--- title: "ShipSafe vs GitHub CodeQL & Advanced Security (2026) | ShipSafe" description: "CodeQL is a world-class query engine — but on private repos it needs GitHub Advanced Security (paid per committer) and answers in QL, not English. Comparison + free scan." doc_version: 2026-09-14 last_updated: 2026-09-14T06:34:07.049Z canonical: https://ship-safe.co/vs/github-codeql --- # ShipSafe vs GitHub CodeQL & Advanced Security (2026) | ShipSafe 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](https://ship-safe.co/scan)[See pricing](https://ship-safe.co/pricing) Free scan2 minutesNo card needed The trade-off ## 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 reads the JavaScript you actually shipped for leaked keys, checks your deployed app's headers, cookies and CORS, and ships a GitHub App that reviews every pull request in plain English. Run our CLI on your own machine and one read-only call proves whether a leaked key is still live. 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, cookies, info disclosure (IDOR/BOLA across two accounts via our CLI/MCP on your own machine) CodeQL / GHASStatic only; never touches the live deployment Proves a leaked key is actually live ShipSafeCLI, on your own machine: one 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 ![](https://ship-safe.co/_next/image?url=%2Fmascot%2Fbosun-charts.jpg&w=384&q=75&dpl=dpl_mZg928obB8jMgQedvvnYgx76i8hy) 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](https://ship-safe.co/scan) No credit card required. [See all plans](https://ship-safe.co/pricing) 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. ## Sitemap Every page of this site, in markdown: [https://ship-safe.co/sitemap.md](https://ship-safe.co/sitemap.md)