CodeQL vs Semgrep:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Semgrep had more branded searches than CodeQL among static analysis tools worldwide. Semgrep had about 33,100 branded searches, while CodeQL had 14,800. Semgrep made up 13.6% of all static analysis tool searches we track, and CodeQL accounted for 6.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about static analysis tools, both CodeQL and Semgrep appeared in all five answers. Semgrep was mentioned before CodeQL in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Semgrep, about 2 searches for every 1 for CodeQL
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Semgrep, named ahead of CodeQL in every answer
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Top static analysis tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both CodeQL and Semgrep showed up in all five answers. Semgrep was listed before CodeQL in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
SonarQube5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Semgrep5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
CodeQL5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- ESLint4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Snyk Code3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Coverity2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ruff2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- SpotBugs2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Checkmarx1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Veracode1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about static analysis tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which static analysis tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best static analysis tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best static analysis tool for source code quality?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“static analysis tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“code scanning tool”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is CodeQL or Semgrep more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for CodeQL and Semgrep by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 14 static analysis tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Semgrep, CodeQL. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | SonarQube | Semgrep | ESLint | Checkmarx | CodeQL | Veracode | Coverity | Ruff | Codacy | SpotBugs | Snyk Code | GitHub CodeQL | Code Climate | Black Duck Coverity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 49.5% | 8.1% | 14.8% | 6.7% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 3% | 3.1% | 2% | 0.87% | 0.74% | 0.39% | 0.87% | 0.12% |
| Nov 2025 | 48.4% | 8% | 14.5% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 3.6% | 3% | 2.4% | 0.86% | 0.7% | 0.47% | 0.86% | 0.09% |
| Dec 2025 | 50.1% | 8.2% | 15% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 0.89% | 0.72% | 0.48% | 0.71% | 0.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 47.5% | 9.5% | 14.3% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 0.85% | 0.68% | 0.46% | 0.85% | 0.11% |
| Feb 2026 | 46.6% | 9.4% | 17.1% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.66% | 0.84% | 0.45% | 0.83% | 0.11% |
| Mar 2026 | 49.8% | 10% | 12.2% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3% | 3% | 1.6% | 0.73% | 1.1% | 0.48% | 0.73% | 0.12% |
| Apr 2026 | 45.8% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 5% | 5% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 0.82% | 1% | 0.44% | 0.65% | 0.11% |
| May 2026 | 48.4% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 8% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 0.68% | 0.69% | 0.47% | 0.57% | 0.09% |
| Jun 2026 | 49.9% | 12.2% | 10% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 3% | 3% | 1.6% | 0.7% | 0.71% | 0.48% | 0.59% | 0.12% |
| Jul 2026 | 44.8% | 13.5% | 11% | 7.4% | 6% | 6% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 0.77% | 0.79% | 0.53% | 0.53% | 0.16% |
| Aug 2026 | 47.7% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 0.69% | 0.71% | 0.56% | 0.43% | 0.11% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.3% | 13.6% | 11.2% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 5% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 0.78% | 0.67% | 0.54% | 0.41% | 0.13% |
How has the CodeQL and Semgrep comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Semgrep was ahead of CodeQL in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CodeQL’s share of searches among static analysis tools worldwide moved from 4.4% to 6.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 14.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Semgrep’s share of searches among static analysis tools worldwide moved from 8.1% to 13.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 33.1K.
How did search popularity change for static analysis tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Semgrep overtook ESLint to rank 2nd among static analysis tools worldwide, with 13.6% of the searches.
In September 2026, CodeQL gained share of searches among static analysis tools worldwide, from 5.2% to 6.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CodeQL’s and Semgrep’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among static analysis tools
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