Streampipe

What Streampipe does

Steampipe is an open-source zero-ETL platform, developed and maintained by Turbot, that provides a SQL interface for querying cloud and SaaS APIs without data movement or ETL pipelines. The platform exposes 150+ data sources — including AWS, Azure, GCP, GitHub, Slack, Kubernetes, Jira, Okta, Stripe, Terraform, and dozens of additional cloud and SaaS APIs — as relational tables queryable via standard SQL. It is targeted primarily at cloud security engineers, DevOps teams, FinOps practitioners, and compliance groups that need unified, real-time visibility across multi-cloud environments for use cases spanning CIS/PCI/SOC2 compliance monitoring, security posture assessment, cost optimization, and incident response.

The core technology is a PostgreSQL Foreign Data Wrapper (FDW) architecture that dynamically translates SQL queries into API calls, supported by a plugin system that communicates with the FDW over gRPC. Steampipe is distributed in multiple forms: the standalone CLI with an embedded PostgreSQL database (the original form factor launched in January 2021); PostgreSQL FDW extensions for integrating into existing Postgres installations; SQLite virtual-table extensions; and standalone Export CLIs that extract data without requiring any database. Adjacent ecosystem tools include Powerpipe (dashboards and compliance benchmarks, separated into its own product in March 2024), Flowpipe (workflow orchestration), Tailpipe (DuckDB-based log analysis), and a Steampipe MCP Server (released April 2025) that enables AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor to query the same data through natural language.

Steampipe operates under a product-led, open-core model. The CLI is distributed under Apache 2.0 at no cost, with adoption driven via GitHub, a Slack community of 3,100+ practitioners, and developer relations. The commercial offering is Turbot Pipes, a hosted managed service providing managed Steampipe database instances, shared dashboards, snapshots, and workflow triggers; Turbot Pipes achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance in May 2023. The pricing model is freemium for individual developers, with a paid enterprise tier; specific list pricing is not publicly disclosed. Steampipe discloses no standalone revenue and operates as a product within Turbot's broader cloud intelligence ecosystem rather than as a separately funded, venture-backed entity.

Name

Streampipe

Legal name

Steampipe

Website

https://steampipe.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Steampipe, an open-source project by Turbot, provides SQL-based zero-ETL querying of 150+ cloud and SaaS data sources via a PostgreSQL FDW architecture. It serves cloud security, DevOps, and compliance teams through a free CLI and the commercial Turbot Pipes managed cloud platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Infrastructure Query & Security Posture Management

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Compliance, Audit & Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM/GRC) (HDABAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cloud-Native Application Development (Containers/Kubernetes/Serverless) (BPAEAFAE)

Keywords

• Cloud infrastructure query
• Zero-ETL data access
• SQL-based cloud analytics
• Cloud security posture management
• API to SQL interface

Headquarters

HQ city

Sanford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Open Source CLI (Free): The Steampipe CLI is free and open source under Apache 2.0 license. Users can download and use it at no cost with community support via Slack
2. Turbot Pipes (Commercial Cloud Service): Hosted cloud intelligence, automation and security platform built specifically for DevOps. Provides managed Steampipe database instances, shared dashboards, snapshots, and Flowpipe triggers. The website mentions 'Cloud. Free for developers!' suggesting a free tier with paid enterprise features

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Steampipe is an open-source zero-ETL platform that provides a SQL interface for querying cloud infrastructure APIs. The core Steampipe CLI exposes 150+ data sources (AWS, Azure, GCP, GitHub, Slack, Kubernetes, Terraform, etc.) as relational database tables, enabling users to perform compliance checks, security posture assessments, cost optimization, and incident response using standard SQL without moving or copying data. It is offered in multiple distributions: standalone CLI with embedded PostgreSQL, Postgres Foreign Data Wrappers for existing databases, SQLite virtual table extensions, and standalone Export CLIs.

