The artifact scanner and the AWS reviewer
Trivy brings a lot of open-source security into one tool: vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, secrets, SBOMs and licenses across container images, repositories and IaC. audytx does one thing instead. It goes deep on AWS Terraform and CloudFormation, maps how your resources relate, and explains each finding it sets aside. The two cover different ground.
audytx vs Trivy at a glance
What each tool is for, and how each handles a finding that does not apply to your setup.
| Dimension | audytx | Trivy |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | AWS only: Terraform and CloudFormation, reasoned about across resources | vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, secrets, SBOMs and licenses; images, filesystems, repositories and more |
| IaC formats | Terraform and CloudFormation (JSON, YAML, SAM, CDK output) | Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, Dockerfile, Azure ARM, Helm |
| Findings that do not apply | set aside by context, listed with the reason | ignore files: .trivyignore and .trivyignore.yaml |
| Delivery | GitHub App and hosted MCP server | the trivy command, for example trivy fs |
| Design center | AWS depth over one cloud | breadth across artifact types |
Trivy facts are from its repository README and its documentation (IaC coverage, filtering), checked 2026-10-01. tfsec's README says its scanning effort moved to Trivy — see the tfsec page.
Run them where each is strongest
audytx — on the AWS infrastructure PR
- Reviews each pull request as a GitHub App: a summary comment, inline annotations, SARIF to Code Scanning
- IAM privilege-escalation and role-chain checks across resources
- Every set-aside finding is listed with its rationale
- Hosted MCP server: your coding agent gets a review before the PR exists
Trivy — on the artifacts
- Container images, filesystems, git repositories and VM images
- Known vulnerabilities (CVEs), SBOMs, secrets and software licenses
- IaC misconfigurations alongside the rest
- Open source under the Apache-2.0 license
A simple combined pipeline: Trivy on image builds and dependencies, audytx on the infrastructure pull request. For a neutral overview of the wider market, see the Checkov vs Trivy field guide.
CloudFormation
Both tools scan CloudFormation. audytx's own CloudFormation results are on the CloudFormation benchmark; for a cfn-nag user, see audytx vs cfn-nag.
Frequently asked questions
Is audytx a Trivy alternative?
For AWS Terraform and CloudFormation review it can be. For containers, images and SBOMs, Trivy is the right tool and audytx does not compete there; run them together.
Should I run audytx and Trivy together?
Yes, for many teams. Trivy covers container images and dependencies; audytx reviews the AWS Terraform and CloudFormation pull requests. The two are independent and do not change each other's output.
Add the AWS reviewer next to your artifact scanner
Install the GitHub App and audytx reviews your next pull request. The Free plan includes 100 scans a month.