Enterprise code scanning vs. paste-a-URL

ShipSafe vsGitHub CodeQL

CodeQL is a world-class query engine. But on private repos it lives inside GitHub Advanced Security — an enterprise add-on priced per committer — and it answers in QL, not English.

Scan My App Free See pricing

Free scan2 minutesNo card needed

Straight talk

The honest version

CodeQL is genuinely elite. It treats your code as a queryable database and powers GitHub's code scanning. On public repositories it's free, and the default query packs catch a wide range of real vulnerabilities.

The catch for a founder: on private repos, CodeQL requires GitHub Advanced Security — specifically GitHub Code Security, about $30 per active committer per month, on a Team or Enterprise plan. Results land in the repo's Security tab as alerts, and getting beyond the defaults means learning CodeQL's query language. It's powerful, but it's an AppSec product for organizations.

ShipSafe runs on your private repo with no GHAS license, no QL, and no Security-tab triage. Paste a GitHub URL and get logic-level findings in plain English with a fix. And because CodeQL only reads source, ShipSafe does the half it can't: it tests your running, deployed app, proves a leaked key is actually live, and ships a GitHub App that reviews every pull request in plain English.

Side by side

ShipSafe vs CodeQL, side by side

ShipSafe

CodeQL / GHAS

Runs on private repos free

ShipSafeAny GitHub repo, no license

CodeQL / GHASNeeds GitHub Advanced Security (paid add-on)

Finds logic-level auth bugs

ShipSafeIDOR, inverted auth, ownership — in plain English

CodeQL / GHASPowerful queries; defaults are general; custom needs QL

Who it's built for

ShipSafeSolo founders, no security background

CodeQL / GHASAppSec & platform teams on GitHub Enterprise

Setup

ShipSafePaste a GitHub URL · ~2 min

CodeQL / GHASEnable GHAS, configure code scanning, maybe write QL

Output

ShipSafePlain English + copy-paste AI Fix Prompt

CodeQL / GHASAlerts in the Security tab (SARIF)

Tuned for AI-generated code

ShipSafeBuilt for Cursor/Lovable/Bolt/v0/Replit output

CodeQL / GHASGeneral-purpose queries

Pricing model

ShipSafeFlat $0–$49/mo, self-serve

CodeQL / GHASGHAS ~$30/committer/mo on private; free on public repos

Deep dataflow taint analysis on source

ShipSafePattern + logic checks, not a full taint engine

CodeQL / GHASWorld-class: tracks tainted data across the codebase

Tests the running, deployed app

ShipSafeDAST: headers, CSP, CORS, clickjacking, IDOR/BOLA

CodeQL / GHASStatic only; never touches the live deployment

Proves a leaked key is actually live

ShipSafeOne read-only call to OpenAI/Stripe/GitHub confirms it works

CodeQL / GHASFlags secret patterns in source; can't tell live from revoked

Pull request review a founder can read

ShipSafeGitHub App: diff-aware, plain-English, pass/fail, no CI setup

CodeQL / GHASAlerts in QL/SARIF; PR annotations assume an AppSec reader

Fix verification

ShipSafeOpens a fix PR and re-scans to prove the finding is gone

CodeQL / GHASRe-run the scan yourself and read the alert delta

Where CodeQL is the right call

Your code is already on GitHub Enterprise and you can enable Advanced Security.
You have AppSec engineers comfortable writing and tuning CodeQL queries.
Your repos are public (CodeQL code scanning is free there).
You want code scanning wired into the GitHub-native PR + Security-tab workflow.

Where it leaves a solo founder exposed

On private repos, you can't use CodeQL without paying for GitHub Advanced Security.
Default queries are general-purpose; the AI-code logic bugs need luck or custom QL.
Alerts arrive as Security-tab entries and SARIF — not 'an attacker can do X.'
Per-committer enterprise pricing is overkill for a solo founder shipping one app.
CodeQL reads source only: it never tests the deployed app, so a misconfigured CSP, an unprotected IDOR endpoint, or a secret shipped in your JS bundle never shows up.
It can flag a key-shaped string but can't make a call to prove the key is live, so you triage revoked secrets by hand and may miss the one that still works.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CodeQL free?

On public repositories, yes. On private repos it requires GitHub Advanced Security — GitHub Code Security is about $30 per committer per month — on a Team or Enterprise plan. ShipSafe scans private repos with no add-on.

Do I need to learn CodeQL?

For the default queries, no — but to catch anything beyond them you write CodeQL, which has a real learning curve. ShipSafe needs zero query language.

CodeQL vs ShipSafe?

CodeQL is a powerful engine for AppSec teams inside GitHub. ShipSafe is a paste-a-URL, plain-English scanner for founders. Different users, different output.

Where do CodeQL results show up?

In your repo's Security tab as code-scanning alerts. ShipSafe gives you a plain-English report and a copy-paste fix prompt instead.

No GHAS license. No QL. Just an answer.

Scan your private repo without GitHub Advanced Security. Paste a GitHub URL — 2 minutes, plain English, copy-paste fix.

Scan My App Free

No credit card required. See all plans

This is an independent comparison provided for informational purposes. All product names, logos, and brands are the property of their respective owners; ShipSafe is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by them. Statements about other products reflect publicly available information at the time of writing and may change, so please verify current details on each provider’s own website.