Alternatives to pip-audit
pip-audit finds CVEs in your Python dependencies and ranks them by CVSS. GeekWala adds EPSS exploit probability and CISA KEV status.
pip-audit is Google and the Python Packaging Authority's official CLI scanner for Python dependencies — it queries the OSV database and PyPA advisory feed and is a solid, zero-config choice for CI. It ranks findings by CVSS severity, a measure of theoretical impact, not likelihood of real-world exploitation. GeekWala adds EPSS exploit-probability scoring and CISA KEV (confirmed active exploitation) status on top of the same open advisory data, plus a web dashboard and 7 ecosystems beyond PyPI.
Want the technical deep-dive? Read our full What pip-audit Misses: EPSS-Aware Prioritization article.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | pip-audit | GeekWala |
|---|---|---|
| Vulnerability data | OSV + PyPA advisory database | OSV + EPSS + CISA KEV |
| Prioritization Key difference | CVSS severity only | EPSS exploit probability + CISA KEV |
| CISA KEV flagging Key difference | Yes — labeled field on every finding | |
| Interface | CLI output only | Web dashboard + REST API |
| Ecosystems | Python (PyPI) only | 8 ecosystems: npm, PyPI, Maven, Go, Rust, RubyGems, NuGet, Packagist |
| CI integration | Official GitHub Action | Yes (Pro) — plus scheduled scans |
| Scheduled / recurring scans | Yes (Pro) | |
| Maintainer | Google + Python Packaging Authority | Independent |
| Privacy | Local CLI | Package names only, no source code |
| Price | Free and open source | Free tier + $12/mo or $99/yr Pro (flat-rate, unlimited projects) |
When to use pip-audit
pip-audit is the right choice when:
- You work exclusively with Python/PyPI packages
- You want a zero-config CLI check inside an existing CI pipeline
- You're already using the official GitHub Action and don't need a dashboard
When to use GeekWala
GeekWala is the better fit when:
- You need to prioritize by real-world exploit probability, not CVSS severity alone
- You want CISA KEV (confirmed active exploitation) flagged as its own field
- You manage projects across multiple ecosystems, not just Python
- You want a web dashboard to share results with your team, alongside pip-audit in CI
Detection vs Prioritization
EPSS Exploit Probability
pip-audit's own output sorts by CVSS. GeekWala layers EPSS on the same advisory data, so a CVSS 6.5 finding with a 15% exploitation probability outranks a CVSS 9.8 finding with a 2% probability — the reverse of a CVSS-only sort.
CISA KEV Alongside EPSS
pip-audit does not indicate CISA KEV status — a confirmed actively-exploited CVE looks identical to a theoretical one in its output. GeekWala flags KEV entries as a separate, filterable field.
Built to Run Alongside pip-audit, Not Replace It
pip-audit in CI for fast, zero-config merge-time checks; GeekWala for cross-ecosystem, EPSS/KEV-enriched triage. Both read the same open OSV and PyPA advisory data.
Learn More
Try GeekWala free
No credit card required. Keep pip-audit in CI and add EPSS + CISA KEV prioritization on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GeekWala a pip-audit replacement?
Not necessarily — pip-audit is fast, official, and has no false positives from CPE matching, so it stays useful in CI for immediate merge-time feedback. GeekWala adds EPSS exploit-probability and CISA KEV enrichment for triage decisions, and covers 7 ecosystems beyond Python. Many teams run both.
Does pip-audit have a latency gap versus NVD that GeekWala closes?
Measured across every CVE NVD published in 2025 joined against OSV's PyPI export, the median gap between NVD publication and the matching PyPI advisory is 0.00 days, and in 28.6% of cases the advisory landed before the CVE record. The real gap is coverage, not speed: about 5.6% of PyPI advisories carry no CVE alias at all and won't appear in either tool's CVE-keyed output.
How does GeekWala prioritization differ from pip-audit?
pip-audit's CLI output is ordered by CVSS severity — a measure of theoretical impact, not likelihood of exploitation. GeekWala ranks the same OSV/PyPA-sourced findings by CISA KEV (confirmed active exploitation) first, then EPSS score (30-day exploit probability), with CVSS as a tiebreaker.
Can I use both pip-audit and GeekWala?
Yes. Run pip-audit in CI for fast, zero-config checks on every build, and use GeekWala for cross-ecosystem visibility and EPSS/KEV-based triage of what to fix first.
Is GeekWala free like pip-audit?
GeekWala has a free tier with 5 projects and 50 scans per month. pip-audit is fully free and open source with no usage limits — for Python-only projects that never need multi-ecosystem coverage, pip-audit alone may be enough.