# Gitleaks

> MIT secret scanner for git/dirs/stdin; CLI free, org Action needs free key

**Category:** DevOps  
**Pricing:** open-source  
**URL:** https://gitleaks.io  
**GitHub:** https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks  
**Added:** 2026-09-04

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## The Hook

Gitleaks is the regex-first secrets detector when Trivy secrets are one of many scanners and you want git-history depth.

## What's Good

MIT CLI. Scan git history, directories, stdin. Pre-commit hook + GitHub Action. Huge rule set for API keys/tokens. No SaaS seat tax on the binary. ~29k stars, battle-tested in CI.

## The Catch

LOUD: maintainer marks feature-complete (security patches; focus shifting to Betterleaks). Official Action for GitHub org repos needs a free license key from gitleaks.io — personal accounts exempt. Not a full ASVS/SAST suite. False positives need allowlists.

## Verdict

MIT secrets CLI. Free forever; org Action wants free license key.