Open-source secret scanner (CLI/CI)
Trust vs Gitleaks
Gitleaks is the gold-standard open-source secret scanner. Trust adds SAST, dependency CVEs, and live-URL scanning. See where each fits, then run a free Trust scan.
Gitleaks is a fast, MIT-licensed open-source CLI that finds hardcoded secrets like API keys, tokens, and passwords in git history, files, and diffs. It is excellent at that one job and runs entirely on your machine or CI with no signup. Its maintainer has declared it feature-complete, so it deliberately does not do code analysis, dependency scanning, or live-site testing.
Trust vs Gitleaks, feature by feature
| Capability | Trust | Gitleaks |
|---|---|---|
| Live-URL scan (DAST)Gitleaks scans repos and files, not running sites. | ||
| Secret detectionGitleaks core strength; deep git-history coverage. | ||
| Code analysis (SAST)Out of scope by design. | ||
| Dependency / SCA (CVEs)Gitleaks does not check dependencies. | ||
| Genuinely free tierGitleaks is fully free and MIT-licensed. | ||
| No-signup scanRuns locally, no account needed. | ||
| AI fix suggestionsGitleaks reports findings only. | ||
| MCP / AI-IDE integrationCLI/CI tool, no MCP. |
Where Trust is the better call
- Broader coverage in one place: secrets plus SAST plus dependency CVEs plus live-URL DAST, where Gitleaks does secrets only.
- Scans both your repo and your deployed site, so you catch runtime issues Gitleaks was never built to see.
- No CLI or config file to learn: paste a URL or connect a repo in the browser and get results.
- AI fix suggestions and MCP integration (Cursor, Claude Code) turn findings into fixes right in your editor.
See what Trust finds that Gitleaks doesn't — free
Paste a URL or connect a GitHub repo. No signup, results in about a minute.
Run a free scan →When Gitleaks is the better call
- Free and MIT-licensed forever, with source you can read, fork, and self-host with zero vendor lock-in.
- Drop-in pre-commit hook stops secrets before they ever land in a commit, which a hosted scan cannot.
- Runs fully offline and never phones home, ideal for air-gapped or privacy-strict environments.
- Blazing fast on diffs and deep git history, and best-in-class at the one thing it does: finding secrets.
Bottom line
If all you need is a fast, free, self-hosted secret scanner wired into pre-commit and CI, Gitleaks is a fantastic, honest choice, and you should use it. Trust is for when you also want SAST, dependency CVEs, and live-site scanning in one place, with AI fixes and no CLI setup, and many teams happily run both.
Learn more about Gitleaks at their site.
Other comparisons
- Trust vs SnykEnterprise SCA + code security platform
- Trust vs SemgrepSAST rules engine + supply chain (static analysis)
- Trust vs VeracodeEnterprise AppSec / compliance platform