Comparisons
Steampipe vs. CloudQuery
TL;DR:
Steampipe excels as a CLI-based tool for real-time cloud queries - ideal for quick investigations and ad hoc analysis.
CloudQuery offers a comprehensive SaaS platform with persistent data storage and team-friendly features - perfect for ongoing governance and compliance needs.
Both have their strengths: choose Steampipe for immediate insights or CloudQuery for lasting visibility and cross-team collaboration.
Have you ever needed to quickly check something in your cloud environment? Maybe you wanted to know which S3 buckets were accidentally left public or which GitHub repository were missing branch protection. That's where Steampipe comes in—it's this lightweight, open-source tool that lets you query cloud APIs using SQL right from your terminal.
What about when you need something more… permanent? When you're trying to build actual cloud governance or need to share findings with your team? That's where CloudQuery really stands out, growing from its roots as an ELT tool into a full-fledged cloud governance platform.
Let's break down how these tools compare and when you might want one over the other.
What is CloudQuery? #
CloudQuery is a complete cloud governance solution enabling smarter cloud audits, better cloud asset inventories, and more responsive targeted security monitoring. It is an open-source core platform that companies use to power their cloud asset inventories, security compliance, cloud cost management solutions, or solve any other data movement problem.
CloudQuery offers a growing list of supported Source and Destination integrations, making getting started easy. If you need to connect to a data source or destination.
What is Steampipe? #
Steampipe is an open-source tool that provides SQL-based querying capabilities for cloud infrastructure and APIs. It functions as a "zero-ETL" solution that exposes data sources to SQL, allowing users to query APIs in real-time without requiring a database GitHub. The platform enables developers, engineers, and security teams to gain instant visibility into their cloud environments through familiar SQL commands.
As a versatile cloud management tool, Steampipe connects to over 140 data sources including major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP), SaaS platforms, and infrastructure tools. It's designed for monitoring, auditing, and reporting on cloud infrastructure with capabilities for security checks, compliance monitoring, and inventory management.
Quick Comparison #
Different Philosophies #
Steampipe was built by developers at Turbot who wanted immediate answers without complexity. You run SQL queries directly against live cloud APIs with minimal setup and infrastructure. While primarily a CLI tool, they've expanded with their cloud platform Turbot Pipes that adds collaboration features.
CloudQuery takes an inventory-first approach. We regularly sync your cloud configuration into a structured database, creating a persistent view of your infrastructure. This foundation supports dashboards, compliance checks, and team-based workflows across your organization.
When CloudQuery Shines #
Our platform is designed for organizations that need more than one-off queries:
- You need a continuously updated inventory across multiple clouds
- Your team enforces governance policies with historical tracking
- You're building dashboards to monitor infrastructure trends
- Multiple teams need access to cloud visibility
- Compliance frameworks like CIS, NIST, SOC2, or GDPR are priorities
The unified asset inventory solves a major pain point for organizations. Managing resources across AWS, Azure, and GCP becomes much simpler when everything is normalized into a single queryable layer.
When Steampipe Makes Sense #
Steampipe has helped many developers when they need quick information:
- You want immediate answers from live cloud APIs
- You prefer minimal setup without infrastructure requirements
- You work mostly solo or in small teams
- You live in the terminal and prefer CLI tools
- You need point-in-time data rather than historical tracking
The Bottom Line #
If your team works primarily in the command line for quick investigations, Steampipe is excellent. Many developers use it for targeted questions.
For building a lasting governance program that scales across teams and becomes part of your operational workflow, CloudQuery provides the structure and foundation your organization needs. We focus on providing a unified source of truth for cloud assets that helps security, operations, and finance teams collaborate effectively.
Take The Next Step #
The best way to understand how CloudQuery transforms cloud visibility is to see it live. Our team can walk you through a tailored demo based on your cloud environment and use cases. Let's talk about how CloudQuery can fit into your stack. 👉 Schedule a demo today
