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Semgrep vs Spellwarden
Short answer: Pick Semgrep if you want AI-augmented static analysis across code and supply chain; pick Spellwarden if you want static security scanning for AI agents. Both have a free plan.
SemgrepStatic analysis for finding bugs and security issues in code
SpellwardenSecurity checks for agent skills and MCP serversWhich to pick
Pick Semgrep if you want…
- AI-augmented static analysis across code and supply chain
- Code static analysis
- Integrations with CLI, CI/CD or GitHub (on Semgrep's list, not Spellwarden's)
Pick Spellwarden if you want…
- Static security scanning for AI agents
- Integrations with Claude Code, GitHub Actions or GitLab CI (on Spellwarden's list, not Semgrep's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Semgrep:Semgrep is an extensible AppSec platform that combines AI-assisted SAST, SCA, secrets and malware detection to surface actionable security issues.
- Spellwarden:Spellwarden scans AI agent skills and MCP servers for security issues and enforces policies.
- Best for
- Semgrep:AI-augmented static analysis across code and supply chain
- Spellwarden:Static security scanning for AI agents
- Who it’s for
- Semgrep:Developers, AppSec teams and security leaders who need integrated static analysis.
- Spellwarden:Teams building or operating AI agents and MCP gateways.
- Pricing
- Semgrep:Freemium
- Spellwarden:Freemium
- Free plan or trial
- Semgrep:Free trial
- Spellwarden:Free trial
- Open source
- Semgrep:Yes, 16,826 GitHub stars
- Spellwarden:Yes, 3 GitHub stars
- Works with
- Semgrep:CLI, CI/CD, VS Code, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure, Jira
- Spellwarden:Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Kong, Zuplo MCP Gateway, OpenTelemetry
Semgrep features
- AI-assisted SAST, SCA & Secrets. Detect vulnerabilities, vulnerable dependencies and hard-coded secrets with rule-based analysis enhanced by AI.
- Multimodal Detection. Combine deterministic static analysis with AI reasoning to find complex issues like IDORs and logic flaws.
- Noise Filtering & Triage. AI learns code context to suppress false positives and prioritize real risks, reducing backlog.
- Automated Remediation. Generate fix suggestions and upgrade guidance directly in PRs and IDEs.
- Malware Firewall. Runs on developer machines to block malicious open-source packages before they reach the environment.
- Incident Response Automation. Enterprise policies trigger Slack/Jira workflows and API alerts for rapid malware incident handling.
- Wide Integration Support. CLI, CI/CD, VS Code, JetBrains, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure, Jira, APIs/webhooks and AI tool integrations.
Spellwarden features
- Skill & Server Scanning. Scans SKILL.md packages, MCP servers and A2A agent cards with 65 static rules.
- Policy Packs. Exports enforcement rule packs to Claude Code hooks, Kong and Zuplo MCP Gateway.
- Eval Suites. Runs paired evaluations and grades skill impact before deployment.
- Runtime Tracing. Matches OpenTelemetry traces to scans to show what agents actually use.
- Private MCP Registry. Curates and admits only vetted, auth-enabled entries for MCP servers.
- CI Integration. GitHub Action and GitLab component add code-scanning alerts to PRs/MRs.
Semgrep vs Spellwarden FAQ
What is the difference between Semgrep and Spellwarden?+
Semgrep: Static analysis for code bugs, not specialized AI agent skill and MCP security.
Should I use Semgrep or Spellwarden?+
Pick Semgrep if you want AI-augmented static analysis across code and supply chain, code static analysis or integrations with CLI, CI/CD or GitHub (on Semgrep's list, not Spellwarden's). Pick Spellwarden if you want static security scanning for AI agents or integrations with Claude Code, GitHub Actions or GitLab CI (on Spellwarden's list, not Semgrep's).
Is Semgrep or Spellwarden free?+
Semgrep has a free plan and paid plans. Spellwarden has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Semgrep or Spellwarden open source?+
Yes, both are open source: Semgrep (semgrep/semgrep on GitHub, LGPL-2.1 license) and Spellwarden (spellwarden-ai/spellwarden on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license).
Do Semgrep and Spellwarden integrate with the same tools?+
Partly. Both list VS Code and Cursor. Semgrep also lists CLI, CI/CD, GitHub, GitLab and 8 more; Spellwarden also lists Claude Code, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Kong and 2 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.