Puma Scan

Overview

Puma Scan is a static application security testing tool built around C# development in Visual Studio and security checks in CI pipelines. It is most compelling for .NET teams that want findings close to the code or build gates, but the Visual Studio extension rules out teams committed to editors such as VS Code.

Key features

The End User Edition scans C# while developers work in Visual Studio and reports vulnerabilities as compiler warnings before code is committed. That timing puts security feedback into day-to-day development, rather than leaving it until a pipeline run. It supports .NET Framework and .NET Core, including Web Forms and MVC, but not legacy Web Site projects. The editor restriction is equally important: the End User extension does not support cross-platform editors such as VS Code.

Puma Scan says its scanner covers AI-generated code from GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, Amazon Q, and Gemini Code Assist. That makes it relevant to teams adopting those assistants, though generated code still needs review: static analysis can produce false positives and false negatives. The maker documents its vulnerability-analysis rules, which gives security teams a basis for interpreting findings rather than treating every alert as conclusive.

For automated scanning, integrations include GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Azure DevOps. CI editions can apply configurable vulnerability-severity thresholds and stop builds that fail them, giving teams a way to turn policy into a build control. The Server Edition adds command-line scans and an on-premises Azure DevOps build task, and exports findings as HTML, JSON, MSBuild, VSO, VSTest, or CSV. Those controls are useful for teams that need reports and enforceable thresholds, but the more extensive pipeline options come at substantially higher annual prices than an individual Visual Studio license.

Pricing

Puma Scan has a free Community plan for open-source projects. Its analyzers run locally in Visual Studio and do not contact Puma Scan servers for rule updates, so it is a no-cost fit for eligible projects but not equivalent to a supported, regularly updated subscription.

The End User plan costs $299 a year on an annual subscription. It covers one named user on up to three workstations, with product support and updates; the Professional End User Edition also includes email and scheduled telephone support. This is the practical starting point for an individual .NET developer who wants the Visual Studio workflow without buying pipeline capacity. A 30-day trial is offered without a credit card, but reporting is unavailable during the trial.

For shared build workflows, Server costs $4,999 a year on annual renewal, covers up to five build agents, and includes five End User licenses. Additional bundles of five agents cost $1,000. Cloud CI Standard is $5,999 a year on annual renewal for up to 20 build pipelines, also with five End User licenses. Cloud CI Unlimited costs $10,999 a year on annual renewal and allows unlimited scanning within one organization, with the same five End User licenses. These plans suit teams that need centralized pipeline scanning; the choice is chiefly between Server's agent-based capacity and the cloud plans' pipeline limits. The substantial step up from the individual plan makes them difficult to justify for a solo developer or a team without build-gating needs.

Platforms

Puma Scan's End User workflow depends on Visual Studio, and the supported application code is C# in .NET Framework and .NET Core. Its deployment is hybrid, with local Visual Studio analyzers and both cloud CI and on-premises Azure DevOps options. Linux and macOS are among its listed platforms, but that does not change the End User extension's Visual Studio requirement. Teams working in VS Code or maintaining legacy Web Site projects should look elsewhere.

Who it's for

Puma Scan is aimed at .NET security engineers and developers, with its pipeline editions also positioned for development, security, and operations teams. The best fit is an organization that already builds C# applications in Visual Studio and wants either in-editor vulnerability warnings or severity-based CI controls. Its narrower editor and project support, plus the cost of pipeline editions, make it a less natural choice for mixed-language teams or small projects needing only a free general-purpose scanner.

Pros and cons

• Pros: In-editor warnings arrive before code is committed, giving Visual Studio developers an early opportunity to address vulnerabilities.
• Pros: CI integrations, configurable severity thresholds, and build stopping let teams enforce security requirements in pipelines.
• Pros: Server Edition supports on-premises Azure DevOps and several export formats, which helps teams with reporting or self-managed build workflows.
• Cons: The End User extension supports Visual Studio rather than VS Code, and excludes legacy Web Site projects.
• Cons: The Community analyzers do not obtain rule updates from Puma Scan servers, while the trial lacks reporting.
• Cons: Server and cloud CI subscriptions cost several thousand dollars annually, a steep commitment for teams that only need individual IDE scanning.

Alternatives

Compare static application security testing software if you want to weigh Puma Scan against tools with different language and workflow coverage.

• Skylos is a freemium alternative with local CLI scans and a cloud option; choose it if that CLI-and-cloud mix suits your workflow better.
• Horusec offers an Apache-licensed open-source CLI and platform, a fit for teams seeking a free open-source option.
• Semgrep Code has a free edition covering code and supply chain for up to 10 repositories and 10 contributors; consider it when those caps fit your team.
• Snyk Open Source focuses on SCA, with a free plan for five projects; choose it when dependency analysis is the priority.
• MobSF is a free, open-source option for mobile-focused platforms, including Android and iOS.
• Flawfinder is free, GPL-2.0+ open-source software for teams seeking a no-cost option across Linux, macOS, Windows, or self-hosted setups.
• OpenGrep is a free open-source static analysis CLI for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
• Bandit is free Apache-licensed software for Linux, macOS, and self-hosted environments.

Verdict

Choose Puma Scan if your team writes supported C# projects in Visual Studio and values early compiler-warning feedback or CI severity gates. Its strongest reason to buy is the combination of editor-level scanning and build controls; its strongest reason to look elsewhere is the Visual Studio and project-type constraint, compounded by the cost of pipeline plans.