CodeQL vs SpotBugs:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, CodeQL had more branded searches than SpotBugs among static analysis tools worldwide. CodeQL had about 14,800 branded searches, while SpotBugs had 1,900. CodeQL made up 6.1% of all static analysis tool searches we track, and SpotBugs accounted for 0.78%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about static analysis tools, CodeQL appeared in all five answers and SpotBugs in two. CodeQL was mentioned before SpotBugs in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
CodeQL, about 8 searches for every 1 for SpotBugs
Who does AI mention more?
CodeQL, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
CodeQL, named ahead of SpotBugs in 4 of 5 answers
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Top static analysis tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, CodeQL appeared in all five answers. SpotBugs was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. CodeQL was listed before SpotBugs in four out of five answers.
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 SpotBugs more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for CodeQL and SpotBugs 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 CodeQL, SpotBugs. 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 SpotBugs comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- CodeQL was ahead of SpotBugs 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, SpotBugs’ share of searches among static analysis tools worldwide moved from 0.87% to 0.78%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 1.9K.
How did search popularity change for static analysis tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, CodeQL gained share of searches among static analysis tools worldwide, from 5.2% to 6.1%.
In September 2026, SpotBugs rose from 11th to 10th among static analysis tools worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CodeQL’s and SpotBugs’ 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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