# Semgrep vs SonarQube: which do AI models recommend for SAST, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Static application security testing. Four of fourteen models named Semgrep first on the direct prompt; three named SonarQube. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/developer/static-application-security-testing/semgrep-vs-sonarqube/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semgrep | 36% | #1 of 10 | 5% | 63 | 14 of 14 |
| SonarQube | 22% | #2 of 10 | 18% | 62 | 14 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- GPT-5.4 mini: semgrep first (first choices: Semgrep) (alternatives: Checkmarx One, Snyk Code, Veracode Static Analysis)
- Perplexity Sonar: semgrep first (first choices: Semgrep) (alternatives: Checkmarx One, Snyk Code)
- Kimi K2: semgrep first (first choices: Semgrep, Snyk Code) (alternatives: SonarQube)
- GPT-6 Luna: semgrep first (first choices: Semgrep) (alternatives: GitHub Advanced Security, Snyk)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: sonarqube first (first choices: SonarQube) (alternatives: Semgrep, Snyk Code)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: sonarqube first (first choices: SonarQube) (alternatives: Checkmarx One, Codacy, DeepSource, GitHub Advanced Security, OpenText Fortify, Semgrep, Snyk Code, Veracode Static Analysis)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: sonarqube first (first choices: SonarQube) (alternatives: Semgrep)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Aikido Security) (alternatives: GitHub Advanced Security, GitLab SAST, Semgrep, Snyk Code)
- Grok 4.20: neither first, one named (first choices: Snyk Code) (alternatives: Semgrep, SonarQube)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: Snyk) (alternatives: Aikido Security, Semgrep)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Snyk Code) (alternatives: CodeAnt.ai, Semgrep, SonarQube)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Snyk) (alternatives: Semgrep, Veracode Static Analysis)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named (first choices: Snyk Code)

## What the models said about Semgrep

- "Semgrep OSS and Bandit are fast and low false-positive for obvious patterns, but miss vulnerabilities that span multiple functions... insufficient as sole nightly security scanners" (Muse Glimmer 30B, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Semgrep Community Edition as your only deep security scanner: It can be useful for fast checks and custom rules, but its analysis is limited to a file/function context" (GPT-6 Luna, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Checkmarx, Veracode, and Semgrep have all struggled with this because their rule-based engines flag anything that could be a vulnerability" (Claude Haiku 4.5, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Semgrep as the primary scanner across all languages... For most budget-constrained companies, Semgrep OSS + SonarQube Community Edition... is the most commonly recommended starting point" (Muse Glimmer 30B, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Tools like Semgrep are generally preferred for modern CI/CD because they are lightweight, customizable, and run significantly faster." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, negative prompt, first choice)
- "look for developer-friendly alternatives like Semgrep, where rules are written in YAML and read like standard code" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, negative prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about SonarQube

- "Noisiest out-of-box (40-60%+ FPs on Java/TS; OWASP F1-score ~27% in some evals)... avoid for security-only if you can't invest in config" (Grok 4.20, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Tools originally designed for *general code quality* (like SpotBugs, SonarQube's default rules) are often very weak at security-specific detection" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "A code-quality scanner treated as comprehensive security coverage... verify the actual security rules for your languages, frameworks, and edition." (GPT-6 Luna, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "The best SAST tool for a company with a limited budget is Semgrep's free tier, SonarQube Community, Snyk Code's Team plan, or DeepSource." (Llama 4 Maverick, budget prompt, first choice)
- "The Best All-Around Choice: SonarQube (by SonarSource) This is the most balanced recommendation for most mid-sized companies." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, paraphrase prompt, first choice)
- "For many mid-sized B2B companies, SonarQube or Snyk offer good balance between cost, ease of use, and effectiveness." (Claude Haiku 4.5, paraphrase prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.