Softwr

Networking · head to head

Cloudflare vs Semgrep

Cloudflare logo

Cloudflare

Networking

The web performance and security company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Semgrep logo

Semgrep

Cybersecurity

Open-source static analysis tool for finding security bugs and enforcing code standards.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cloudflare free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features); Semgrep free tier caps out at 10 contributors and 10 repositories.
  • They diverge on capability: Cloudflare covers Global CDN, Semgrep covers Static code scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudflare and Semgrep actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudflare and Semgrep differ
AttributeCloudflareSemgrep
PlatformsWebweb, api, linux, mac, windows
CategoryNetworkingCybersecurity
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Cloudflare

  • Global CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • WAF
  • DNS
  • SSL/TLS
  • Load Balancing
  • Bot Management
  • Workers (Serverless)

Only in Semgrep

  • Static code scanning
  • Supply chain scanning
  • Secrets detection
  • Cross-file analysis
  • AI-powered triage and remediation
  • CI/CD integration

What people use each for

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

Cloudflare

  • Global content delivery network (CDN) with 330+ data centres worldwidenot Semgrep
  • DDoS protection and bot blockingnot Semgrep
  • Web application security and rate limitingnot Semgrep
  • DNS management and domain protectionnot Semgrep
  • Static and dynamic content cachingnot Semgrep
  • Serverless computing via Cloudflare Workersnot Semgrep
  • Database and storage services (D1, R2)not Semgrep
  • Performance optimisation for Core Web Vitalsnot Semgrep

Semgrep

  • Scanning code for security vulnerabilities in CI/CDnot Cloudflare
  • Detecting vulnerable open-source dependenciesnot Cloudflare
  • Finding hardcoded secrets before code shipsnot Cloudflare
  • Enforcing custom code standards with rule setsnot Cloudflare
  • Prioritizing findings with AI-assisted triagenot Cloudflare

Where each one falls short

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

Cloudflare

  • Free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features)
  • Pro tier ($20-25/month) caps at professional websites (higher tiers needed for enterprise scale)
  • Caches only anonymous API GET responses (authenticated requests and non-GET methods not cached)
  • Geographic coverage limited to announced 330+ cities (may not cover all regions globally)

Semgrep

  • Free tier caps out at 10 contributors and 10 repositories.
  • Secrets scanning is priced as a separate module ($15/contributor) from Code and Supply Chain.
  • Self-managed repositories and custom CI/CD require the Enterprise tier.
  • AI credits are limited per tier and additional usage requires upgrading.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloudflare

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cloudflare review.

Semgrep

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 contributors
    • Code and Supply Chain scanning
    • 60 AI credits total
  • Teams$30/month
    • Code, Supply Chain, or Secrets scanning per contributor
    • Pro rules
    • AI-powered triage and remediation
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • On-prem support
    • Custom CI/CD
    • 50 AI credits per developer/month

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloudflare if

  • You need global cdn.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ddos protection.
Cloudflare review

Choose Semgrep if

  • You need static code scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api, linux, mac, windows.
  • You also want supply chain scanning.
Semgrep review

Questions people ask

Is Cloudflare or Semgrep better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudflare starts at Free and Semgrep at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudflare or Semgrep?
Cloudflare starts at Free and Semgrep at Free.
Does Cloudflare or Semgrep run on more platforms?
Cloudflare runs on Web. Semgrep runs on web, api, linux, mac, windows.
Can I use Cloudflare for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cloudflare best used for?
Cloudflare is most often used for global content delivery network (cdn) with 330+ data centres worldwide, ddos protection and bot blocking, web application security and rate limiting, dns management and domain protection. Of those, global content delivery network (cdn) with 330+ data centres worldwide and ddos protection and bot blocking are not what Semgrep is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudflare do that Semgrep cannot?
Cloudflare covers Global CDN, DDoS Protection, WAF, DNS. Semgrep covers Static code scanning, Supply chain scanning, Secrets detection, Cross-file analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloudflare: Does Cloudflare have a free tier?

Yes, Cloudflare includes a free tier with generous allowances: 100k daily requests for Workers, 10 GB monthly storage for R2, and 1 GB for Workers KV.

Source
Semgrep: What does Semgrep cost?

The Free edition covers up to 10 contributors; Teams starts at $30/contributor/month for Code scanning (Supply Chain also $30, Secrets $15); Enterprise is custom-priced.

Source
Cloudflare: How much does Cloudflare cost beyond the free tier?

Cloudflare uses pay-as-you-go pricing beyond free allocations, charging per million requests, per GB-month of storage, or per vCPU-second depending on the service.

Source
Semgrep: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes, the Free edition supports up to 10 contributors and 10 repositories with Code and Supply Chain scanning plus 60 AI credits total.

Source
Cloudflare: Does Cloudflare charge egress fees?

No, Cloudflare explicitly states no egress fees and no hidden costs; you only pay for the usage metrics specific to each service.

Source
Semgrep: How is usage metered?

Pricing is per contributor, defined as someone who made at least one commit to a scanned private repository in the past 90 days.

Source
Cloudflare: What's the Enterprise pricing model for Cloudflare?

Cloudflare Enterprise offers custom pricing and volume discounts available through direct sales for organizations with specialized needs and large-scale usage.

Source
Semgrep: Is there special pricing for startups?

Yes, Semgrep offers special startup pricing upon request for early-stage companies.

Source
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