head to head · open source
prowler vs bernstein
prowler has 15,159 GitHub stars, 2,479 forks, 371 open issues and last shipped yesterday. bernstein has 1,347 stars, 187 forks, 368 open issues and last shipped yesterday. prowler leads on adoption by 1,025% (15,159 vs 1,347 stars). prowler is written in Python under Apache-2.0; bernstein is written in Python under Apache-2.0. prowler has attracted 16% as many forks as stars, bernstein 14%. bernstein was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (compliance), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| prowler | bernstein | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 1.3K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.5K | ⑂ 187 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick prowler if
- You weight community size — 15K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick bernstein if
- You want the bernstein feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and bernstein fits your workflow better
About prowler
Prowler is the Open Cloud Security Platform trusted by thousands to automate security and compliance in any cloud environment. With thousands of ready to use checks and compliance frameworks, Prowler delivers real time, customizable monitoring and seamless integrations, making cloud security simple, scalable, and cost effective for organizations of any size. The Agentic Cloud Defender Try Prowler Cloud Join our Prowler community! Description Prowler is the world’s most widely used Open Source Cloud Security Platform that automates security and compliance across any cloud environment . With thousands of ready to…
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About bernstein
"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time." attributed to Leonard Bernstein the open source governance layer for AI agents website · docs · install · first run · glossary · limitations · name policy · discord · sponsor 简体中文 · 繁體中文 · 日本語 · 한국어 · हिन्दी · বাংলা · Русский · Español · Português · Deutsch · Français · Italiano · Nederlands · Polski · Svenska · Suomi · Українська · Türkçe · العربية…
read the full bernstein overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is prowler or bernstein more popular?
prowler has 15,159 GitHub stars and bernstein has 1,347. prowler has the larger community by that measure.
Are prowler and bernstein free?
Both are open source. prowler is licensed under Apache-2.0 and bernstein under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between prowler and bernstein?
prowler is written in Python and bernstein in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, prowler or bernstein?
Choose prowler if you want the larger community (15,159 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose bernstein if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.