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Semgrep alternatives: 3 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 1, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Semgrep: cross-file analysis and Pro rules need the commercial engine, and free edition is capped at 10 contributors. We ranked 3 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Semgrep, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. CodeQL currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1CodeQL logoCodeQLFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux5 of 566.5
2SonarQube logoSonarQubeFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 462.6
3Snyk logoSnykFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +14 of 459.6
  1. CodeQL logo

    1. CodeQLTop pick

    Best for: Teams on GitHub and security researchers who want deep, query-based vulnerability hunting

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Semgrep

    Deeper data-flow analysis and free on public GitHub repositories.

    Pros

    • Deep data-flow and taint analysis across a whole codebase
    • Custom queries let you find every variant of a known bug
    • Built into GitHub code scanning with alerts on pull requests
    • Free for public repositories and research

    Cons

    • Private, commercial use requires a paid GitHub Code Security licence
    • QL query language takes real effort to learn
    • Compiled languages need a working build to create the database
    Visit CodeQL Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is CodeQL a good Semgrep alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free for open source
    Yes, and for research
    Checked Oct 29, 2026codeql.github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Query library license
    MIT
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Private repositories
    Requires GitHub Code Security
    Checked Oct 29, 2026docs.github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Languages
    Includes Java, Kotlin, Python, Rust, Swift, TypeScript
    Checked Oct 29, 2026codeql.github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    VS Code extension
    Yes
    Checked Oct 29, 2026codeql.github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. SonarQube logo

    2. SonarQube

    Best for: Teams that want quality gates for code quality and security on every pull request

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Semgrep

    Adds code quality metrics and quality gates alongside security findings.

    Pros

    • Combines code quality and security in one report
    • Choice of cloud service or self-hosted server
    • Free IDE extension for instant feedback
    • Free for public open-source projects

    Cons

    • Pricing scales with lines of code, which gets costly for large codebases
    • Free private tier is limited to 50k lines of code
    • Advanced security features are kept for higher tiers
    Visit SonarQube Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is SonarQube a good Semgrep alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Private projects up to 50k LOC
    Checked Oct 30, 2026sonarsource.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $34/month
    Checked Oct 30, 2026sonarsource.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days
    Checked Oct 30, 2026sonarsource.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    LGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Snyk logo

    3. Snyk

    Best for: Development teams that want dependency, code and container scanning in one place

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Semgrep

    Strong dependency and container scanning with a free tier for individuals.

    Pros

    • Covers dependencies, code, containers and IaC together
    • Works in the IDE, CLI, pull requests and CI
    • Free plan includes every scanner

    Cons

    • Free plan has tight monthly test limits, such as 100 code tests
    • Team plan caps at 10 developers before enterprise pricing
    • Hosted service only, no self-managed edition on standard plans
    Visit Snyk Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Snyk a good Semgrep alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, $0/month
    Checked Nov 1, 2026snyk.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $25/month
    Checked Nov 1, 2026snyk.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Free code test limit
    100 tests/month
    Checked Nov 1, 2026snyk.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Integrations
    IDE, CLI, source code managers
    Checked Nov 1, 2026snyk.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best Semgrep alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

CodeQL logo

Best Semgrep alternative for most people

CodeQL

Deeper data-flow analysis and free on public GitHub repositories.

SonarQube logo

Best Semgrep alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

SonarQube

Adds code quality metrics and quality gates alongside security findings.

SonarQube logo

Best Semgrep alternative for open source

SonarQube

Adds code quality metrics and quality gates alongside security findings.

SonarQube logo

Best Semgrep alternative for self-hosting

SonarQube

Adds code quality metrics and quality gates alongside security findings.

Snyk logo

Best Semgrep alternative for Mac

Snyk

Strong dependency and container scanning with a free tier for individuals.

CodeQL logo

Best Semgrep alternative for Windows

CodeQL

Deeper data-flow analysis and free on public GitHub repositories.

CodeQL logo

Best Semgrep alternative for Linux

CodeQL

Deeper data-flow analysis and free on public GitHub repositories.

SonarQube logo

Best Semgrep alternative for working in the browser

SonarQube

Adds code quality metrics and quality gates alongside security findings.

Semgrep alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Semgrep?

CodeQL ranks first right now. Deeper data-flow analysis and free on public GitHub repositories. SonarQube and Snyk follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Semgrep?

Yes. CodeQL (free plan + paid), SonarQube (free plan + paid) and Snyk (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Semgrep?

Yes: SonarQube. SonarQube can also be self-hosted.

Which Semgrep alternatives work on Linux?

CodeQL and Snyk run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Semgrep?

The complaints we hear most: cross-file analysis and Pro rules need the commercial engine; free edition is capped at 10 contributors; paid products are billed separately per contributor.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Semgrep, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.