Socket Review, Pricing & Features

Socket detects malware and risky open source packages across npm, PyPI, and Go. Compare Socket pricing, features, pros, cons, and FAQs.

Category
Security
Pricing
freemium, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2020
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, United States
Free PlanAPIAIFreemium

What Is Socket

Socket is a supply chain security platform founded in 2020 by Feross Aboukhadijeh and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It focuses specifically on protecting applications from malicious and risky open source dependencies rather than only known vulnerabilities.

Note: Socket (socket.dev) is unrelated to Socket.IO, the real-time websocket communication library; Socket the security company analyzes packages across ecosystems like npm, PyPI, Go, Maven, Cargo, NuGet, and RubyGems for supply-chain risk.

Key Features

Socket statically analyzes open source packages and their dependencies to detect malware, typosquatting, obfuscated code, unexpected install scripts, and use of sensitive APIs like network, filesystem, and shell access, often catching threats within minutes of a package being published.

It integrates directly into developer workflows through a GitHub App that posts security findings as pull request comments, a command-line interface, an MCP server, IDE extensions, and a firewall-style package-installer proxy, alongside SBOM export in CycloneDX, SPDX, and OpenVEX formats.

Pricing

Socket offers a free tier for basic package scanning and monitoring. Paid tiers scale by seat: Team costs 25 US dollars per seat per month (about 20 US dollars per seat per month billed annually) and adds reachability analysis and Slack alerting, while Business costs 50 US dollars per seat per month and adds SBOM generation and single sign-on for enterprise rollouts.

Enterprise pricing is custom and typically negotiated for large organizations needing advanced governance, dedicated support, and expanded integrations.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Detects malicious and typosquatted packages faster than traditional CVE-based scanners
  • Strong native GitHub pull request integration for in-workflow review
  • Free tier available for basic scanning needs
  • Broad ecosystem coverage beyond just JavaScript and npm
  • Well-funded, backed by 125 million US dollars in venture funding as of 2026

Cons

  • Per-seat pricing can add up for larger engineering organizations
  • Advanced features like SBOM export and SSO require the higher Business tier
  • Newer company (founded 2020) with a shorter track record than legacy AppSec vendors
  • Best value requires integrating deeply into CI/CD and PR workflows, which takes setup time
  • Enterprise pricing is not published and requires a custom quote

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Socket used for

Socket is used to detect malicious, typosquatted, and risky open source packages across ecosystems like npm, PyPI, and Go before they reach production.

Is Socket the same as Socket.IO

No, Socket (socket.dev) is a supply chain security company unrelated to Socket.IO, which is a real-time websocket communication library.

How much does Socket cost

Socket offers a free tier, with paid plans starting at 25 US dollars per seat per month for Team and 50 US dollars per seat per month for Business; Enterprise pricing is custom.

Who founded Socket

Socket was founded in 2020 by Feross Aboukhadijeh, who serves as CEO, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Does Socket integrate with GitHub

Yes, Socket has a GitHub App that scans repositories and posts security findings as pull request comments.

What package ecosystems does Socket support

Socket supports npm, PyPI, Go, Maven, Cargo, NuGet, RubyGems, and other open source package ecosystems.

Does Socket generate SBOMs

Yes, Socket's Business tier and above can generate software bills of materials in CycloneDX, SPDX, and OpenVEX formats.

How much funding has Socket raised

Socket has raised approximately 125 million US dollars across multiple funding rounds, including a 60 million US dollar Series C in 2026.

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