CGPulse

Overview

CGPulse is a cloud-governance tool for teams assessing Azure and AWS environments against policy rules. It is most compelling for organizations that want to pair recurring checks with reviewed remediation; its value falls if formal certification is the goal.

Read-only scans keep assessment separate from changes to cloud resources, while fixes remain a deliberate, reviewed step. The free tier offers a way to start, but its account and scan caps make it better suited to small environments than broad, frequent monitoring.

Key features

CGPulse covers 621 policy rules across 19 frameworks, including Azure, AWS, and cross-cloud rules. That breadth gives cloud security and compliance teams a substantial policy base to work from, and custom rules in a YAML editor let them tailor checks. Drift detection adds a way to track changes against policy over time.

Users can apply supported fixes after review; dangerous fixes require a warning and confirmation. This keeps remediation under human control, rather than turning every finding into an automatic change. Terraform, Bicep, and CLI templates provide options for carrying fixes into infrastructure workflows.

A REST API and MCP server support connections to AI assistants such as Claude and Copilot, but the full REST API and MCP server are Business-tier features. That makes Business the natural fit for teams that need those integrations at scale; lower tiers may be enough for teams focused on scans and manual review.

Security documentation describes data storage in Azure Cosmos DB in the EU North Europe region, encryption at rest, and tenant isolation through per-tenant partition keys. Vulnerability reports sent to [email protected] have a stated response commitment within 48 hours. These measures may matter to teams evaluating data handling, but the product remains a posture assessment tool rather than a certified audit.

Pricing

Free is tightly capped: its 10 monthly scans, two accounts, and five monthly auto-fixes limit how broadly a team can use it. Team removes the scan cap and raises account capacity to 10, but still caps initiatives and fixes. Business removes account, scan, and auto-fix limits and adds hourly scans and a year-long audit log. Both paid plans include a seven-day trial; no renewal terms are stated.

Platforms

CGPulse is available through web and API access. Its multi-cloud coverage spans Azure and AWS, with cross-cloud rules as part of its policy set.

Who it's for

Cloud security engineers, compliance officers, GRC managers, DevOps and platform engineers, and technology leaders are the intended audiences. It suits teams that need repeatable policy assessment and a controlled route from findings to fixes. It is not the right substitute for a certified compliance audit.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Broad policy coverage across 19 frameworks gives teams a sizeable starting point for Azure, AWS, and cross-cloud checks.
• Pros: Read-only scanning and reviewed fixes separate assessment from potentially risky changes.
• Pros: YAML policies and Terraform, Bicep, and CLI templates support teams adapting checks and remediation to engineering workflows.
• Cons: Free's two-account and 10-scan monthly caps restrict ongoing coverage for growing environments.
• Cons: Full API and MCP access, hourly scanning, and the 365-day audit log require the €299/mo Business plan.
• Cons: Posture assessment does not provide a certified compliance audit.

Alternatives

For a broader directory, browse Cloud Governance Software.

• Powerpipe is a free, open-source Turbot tool for readers seeking a no-cost alternative.
• Cloud Custodian is free and open source under Apache 2.0 for readers who prefer that licensing model.
• Kyverno is a free Apache-licensed open-source project for readers seeking that option.
• AWS Control Tower has no additional charge for the service, though underlying AWS services are billed based on usage.
• OmniGCloud offers a free tier with one connector, a single SaaS workspace, basic CSV export, and a basic audit trail.
• CloudBolt offers a free CMP tier with core capabilities for up to 100 resources.
• Google Cloud Organization Policy is free to use for its Organization Policy Service API.
• Open Policy Agent Gatekeeper is a free, open-source Kubernetes policy controller for readers focused on that kind of policy enforcement.

Verdict

Choose CGPulse if your team needs policy-based Azure and AWS assessment, broad framework coverage, and human-reviewed remediation without modifying resources during scans. The strongest reason to look elsewhere is the boundary of its scope: it is not a certified audit, and full API and MCP access comes with the €299/mo Business plan.