GitHub Security Features: Free vs Enterprise
This guide explains which GitHub security features are available for free versus Enterprise-only, and how 1-Click GitHub Security provides alternatives where possible.
🎯 Quick Summary
1-Click GitHub Security maximizes security within GitHub's free tier by providing client-side alternatives to server-side Enterprise features.
| Capability | GitHub Enterprise | 1-Click GitHub Security Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Block secrets before push | Push Protection (server-side) | gitleaks pre-push hook (client-side) |
| Custom secret patterns | Organization settings | .gitleaks.toml configuration |
| Security dashboard | Security Overview | Generated reports via Actions |
| Dependency review | Dependency Review API | Renovate + dependency-review action |
| Audit logging | Audit log streaming | Git hooks + local logs |
📊 Complete Feature Comparison
Security Scanning Features
| Feature | Free (Public Repos) | Free (Private Repos) | Enterprise | 1-Click Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependabot Alerts | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Via package manager audit |
| Dependabot Security Updates | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Via Renovate |
| Secret Scanning (Detection) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Via gitleaks |
| Secret Scanning (Push Protection) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Via pre-push hooks |
| Custom Secret Patterns | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Via .gitleaks.toml |
| Code Scanning/CodeQL | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Via Actions (public) |
| Third-party SAST Upload | ✅ Limited | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Partial via Actions |
| Security Advisories | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Native support |
Advanced Security Features
| Feature | Free | Enterprise | 1-Click Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security Overview Dashboard | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Custom reports via Actions |
| Dependency Review API | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ dependency-review action |
| Advanced CodeQL Queries | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Custom queries in .github/codeql |
| Security Managers Role | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No alternative |
| Audit Log Streaming | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Local git hooks logging |
| SAML/SSO Enforcement | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No alternative |
| IP Allow Lists | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No alternative |
Legend: - ✅ Full support - Feature available/implemented - ⚠️ Partial support - Limited alternative available - ❌ Not available - No alternative possible
🛠️ How 1-Click Provides Alternatives
1. Secret Detection & Blocking
| Aspect | GitHub Enterprise | 1-Click Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| When | Server-side (push-time) | Client-side (pre-push) |
| Coverage | All pushes to GitHub | Local commits only |
| Bypass | Requires admin override | git push --no-verify |
| Custom Patterns | UI configuration | .gitleaks.toml file |
| Performance | Instant (server-side) | ~2 seconds locally |
1-Click Implementation:
# Pre-push hook automatically installed
.git/hooks/pre-push
# Custom patterns in .gitleaks.toml
[rules]
[[rules]]
description = "Company API Key"
regex = '''company_api_[0-9a-f]{32}'''
2. Dependency Management
| Aspect | GitHub Enterprise | 1-Click Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Updates | Dependabot | Renovate bot |
| Vulnerability DB | GitHub Advisory DB | Multiple sources via Renovate |
| Auto-merge | Native Dependabot | Renovate automerge |
| Grouping | Dependabot groups | Renovate packageRules |
| Custom Rules | Limited | Extensive via renovate.json |
1-Click Advantages: - More flexible configuration - Multiple vulnerability sources - Better monorepo support - Custom versioning strategies
3. Code Scanning
| Aspect | GitHub Enterprise | 1-Click Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| SAST Engine | CodeQL | CodeQL (public) + Trivy |
| Custom Rules | Advanced queries | Basic CodeQL + Semgrep |
| Results Upload | Native SARIF | Actions artifact upload |
| PR Comments | Native integration | Actions-based comments |
| Dashboard | Security tab | Actions summary |
4. Security Metrics & Reporting
| Metric | GitHub Enterprise | 1-Click Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Vulnerability Count | Security Overview | Actions workflow output |
| MTTR | Insights API | Custom calculation in Actions |
| Coverage | Native metrics | Script-based analysis |
| Trends | Built-in graphs | Generated markdown reports |
| Alerts | Native + webhooks | Actions failure notifications |
🎯 Practical Implications
For Open Source Projects
