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Cybersecurity · head to head

Arnica vs RecDesk

Arnica logo

Arnica

Cybersecurity

AI-native application security platform detecting and fixing vulnerabilities across the SDLC

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
RecDesk logo

RecDesk

Government

Parks and recreation management for municipalities with published annual pricing and no per-seat fee

From
$3835/year
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Arnica has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Arnica per-identity pricing ($25-$50/person/year) requires tracking active developers; RecDesk scope is recreation only, so a municipality wanting parks asset management, work orders or wider permitting must buy and integrate a second system.
  • They diverge on capability: Arnica covers AI SAST, RecDesk covers Activity registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arnica and RecDesk actually diverge.

Attributes where Arnica and RecDesk differ
AttributeArnicaRecDesk
Starting priceFree$3835/year
Pricing modelPer-identity subscription with annual discountPer year, all inclusive with unlimited users
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, GitHub, IDEWeb
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Arnica

  • AI SAST
  • Software Composition Analysis
  • Secrets detection
  • IaC scanning
  • Container scanning
  • SBOM generation
  • Agentic rules
  • Pipelineless integration

Only in RecDesk

  • Activity registration
  • Facility reservations
  • Memberships and passes
  • League scheduling
  • Resident portal
  • Unlimited users
  • Financial reporting
  • Premium integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arnica

  • Detecting AI-generated vulnerabilities in Copilot and Cursor suggestionsnot RecDesk
  • Finding hardcoded secrets before they reach productionnot RecDesk
  • Mapping container vulnerabilities back to source codenot RecDesk
  • Generating SBOM for supply chain compliance requirementsnot RecDesk
  • Scanning infrastructure-as-code for misconfiguration risksnot RecDesk

RecDesk

  • A town recreation director who needs a budget number for next year without running a procurement to get a quotenot Arnica
  • A department with a dozen seasonal part-time staff who would each cost a seat on per-user municipal softwarenot Arnica
  • A small city replacing paper facility permits and phone registrations with an online resident portalnot Arnica
  • A recreation district running summer camps, pool passes and youth leagues on one household accountnot Arnica

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Arnica

  • Per-identity pricing ($25-$50/person/year) requires tracking active developers
  • Overage identity tracking via 90-day PR activity can be unpredictable
  • Free plan limited to weekly updates, requiring upgrade for real-time scanning
  • Advanced add-ons (Image Scanning, AI SAST, Agentic Rules Enforcer) pricing not published
  • On-premises deployment limited to Enterprise tier

RecDesk

  • Scope is recreation only, so a municipality wanting parks asset management, work orders or wider permitting must buy and integrate a second system.
  • The published prices are starting points and the premium integrations most departments actually need, such as financial system and access control links, are priced separately and not listed.
  • Customer concentration is regional, mostly in the north-eastern United States, so a department elsewhere will find fewer local references and less familiarity with its state reporting requirements.
  • The resident-facing portal is plain compared with commercial registration platforms, which matters when residents compare it with the private classes they book elsewhere.
  • As a smaller vendor it does not offer the procurement conveniences larger municipalities expect, such as cooperative contract vehicles across many states, which lengthens the buying process for some agencies.

Pricing, plan by plan

Arnica

Free
  • FreeFree
    • No credit card required
    • 14-day trial available
    • Weekly risk identification updates
  • Core Business$360/year
    • Monthly billing option at $30/identity/month
    • Annual billing at $25/identity/month (17% discount)
    • Real-time risk scanning and notifications
  • Core Enterprise$720/year
    • Monthly billing option at $60/identity/month
    • Annual billing at $50/identity/month (17% discount)
    • All Core Business features

RecDesk

$3835/year
  • Essential$3835/year
    • Activity registration and household accounts
    • Resident portal
    • Unlimited staff users
  • Standard$6240/year
    • Adds facility reservations and memberships
    • Unlimited users
    • Financial reporting
  • Plus$10790/year
    • Adds league scheduling and expanded modules
    • Unlimited users
  • Enterprise$16250/year
    • Largest configuration
    • Premium integrations such as access control, GIS and financial system links priced separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Arnica if

  • You need ai sast.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, GitHub, IDE.
  • You also want software composition analysis.
Arnica review

Choose RecDesk if

  • You need activity registration.
  • You also want facility reservations.
RecDesk review

Questions people ask

Is Arnica or RecDesk better?
Neither clearly leads. Arnica starts at Free and RecDesk at $3835/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arnica or RecDesk?
Arnica has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Arnica and $3835/year for RecDesk.
Does Arnica or RecDesk run on more platforms?
Arnica runs on Web, GitHub, IDE. RecDesk runs on Web.
Can I use Arnica for free?
Yes. Arnica has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RecDesk starts at $3835/year.
What is Arnica best used for?
Arnica is most often used for detecting ai-generated vulnerabilities in copilot and cursor suggestions, finding hardcoded secrets before they reach production, mapping container vulnerabilities back to source code, generating sbom for supply chain compliance requirements. Of those, detecting ai-generated vulnerabilities in copilot and cursor suggestions and finding hardcoded secrets before they reach production are not what RecDesk is typically brought in for.
What can Arnica do that RecDesk cannot?
Arnica covers AI SAST, Software Composition Analysis, Secrets detection, IaC scanning. RecDesk covers Activity registration, Facility reservations, Memberships and passes, League scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arnica: How are identities defined in Arnica pricing?

Identities are any users and other contributing entities that contributed code and/or had PR activity during the last 90 days. This ensures billing matches active developers.

Source
RecDesk: Is the pricing really published?

Yes, which is unusual in municipal recreation software. Four tiers from $3,835 to $16,250 a year, described as all-inclusive with unlimited users. Premium integrations are extra.

Arnica: What is the annual discount?

Annual prepayment offers approximately 17% savings versus monthly billing. Core Business annual is $300/identity versus $360 for monthly.

Source
RecDesk: Are there per-user charges?

No. Unlimited staff users on every tier, which is the main saving against per-seat municipal systems.

Arnica: Can I cancel or downgrade Arnica anytime?

Yes. Subscriptions can be cancelled or downgraded at any time. Overage identities receive automatic protection with true-up invoicing.

Source
RecDesk: Does it do parks maintenance and work orders?

No. It is registration, reservations, memberships and leagues. Asset and work order management needs another system.

RecDesk: Will it integrate with our finance system?

There is a premium financial system integration option, priced separately. Confirm your specific ERP is supported before assuming it.

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