SafeLaunch vs Semgrep: static analysis vs a launch-readiness scan
The short answer
Semgrep is a developer tool: you write or import rules, and it greps your code for those patterns, usually in CI. SafeLaunch needs no rules and no CI — it checks the specific ways AI-built apps leak secrets, expose databases and ship unsafe, and hands you fixes in plain English.
What Semgrep is
Semgrep is a fast, open-source static-analysis engine. It matches code against rules (yours or community ones) to find bug and security patterns, and it's excellent when you want custom, code-aware checks enforced in a pipeline by people who can read and write those rules.
Where SafeLaunch fits
SafeLaunch is the opposite of rules-to-write. It already knows the vibe-coding failure modes — service-role keys in browser code, tables with row-level security off, a committed .env, malware hidden far to the right of a real line — and it checks your live site too, which static analysis never sees.
Side by side
| SafeLaunch | Semgrep | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Non-developers & solo builders | Developers comfortable with rules & CI |
| Setup | Paste a GitHub URL | Install, pick/author rules, wire into CI |
| What it analyzes | Code + config + live site | Source code patterns only |
| Supabase RLS / exposed database | Yes, a core check | Only if you write a rule for it |
| Live-site checks (headers, exposed /.env) | Yes | No |
| Fix output | Paste-ready AI-builder prompt | Rule message / code location |
| Custom code rules | No | Yes — its core strength |
| Verified badge + directory | Yes | No |
| Price | $19 one-time (free re-scans for 7 days) | Free OSS; paid team/enterprise tiers |
Comparison reflects each tool's positioning for people shipping AI-built apps; capabilities evolve.
Choose Semgrep when
- You can read and write code and want custom static-analysis rules.
- You want checks enforced automatically in a CI pipeline on every commit.
- You're hardening a codebase maintained by developers over time.
Choose SafeLaunch when
- You don't want to write or maintain any rules.
- You want runtime and live-site issues caught, not just source patterns.
- You want a launch verdict and a fix you can paste into your AI builder.
See where your app stands
Scan your repo and live site for leaked keys, open databases and hidden malware in about 30 seconds.
FAQ
Can SafeLaunch run in CI like Semgrep?+–
SafeLaunch is a launch-readiness scan you run on demand (and SafeLaunch Monitor re-checks weekly). If you need a gate on every commit written in code rules, that's exactly what Semgrep is for.
Is Semgrep free?+–
Semgrep has a free open-source engine plus paid team/enterprise tiers. SafeLaunch is $19 per scan with free re-scans for 7 days — the cost buys the no-setup, plain-English experience and the broader live-site checks.
Which finds leaked keys better?+–
Both can flag secrets in code. SafeLaunch also checks your live site for a publicly downloadable /.env and names the exact committed file, which is the most common vibe-coding leak.