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Developer Tools · head to head

Git vs Semperis

Git logo

Git

Developer Tools

A free and open source distributed version control system

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Semperis logo

Semperis

Cybersecurity

Identity threat detection and Active Directory forest recovery for AD, Entra ID and Okta, from a privately held US vendor.

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Git has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Git licensed under GNU GPL version 2.0 as stated on git-scm.com/about; as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare; Semperis scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Git and Semperis actually diverge.

Attributes where Git and Semperis differ
AttributeGitSemperis
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Git

Nothing recorded that Semperis does not also cover.

Only in Semperis

  • Active Directory Forest Recovery
  • Malware-free restore
  • Replication-stream monitoring
  • Automated rollback
  • Attack indicator scoring
  • Entra ID and Okta coverage
  • Purple Knight
  • Forest Druid

What people use each for

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

Git

  • Maintaining complete code history for large projectsnot Semperis
  • Coordinating open source development globallynot Semperis
  • Enabling offline work with full repository historynot Semperis
  • Integrating with CI/CD and hosting servicesnot Semperis

Semperis

  • An organisation that cannot answer an auditor or insurer asking how long it would take to rebuild Active Directory after a destructive attacknot Git
  • Post-incident recovery where domain controllers are compromised and restoring from system-state backup would reintroduce the attacker's footholdnot Git
  • Continuous detection of privileged group changes and directory-level tampering that domain controller security logs missnot Git
  • Hybrid estates where AD, Entra ID and Okta all matter and no single tool currently shows changes across the threenot Git

Where each one falls short

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

Git

  • Licensed under GNU GPL version 2.0 as stated on git-scm.com/about; as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • Git is a command line tool by design; graphical workflows and hosted collaboration depend entirely on third party GUIs and hosting services layered on top, per git-scm.com/about

Semperis

  • Scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • The licence buys tooling, not a proven runbook: forest recovery is only worth what your last rehearsal demonstrated, and a plan that has never been executed end to end in a lab is an untested assumption regardless of what was purchased.
  • It overlaps with backup and directory management products from Quest, Veeam, Commvault and others, so the buyer must argue internally why a dedicated product is needed alongside a backup contract that already claims to protect Active Directory.
  • Running Directory Services Protector well requires someone who understands AD internals, replication metadata and Tier 0 attack paths, and without that person the alerts on privileged changes are either ignored or auto-reverted in ways that break legitimate administration.
  • Licensing is driven by identity object counts, so directories carrying years of stale user accounts and service principals pay for objects that should have been deleted, and the cleanup project that would reduce the bill is the one nobody has time for.

Pricing, plan by plan

Git

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Git review.

Semperis

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Semperis review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Git if

  • You want to start without paying.
Git review

Choose Semperis if

  • You need active directory forest recovery.
  • You also want malware-free restore.
Semperis review

Questions people ask

Is Git or Semperis better?
Neither clearly leads. Git starts at Free and Semperis at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Git or Semperis?
Git has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Git and On request for Semperis.
Does Git or Semperis run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Git for free?
Yes. Git has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Semperis starts at On request.
What is Git best used for?
Git is most often used for maintaining complete code history for large projects, coordinating open source development globally, enabling offline work with full repository history, integrating with ci/cd and hosting services. Of those, maintaining complete code history for large projects and coordinating open source development globally are not what Semperis is typically brought in for.
What can Git do that Semperis cannot?
Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery, Malware-free restore, Replication-stream monitoring, Automated rollback.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Git: How much does Git cost?

Git is completely free and open-source software released under the GNU General Public License version 2.0 (GPLv2). There are no licensing costs for the core Git project.

Source
Semperis: Does this replace my backups?

No. It replaces the Active Directory recovery procedure specifically. You still need backups for everything else, and the point of Semperis is that a generic system-state backup of a domain controller is a poor way to recover a forest because it restores the operating system along with whatever compromised it.

Git: Can Git be used for commercial purposes?

Yes, Git can be freely used for commercial and non-commercial projects. The GPLv2 license guarantees freedom to use, modify, and distribute the software.

Source
Semperis: Is it useful if we are cloud-only on Entra ID?

Partly. Directory Services Protector covers Entra ID and Okta for change tracking and posture, but the forest recovery product, which is the strongest reason to buy, applies to on-premises Active Directory. A genuinely cloud-only organisation should weigh it against Microsoft's own tooling.

Semperis: Are Purple Knight and Forest Druid really free?

Yes, both are free downloads with no licence requirement, and they are widely used by organisations that are not Semperis customers. They are also, transparently, the top of the sales funnel.

Semperis: How long does forest recovery actually take?

The honest answer is whatever your rehearsal took. The vendor's case is hours instead of days, and automation genuinely removes most manual steps, but the number that matters for your board is the one from a test in your own environment.

Semperis: Does it require agents on domain controllers?

It collects directory changes from the AD replication stream, which is what lets it see changes that bypass the security log. Deployment details vary by product and version, so confirm the exact architecture against your domain controller change-control rules.

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