Automated supply chain security for your dependencies.
By Tanmay Verma, Founder · Last verified 07 Jun 2026
In short
Socket.dev — Automated supply chain security for your dependencies. Best for Node.js teams wanting to vet every dependency, Python developers concerned about PyPI supply chains, Open-source maintainers protecting their users. Free to start; paid plans from $10/mo.
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If you're a team shipping npm or PyPI packages daily, Socket.dev is the cheapest insurance against the next colors.js or event-stream. Its threat detection is impressive, but you'll pay a premium for private repos and advanced features.
Last verified: June 2026
Socket.dev stands out for its behavior-based analysis, catching supply chain attacks that traditional SCA tools miss. It's a no-brainer for open-source-heavy Node.js and Python projects. However, smaller teams might find the free tier (limited to public repos) sufficient—you only need paid plans if you're working on private code. Consider Snyk or GitHub's Dependabot for broader ecosystem coverage (Java, Go, etc.), but for npm/PyPI-specific threats, Socket.dev's detection is sharper. One caveat: onboarding requires turning on PR checks, which can add noise initially. Tuning alerts is essential to avoid flagging healthy package updates.
Skip Socket.dev if Skip Socket.dev if you need vulnerability scanning for Java, C/C++, or Ruby ecosystems, or if your team lacks bandwidth to configure and tune behavioral alert rules.
Across the latest 10 updates: 10 news mentions.
Audit finds NIST lacked a plan for NVD backlog, wasted funds, delayed use of CISA data.
Compromised Red Hat npm packages steal developer and CI/CD secrets during install.
Rust project moving toward formal rules on LLM use in contributions over maintainer burden concerns.
North Korean malware loader in Packagist package uses branch to fetch and execute remote code.
Fake Sicoob SDK exfiltrates client IDs, PFX passwords, and banking certs via Sentry.
OSV withdrew 157 malware reports due to automated false positives flagging trusted packages.
Feross discusses Socket's $60M Series C, 500%+ ARR growth, AI impact on open source.
TrapDoor crypto stealer targets crypto, DeFi, AI, and security developers across 36 malicious packages.
Socket found malicious postinstall hook across 700+ GitHub repos, including Packagist and Node.js projects.
RCE backdoor in Laravel Lang exposes cloud, CI/CD, and developer secrets across hundreds of versions.
How likely is Socket.dev to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 6 signals including funding, development activity, and platform risk.
Socket.dev is a dependency security platform designed for development teams that want to protect their software supply chain from malicious packages and vulnerabilities. It provides real-time scanning of every open-source dependency you use, detecting threats like typo-squatting, malware, and behavioral anomalies before they reach your codebase. With automatic pull request reviews that flag risky changes, Socket.dev integrates seamlessly into your existing CI/CD pipeline to block insecure packages proactively. The platform covers JavaScript, Python, and other ecosystems, giving you visibility into package behavior rather than just known CVEs. Unlike traditional scanners that rely on stale databases, Socket.dev uses deep package inspection to identify suspicious activity patterns, making it a next-gen defense against supply chain attacks.
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Concrete scenarios for the personas Socket.dev actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
You push a PR that adds a new npm dependency to a private repo.
Outcome: Socket's GitHub PR integration automatically scans the package for behavioral risks, flags a hidden network access call, and blocks the PR until you review and override or remove the dependency.
You want to monitor all private repos for real-time supply chain attacks.
Outcome: Socket analyzes all dependency changes across your repos and sends a Slack alert when a known malicious package version is detected, allowing you to roll back the change instantly.
You need to generate an SBOM for a Gradle project using version catalogs.
Outcome: Socket parses the Gradle version catalog file and outputs an SBOM, listing all dependencies with their behavioral risk scores, which you can share for compliance.
Ecosystem limited to npm, PyPI, and Gradle (no Java, C/C++, Ruby, Rust). Behavioral alerts may generate false positives if not tuned. No built-in CVSS vulnerability management or license compliance. Requires team effort to configure custom rules effectively.
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
For each published Socket.dev tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free
$0/mo
Ideal for
Open source maintainers and solo developers who work on public repos and want basic behavioral alerts for npm and PyPI dependencies.
What this tier adds
Free entry point covering public repos with unlimited seats but no private repo scanning or custom alert rules.
Team
$10/developer/mo
Ideal for
Small to medium development teams using private repos who need Slack alerts and custom rules to prevent supply chain attacks in CI/CD.
What this tier adds
Adds private repo scanning, Slack integration, and custom alert rules; priced at $10/developer/mo.
Enterprise
Custom
Ideal for
Large organizations with complex security requirements needing SSO, custom policies, and dedicated support.
What this tier adds
The company stage and team size where Socket.dev's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Socket.dev's freemium model suits open source projects (free public repos) and small JavaScript/Python teams can start at $10/dev/month. Compared to Snyk (starting at ~$25/dev/month) and GitHub Dependabot (free for public repos but less behavioral insight), Socket is cheaper and more specialized for behavioral risk. For teams needing broad language coverage, Snyk may offer better value despite higher cost.
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Socket.dev — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
JavaScript developers: 5-10 minutes to install the GitHub app and enable PR checks. DevOps teams: ~30 minutes to connect Slack, set up custom alert rules, and invite team members. Security analysts: <1 hour to configure ecosystem scanning and generate first SBOM.
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
Pricing, brand, ownership, or deprecation changes worth knowing before you commit. Most-recent first.
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Last calculated: June 2026
Includes SSO, custom policies, priority support, and a dedicated account team; custom pricing.
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