CloudQuery — Syncs cloud config and security data from 70+ sources into your data warehouse for analysis.
Analyzed by Sai Pavan Gopularam · Cloud · Data Engineering · View on GitHub
- Stars: 6532
- Forks: 562
- Commits last 30 days: 100
- Health: Active (100 commits this month)
- Language: Go
- License: MPL-2.0
What It Is
CloudQuery is like a universal data pipeline for your cloud infrastructure. It connects to various cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) and SaaS tools, pulls their configuration and security data, and loads it into a database you control. This makes all your cloud data queryable with standard SQL.
This matters because cloud environments are complex and fragmented. CloudQuery solves the problem of manually aggregating data from dozens of different APIs and dashboards, allowing you to get a unified view for security, cost optimization, and compliance without building custom integrations.
License Verdict
MPL-2.0 License — Build Products, Share Core Changes — Commercial Use Approved • Weak Copyleft on Modifications
The Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0) permits commercial use, distribution, and modification of the software. If you modify the CloudQuery source code itself and distribute those modifications, you must make your changes available under the MPL-2.0. However, you can link to the MPL-licensed code from proprietary applications without needing to open-source your entire application.
How to Use It
Install the CloudQuery CLI using Homebrew. Then follow the quickstart guide for specific instructions to configure your first data sync from a cloud source into a destination database.
Prerequisites:
- Homebrew
- CloudQuery CLI
Estimated setup time: 10 minutes.
brew install cloudquery/tap/cloudqueryWhat I'd Build With This
Cloud Cost Anomaly Detector for Startups (micro-saas)
Build a small service that uses CloudQuery to pull billing data from AWS/GCP/Azure for small companies. It analyzes spending patterns daily and alerts users via Slack or email about unusual spikes or underutilized resources. Focus on simplicity and actionable insights for non-technical founders.
Effort: 1-2 Weeks Build Time · Target: Small Startups, Indie Developers · Pricing: $29/mo
Multi-Cloud Security & Compliance Platform (saas)
Develop a comprehensive SaaS platform that leverages CloudQuery to ingest security configuration data from multiple cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP). Offer automated compliance checks (e.g., CIS benchmarks), security posture management (CSPM), and vulnerability detection. Provide a centralized dashboard and reporting for security teams.
Effort: 3-6 Months Build Time · Target: Mid-Market Companies, Security Teams · Pricing: $500 - $5,000/mo
Managed Cloud Data Lake & Governance Solution (enterprise)
Offer a fully managed service that deploys and maintains CloudQuery instances for large enterprises. This includes setting up data pipelines, custom plugins for internal systems, integrating with existing data lakes (e.g., Snowflake, BigQuery), and providing advanced analytics and governance dashboards. Focus on data sovereignty and complex regulatory compliance.
Effort: 6-12 Months (initial setup) + ongoing · Target: Large Enterprises, Regulated Industries · Pricing: $10,000 - $100,000+/month
Sai Pavan Gopularam's Take
CloudQuery is a powerful data ingestion engine for cloud resources, letting you build a unified data lake for security or FinOps. I could see charging $99/month for a hosted version that monitors 3 cloud accounts, but the mixed-source nature is a significant concern for building a long-term business on it.
Watch Out For
- Mixed Source Model: While the core is MPL-2.0, the README explicitly states some integrations are not open source, and code that *was* open source has been moved to closed source. This creates uncertainty about long-term access and full transparency.
- MPL-2.0 Copyleft: Any direct modifications to the CloudQuery source code that you distribute must be open-sourced under the same MPL-2.0 license. This can limit proprietary customization if you intend to distribute your modified version.
- Operational Complexity: Deploying and managing CloudQuery for a large, multi-cloud environment requires expertise in data engineering, pipeline orchestration, and database administration. It's not a 'zero-ops' solution.
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