You get almost everything for free! Public repositories have access to most GitHub Advanced Security features:
| Need | Solution | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Secret scanning | GitHub native | Free |
| Dependency scanning | Dependabot | Free |
| Code scanning | CodeQL | Free |
| Security advisories | GitHub native | Free |
| + 1-Click additions | Pre-push hooks, Renovate | Free |
For Private Repositories (Non-Enterprise)
1-Click GitHub Security becomes essential since most GHAS features are unavailable:
| Need | Without 1-Click | With 1-Click |
|---|---|---|
| Secret detection | ❌ None | ✅ gitleaks |
| Dependency updates | ❌ Manual | ✅ Renovate |
| Vulnerability scanning | ❌ None | ✅ Multiple tools |
| Code scanning | ❌ None | ⚠️ Limited (Trivy) |
| Pre-push validation | ❌ None | ✅ Comprehensive |
For Enterprise Organizations
1-Click complements Enterprise features by adding client-side validation:
| Scenario | Enterprise Alone | Enterprise + 1-Click |
|---|---|---|
| Secret blocking | Server-side only | Client + server protection |
| Custom patterns | Org-wide only | Org + repo-specific |
| Dependency updates | Dependabot only | Dependabot + Renovate |
| Security metrics | Dashboard only | Dashboard + custom reports |
| Audit trail | Server logs only | Server + local git logs |
📈 Migration Path
From Free to Enterprise
If you're considering GitHub Enterprise, here's what changes:
| Current State (with 1-Click) | After Enterprise | Action Required |
|---|---|---|
| gitleaks pre-push hooks | Push Protection | Keep both for defense-in-depth |
| Renovate bot | Dependabot | Choose one or use both |
Custom .gitleaks.toml |
Org secret patterns | Migrate patterns to org settings |
| Local security logs | Audit log streaming | Integrate with SIEM |
| Actions-based reports | Security Overview | Retire custom reports |
From Enterprise to Free
If moving from Enterprise to Free tier:
| Lost Feature | 1-Click Replacement | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|
| Push Protection | Pre-push hooks | < 5 minutes |
| Security Overview | Custom reports | < 30 minutes |
| Dependabot (private) | Renovate | < 15 minutes |
| Secret scanning (private) | gitleaks | < 5 minutes |
| CodeQL (private) | Trivy/Semgrep | < 20 minutes |
🔐 Security Philosophy
Defense in Depth
Best Practice: Use both GitHub Enterprise features AND 1-Click GitHub Security:
Developer Machine → Pre-push Hooks (1-Click) → Push Protection (Enterprise) → Repository
↓ ↓ ↓
[Local Block] [Client-side Block] [Server-side Block]
Why Client-Side Security Matters
Even with GitHub Enterprise, client-side security provides:
- Faster feedback - Catch issues before push attempt
- Offline protection - Works without network connection
- Cost savings - Reduce Enterprise API calls
- Privacy - Sensitive patterns stay local
- Customization - Repository-specific rules
💡 Recommendations
For Different Organization Types
| Organization Type | Recommended Setup | Estimated Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source Project | GitHub Free + 1-Click | $0 |
| Small Startup (<10 devs) | GitHub Team + 1-Click | ~$40 |
| Growing Company (10-50 devs) | GitHub Team + 1-Click + Key Enterprise features | ~$200-1000 |
| Enterprise (50+ devs) | GitHub Enterprise + 1-Click | $21/user/month |
Feature Priority Matrix
If budget is limited, prioritize features in this order:
| Priority | Feature | Free Alternative | Enterprise Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Critical | Secret blocking | gitleaks hooks | Push Protection |
| 🔴 Critical | Dependency scanning | Renovate | Dependabot |
| 🟡 Important | Code scanning | Public repos only | Private repo scanning |
| 🟡 Important | Security metrics | Custom reports | Security Overview |
| 🟢 Nice-to-have | SSO/SAML | N/A | Centralized access |
| 🟢 Nice-to-have | Audit streaming | Local logs | SIEM integration |
📚 Further Reading
- GitHub Advanced Security Documentation
- GitHub Pricing - Compare plans and features
- 1-Click Security Architecture - How our tools integrate
- Installation Guide - Get started with 1-Click GitHub Security
🤔 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If I have GitHub Enterprise, do I still need 1-Click GitHub Security? A: Yes! 1-Click provides client-side validation that complements server-side Enterprise features. It's defense-in-depth.
Q: Can 1-Click completely replace GitHub Enterprise security features? A: No. While 1-Click provides many alternatives, server-side enforcement, SSO, and organizational controls require Enterprise.
Q: What's the most important Enterprise feature I'm missing? A: Push Protection. It's the only way to guarantee secrets never enter your repository, even if developers bypass client-side hooks.
Q: Is 1-Click GitHub Security "good enough" for compliance? A: Depends on your requirements. Many compliance frameworks require server-side controls and audit logs that only Enterprise provides.
Last updated: October 2025