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GitHub Code Scanning vs SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) comparison

GitHub and Sonar are both solutions in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category. GitHub is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.5, while Sonar is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3. GitHub holds a 1.5% mindshare in SAST, compared to Sonar’s 19.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of GitHub users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 81% of Sonar users who would recommend it.
GitHub Code Scanning
Read 6 GitHub Code Scanning reviews
  • 1,150 Views
  • 1,093 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
SonarQube Server (formerly ...
Read 117 SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) reviews
  • 38,362 Views
  • 28,004 Comparison Views
81% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 21, 2025

In the code analysis and security scanning domain, SonarQube Server and GitHub Code Scanning are competing products. SonarQube Server benefits from a strong reputation in code quality management with customization options, while GitHub Code Scanning offers superior integration capabilities with advanced security features.

Features: SonarQube Server includes robust code quality management, detailed reports, and customizable rules applicable to a wide range of programming languages. GitHub Code Scanning seamlessly integrates with GitHub workflows, supports extensive programming languages, and provides real-time security vulnerability alerts, appealing to organizations that require cohesive development and security processes.

Room for Improvement: SonarQube Server could enhance its security vulnerability capabilities and ease of integration with other tools. A more streamlined setup process could also be advantageous. GitHub Code Scanning may benefit from offering more affordable pricing options and providing better customization capabilities. Better support for on-premise deployment could expand its appeal.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SonarQube Server allows for on-premises deployment, giving users significant control over data and infrastructure, and it supports diverse customer service options for technical independence. GitHub Code Scanning, as a cloud-based solution, integrates quickly and easily with GitHub’s ecosystem, offering deployment simplicity and automated scanning upon code pushes with integrated support mechanisms.

Pricing and ROI: SonarQube Server offers lower initial setup costs, especially for on-premise models, demonstrating cost-effectiveness over time. GitHub Code Scanning requires a higher upfront investment but offers reduced operational overhead and enhanced developer efficiency, justifying the cost through better security assurance.

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To learn more, read our detailed GitHub Code Scanning vs. SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
GitHub Code Scanning vs. SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube)
September 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

GitHub Code Scanning
Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
16th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SonarQube Server (formerly ...
Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
117
Ranking in other categories
Application Security Tools (1st), Software Development Analytics (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category, the mindshare of GitHub Code Scanning is 1.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) is 19.7%, down from 27.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Static Application Security Testing (SAST) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube)19.7%
GitHub Code Scanning1.5%
Other78.8%
Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
 

Featured Reviews

VishalSingh - PeerSpot reviewer
Traverses the entire network, scanning every system to determine which ports are open
You can use the tool locally on your system or in the cloud. I rate it a nine out of ten. It's a very good tool for people who want to start using GitHubCode Scanning, especially for software development or team collaboration. GitHubCode Scanning allows teams to collaborate by uploading files to repositories. For example, if someone is developing an application, they can host the code on GitHub Code Scanning. Other developers can then download the code for testing purposes. If bugs are found, fixes can be applied using the GitHub Code Scanningrepository, and everyone on the team can see the changes. Software developers often use GitHub Code Scanning for version control, and it's essential for CI/CD pipelines to work.
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Sthembiso Zondi - PeerSpot reviewer
Consistent improvements in code quality and security with effective integration and reliable technical support
The features of SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) that I find most useful are the suggestions received from reviewing the code. When they review the code, they provide suggestions on how to fix it, and we find those very useful from a development perspective. We use SonarQube Server's (formerly SonarQube) centralized management and visualization of code quality metrics on the dashboard because that's the executive dashboard that we send to the executives to show where we are in terms of quality, security, and where the company can improve. We use that for organizational improvement purposes. The ability to tailor metrics tracking in SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) has been beneficial to my team. There are team-specific dashboards which are related to specific repositories they utilize, and we have that aggregative dashboard that shows the whole organization's performance. We can drill down per specific repository, which makes it easier for the team to improve specific things.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution helps identify vulnerabilities by understanding how ports communicate with applications running on a system. Ports are like house numbers; to visit someone's house, you must know their number. Similarly, ports are used to communicate with applications. For example, if you want to use an HTTP web server, you must use port 80. It is the port on which the web application or your server listens for incoming requests."
"GitHub Code Scanning has positively impacted my organization as it helps us recognize errors and avoid many later issues which may arise."
"It's very scalable, very easy to handle, and very intuitive."
"The static code analysis capability in GitHub Code Scanning is a very powerful feature, providing the ability to identify vulnerabilities and ensure code quality."
"GitHub Code Spaces brings significant value with its simplicity and ease of use."
"We use GitHub Code Scanning mostly for source code management."
"It has very good scalability and stability."
"It's enabled us to improve software quality and help us to disseminate best practices."
"The solution can verify vulnerabilities, code smells, and hotspots. It makes the software more secure and it helps make a junior or novice developer sharper."
"The reporting and the results are quick. It gets integrated within the pipeline well."
"The solution has a wide variety of features and an open-source community that you are able to learn Java, JavaScript, or any other programing language."
"It is a very good tool for analysis despite its limitations."
"We've configured it to run on each commit, providing feedback on our software quality. ]"
"I like that it covers most programming languages for source code review."
More SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) pros
 

