Is Semgrep free for production use?

Yes. The Semgrep CLI is open-source under LGPL-2.1, and you can run it in production without paying or creating an account. No restrictions on usage, repositories, or number of scans. The limitation is technical (single-file analysis), not commercial.

What's the difference between Semgrep OSS and Semgrep Cloud?

Semgrep OSS is a free command-line scanner with single-file analysis and 2,800 community rules. Semgrep Cloud ($35/developer/month) adds cross-file dataflow analysis, 20,000+ proprietary rules, software composition analysis, secrets detection, AI triage, and a centralized dashboard. The same scanning engine powers both—the difference is which analysis modes are enabled.

Does Semgrep OSS catch enough vulnerabilities?

Depends on your risk tolerance. Independent testing shows it catches 44-48% of vulnerabilities compared to 72-75% for the paid Pro engine. For obvious, single-file issues it's solid. For complex dataflow vulnerabilities spanning multiple files, it misses a lot. Small teams with limited security needs might find it sufficient; larger organizations usually need the paid version.

🔒 Security & Privacy

Semgrep's Free Tier Is Actually Useful—But Here's What You're Missing

Yes, Semgrep is free. No, that doesn't mean it catches all your vulnerabilities. Here's the uncomfortable truth about what the open-source version can and can't do.

Open Source Beat Apr 03, 2026 5 min read 14 views

Semgrep dashboard showing cross-file vulnerability detection and dataflow analysis compared to single-file CLI scanning limitations

⚡ Key Takeaways

Semgrep OSS is genuinely free and genuinely useful, with no artificial limitations or hidden paywalls—it's not a gimped trial version 𝕏
The paid Cloud Platform catches 24-27% more vulnerabilities because it can trace data flows across multiple files, something the free version cannot do 𝕏
For small teams focused on enforcing custom coding standards, Semgrep's free tier is probably enough; for security-critical organizations, the paid version's cross-file analysis is likely necessary 𝕏

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#SAST security scanning #code vulnerability detection #open source security #semgrep pricing #static analysis tools

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Originally reported by Dev.to

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