CGPulse

CGPulse is a multi-cloud posture and compliance service for teams managing Azure and AWS. It fits security, GRC, and platform groups that need repeatable policy checks plus controlled remediation. Its strongest case is broad, policy-driven visibility with infrastructure-ready fixes; buyers needing formal certification must use another process.

Overview

CGPulse evaluates Azure and AWS resources for configuration problems, compliance status, and drift against policy. The service combines account-level scanning with initiatives that let teams track related compliance work. Because scans use read-only access, an assessment does not alter the resources being inspected, which lowers operational risk during routine reviews.

The product is explicitly a posture assessment tool rather than a certified audit. It can support preparation and ongoing control monitoring, but it should not be presented as certification evidence by itself.

Key features

The rule library contains 621 policies spanning 19 compliance frameworks, with Azure-specific, AWS-specific, and cross-cloud coverage. That breadth is useful for organizations consolidating checks across providers, while smaller teams may find the library more extensive than their immediate needs.

Teams can add their own compliance logic in a YAML editor, making the service adaptable when internal standards or framework requirements are not covered by the built-in rules. Drift detection helps identify changes after an environment was assessed, so it is more suitable for continuous oversight than a one-time snapshot.

Remediation is deliberately reviewable. Supported fixes can be applied only after users inspect them, and dangerous changes require an explicit warning and confirmation. CGPulse also produces Terraform, Bicep, and command-line remediation templates, giving DevOps and platform engineers a way to move approved changes into infrastructure workflows rather than editing production resources blindly.

A REST API and MCP server connect the service with AI assistants such as Claude and Copilot. Those integrations are most relevant to teams automating governance workflows; the complete API and MCP entitlement is reserved for Business. Data-security documentation places information in Azure Cosmos DB in the EU North Europe region, encrypts it at rest, and isolates tenants with per-tenant partition keys. Vulnerability reports sent to [email protected] receive a response commitment within 48 hours.

Pricing

Free is a sensible evaluation tier or fit for a very small estate, but two accounts, ten monthly scans, one initiative, and five fixes constrain recurring governance. Watermarked reports also make it less suitable for polished stakeholder deliverables. Team removes the scan ceiling and raises account and initiative capacity, making it the practical choice for a growing cloud-security or compliance group; its 50 monthly auto-fixes still require prioritization. Business is aimed at larger estates or automation-heavy programs: hourly scans, unlimited quotas, longer audit history, and the full integration surface justify the jump when those capabilities matter. Paid plans include a 7-day trial. Plans without an explicitly published price should be treated as custom pricing.

Platforms

CGPulse is delivered through web and API access. Its multi-cloud scope covers Azure and AWS, rather than limiting governance to one provider.

Who it's for

Cloud security engineers can use read-only scans, drift checks, and reviewed fixes to maintain posture. Compliance officers and GRC managers get framework-based tracking and initiatives, while DevOps and platform engineers benefit from YAML policies and Terraform, Bicep, and CLI templates. CTOs and VPs of Engineering are the likely Business buyers when account scale, hourly monitoring, audit retention, or AI-assistant integration are priorities.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad framework coverage: 621 rules across 19 frameworks reduce the need to assemble separate checks for Azure, AWS, and cross-cloud requirements.
• Controlled remediation: Review gates and confirmations for dangerous fixes reduce the chance that automation makes an unexamined production change.
• Infrastructure-friendly outputs: Terraform, Bicep, and CLI templates help teams carry approved remediation into existing delivery practices.
• Flexible integration: REST and MCP connectivity supports API-led governance and AI-assistant workflows on Business.

Cons

• Not certification: Organizations needing a certified audit still require an appropriate external or formal audit process.
• Free-tier ceilings: Two accounts, ten scans, one initiative, and five fixes per month limit ongoing use beyond a small environment.
• Feature gating: Hourly scans, unlimited quotas, the 365-day log, full REST API, and MCP server require Business at €299.00 per month.
• Report watermark: Free PDF exports are less suitable for client-facing or executive reporting.

Alternatives

Powerpipe is the better pick when an open-source, self-hosted tool across Linux, macOS, Windows, or web is more important than CGPulse's paid governance tiers.

OmniGCloud suits readers wanting a freemium API, self-hosted, or web service with a $0 forever tier for one connector and a $39 per-seat monthly Team plan.

Cloud Custodian is a free Apache 2.0 open-source option for policy automation on Linux, macOS, Windows, or self-hosted deployments.

Kyverno is a free Apache-licensed open-source project for API, Linux, macOS, Windows, or self-hosted use.

AWS Control Tower is the natural alternative for AWS-only governance with no additional Control Tower charge, though underlying AWS services incur usage costs.

Google Cloud Organization Policy fits teams governing Google Cloud through its free Organization Policy Service API.

Open Policy Agent Gatekeeper is a free Apache-2.0 Kubernetes policy controller for Linux or self-hosted environments.

CloudBolt is worth considering for a freemium cloud-management platform whose free tier includes core CMP capabilities for up to 100 resources.

Verdict

Choose CGPulse if you need one service for Azure and AWS policy checks, drift visibility, and remediation that engineers can review and export into infrastructure code. The Free plan is a credible small-estate starting point, while Team is the more balanced tier for regular departmental use. Look elsewhere if you require certified audit status, an entirely open-source deployment, or governance limited to a single provider's native controls.