CloudSploit vs ScoutSuite vs Prowler: Free CSPM Options in 2026

The Free CSPM Landscape in 2026

Three tools dominated the “free cloud security scanning” space from 2018-2023: CloudSploit, ScoutSuite, and Prowler. Teams setting up cloud security for the first time almost always evaluated these three.

In 2026, the landscape has changed significantly. This guide covers where each tool stands now, what they’re good for, and when you should consider alternatives.

ScoutSuite — Abandoned

Status: Last meaningful commit May 2024. Effectively dead.

ScoutSuite was created by NCC Group as a multi-cloud security auditing tool. It supported AWS, GCP, Azure, Alibaba Cloud, and Oracle Cloud with a clean HTML report output.

What Made It Good

Multi-cloud from the start
Simple: install, run, get HTML report
Self-hosted by nature (CLI tool)
~400 checks across providers

Why Teams Moved Away

No longer maintained — open issues pile up, no responses
Python dependency conflicts — aging dependency tree conflicts with modern Python
No new cloud service coverage — AWS services launched since 2024 aren’t covered
No compliance framework updates — CIS benchmarks have been updated multiple times since last release

Should You Still Use It?

No. Running unmaintained security tooling gives false confidence. Checks that haven’t been updated in 2+ years miss current attack patterns and don’t cover new services. Switch to Prowler (free) or Kloudle (production-grade).

CloudSploit — Minimal Maintenance

Status: Technically maintained by Aqua Security. Community edition receives infrequent updates. Energy has shifted to Aqua’s commercial platform.

CloudSploit was acquired by Aqua Security in 2019. The open-source version continues to exist on GitHub but receives minimal community attention.

What Made It Good

Multi-cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure, Oracle)
JavaScript-based (Node.js) — easier dependency management than Python tools
Plugin architecture for custom checks
Supported Oracle Cloud (unusual for free tools)

Current Limitations

Infrequent updates — commercial Aqua platform gets attention instead
Outdated checks — many checks reference deprecated AWS services or old API patterns
No compliance mapping — checks exist but aren’t mapped to current CIS/SOC2 framework versions
No community — pull requests sit unreviewed for months

Should You Still Use It?

Only if you need Oracle Cloud coverage and can’t justify paid tooling. For AWS, GCP, and Azure, Prowler provides better coverage with active maintenance.

Prowler — The Clear Winner in Free CSPM

Status: Actively maintained. Regular releases. Large community. Commercial SaaS product (Prowler Cloud) funds continued open-source development.

Prowler started as an AWS-only tool and expanded to GCP and Azure. It’s the de facto standard for free cloud security scanning.

Strengths

Active development — multiple releases per month
Large check library — 572+ checks across AWS, GCP, Azure
Compliance mapping — CIS, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, ENS
Multiple output formats — JSON, CSV, HTML, OCSF
Community — active GitHub, Discord, regular contributors
AWS depth — strongest AWS coverage of any free tool

Limitations

AWS-first heritage — GCP and Azure coverage significantly lags AWS
CLI only — no built-in UI (Prowler Cloud adds one, but that’s a paid product)
No scheduling — you set up cron/Lambda yourself
No DigitalOcean or Kubernetes — major gap for startups and container-first teams
No team management — single-user tool
Python dependency weight — large install footprint

Should You Use It?

Yes, if you need free cloud security scanning. Prowler is the only actively maintained option in this category. Start here, and evaluate paid tools when you need scheduling, UI, multi-cloud depth, or team features.

Feature Comparison Matrix

Feature	CloudSploit	ScoutSuite	Prowler	Kloudle
Status	Minimal updates	Abandoned	Active	Active
Last meaningful update	~2024	May 2024	Weekly	Weekly
AWS checks	~200	~200	~400	700+
GCP checks	~100	~100	~100	500+
Azure checks	~100	~80	~70	400+
DigitalOcean	No	No	No	150+
Kubernetes	No	No	No	140+
Oracle Cloud	Yes	Yes	No	No
Total checks	~400	~400	572	1,890
CIS mapping	Partial	Yes	Yes	Yes
SOC 2 mapping	No	No	Yes	Yes
Output format	JSON, CSV	HTML	JSON, CSV, HTML, OCSF	Dashboard + API
UI	No	HTML report	No (CLI)	Yes
Scheduled scans	No	No	No (DIY)	Yes
Sovereign/self-hosted	CLI	CLI	CLI	Yes (full product)
Team management	No	No	No	Yes
AI agent integration	No	No	No	MCP server
Pricing	Free	Free	Free / SaaS	$5K/year fixed

Migration Paths

From ScoutSuite to Prowler

Most ScoutSuite users switch to Prowler. The migration:

Install Prowler (pip install prowler)
Configure cloud credentials (same IAM roles work)
Run prowler aws / prowler gcp / prowler azure
Map your ScoutSuite report findings to Prowler output

The check libraries are different, so some ScoutSuite findings won’t have exact Prowler equivalents (and vice versa). Plan a validation period where you run both.

From ScoutSuite to Kloudle

If you valued ScoutSuite’s self-hosted nature:

Deploy Kloudle Sovereign (VM + PostgreSQL)
Connect the same cloud accounts
Run first scan — 1,890 checks vs ScoutSuite’s ~400
Use the dashboard instead of HTML reports

The sovereign deployment preserves ScoutSuite’s key property: data stays in your network.

From Prowler to Kloudle

Teams outgrow Prowler when they need scheduling, UI, DigitalOcean/Kubernetes coverage, or team management. The switch:

Connect the same cloud accounts to Kloudle
Run initial scan — compare findings with Prowler output
Set up scheduled scans (no more cron maintenance)
Onboard team members to the dashboard
Optionally keep Prowler for ad-hoc CLI checks

Verdict

In 2026, the free CSPM landscape is simple:

ScoutSuite — don’t use it. Abandoned.
CloudSploit — only if you specifically need Oracle Cloud. Otherwise skip.
Prowler — the clear choice for free cloud security scanning. Start here.
Kloudle — when you outgrow Prowler and need production CSPM (UI, scheduling, multi-cloud depth, sovereignty, fixed pricing).

Start Free with Kloudle → | ScoutSuite Migration Guide →