Where Socket.dev wins
If your concern is the packages you pull in, Socket is excellent. It catches malware, suspicious install scripts, and dependencies that quietly gain risky capabilities. For supply-chain defense on npm and other ecosystems, it is a purpose-built and respected tool.
Where Prbl is different
Socket watches code you did not write. Prbl watches code you did, specifically the code an AI assistant produced: missing authentication on generated routes, hardcoded secrets in scaffolding, fallback secrets in environment lookups, and Broken Object Level Authorization. It also checks your deployed app for exposure like an open Supabase table or a leaked key in the frontend.
Run both
These cover opposite ends of the same project. Socket secures your dependencies; Prbl secures the AI-written application code and its live surface. Teams building fast with AI assistants get the fullest coverage running both.
Frequently asked questions
Does Prbl check for malicious npm packages like Socket does?
No, that's not the focus. Socket watches the packages you pull in. Prbl watches the code your AI assistant wrote: missing authentication, hardcoded secrets, BOLA, and live-URL exposure like an open Supabase table.
Should I replace Socket with Prbl?
No, they cover opposite ends of the same project. Socket secures your dependencies; Prbl secures the AI-written application code and its live surface.
What's the overlap between Prbl and Socket?
Very little by design. If your concern is a malicious or risky package, Socket is the purpose-built tool. If your concern is what an AI assistant wrote in your own application, that's Prbl.