Compare
Semgrep vs Trivy
Short answer: Pick Semgrep if you want AI-augmented static analysis across code and supply chain; pick Trivy if you want all-in-one open-source security scanner. Semgrep has a free plan; Trivy is free and open source.
SemgrepStatic analysis for finding bugs and security issues in codeWhich to pick
Pick Semgrep if you want…
- AI-augmented static analysis across code and supply chain
- Static analysis of source code
- Integrations with CLI, CI/CD or VS Code (on Semgrep's list, not Trivy's)
Pick Trivy if you want…
- All-in-one open-source security scanner
- A free, open-source tool
- Integrations with Docker, Kubernetes or Azure Container Registry (on Trivy'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.
- Trivy:Trivy is an open-source scanner that finds vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, secrets and generates SBOMs for code, containers and Kubernetes.
- Best for
- Semgrep:AI-augmented static analysis across code and supply chain
- Trivy:All-in-one open-source security scanner
- Who it’s for
- Semgrep:Developers, AppSec teams and security leaders who need integrated static analysis.
- Trivy:Developers and security teams needing fast, free scanning of code, images and infrastructure.
- Pricing
- Semgrep:Freemium
- Trivy:Open source
- Starting price
- Semgrep:—
- Trivy:Free
- Free plan or trial
- Semgrep:Free trial
- Trivy:Free to use
- Open source
- Semgrep:Yes, 16,826 GitHub stars
- Trivy:Yes, 38,170 GitHub stars
- Works with
- Semgrep:CLI, CI/CD, VS Code, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure, Jira
- Trivy:Docker, Kubernetes, Azure Container Registry
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.
Trivy features
- Vulnerability scanning. Detects CVEs in binaries, container images and source code repositories.
- Misconfiguration detection. Finds insecure settings in IaC templates and Kubernetes manifests.
- Secret scanning. Identifies hard-coded credentials and secrets in code and images.
- SBOM generation. Creates Software Bill of Materials for artifacts to track component licenses.
- Cloud and Kubernetes scanning. Scans cloud resources and Kubernetes clusters for security issues.
- Docker extension. Integrates as a Docker extension for easy image scanning in Docker workflows.
Semgrep vs Trivy FAQ
What is the difference between Semgrep and Trivy?+
Semgrep focuses on static code analysis for bugs and security, not container or IaC scanning.
Should I use Semgrep or Trivy?+
Pick Semgrep if you want AI-augmented static analysis across code and supply chain, static analysis of source code or integrations with CLI, CI/CD or VS Code (on Semgrep's list, not Trivy's). Pick Trivy if you want all-in-one open-source security scanner, a free, open-source tool or integrations with Docker, Kubernetes or Azure Container Registry (on Trivy's list, not Semgrep's).
Is Semgrep or Trivy free?+
Semgrep has a free plan and paid plans. Trivy is free and open source.
Is Semgrep or Trivy open source?+
Yes, both are open source: Semgrep (semgrep/semgrep on GitHub, LGPL-2.1 license) and Trivy (aquasecurity/trivy on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license).
Do Semgrep and Trivy integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Semgrep lists CLI, CI/CD, VS Code, GitHub and 10 more; Trivy lists Docker, Kubernetes and Azure Container Registry.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.