The adoption of agile DevOps, proliferation of open-source software, and shift to cloud-native architectures have expanded Application Security Testing (AST) beyond code to secure software supply chains and cloud infrastructures. When considering options to secure modern cloud-native applications, Snky and Aikido are two options that aim to address diverse and expanding security layers. While both tools aim to improve security throughout the software lifecycle, they cater to different aspects of security and work in distinct ways. This comparison explores their key differences, strengths, and weaknesses to help you decide which solution fits your team’s needs best.
For enterprises requiring a complete solution that combines superior AST scanning capabilities (including SAST, SCA, Secrets, and cloud-native infrastructure) with integrations and platform extensibility to secure cloud-native applications in runtime, read on to the end to learn why Cydode’s Complete Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) platform may be the best Snyk and Aikido alternative or complement for your needs.
What is Snyk?
Snyk is a developer-first security platform designed to integrate security into developer workflows. Initially focused on Software Composition Analysis (SCA) for identifying vulnerabilities in open-source dependencies, Snyk has expanded to include scanning for code, container images, infrastructure as code (IaC), and more.Â
Snyk’s emphasis on developer workflows and “shift-left” security has led to wide adoption among agile DevOps teams.
What is Aikido?
Aikido is a cloud-native security platform designed to secure both application code and cloud infrastructure layers. It provides visibility into cloud environments, identifying vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and potential threats across cloud workloads, networks, and configurations.Â
Aikido’s coverage of the cloud-native application lifecycle from development to runtime monitoring and protection appeals to lean security teams looking to manage application and cloud security in a single platform.
What is Cycode?
Cycode is a Complete Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) platform. It combines native application security testing (SAST, SCA, IaC, and Container) and pipeline security scanning (Secrets, Code Leak Detection, CI/CD) with extensive third-party integrations, deep risk intelligence (including exposure path analysis and owner mapping), and automated remediation to shorten the lifecycle of high-risk vulnerabilities at scale.
For enterprises managing risk across complex environments, Cycode consolidates and supplements security tools to deliver more resilience and a lower cost of ownership.
Key Features of Snyk
Snyk’s strength lies in its developer-first approach. It integrates well with IDEs, CI/CD pipelines, and repositories to provide fast feedback to developers. This makes it well-suited for organizations looking for an agile security solution with a good developer experience.
- Dependency scanning: Identifies vulnerabilities in open-source libraries and dependencies, helping teams proactively address risks.
- Developer-friendly integrations: Embeds security seamlessly into developer workflows, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum adoption.
- Fast feedback: Delivers actionable insights in real-time, enabling developers to fix vulnerabilities faster and more efficiently.
- Container and IaC security: Analyzes container images and infrastructure configurations to secure the entire development environment.
Key Features of Aikido
Aikido offers cloud-native security with visibility into cloud infrastructures across multiple platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP. Its strengths lie in its ability to proactively identify risks, prioritize threats based on severity, and secure both cloud infrastructure and applications.
- Cloud-Native Security: Aikido focuses on securing cloud-native environments, offering monitoring and vulnerability detection across cloud infrastructures such as AWS, Azure, and GCP.
- Vulnerability Management: Aikido provides visibility into vulnerabilities within applications and cloud infrastructure.
- Threat Intelligence: Aikido offers threat intelligence capabilities, allowing security teams to stay ahead of emerging risks and mitigate them proactively.
- Comprehensive Cloud Coverage: From workload security to cloud configuration auditing, Aikido helps teams secure the many layers of their cloud applications.
Key Features of Cycode
Cycode’s strengths lie in its high-quality native AST and pipeline security suite augmented by extensive integrations with third-party scanners and SDLC tools. This unifies visibility and taps into deep context to power risk-based prioritization and rapid remediation of software vulnerabilities at scale.
- Proprietary Pipeline & AST Scanning: Secure code, software supply chains, and pipelines including detection of exposed secrets across all developer tools
- Third-Party Integration: Unified visibility, prioritization, and remediation across any security ecosystem via ConnectorX
- Risk Intelligence Graph & Change Impact Analysis: Risk-based prioritization with exposure path analysis and proactive assessment of every code change
- Developer Experience: Accurate detection, risk prioritization, and AI assistance in developer workflows equals fewer tasks, faster fixes, and less effortÂ
Snyk vs Aikido vs Cycode: 3 Key Differences
- Security Focus and Scope:
- Snyk: Primarily focuses on securing the application layer, including dependencies, containers, and IaC. It’s well-suited to teams looking to integrate security early in the software development process (shift-left security).
- Aikido: Offers broader cloud-native security, focusing on securing both the cloud infrastructure and the applications running on top of it. Aikido provides deep visibility into the entire cloud environment, from workloads to network configurations, but has less maturity and depth for application security.
- Cycode: Combines AST, supply chain, and pipeline security with third-party extensibility and deep insights into the SDLC ecosystem to prioritize the riskiest vulnerabilities and help developers and security teams fix what matters faster.
- Integrations and Primary Target Audience:
- Snyk: Built to integrate into developer workflows, with plugins and integrations for IDEs, version control systems, and CI/CD pipelines. It helps developers identify and fix vulnerabilities directly within their workflow.
