:18:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.28.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.27.2","date":"2025-06-09T00:35:40Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.27.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.27.1","date":"2025-06-08T01:59:23Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.27.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.27.0","date":"2025-06-01T16:36:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.27.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.26.0","date":"2025-05-12T21:03:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.26.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.25.1","date":"2025-04-30T13:51:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.25.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.25.0","date":"2025-04-29T14:53:48Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.25.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.24.3","date":"2025-04-11T14:27:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.24.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.24.2","date":"2025-03-22T12:08:54Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.24.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.24.0","date":"2025-02-20T02:11:45Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.24.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.23.3","date":"2025-01-29T14:46:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.23.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.23.2","date":"2025-01-24T14:25:35Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.23.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.23.1","date":"2025-01-15T12:51:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.23.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.23.0","date":"2025-01-13T15:04:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.23.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.22.1","date":"2024-12-30T16:25:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.22.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/tag/v8.22.0","date":"2024-12-20T16:12:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v8.22.0"}]` |
| security.scorecard | 5 | - |
| security.trust_center | https://github.com/security | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=homebrew&package_name=git-secrets&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=debian&package_name=gitleaks&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Secrets Scanning)

| Capability | git-secrets | Gitleaks |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Deployment model | Local CLI only | - |
| Git repository historical scanning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pre commit developer hooks | ✓ | - |
| Active token validation engine | - | - |
| High entropy regex detection | ✓ | - |
| Slack teams jira scanning | ✗ | - |
| Automated key revocation apis | ✗ | - |
| Custom regex rules support | ✓ | - |
| Ci cd pipeline build blocking | ✗ | - |
| Compliance audit reporting | ✗ | - |
| SOC2 type ii | ✗ | - |
| ISO 27001 | ✗ | - |
| Pricing model | Open source | Open source |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:14:55.559Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*