Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Chef vs Sourcegraph Cody

Chef logo

Chef

Cloud

Infrastructure automation and management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sourcegraph Cody logo

Sourcegraph Cody

AI

Enterprise AI coding assistant with whole-codebase context

From
$59/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chef has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chef priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size; Sourcegraph Cody no longer available to individual developers or small teams after free and Pro tiers were discontinued in mid-2025
  • They diverge on capability: Chef covers Recipes, Sourcegraph Cody covers Multi-repository context.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chef and Sourcegraph Cody actually diverge.

Attributes where Chef and Sourcegraph Cody differ
AttributeChefSourcegraph Cody
Starting priceFree$59/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, Apiweb, windows, mac, linux
CategoryCloudAI
Founded20092013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Chef

  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Roles
  • Data bags
  • Attributes
  • Chef Server
  • Chef Infra
  • Chef Compliance

Only in Sourcegraph Cody

  • Multi-repository context
  • Large context window
  • Context filters
  • Model flexibility
  • IDE integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Chef

  • Configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleetsnot Sourcegraph Cody
  • Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot Sourcegraph Cody

Sourcegraph Cody

  • Cross-repository code understanding for large engineering orgsnot Chef
  • AI-assisted code review and refactoring at enterprise scalenot Chef
  • Enforcing data-boundary controls when using third-party LLMsnot Chef
  • Codebase-aware chat and autocomplete for developersnot Chef

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Chef

  • Priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
  • Tripling the price between the two published tiers puts compliance and audit features well above basic automation
  • Enterprise Plus and every self managed deployment are custom quoted with no published price

Sourcegraph Cody

  • No longer available to individual developers or small teams after free and Pro tiers were discontinued in mid-2025
  • Priced substantially higher than many competing AI coding assistants, with Enterprise plans typically requiring annual contracts
  • Sourcegraph has shifted its individual-developer focus to a separate product, Amp, creating uncertainty about Cody's long-term product priority
  • Requires integration with Sourcegraph's broader code intelligence platform rather than working as a lightweight standalone extension

Pricing, plan by plan

Chef

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Chef Infra
    • Community support
    • Full functionality
  • Chef Automate$4000/year
    • Chef Infra
    • Compliance automation
    • Insights

Sourcegraph Cody

$59/month
  • Enterprise$59/month
    • Whole-codebase AI context
    • Context filters for sensitive code
    • Multi-repository analysis

Which should you pick?

Choose Chef if

  • You need recipes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want cookbooks.
Chef review

Choose Sourcegraph Cody if

  • You need multi-repository context.
  • You work on web, windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want large context window.
Sourcegraph Cody review

Questions people ask

Is Chef or Sourcegraph Cody better?
Neither clearly leads. Chef starts at Free and Sourcegraph Cody at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chef or Sourcegraph Cody?
Chef has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chef and $59/month for Sourcegraph Cody.
Does Chef or Sourcegraph Cody run on more platforms?
Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Sourcegraph Cody runs on web, windows, mac, linux.
Can I use Chef for free?
Yes. Chef has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sourcegraph Cody starts at $59/month.
What is Chef best used for?
Chef is most often used for configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleets, enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodes. Of those, configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleets and enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodes are not what Sourcegraph Cody is typically brought in for.
What can Chef do that Sourcegraph Cody cannot?
Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags. Sourcegraph Cody covers Multi-repository context, Large context window, Context filters, Model flexibility.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chef: How much does Chef cost?

Chef does not publish pricing on its website. The company offers a free trial and directs interested customers to request a demo or contact their sales team for pricing details.

Source
Sourcegraph Cody: Is Sourcegraph Cody still available to individual developers?

No, as of mid-2025 Cody Free and Pro plans were discontinued; Cody is now sold only as part of Sourcegraph's Enterprise plan, which requires an annual contract.

Source
Chef: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, Chef offers a free trial to interested users, allowing them to evaluate the platform before purchasing.

Source
Sourcegraph Cody: How much does Sourcegraph Enterprise cost?

Enterprise plans start around $16,000 and scale with team size and seat count, including bundled AI credits; exact pricing requires a sales quote.

Source
Chef: What deployment options are available?

Chef is available as SaaS (cloud-hosted), on-premises, and through cloud marketplaces like AWS and Azure, but specific pricing for each deployment model is not published.

Source
Sourcegraph Cody: How does the AI credit system work on Enterprise plans?

Each plan includes a pooled allocation of AI credits shared across the organization; credits do not expire and roll over at renewal, with volume credit add-ons available.

Source
Chef: How do I get pricing information?

Sign up for the free trial or request a demo through Chef's website to speak with their sales team about pricing.

Source
Sourcegraph Cody: What happens if my organization exceeds its credit allocation?

Sourcegraph's pricing page addresses overage and offers additional volume credit buckets for teams that need more than their committed allocation.

Source
Sourcegraph Cody: Is a free trial available for Sourcegraph Enterprise?

Sourcegraph's pricing page lists free trial availability as one of its published FAQ topics for prospective Enterprise customers.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Chef

More on Sourcegraph Cody

Keep looking

Other head to heads