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Most buyers should pick Semgrep.
Choose Semgrep if your priority is application security scanning and rule control. Choose SonarQube if you want code quality, security, and compliance checks with quality gates and auditable findings. The pricing details list Semgrep from $15, while its Teams plan is $30 per contributor monthly. SonarQube Team starts at $34 monthly for under 50 developers and up to 100,000 private LOC. Both offer free plans, but their limits and billing units differ.
01Side by side
| Semgrep | SonarQube | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Listed from $15; Teams $30/contributor/month | $34/month for Team |
| Free plan | 10 contributors; 10 repositories | 50k private LOC; OSS option |
| Best for | Application security and rule control | Code quality, security, and compliance |
| Core strength | SAST, dependencies, malware, and secrets | Auditable code checks and quality gates |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations and data | Not published | Not published |
| Team and seat costs | 500 private repos; $30/contributor; 20 AI credits | 100k private LOC; $34/month |
| Support | 6.5/10 review; Enterprise account manager | 4/10 review; commercial support from 5M LOC |
Semgrep Choose Semgrep if
- Choose Semgrep if application security scanning is your main need.
- Choose Semgrep if you want control over scanning rules.
- Choose Semgrep if its contributor-based Teams plan fits your budget.
SonarQube Choose SonarQube if
- Choose SonarQube if code quality and compliance matter alongside security.
- Choose SonarQube if quality gates and auditable findings fit your workflow.
- Choose SonarQube if its private-LOC free tier suits your projects.
02Pricing compared
Semgrep lists a free edition for up to 10 contributors and 10 repositories, with 60 AI credits. Its Teams plan is $30 per contributor per month, with 20 AI credits per developer monthly and up to 500 private repositories. The listed $15 price is not the Teams plan price; Semgrep lists Secrets as a $15-per-contributor monthly add-on. Code and Supply Chain add-ons are each listed at $30 per contributor monthly. Annual prices are not published.
SonarQube Team starts at $34 per month for teams with fewer than 50 developers, covering up to 100,000 private LOC at that price. Its free Developers plan covers up to 50,000 private LOC with no expiry. Team is billed monthly; Enterprise is quote-based and billed annually. Advanced Security costs extra, but its price is not published. The free plans use different limits, so compare repository and LOC needs before switching.
03Features and depth
Semgrep is the more application-security-focused option in this comparison. Its feature list covers static analysis, dependency vulnerability detection and malware blocking, and semantic secrets scanning. It also lists AI code scanning, finding triage based on context and prior decisions, and tailored remediation or upgrade guidance in pull requests and IDEs. That breadth centers on finding and fixing security issues in code; Semgrep’s review advises looking elsewhere if you need DAST in the same platform.
SonarQube covers code quality, security, and compliance, with quality gates to check code before merge and findings designed to be explainable and auditable. Its Advanced Security assesses dependencies and the software supply chain, but requires an extra subscription. SonarQube also lists a Remediation Agent that opens verified pull requests for technical debt. The plans list 35+ languages for Team and 45+ for Enterprise. Choose Semgrep for security scanning and rule control; choose SonarQube when governance and quality gates are central.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The published reviews rate Semgrep’s ease of use at 8 and SonarQube’s at 6, but they do not explain the scores or document setup steps. We would not treat that gap as proof that one is easier to deploy in every codebase.
The more concrete difference is what you need to manage and budget: Semgrep Team is priced per contributor and caps private repositories at 500, while SonarQube Team starts with a 100,000-private-LOC limit. Semgrep’s free tier also caps contributors and repositories; SonarQube’s free Developers plan caps private LOC. Check which unit matches your organization before estimating migration effort or cost.
Questions people ask
What are some alternatives to CodeQL?
Semgrep is one option to consider if you want static application security scanning with rule control. Its listed features also include dependency and malware protection, secrets scanning, and AI code scanning. This comparison does not establish how Semgrep or SonarQube performs against CodeQL, so compare supported languages and workflow requirements before switching.
Is it Sonar or SonarQube?
The product in this comparison is SonarQube, and the published product URL is SonarSource. The comparison covers SonarQube’s Server and Cloud options, plus Team, Enterprise, and free plans. Check the specific deployment and plan you need; the published pricing details do not give a separate price for Server versus Cloud.
Is Semgrep free?
Yes. Semgrep lists a Free Edition at $0 for up to 10 contributors and 10 repositories, with 60 AI credits and Code and Supply Chain included. Teams starts at $30 per contributor monthly. The listed $15 Secrets price is an add-on, not the Teams plan price; annual prices are not published.
Which is better, HCL AppScan or SonarQube?
The published information does not include HCL AppScan features, limits, or prices, so we cannot make a sourced comparison. SonarQube lists code quality, security, and compliance checks, quality gates, and auditable findings. Its Team plan starts at $34 monthly for under 50 developers and up to 100,000 private LOC.