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Cybersecurity · head to head

Snyk vs Tilt

Snyk logo

Snyk

Cybersecurity

Developer-first security platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Tilt logo

Tilt

Developer Tools

Local Kubernetes development loop that rebuilds and live-updates containers on save

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Snyk free plan has strict test limits across all modules: Open Source (200), Code (100), Infrastructure as Code (300), Container (100) tests per month; Tilt docker acquired Tilt in 2022 and the team now splits its time across Compose and Docker Desktop, so feature velocity is modest and the product's long-term priority inside Docker is not guaranteed; treat it as a stable utility, not a growing platform.
  • They diverge on capability: Snyk covers Open source security, Tilt covers Live update.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Snyk and Tilt actually diverge.

Attributes where Snyk and Tilt differ
AttributeSnykTilt
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, CLI, IDE integrationsLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Snyk

  • Open source security
  • Code security (SAST)
  • Container security
  • IaC security
  • License compliance
  • Fix PRs
  • Priority scoring
  • Developer IDE integration

Only in Tilt

  • Live update
  • Tiltfile as code
  • Unified web UI
  • Selective rebuilds
  • Local and remote clusters
  • Resource dependencies
  • Extensions registry
  • Custom buttons and triggers

What people use each for

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

Snyk

  • Vulnerability scanningnot Tilt
  • Application securitynot Tilt
  • Infrastructure as Code securitynot Tilt
  • Container securitynot Tilt

Tilt

  • A team of ten or more engineers whose application is fifteen microservices on Kubernetes and who currently wait on CI to test a changenot Snyk
  • An organisation onboarding new developers who want a single command that stands up the whole stack from a committed Tiltfilenot Snyk
  • A platform team giving product engineers a consistent local environment against a shared remote development clusternot Snyk
  • A codebase where one repository contains several services and rebuilding all of them on every edit is the main source of lost timenot Snyk

Where each one falls short

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

Snyk

  • Free plan has strict test limits across all modules: Open Source (200), Code (100), Infrastructure as Code (300), Container (100) tests per month
  • Free and Team plans count only contributing developers making commits within 90 days; public contributions do not count
  • Enterprise plan requires custom pricing and sales contact

Tilt

  • Docker acquired Tilt in 2022 and the team now splits its time across Compose and Docker Desktop, so feature velocity is modest and the product's long-term priority inside Docker is not guaranteed; treat it as a stable utility, not a growing platform.
  • The Tiltfile is Starlark, a Python dialect, so non-trivial setups become real programs that need reviewing and maintaining, and the person who wrote yours becomes a single point of failure.
  • Live update only works when the running container can accept synced files and restart the process; compiled languages, distroless images and read-only filesystems often force you back to a full image rebuild, which removes the main benefit.
  • It assumes Kubernetes. If your development target is plain Docker Compose or serverless functions, Tilt adds a cluster you did not need and a layer of abstraction with no payoff.
  • There is no commercial support contract, no SLA and no paid tier, so when a Kubernetes version upgrade breaks something you are dependent on GitHub issues and a Slack channel rather than a vendor you can escalate to.

Pricing, plan by plan

Snyk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • SCA scanning
    • SAST scanning
    • IaC and Container scanning
  • Team$25/month
    • 1000 Code tests
    • 100 projects
    • Jira integration
  • Ignite$105/month
    • Unlimited tests
    • Unlimited projects
    • Custom security rules
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Zero-day prevention
    • Unified AppSec control
    • Full SDLC automation

Tilt

Free
  • TiltFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed
    • All features, no paid tier
    • Community support via the Kubernetes Slack #tilt channel

Which should you pick?

Choose Snyk if

  • You need open source security.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, IDE integrations.
  • You also want code security (sast).
Snyk review

Choose Tilt if

  • You need live update.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want tiltfile as code.
Tilt review

Questions people ask

Is Snyk or Tilt better?
Neither clearly leads. Snyk starts at Free and Tilt at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Snyk or Tilt?
Snyk starts at Free and Tilt at Free.
Does Snyk or Tilt run on more platforms?
Snyk runs on Web, CLI, IDE integrations. Tilt runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Snyk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Snyk best used for?
Snyk is most often used for vulnerability scanning, application security, infrastructure as code security, container security. Of those, vulnerability scanning and application security are not what Tilt is typically brought in for.
What can Snyk do that Tilt cannot?
Snyk covers Open source security, Code security (SAST), Container security, IaC security. Tilt covers Live update, Tiltfile as code, Unified web UI, Selective rebuilds.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Snyk: How much does Snyk cost?

Snyk offers a free plan with limited tests, Team plan at $25/month per contributing developer, Ignite at $1260/year, and custom Enterprise pricing. Contributing developers are those who made commits to private repos within the last 90 days.

Source
Tilt: Is Tilt free?

Yes, entirely. It is Apache 2.0 open source with no paid tier and no licence fee.

Snyk: What does Snyk's Team plan include?

The Team plan at $25/month includes 1000 Code tests, up to 100 projects, Jira integration, next business day support, and all features from the free plan including SCA, SAST, IaC and Container scanning.

Source
Tilt: Who owns Tilt now?

Docker, which acquired it in May 2022. It remains open source and the repository is still actively maintained.

Snyk: Is there a free version of Snyk?

Yes, Snyk offers a free plan with full platform access including SCA, SAST, IaC and Container scanning. The free tier includes 200 Open Source tests, 100 Code tests, 300 IaC tests, 100 Container tests, and up to 5 projects.

Source
Tilt: Do I need a remote cluster?

No. It works against a local cluster such as kind, minikube or Docker Desktop, and also against a shared remote development cluster if your services are too heavy to run locally.

Tilt: How is it different from Skaffold?

Both automate the build-deploy loop. Tilt puts more weight on the live-update path and a multi-service dashboard; Skaffold is more configuration-driven and closer to Google's tooling.

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