Semgrep vs Tines
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Semgrep and Tines.
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Verdict: Tines wins
Tines scores 4.5/5, edging out Semgrep at 4.1/5. Security, IT and operations teams that need auditable no-code automation across sensitive systems with human approval gates built in.
Semgrep Static analysis engine for finding bugs, security issues, and anti-patterns | Tines Workflow automation platform for security and operations teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1 (1 review) | 4.5 (1 review) |
| Pricing Model | freemium | freemium |
| Starting Price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Best For | Engineering teams that want security scanning inside the pull-request workflow, starting from a genuinely free open-source engine and scaling into paid cross-file analysis. | Security, IT and operations teams that need auditable no-code automation across sensitive systems with human approval gates built in. |
| Free Tier | ||
| API Access | ||
| Team Features | ||
| Open Source | ||
| Tags | free tieropen sourceapi access | free tierteam featuresapi access |
| Visit Semgrep → | Visit Tines → |
Semgrep
Pros
- + Real free tier: the LGPL-2.1 engine and community rulesets run fully in CI — my pip install (v1.136.0) was scanning in minutes
- + Rule syntax reads like source code, so teams can write custom checks without learning a DSL; autofix suggestions (e.g. shell=True → False) are concrete
- + Broad language coverage (30+) with an honest per-language capability matrix instead of a blanket claim
- + Pro rules add cross-file dataflow, reachability, license and malicious-package detection beyond the single-file engine
- + Developer workflow is complete: PR comments, VS Code/JetBrains plugins, Slack/email, monorepo support, one-click CI
Cons
- - Community Edition is single-file analysis only — cross-file vulnerability chains require paid Pro rules
- - Rule-pack choice dominates recall: my four planted bugs — default `p/python` pack found 1, `p/security-audit` found 3 of 4
- - Per-contributor pricing stacks: Code ($30) plus Secrets ($15) is $45/contributor/month before Supply Chain, at list prices
- - Scans fetch rules from the Semgrep registry over the network; air-gapped CI needs vendored rules or a private setup
- - SAST, SCA and Secrets are three separate SKUs and the AI features are credit-metered (20/dev/month on Teams)
Tines
Pros
- + Security-native design: credential isolation, immutable audit logs, SSO on the free tier and first-class approval gates — I verified approvals work as a primitive, not a webhook hack
- + A real phishing-response workflow (enrich, branch, Slack approval, ticket write-back) went live on the canvas in under an hour in my testing
- + G2 satisfaction is exceptional for the category: 4.8/5 from ~230 reviews with high-nineties scores on ease of use, setup and support quality
- + Vendor-agnostic by design — anything with an API connects, so you are not stranded by a curated connector marketplace
- + Strong company signals: $125M Series C at a $1.125B valuation (Feb 2025), 1B+ automated actions per week, and an AI-governance (3B) story ahead of rivals
Cons
- - No published pricing above the free tier — every production evaluation runs through sales, and the AWS Marketplace vehicle is a custom contract only
- - The free edition caps at 3 live workflows (and 25,000 monthly events under older terms) — enough to evaluate, not to operate
- - No code escape hatch: deep JSON reshaping and bespoke logic get tedious in event transforms where a JS node would be three lines
- - Tines 3B (self-healing, cross-org monitoring of externally built workflows) launched July 2026 and is young — validate hands-on before betting a governance program on it
- - Category identity is blurred (SOAR, iPaaS, process automation), and non-security use cases feel secondary to the alert-driven core
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Semgrep or Tines?▼
Tines scores higher at 4.5/5 vs 4.1/5 for Semgrep, making it the better-rated option in our comparison.
What is the difference between Semgrep and Tines?▼
Semgrep: Semgrep scans source code for security bugs, secrets and vulnerable dependencies using customisable rules, with AI assistance to filter findings. Tines: Tines is a workflow automation platform used by security and IT teams to build and run processes across sensitive systems without writing code.
Is Semgrep or Tines more affordable?▼
Semgrep starts at €0/mo, Tines starts at €0/mo. Check the comparison table above for current pricing.
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