Product overview

Steampipe is an open-source zero-ETL platform that provides a SQL interface for querying cloud infrastructure and APIs. The core product is the Steampipe CLI, which exposes 150+ data sources (including AWS, Azure, GCP, GitHub, Slack, Kubernetes, and Terraform) as relational database tables. Steampipe is offered in multiple distributions: the standalone Steampipe CLI with embedded PostgreSQL; Steampipe Postgres FDWs for integration with existing Postgres databases; Steampipe SQLite Extensions for SQLite-based querying; and Export CLIs for command-line data extraction without a database. The broader Pipes Ecosystem includes Powerpipe for dashboards and compliance benchmarks, Flowpipe for workflow automation, and Turbot Pipes as the hosted cloud platform. Recent additions include the Steampipe MCP Server for AI assistant integration. No separate database is required.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Steampipe CLI The primary command-line interface that exposes APIs and cloud services as a high-performance relational database, enabling SQL-based queries against dynamic data from 150+ data sources. Free and open source under Apache 2.0 license.
• Steampipe Postgres FDWs Native PostgreSQL Foreign Data Wrappers that translate APIs to foreign tables. Can be installed in any supported Postgres database version, enabling integration with existing PostgreSQL installations.
• Steampipe SQLite Extensions SQLite virtual table extensions that translate queries into API calls, transparently fetching information from cloud services and APIs as data is requested, providing a zero-ETL SQLite-native query experience.
• Steampipe Export CLIs Standalone command-line binaries that extract data using Steampipe plugins without requiring a database installation, enabling data extraction directly from 150+ sources via CLI.
• Turbot Pipes Hosted cloud intelligence, automation and security platform that provides managed Steampipe database instances, shared Powerpipe dashboards, snapshots, and Flowpipe triggers. Commercial offering with free tier for developers.
• Powerpipe Cloud configuration visualization and benchmarking tool providing dashboards, reports, and compliance benchmarks (CIS, PCI, SOC2) to analyze and audit cloud environments, built on Steampipe data.
• Flowpipe Workflow orchestration tool for DevOps that enables creation of pipelines as code to define workflows running in sequence, turning Steampipe insights into automated actions.
• Tailpipe Open source SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tool for instant log insights, powered by DuckDB, analyzing millions of events in seconds from the terminal.
• Steampipe MCP Server Model Context Protocol server that enables AI assistants (Claude, Cursor) to interact with Steampipe cloud infrastructure data through natural language queries that are translated into SQL.

Quantifiable outcome

• Query 150+ cloud data sources using standard SQL without ETL
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration31 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TurbotcoreOthersTurbot is the company behind Steampipe. Steampipe is part of the Turbot Pipes ecosystem which includes Guardrails (policy enforcement), Pipes (cloud intelligence platform), Powerpipe (dashboards), Flowpipe (workflows), and Tailpipe (log analysis). Turbot develops and maintains Steampipe as an open source project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CloudQuery: CloudQuery provides a SQL-based cloud asset query and governance platform that directly mirrors Steampipe's zero-ETL value proposition. It is the closest open-source-and-commercial competitor in the same niche of multi-cloud SQL querying, compliance, and FinOps.
• Cartography by Lyft: Cartography is an open-source Neo4j-based tool for mapping cloud and SaaS assets and their relationships. It competes with Steampipe on multi-cloud asset inventory and graph-style visibility, though using a different underlying database paradigm.

Emerging players

• Pulumi: Pulumi started as infrastructure-as-code and has expanded into cloud resource querying, policy-as-code, and insights. It overlaps with Steampipe on multi-cloud resource visibility and developer-led adoption, and increasingly competes for the same DevOps buyer.
• Vantage: Vantage is a cloud cost intelligence platform with SQL-like query access to cost and usage data. It overlaps with Steampipe's FinOps and cost-optimization use cases, particularly around AWS, Azure, and GCP cost visibility and reporting.

Broad incumbents

• Wiz: Wiz is a leading cloud security posture management (CSPM) platform with deep multi-cloud asset inventory and compliance features. It addresses a large subset of Steampipe's compliance and security use cases as part of a much broader cloud security suite, and competes for the same enterprise security budget.
• Prisma Cloud (Palo Alto Networks): Prisma Cloud is a broad cloud-native security platform offering CSPM, CIEM, compliance, and workload protection. Its multi-cloud asset inventory and compliance posture features overlap with Steampipe's primary use cases, especially for large enterprise buyers.
• Lacework: Lacework provides cloud security and compliance across AWS, Azure, and GCP, including asset inventory and posture management. It competes with Steampipe for the cloud compliance and security buyer persona, though as part of a broader security platform.
• Datadog Cloud Security: Datadog's Cloud Security and CSPM modules offer multi-cloud asset inventory, misconfiguration detection, and compliance monitoring integrated with its observability platform. Steampipe explicitly integrates with Datadog via a plugin, and Datadog represents a broad-platform alternative for the same buyer.
• AWS Config: AWS Config is the native AWS service for assessing, auditing, and evaluating configurations of AWS resources, with compliance-pack support. It is a free-included alternative for AWS-only Steampipe use cases and a benchmark for what cloud providers bundle natively.
• Azure Resource Graph: Azure Resource Graph provides KQL-based querying over Azure resources at scale and is Microsoft's native answer to multi-subscription, multi-cloud asset visibility. It competes with Steampipe's Azure plugin use cases within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/steampipeio
• GitHubgithub.com/turbot/steampipe
• Facebookfacebook.com/streampipegaming

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Streampipe