Static application security testing

Semgrep vs SecuNexa

Semgrep earned real developer affection by making static analysis rules easy to write and fast to run: patterns that look like the code they match. SecuNexa approaches the same problem from the opposite end: deep structural analysis over data flow. The trade-off between writability and depth is the honest center of this comparison.

Based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

Criteria
Semgrep
SecuNexa
Analysis approach
Pattern-oriented rules over code structure; fast and easy to author
Structural taint analysis across files and functions; findings carry source-to-sink traces
Deployment model
Open-source engine plus a cloud platform for management
Installed on your own infrastructure; no cloud control plane exists
Airgapped operation
The engine runs locally; platform features are cloud-delivered
Native operating mode: engines, data updates, and licensing all work fully offline
Coverage beyond SAST
Code-focused, with adjacent capabilities in the platform
Nine engines: SAST plus SCA, DAST, secrets, containers, IaC, API, mobile, network
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Frequently asked questions
Is this comparison unbiased?

We make SecuNexa, so read it accordingly. Statements about Semgrep come from publicly available information at the time of writing, kept deliberately conservative. Verify anything material with the vendor before deciding.

Pattern rules versus taint analysis: does the difference matter in practice?

It matters exactly when code stops looking like the examples: wrappers, indirection, and team idioms. A useful evaluation exercise is rewriting a known-vulnerable snippet in an unfamiliar idiom and checking which tool still finds it, with what evidence.

What is in the full document?

All twelve evaluation criteria with both columns completed, plus the evaluation checklist our regulated-sector customers use. We will email the full comparison to your inbox after a quick review.

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