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GitHub Copilot vs Semgrep

GitHub Copilot logo

GitHub Copilot

Developer Tools

AI pair programmer for developers

From
$10/month
Free plan
No
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

  • Only Semgrep has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GitHub Copilot agent mode lacks deep tool orchestration and iterative execution compared to specialized agentic tools; Semgrep free tier caps out at 10 contributors and 10 repositories.
  • They diverge on capability: GitHub Copilot covers Code completion, Semgrep covers Static code scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GitHub Copilot and Semgrep actually diverge.

Attributes where GitHub Copilot and Semgrep differ
AttributeGitHub CopilotSemgrep
Starting price$10/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linuxweb, api, linux, mac, windows
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity
Founded2008Unknown

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 GitHub Copilot

  • Code completion
  • Code generation
  • Chat interface
  • Multi-language support
  • VS Code
  • JetBrains IDEs
  • Neovim
  • Visual Studio

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.

GitHub Copilot

  • ai tools managementnot Semgrep
  • Workflow automationnot Semgrep
  • Reportingnot Semgrep

Semgrep

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

Where each one falls short

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

GitHub Copilot

  • Agent mode lacks deep tool orchestration and iterative execution compared to specialized agentic tools
  • Suggestions for niche or specialized programming languages are less accurate due to limited training data
  • Less effective with non-English prompts or grammatically incorrect developer instructions
  • Free tier severely limited to 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests per month

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

GitHub Copilot

$10/month
  • Individual$10/month
    • Code completions
    • Chat in IDE
    • CLI assistance
  • Business$19/month
    • Organization management
    • Policy controls
    • Audit logs

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 GitHub Copilot if

  • You need code completion.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want code generation.
GitHub Copilot 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 GitHub Copilot or Semgrep better?
Neither clearly leads. GitHub Copilot starts at $10/month and Semgrep at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot or Semgrep?
Semgrep has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10/month for GitHub Copilot and Free for Semgrep.
Does GitHub Copilot or Semgrep run on more platforms?
GitHub Copilot runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux. Semgrep runs on web, api, linux, mac, windows.
Can I use Semgrep for free?
Yes. Semgrep has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GitHub Copilot starts at $10/month.
What is GitHub Copilot best used for?
GitHub Copilot is most often used for ai tools management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, ai tools management and workflow automation are not what Semgrep is typically brought in for.
What can GitHub Copilot do that Semgrep cannot?
GitHub Copilot covers Code completion, Code generation, Chat interface, Multi-language support. Semgrep covers Static code scanning, Supply chain scanning, Secrets detection, Cross-file analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GitHub Copilot: Does GitHub Copilot have a free tier?

Yes. GitHub Copilot Free offers 2,000 code completions and 50 chat requests per month at no cost with no credit card required. Students and open-source maintainers get free Pro access.

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
GitHub Copilot: What IDEs and editors are supported?

GitHub Copilot works in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), Vim, Neovim, and Azure Data Studio with extensions providing code suggestions and chat capabilities.

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
GitHub Copilot: What programming languages does Copilot support?

Copilot supports more than 10 core languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C#, Go, and Rust. Performance is strongest for these popular languages with extensive open-source training data.

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
GitHub Copilot: How does the free tier compare to paid plans?

Free tier limits completions and chat to 2,000 and 50 per month. Pro ($10/month) offers unlimited completions, while Pro+ ($39/month) adds access to frontier AI models and agent mode for autonomous multi-file edits.

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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