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Dagger vs Semgrep

Dagger logo

Dagger

Developer Tools

Programmable CI/CD engine that runs your pipeline as containers on any runner

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Semgrep logo

Semgrep

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dagger dagger is not a CI provider, so you keep paying for GitHub Actions or GitLab runners underneath it; the Dagger Cloud subscription is an addition to your CI bill, not a replacement for it.; Semgrep free tier caps out at 10 contributors and 10 repositories.
  • They diverge on capability: Dagger covers Pipelines as code, Semgrep covers Static code scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dagger and Semgrep actually diverge.

Attributes where Dagger and Semgrep differ
AttributeDaggerSemgrep
Pricing modelPer month per team for Dagger Cloudfreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Self-hostedweb, api, linux, mac, windows
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Dagger

  • Pipelines as code
  • Local and CI parity
  • Content-addressed caching
  • Dagger Functions and modules
  • CI-provider agnostic
  • Dagger Cloud traces
  • GitHub Checks integration
  • Container-native execution

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.

Dagger

  • A platform team maintaining near-identical build YAML across forty repositories that wants one versioned module every repository calls insteadnot Semgrep
  • An engineering organisation migrating off a CI provider that does not want to rewrite every pipeline as part of the migrationnot Semgrep
  • A team whose engineers waste hours pushing commits to debug CI-only failures and needs to reproduce the exact run locallynot Semgrep
  • A monorepo where most commits touch a small subset of services and cache-accurate step skipping cuts build minutes materiallynot Semgrep

Semgrep

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dagger

  • Dagger is not a CI provider, so you keep paying for GitHub Actions or GitLab runners underneath it; the Dagger Cloud subscription is an addition to your CI bill, not a replacement for it.
  • Writing pipelines in Go or TypeScript raises the barrier to entry: a release engineer who could edit a YAML step now needs to read code, and the people who can fix a broken build shrink to those comfortable with the SDK.
  • The engine runs as a container on the runner and needs a persistent cache volume to deliver its main benefit, so ephemeral CI runners give you correctness without the speed, and provisioning durable cache storage is extra platform work.
  • The Team plan caps at ten users and ten million events per month; an organisation of any size crosses that quickly and moves to Enterprise pricing that is not published, so cost at scale is unknowable up front.
  • The module ecosystem is young and thinly maintained relative to the marketplace of a mature CI provider, so integrations that exist as a one-line Action often have to be written yourself as a Dagger function.

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

Dagger

Free
  • IndividualFree
    • One user
    • One million events per month
    • Workflow logs and function call traces
  • Team$50/month
    • Up to ten users
    • Ten million events per month
    • Module insights and module catalogue
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom user and event limits
    • SSO
    • Managed single-tenant deployment

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 Dagger if

  • You need pipelines as code.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Self-hosted.
  • You also want local and ci parity.
Dagger 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 Dagger or Semgrep better?
Neither clearly leads. Dagger 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, Dagger or Semgrep?
Dagger starts at Free and Semgrep at Free.
Does Dagger or Semgrep run on more platforms?
Dagger runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Self-hosted. Semgrep runs on web, api, linux, mac, windows.
Can I use Dagger for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dagger best used for?
Dagger is most often used for a platform team maintaining near-identical build yaml across forty repositories that wants one versioned module every repository calls instead, an engineering organisation migrating off a ci provider that does not want to rewrite every pipeline as part of the migration, a team whose engineers waste hours pushing commits to debug ci-only failures and needs to reproduce the exact run locally, a monorepo where most commits touch a small subset of services and cache-accurate step skipping cuts build minutes materially. Of those, a platform team maintaining near-identical build yaml across forty repositories that wants one versioned module every repository calls instead and an engineering organisation migrating off a ci provider that does not want to rewrite every pipeline as part of the migration are not what Semgrep is typically brought in for.
What can Dagger do that Semgrep cannot?
Dagger covers Pipelines as code, Local and CI parity, Content-addressed caching, Dagger Functions and modules. Semgrep covers Static code scanning, Supply chain scanning, Secrets detection, Cross-file analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dagger: Does Dagger replace GitHub Actions?

No. Dagger runs inside GitHub Actions or any other CI. It replaces the YAML that describes your pipeline steps, not the trigger and runner layer.

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
Dagger: Is the engine open source?

Yes, the Dagger engine and SDKs are open source and free. Dagger Cloud, the observability product, is what costs money.

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
Dagger: What is an event in the pricing?

Dagger Cloud meters pipeline telemetry events. One million per month is free; the Team plan at 50 USD per month allows ten million.

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
Dagger: Can I run the same pipeline on my laptop?

Yes, that is the main reason teams adopt it. The dagger CLI executes the identical graph locally, so CI-only failures become reproducible.

Semgrep: Is there special pricing for startups?

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

Source
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