Semgrep
Open source static analysis you can actually write your own rules for.
What is Semgrep?
Semgrep is a static analysis platform built on a pattern-matching engine you can write custom rules for in a few lines of code, plus a paid layer that adds Pro rules, SCA, secrets detection and AI triage. The Community Edition is genuinely open source and widely used by security teams who want grep-on-steroids for code. Paid tiers are bought by AppSec teams at companies like Lyft, Dropbox and Slack who need cross-file analysis and rule governance across hundreds of repos.
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Use cases to evaluate
Writing custom rules to enforce internal API and auth patterns
SAST scanning in CI/CD without heavy false positive noise
Detecting hardcoded secrets across the monorepo
Auditing open source dependencies for known CVEs
Fit to evaluate
AppSec engineers who want to write their own rules
Security teams at companies with many internal libraries
Open source projects needing free SAST in CI
Organizations replacing legacy SAST tools with high false positive rates
Business fit
Right for you if your security team wants to encode 'never call this internal function without an auth check' as a rule and have it block PRs forever. Skip if you want a black-box scanner that just gives you a CVE list - Snyk is friendlier there. The Free tier is unusually generous: up to 10 contributors, 10 private repos, Pro Engine, Pro Rules and AI triage all included at $0.
How to evaluate Semgrep
Use this category when software delivery speed, code review, or developer leverage is a business constraint.
Confirm the exact workflow
Map Semgrep to one concrete workflow first, such as writing custom rules to enforce internal api and auth patterns. Avoid buying before the owner, trigger, output, and success metric are clear.
Check category fit
Test with your actual repository and review diff quality.
Compare practical alternatives
Shortlist Semgrep against Codex, Claude Code, Cursor so the decision is based on fit, effort, and workflow ownership rather than brand recognition alone.
Validate cost and rollout effort
Free Edition at $0 for up to 10 contributors and 10 private repos. Teams from $30 per contributor per month per module (Code or Supply Chain) or $15 per contributor for Secrets, with 20 AI credits per dev monthly. Enterprise is custom. Also confirm implementation time, support needs, and whether the technical setup matches your team.
Compare Semgrep with alternatives
Use this quick comparison before booking demos or moving data into a new system.
| Primary workflow | Writing custom rules to enforce internal API and auth patterns, SAST scanning in CI/CD without heavy false positive noise |
|---|---|
| Best-fit team | AppSec engineers who want to write their own rules, Security teams at companies with many internal libraries |
| Implementation effort | Technical setup and maintenance profile |
| Pricing check | Free plan + paid plans |
| Closest alternatives | CodexClaude CodeCursorGitHub Copilot |
Semgrep pricing
| Model | Free plan + paid plans |
|---|---|
| Snapshot | Free Edition at $0 for up to 10 contributors and 10 private repos. Teams from $30 per contributor per month per module (Code or Supply Chain) or $15 per contributor for Secrets, with 20 AI credits per dev monthly. Enterprise is custom. |
| Checked |
Common questions about Semgrep
What is Semgrep?
Semgrep is a static analysis platform built on a pattern-matching engine you can write custom rules for in a few lines of code, plus a paid layer that adds Pro rules, SCA, secrets detection and AI triage. The Community Edition is genuinely open source and widely used by security teams who want grep-on-steroids for code. Paid tiers are bought by AppSec teams at companies like Lyft, Dropbox and Slack who need cross-file analysis and rule governance across hundreds of repos.
What is Semgrep used for?
Common use cases: Writing custom rules to enforce internal API and auth patterns; SAST scanning in CI/CD without heavy false positive noise; Detecting hardcoded secrets across the monorepo; Auditing open source dependencies for known CVEs.
How much does Semgrep cost?
Free Edition at $0 for up to 10 contributors and 10 private repos. Teams from $30 per contributor per month per module (Code or Supply Chain) or $15 per contributor for Secrets, with 20 AI credits per dev monthly. Enterprise is custom.
Who is Semgrep best for?
Semgrep fits AppSec engineers who want to write their own rules, Security teams at companies with many internal libraries, Open source projects needing free SAST in CI, Organizations replacing legacy SAST tools with high false positive rates. Right for you if your security team wants to encode 'never call this internal function without an auth check' as a rule and have it block PRs forever. Skip if you want a black-box scanner that just gives you a CVE list - Snyk is friendlier there. The Free tier is unusually generous: up to 10 contributors, 10 private repos, Pro Engine, Pro Rules and AI triage all included at $0.
What are alternatives to Semgrep?
Common alternatives to Semgrep include Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Replit, Windsurf.