Cons

"At times it becomes very annoying as it highlights certain things which are intuitive. They require code coverage for those aspects as an extra overhead."
"GitHub Code Scanning should add more templates."
"One area for improvement could be the ability to have an AI system digest the reports generated from code scanning and provide a summary. Currently, the reports can be extensive, and users may overlook details, such as outdated libraries, which could be highlighted for attention."
"When running code scans, GitHub Code Scanning provides recommendations for probable fixes. However, integrating a feature where developers receive real-time highlights of vulnerabilities when checking in or merging a PR would be beneficial."
"We called support and complained but have not received any information as we use the free version. We had to fix it on our own and could not escalate it to the tool's developer."
"The handling of the contents of Docker container images could be better."
"Any suggestions for potential improvements may include bill of materials functionality."
"Expression of common vulnerabilities and exposures is not always current."
"In terms of what can be improved, the areas that need more attention in the solution are its architecture and development."
"Technical support and the price could be better."
"I would like to see dynamic code analysis in the next version of the software."
"This solution finds issues that are similar to what is found by Checkmarx, and it would be nice if the overlap could be eliminated."
More SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"GitHub Code Scanning is a moderately priced solution."
"The minimum pricing for the tool is five dollars a month."
"A low cost long-term solution for non-critical situations."
"We are using the open-source community version, but there are enterprise licenses available."
"We have a license with 125,000 lines of code. We did not purchase a lot of lines but it is specific to our code environment."
"My guess is that we have a yearly subscription. We use it quite extensively, so a monthly license wouldn't make sense. Yearly subscriptions are usually cheaper. In addition to the standard licensing fee, there is just the cost of running the hardware where it is hosted."
"This product is open source and very convenient."
"The solution is cheaper than other products."
"SonarQube is an open-source product that can be used free of charge."
"SonarQube is a fairly affordable solution for a larger scale if you have a specific role or specific department for secure code."
More SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business32
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise75
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about GitHub Code Scanning?
We use GitHub Code Scanning mostly for source code management.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for GitHub Code Scanning?
The organization pays for the license of GitHub Code Scanning, but specific price details are unknown.
See all answers
What needs improvement with GitHub Code Scanning?
In my opinion, areas of GitHub Code Scanning that could be improved include that a few things are not visible to us, such as where it stores data and which path. There is a separate team for that w...
See all answers
Is SonarQube the best tool for static analysis?
I am not very familiar with SonarQube and their solutions, so I can not answer. But if you are asking me about which tools that are the best for for Static Code Analysis, I suggest you have a look...
See all answers
Which gives you more for your money - SonarQube or Veracode?
SonarQube is easy to deploy and configure, and also integrates well with other tools to do quality code analysis. SonarQube has a great community edition, which is open-source and free. Easy to use...
See all answers
How would you decide between Coverity and Sonarqube?
We researched Coverity, but in the end, we chose SonarQube. SonarQube is a tool for reviewing code quality and security. It helps to guide our development teams during code reviews by providing rem...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Coverity Static vs GitHub Code Scanning Logo
Coverity Static vs GitHub Code Scanning
Compared 26% of the time
SonarQube Cloud (formerly SonarCloud) vs GitHub Code Scanning Logo
SonarQube Cloud (formerly SonarCloud) vs GitHub Code Scanning
Compared 9% of the time
Aikido Security vs GitHub Code Scanning Logo
Aikido Security vs GitHub Code Scanning
Compared 9% of the time
HCL AppScan vs GitHub Code Scanning Logo
HCL AppScan vs GitHub Code Scanning
Compared 9% of the time
OWASP Zap vs GitHub Code Scanning Logo
OWASP Zap vs GitHub Code Scanning
Compared 6% of the time
More GitHub Code Scanning Competitors
Checkmarx One vs SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) Logo
Checkmarx One vs SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube)
Compared 20% of the time
GitHub Advanced Security vs SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) Logo
GitHub Advanced Security vs SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube)
Compared 10% of the time
Coverity Static vs SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) Logo
Coverity Static vs SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube)
Compared 10% of the time
Veracode vs SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) Logo
Veracode vs SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube)
Compared 6% of the time
More SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
GitHub Code Scanning
September 2025
GitHub Code Scanning reportDownload GitHub Code Scanning product report
Buyer's Guide
SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube)
September 2025
SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) reportDownload SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
Sonar
 

