Steampipe
Open-source tool that queries cloud infrastructure, SaaS APIs, and security tools using SQL. Steampipe translates SQL queries into API calls across 140+ plugins (AWS, Azure, GCP, GitHub, Kubernetes, Slack, Okta, etc.), enabling unified infrastructure querying. Steampipe Cloud provides a REST API for running queries and benchmarks remotely. Used for cloud security auditing, asset inventory, and compliance checking via SQL.
Score Breakdown
⚙ Agent Friendliness
🔒 Security
Apache 2.0 open-source — fully auditable. Local use: cloud credentials stay local. Cloud product SOC2. Read-only access pattern limits blast radius. Strong security posture from a security-focused team.
⚡ Reliability
Best When
You want to query cloud infrastructure, security tools, and SaaS APIs using familiar SQL syntax in agent automation or security audit workflows.
Avoid When
You need to modify cloud resources, stream real-time events, or run at very high query frequency — Steampipe's read-only SQL approach isn't suited for those patterns.
Use Cases
- • Query cloud infrastructure using SQL for agent-driven security audits — 'SELECT * FROM aws_s3_bucket WHERE bucket_policy_is_public'
- • Run security compliance benchmarks (CIS, NIST, PCI) as structured SQL queries in agent automation pipelines
- • Unify cross-cloud asset inventory queries across AWS, Azure, and GCP using SQL with consistent schema
- • Build agent workflows that query GitHub, Okta, or Slack via SQL to correlate identity and access data
- • Trigger Steampipe Cloud benchmarks via API and retrieve structured findings for agent-driven remediation
Not For
- • Real-time streaming data — Steampipe queries are synchronous snapshots; not for continuous streaming of cloud events
- • Write operations — Steampipe is read-only; cannot provision or modify cloud resources
- • High-frequency polling — each query hits live cloud APIs; rate limiting on cloud provider side applies
Interface
Authentication
Steampipe Cloud API uses API tokens for authentication. Local Steampipe uses cloud provider credentials (AWS, Azure, GCP) configured via plugin settings. Tokens generated in Steampipe Cloud dashboard.
Pricing
Core Steampipe is Apache 2.0 open-source. Turbot (maker) rebranded Steampipe Cloud as Turbot Pipes. Local use is entirely free. Cloud product provides managed workspaces with REST API.
Agent Metadata
Known Gotchas
- ⚠ Steampipe rebranded to Turbot Pipes — API endpoints and documentation may reference both names; verify current product naming
- ⚠ Query performance depends on underlying cloud API rate limits — complex queries against large accounts can take minutes
- ⚠ Plugin configuration (AWS credentials, region settings) must be set up before running queries — misconfigured plugins cause silent query failures
- ⚠ Steampipe runs a local PostgreSQL server — agents invoking Steampipe must manage the server lifecycle or use cloud API
- ⚠ Some columns use lazy loading — querying certain columns triggers additional API calls per row, significantly increasing latency
- ⚠ Cross-plugin joins (e.g., AWS + GitHub) are possible but expensive — each table in a join hits a different API
- ⚠ Cloud provider API changes can break Steampipe plugin queries until plugin is updated — pin plugin versions in production
Alternatives
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Scores are editorial opinions as of 2026-03-07.