SAST rules engine + supply chain (static analysis)
Trust vs Semgrep
Semgrep is a deep static-analysis engine for security teams. Trust adds live-URL DAST plus SAST, secrets, and SCA in one no-signup free scan. Try it free.
Semgrep is a source-code security platform built around a fast, open-source static-analysis engine, with paid products for SAST (Semgrep Code), secret detection (Semgrep Secrets), and dependency scanning (Semgrep Supply Chain). It is deeply CI-native and lets teams write their own rules, and its full Team platform is free for up to 10 contributors and 10 private repos (AI Assistant is paid-only). It is purely static, so it never touches your running site.
Trust vs Semgrep, feature by feature
| Capability | Trust | Semgrep |
|---|---|---|
| Live-URL scan (DAST)Semgrep is static-analysis only and has no DAST; you would add a separate tool like OWASP ZAP. Trust scans your running site with Nuclei. | ||
| Secret detectionSemgrep Secrets uses semantic analysis to find hardcoded keys and tokens. | ||
| Code analysis (SAST)SAST is Semgrep’s core strength with cross-file dataflow and custom rules. | ||
| Dependency / SCA (CVEs)Semgrep Supply Chain adds reachability analysis on top of dependency CVEs. | ||
| Genuinely free tierFree OSS CLI plus a free Team platform for up to 10 contributors and 10 private repos. | ||
| No-signup scanThe OSS CLI runs locally without an account, but the cloud platform requires signup. | partial | |
| AI fix suggestionsSemgrep Assistant does AI triage and autofix but is a paid feature, not in the free tier. | partial | |
| MCP / AI-IDE integrationSemgrep ships an official open-source MCP server for Cursor, VS Code, and other clients. |
Where Trust is the better call
- Trust scans your live, running site (DAST via Nuclei) — Semgrep is static-only and finds nothing at runtime unless you bolt on a separate DAST tool.
- One Trust pass covers both your deployed site and your GitHub repo (secrets, SAST, and SCA) together, instead of stitching static products across a pipeline.
- A Trust URL scan needs no signup and no account at all, versus Semgrep’s cloud platform which requires an account.
- Trust explains findings in plain language for indie and vibe coders, where Semgrep assumes an AppSec team fluent in rules and CI.
See what Trust finds that Semgrep doesn't — free
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Run a free scan →When Semgrep is the better call
- Semgrep is a true rules engine — you can write your own custom SAST rules in a simple pattern syntax, which Trust does not let you do.
- It has far deeper multi-language SAST coverage with cross-file dataflow (taint) analysis on the paid tier.
- Semgrep is built to live in CI/CD and pull requests, gating merges across large teams and monorepos.
- Its core engine is open source, so you can self-host, audit, and run it fully offline.
Bottom line
If you are an AppSec team that wants to write custom rules and gate every pull request with deep static analysis, Semgrep is the stronger engine. If you are a solo or indie developer who wants to check your live site and your repo in one free, no-signup scan and get fixes in plain English, start with Trust — then graduate to Semgrep’s rules engine when you have a security team to run it.
Learn more about Semgrep at their site.
Other comparisons
- Trust vs SnykEnterprise SCA + code security platform
- Trust vs GitleaksOpen-source secret scanner (CLI/CI)
- Trust vs VeracodeEnterprise AppSec / compliance platform