Overview

Code scanning is a feature that you use to analyze the code in a GitHub repository to find security vulnerabilities and coding errors. Any problems identified by the analysis are shown in GitHub.

GitHub

SonarQube Server enhances code quality and security via static code analysis. It detects vulnerabilities, improves standards, and reduces technical debt, integrating into CI/CD pipelines.

SonarQube Server is a comprehensive tool for enhancing code quality and security. It offers static code analysis to identify vulnerabilities, improve coding standards, and reduce technical debt. By integrating into CI/CD pipelines, it provides automated checks for adherence to best practices. Organizations use it for code inspection, security testing, and compliance, ensuring development environments with better maintainability and fewer issues.

What are the key features of SonarQube Server?
  • Support for 20+ languages: Extensive programming language support suitable for diverse coding environments.
  • Custom coding rules: Allows for tailored rule sets to match specific coding standards.
  • Flexible quality gates: Define criteria for code acceptance at various intervals.
  • CI/CD integration: Seamless integration with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment tools.
  • Rich interface: User-friendly dashboard with detailed visual insights.
What benefits should users expect from SonarQube Server?
  • Improved code quality: Enhanced analysis contributes to fewer bugs and improved coding practices.
  • Security enhancements: Identifies and mitigates security vulnerabilities pre-emptively.
  • Maintainability: Reduces technical debt, yielding long-term development efficiency.
  • Customizable: Flexibility in configuration aligns with specific project needs.

Many industries implement SonarQube Server to uphold coding standards, maintain security protocols, and streamline their software development lifecycle. In sectors like finance and healthcare, adhering to regulations and ensuring reliable software is critical, making SonarQube Server invaluable. It is often integrated into CI/CD pipelines, ensuring that code changes meet set standards before deployment. This approach enhances productivity and maintains compliance with industry-specific requirements.

Sonar
Buyer's Guide
GitHub Code Scanning vs. SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube)
September 2025
Free Report: GitHub Code Scanning vs. SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube)
Find out what your peers are saying about GitHub Code Scanning vs. SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
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