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Nuclei vs Gitleaks: open-source security testing tools compared

Metrics as of , from the GitHub or GitLab API of each repository. Refreshed monthly.

Summary

Nuclei: Template-based vulnerability scanner that runs YAML templates over HTTP, DNS, TCP, SSL and other protocols from a CLI.

Gitleaks: CLI that detects secrets such as passwords, API keys and tokens in git repositories, files and stdin.

Both are listed under Security testing. The table gives repository metrics from the GitHub API with their fetch date, then the documented facts used for every comparison in this category, each linked to the README or docs page it comes from. A cell reads "not documented" when the fact was not found in the project's documentation; that does not mean the feature is absent.

Side by side

Nuclei and Gitleaks: metrics and documented facts, in the fixed row order used for security testing comparisons.
FactNucleiGitleaks
Stars31,431129,4281
Forks3,88212,2381
Contributors27812341
Last release2026-08-0812026-03-211
Last commit2026-09-2212026-07-221
Commits in 90 days204151
LicenseMIT1MIT1
Primary languageGo1Go1
Statusactive1active1
Scan targetsTarget URLs and hosts, from a single target or a list file source: READMESecrets such as passwords, API keys and tokens in git repositories, files and stdin source: README
Languages or files analysedTarget lists plus Burp, JSONL, YAML, OpenAPI, Swagger and raw HTTP input files source: READMEGit commit patches (via git log -p), directories and files source: README
Check or rule formatYAML templates source: READMETOML config file with [[rules]] entries using Go regular expressions source: README
CI integrationCI/CD pipeline use for vulnerability detection and regression testing source: READMEGitHub Action (Gitleaks-Action); pre-commit hook source: README
Report formatsJSON, JSONL, Markdown, SARIF, PDF source: READMEJSON, CSV, JUnit, SARIF, custom template source: README
Install methodgo install -v github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3/cmd/nuclei@latest (Go 1.24.2 or later) source: READMEHomebrew (brew install gitleaks); Docker images zricethezav/gitleaks and ghcr.io/gitleaks/gitleaks; Go source build; release binaries source: README

1 Fetched from the GitHub or GitLab API on . Hover a value for its own date.

When each fits

Written from each project's documented scope, not from preference. Neither tool is ranked.

Nuclei

Fits projects that scan hosts and URLs for known vulnerabilities with templates; its README describes templates over TCP, DNS, HTTP, SSL, WHOIS and other protocols. source: README

Gitleaks

Fits projects that check git repositories and files for committed secrets; its README describes three scanning modes: git, dir and stdin. source: README

More on these tools

Sources

  1. GitHub REST API: repository, read
  2. GitHub REST API: repository, read
  3. GitHub REST API: contributors, read
  4. GitHub REST API: contributors, read
  5. GitHub REST API: latest release, read
  6. GitHub REST API: latest release, read
  7. GitHub REST API: commits, read
  8. GitHub REST API: commits, read
  9. README, read
  10. README, read

Documented facts collected 2026-09-22. See the methodology for how metrics and facts are gathered.