Ellipsis vs Semgrep
Ellipsis and Semgrep are both popular tools in the Code Review & Testing space. Both use a freemium pricing model, with Ellipsis starting at Free and Semgrep at Free. Both offer a free tier to get started. Below we break down features, pricing, strengths, and weaknesses to help you decide which tool fits your workflow best.
Last updated: March 2026
Quick Verdict
Choose Ellipsis if you want ai code review bot that enforces your team's standards automatically.. Ellipsis's biggest strengths include set-and-forget automation for consistent code reviews and learns and adapts to your team's specific standards. Choose Semgrep if you prefer fast, customizable static analysis for finding bugs and security issues. Key advantages include extremely fast performance compared to traditional sast tools and easy-to-write custom rules without deep ast knowledge. It's also rated higher (4.3 vs 4.0).
AI code review bot that enforces your team's standards automatically.
Fast, customizable static analysis for finding bugs and security issues
| Ellipsis | Semgrep | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Rating | ★ 4.0 | ★ 4.3 |
| Categories | Code Review & Testing | Code Review & Testing |
| Key Features | 6 features | 6 features |
| Feature | Ellipsis | Semgrep |
|---|---|---|
| Automated code review on pull requests | ✓ | — |
| Custom rule enforcement for team standards | ✓ | — |
| Bug and anti-pattern detection | ✓ | — |
| Learning from your codebase and review history | ✓ | — |
| GitHub integration with inline comments | ✓ | — |
| Configurable review strictness levels | ✓ | — |
| Pattern-based code scanning across 30+ programming languages | — | ✓ |
| Custom rule creation with intuitive YAML syntax | — | ✓ |
| Thousands of pre-built security and code quality rules | — | ✓ |
| CI/CD integration with GitHub Actions, GitLab, and more | — | ✓ |
| Fast local scanning with minimal false positives | — | ✓ |
| Differential scanning to analyze only changed code | — | ✓ |
Ellipsis
Pros
- + Set-and-forget automation for consistent code reviews
- + Learns and adapts to your team's specific standards
- + Free tier for small teams and open-source projects
- + Reduces reviewer fatigue on routine issues
Cons
- − Limited to GitHub — no GitLab or Bitbucket support
- − May need tuning to reduce false positives
- − Advanced customization requires paid plan
Semgrep
Pros
- + Extremely fast performance compared to traditional SAST tools
- + Easy-to-write custom rules without deep AST knowledge
- + Strong open-source community with extensive rule library
- + Privacy-first with local scanning and no code upload required
Cons
- − Advanced features like cross-file analysis require paid plans
- − Learning curve for writing complex multi-pattern rules
- − Language support maturity varies across different ecosystems
The Bottom Line
Choose Ellipsis if: you want ai code review bot that enforces your team's standards automatically.. It's completely free to use. Keep in mind: limited to github — no gitlab or bitbucket support.
Choose Semgrep if: you prefer fast, customizable static analysis for finding bugs and security issues. It's completely free to use. It holds a higher user rating (4.3 vs 4.0). Keep in mind: advanced features like cross-file analysis require paid plans.
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