GitHub CodeQL vs GitHub Secret Scanning
GitHub CodeQL
codeql.github.comGitHub Secret Scanning
github.comSide by side
| Figure | GitHub CodeQL | GitHub Secret Scanning |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $30/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Spec score · Dependency Management Software | 8.6 (#4) | 7.8 (#14) |
| Spec score · Static Application Security Testing Sast | 8.5 (#4) | 7.8 (#9) |
| Purpose | CodeQL is a language and toolchain for code analysis that treats code as data. | Secret scanning automatically detects exposed credentials so they can be secured before they are exploited. |
Plans
GitHub CodeQL
- Free for research and open sourceFree
- GitHub Code Security$30 a month
- CodeQL for open source and researchFree
- GitHub Code Security$30 a month
- GitHub Free with CodeQL code scanningPrice not published
In their own words
GitHub CodeQL
GitHub CodeQL has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
GitHub Secret Scanning
GitHub Secret Scanning detects exposed credentials so they can be secured before exploitation. It scans every branch in Git history, plus issue and pull request content, discussions, wikis, and secret gists. Detected leaks produce repository alerts with details about the credential, while push protection can block secrets before they enter code. Organizations can define regular expressions for their own secret formats. Generic patterns cover items such as private keys, connection strings, and API keys, and AI detection can identify unstructured secrets such as passwords. Validity checks may contact issuing services to see whether credentials remain active. GitHub can work with providers to validate findings and notify them for actions such as revocation. Scanning is automatic and free for public repositories. Private and internal organization repositories require Secret Protection on GitHub Team or Enterprise Cloud; Enterprise Server supports user-owned repositories with that protection. It is available through API, web, and self-hosted deployment, with hybrid deployment.