- Aikido: Aikido is more tailored to security operations teams and cloud architects. It is focused on providing visibility across cloud infrastructure rather than direct integration into the developer’s daily tools.
- Cycode: Optimizes both security and developer workflows. Proprietary scanners and third-party connectors provide security teams with unified visibility and control over application risk. Risk-based prioritization, workflow automation, and AI fix suggestions in developer workflows mean fewer security tasks and faster remediation.
- Cloud Security vs Application Security:
- Snyk: Specializes in securing the application layer, with comprehensive tools for dependency scanning, container security, and IaC security. It’s suited to teams prioritizing secure development practices across the entire application lifecycle.
- Aikido: Specializes in securing cloud-native environments, providing in-depth monitoring of cloud configurations, workloads, and infrastructure security. It’s suited to teams looking to ensure security at the infrastructure level, in addition to application security.
- Cycode: Specializes in risk reduction across all application layers: code, software supply chain, cloud infrastructure, and CI/CD integrity. It’s suited to enterprises modernizing to a risk-based approach to manage the end-to-end application lifecycle.
Snyk Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Integration with Developer Tools: Snyk embeds security checks directly into developers’ existing workflows, such as IDEs and CI/CD pipelines, enabling seamless adoption and minimal disruption.
- Vulnerability Detection: Provides immediate feedback and actionable solutions, empowering developers to identify and fix vulnerabilities early in the software development lifecycle.
- Ease of Use: Snyk’s intuitive interface and straightforward setup allow teams to onboard quickly, focusing on core development tasks without steep learning curves.
- Strong Support for Open-Source Security: Specializes in dependency analysis, ensuring teams can proactively manage risks in their software supply chain.
Cons:
- Limited Cloud Infrastructure Security: While Snyk excels at application security, it doesn’t offer the in-depth cloud infrastructure security capabilities that Aikido provides.
- Less Focus on Cloud Visibility: Snyk’s tools are focused on securing applications and containers rather than providing full visibility into cloud configurations and infrastructure.
- Limited extensibility and visibility: Snyk’s lack of certain scan types and limited integrations with third-party scanners require additional tools to unify visibility and cover gaps in vulnerability detection.
Aikido Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Cloud Security: Aikido offers a robust suite of tools for securing cloud-native environments, including workload protection, cloud configuration auditing, and threat intelligence.
- Vulnerability Management: Aikido offers end-to-end security, providing visibility into both application code and cloud infrastructure.
- Threat Intelligence: Aikido helps teams identify emerging threats and vulnerabilities, offering proactive risk mitigation.
- Cloud-Scale Security: Designed for teams with complex cloud environments, Aikido scales easily across multiple cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
Cons:
- Lack of Specialized Application Security: While it provides some application security features, Aikido is not as specialized in dependency management or developer-centric vulnerability scanning as platforms like Snyk.
- Developer Workflow Limitations: Aikido does not integrate deeply with developer tools like IDEs or CI/CD pipelines, making it less suitable for developer-first teams focused on “shift-left” security practices.
- Reliance on Open-Source Scanners: Aikido uses open-source scanners under the hood limiting the depth, stability, and differentiation of its vulnerability detection. Aikido’s scanners do not provide the same level of proprietary innovation or advanced capabilities as fully custom-built solutions.
- Closed Ecosystem with Limited Integrations: Aikido offers a limited set of scanners built on open source and has few to no integrations with third-party scanners and tools. This hinders teams seeking to unify security data across multiple platforms or leverage specialized best-in-class solutions.
Cycode: The Best Alternative to Snyk and Aikdio
Both Snyk and Aikido provide valuable security capabilities, but they approach cloud-native application security from different perspectives, each with limitations. Snyk excels at developer-friendly application security but lacks comprehensive cloud security and runtime protection. Aikido focuses more on cloud infrastructure vulnerability management and protection, but its reliance on open-source scanners, closed ecosystem, and limited integrations with third-party tools hinder organizations looking for more flexible and mature capabilities.Â
Cycode’s Complete Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) solution bridges the gaps between application and cloud security by combining superior AST scanners and developer experience with an extensible platform that integrates with cloud security tools. Highlights include:
- Comprehensive AST coverage: Stop code risk before it starts and deliver safe code faster. Cycode’s proprietary scanners – including SAST, SCA, Secrets, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Container, Source Code Leakage, and CI/CD posture – empower you to secure your code, software supply chain, and cloud-native infrastructure.
- Complete ASPM platform: Save developers time and fix what matters faster. Beyond its suite of proprietary scanners, Cycode unifies data from over 100 third-party security tools – including leading cloud security tools – and leverages its Risk Intelligence Graph (RIG) to distill millions of findings into the few most critical risks. Cycode maps those risks to root causes and owners and automates workflows to simplify AppSec complexity, power risk-based prioritization, and accelerate remediation.
- Lower total cost of ownership: Identify tool overlaps, consolidate, and build the foundation for your future-fit security program. Cycode delivers a complete solution that empowers enterprise customers to adapt and optimize their security ecosystems for today and tomorrow.Â
Learn more about Cycode’s AST capabilities or get a demo to explore the full solution.Â