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Developer Tools · head to head

SonarQube vs Sourcegraph

SonarQube logo

SonarQube

Developer Tools

Code quality and code security for clean code, at every step

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sourcegraph logo

Sourcegraph

Developer Tools

Code search and intelligence platform for large codebases with Cody AI assistant

From
$16000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SonarQube has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: SonarQube advanced Security add-on uses custom pricing; Sourcegraph enterprise pricing starting at $16k annually creates significant barrier for small teams
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SonarQube and Sourcegraph actually diverge.

Attributes where SonarQube and Sourcegraph differ
AttributeSonarQubeSourcegraph
Starting priceFree$16000/year
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebCloud, Self-hosted

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).

What people use each for

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

SonarQube

  • Code quality analysisnot Sourcegraph
  • Vulnerability detectionnot Sourcegraph
  • Security scanningnot Sourcegraph
  • Compliance reportingnot Sourcegraph

Sourcegraph

  • Large-scale code migrations across hundreds of repositoriesnot SonarQube
  • Enterprise governance and code ownership trackingnot SonarQube
  • AI-assisted bug hunting and security pattern detectionnot SonarQube
  • Onboarding engineers into large unfamiliar codebasesnot SonarQube
  • Regulatory compliance and code audit trailsnot SonarQube

Where each one falls short

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

SonarQube

  • Advanced Security add-on uses custom pricing
  • Only private project lines of code count toward limits

Sourcegraph

  • Enterprise pricing starting at $16k annually creates significant barrier for small teams
  • No free tier or standard plan published; all options require custom sales engagement
  • Complex enterprise-only positioning limits adoption compared to GitHub Copilot's pervasiveness
  • Requires indexing entire codebase; not suitable for small or ephemeral projects

Pricing, plan by plan

SonarQube

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Supports up to 50000 lines of code in private projects
    • Never expires
    • Covers public projects
  • Team$34/month
    • 30+ languages
    • Code quality standards
    • Bug and vulnerability detection
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Advanced security reports
    • OWASP/CWE/PCI DSS compliance
    • Unlimited users and projects

Sourcegraph

$16000/year
  • Enterprise$16000/year
    • Scales with team size
    • Credits for AI features per user
    • Deep Search

Which should you pick?

Choose SonarQube if

  • You want to start without paying.
SonarQube review

Choose Sourcegraph if

  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted.
Sourcegraph review

Questions people ask

Is SonarQube or Sourcegraph better?
Neither clearly leads. SonarQube starts at Free and Sourcegraph at $16000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SonarQube or Sourcegraph?
SonarQube has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for SonarQube and $16000/year for Sourcegraph.
Does SonarQube or Sourcegraph run on more platforms?
SonarQube runs on Web. Sourcegraph runs on Cloud, Self-hosted.
Can I use SonarQube for free?
Yes. SonarQube has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sourcegraph starts at $16000/year.
What is SonarQube best used for?
SonarQube is most often used for code quality analysis, vulnerability detection, security scanning, compliance reporting. Of those, code quality analysis and vulnerability detection are not what Sourcegraph is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SonarQube: How much does SonarQube cost?

SonarQube offers a free tier supporting up to 50000 lines of code in private projects, a Team plan starting at $34/month, and custom Enterprise pricing. Team plan includes 14-day free trial.

Source
SonarQube: Is SonarQube free?

Yes, SonarQube offers a free tier that never expires and covers both public and private projects up to 50000 lines of code in private projects.

Source
SonarQube: What languages does SonarQube support?

SonarQube Team plan supports 30+ languages including common programming languages. Enterprise plan adds support for 40+ languages including ABAP, COBOL, and Apex.

Source
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