SonarQube vs Semgrep
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Semgrep has the lower starting price: about $30 a month, against $34 for SonarQube.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Quality gates
- AI CodeFix
- AI Code Assurance
- SonarQube for IDE
- 30+ languages
- Semgrep Assistant AI triage
- Custom rules
- Supply chain scanning
- Secrets detection
- PR comments
| Feature | SonarQube | Semgrep |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Code quality and security checks for AI and human code | Code security scanning with AI triage and fix suggestions |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $34/mo | $30/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Sonar | Semgrep |
| Based in | Switzerland | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Semgrep has the lower starting price: about $30 a month, against $34 for SonarQube.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Free
Free
- Private projects up to 50k LOC
- No card, no expiry
Team
$34/mo
- Up to 100k LOC (more tiers available)
- Includes Advanced Security
- Billed monthly by card
Enterprise
Contact sales
- For 50+ developers
- 45+ languages, SSO and SCIM
- Portfolios and OWASP/MISRA reports
3 plans
Free
Free
- Up to 10 contributors
- Code (SAST) and Supply Chain
- GitHub/GitLab sign-in
Teams
$30/mo
- Per contributor, per product
- Cross-file analysis with Pro rules
- 20 AI credits per developer/mo
- Secrets at $15/contributor
Enterprise
Custom
- On-prem SCM support
- 50 AI credits per developer/mo
- Dedicated account manager
- Volume pricing
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
SonarQube
- Industry-standard code quality tool
- Free tier and IDE plugin
- Clear quality gates
- AI features need higher plans
- Can feel noisy on legacy code
Semgrep
- Easy-to-write custom rules
- Free for small teams
- AI cuts false positives
- Per-contributor pricing at scale
- Advanced analysis needs paid plan
Which one should you choose?
Choose SonarQube if you want:
- Industry-standard code quality tool
- Free tier and IDE plugin
- Clear quality gates
Watch out: ai features need higher plans.
Choose Semgrep if you want:
- Easy-to-write custom rules
- Free for small teams
- AI cuts false positives
Watch out: per-contributor pricing at scale.
SonarQube vs Semgrep FAQ
What is the difference between SonarQube and Semgrep?
SonarQube: Code quality and security checks for AI and human code. Semgrep: Code security scanning with AI triage and fix suggestions. Both are coding tools.
Is SonarQube or Semgrep cheaper?
Semgrep has the lower starting price: about $30 a month, against $34 for SonarQube.
Do SonarQube and Semgrep have free plans?
SonarQube: Yes. Semgrep: Yes.
Who makes SonarQube?
SonarQube is made by Sonar, based in Switzerland.
Who makes Semgrep?
Semgrep is made by Semgrep, based in United States.
Which should I choose, SonarQube or Semgrep?
Choose SonarQube if you value industry-standard code quality tool and free tier and ide plugin. Choose Semgrep if you value easy-to-write custom rules and free for small teams.