What Is Static Code Analysis And Why Is It Important?

Static code analysis is the process of analyzing and debugging code before it is used in a live application. Static code analysis is an essential aspect of code review, as it can reveal vulnerabilities and defects that might not be detected through code execution. This, in turn, could result in a data breach or costly remediation actions to a live application. Typically, this process will involve the use of a static code analysis tool, which will analyze code against a pre-defined set of coding rules to detect vulnerabilities. Static code analysis is important as it helps developers to detect coding errors, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. This both improves the security of code and ensures compliance, which is particularly important for code that will be used in regulated industries. Additionally, the best SCA solutions generates documentation for developers to learn from their mistakes, making it indispensable for the development of robust and secure software applications. Static Code Analysis is also an important process for developers looking to move security testing and code analysis earlier in the software development lifecycle. ‘Shifting left’ helps developers to improve the quality of their code, catch security vulnerabilities earlier in the coding process, and improve efficiency by ensuring issues can be found early, rather than pushing back deadlines closer to launch.

How Do Static Code Analysis Tools Work?

Static Code Analysis (SCA) tools analyze an application’s source code to identify vulnerabilities and errors. In many cases this involves the use of multiple algorithms and knowledge bases made of up pre-defined coding rules, which, when compared against your code, will highlight vulnerabilities that must be addressed. Some SCA tools will also expand analysis capabilities, enabling tools to create custom rules to check code against. The SCA tool will then provide comprehensive reporting to showcase results and enable teams to take remediation action as required. Many solutions will enable regular code scanning to help teams ensure code is safe and compliant as it is edited and revised throughout the SDLC.

What Features Should You Look For In A Static Code Analysis Tool?

SCA tools can provide a range of features that cater to different developer requirements. Some solutions will be offered as part of a larger platform or static application security testing stack, while others will be standalone solution. Here are a selection of some key features to consider when selecting a static code analysis tool: Language Support: Ensure the tool supports the programming languages used in your project Integration tool should seamlessly integrate with your development environment, including popular integrated development environments (IDEs) and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines Customization: Look for a tool that offers flexibility in configuring and customizing analysis rules and severity levels Rule Set: A robust tool should provide a comprehensive set of pre-defined rules covering a wide range of issues, from basic coding style to complex security vulnerabilities Real-Time Feedback: Having the ability to receive real-time feedback within the IDE while writing code can greatly enhance developer productivity Reporting: The tool should generate clear and informative reports when issues are detected Performance: Consider the tool’s impact on build times and resource utilization; it should be efficient and not significantly slow down the development process Continuous Monitoring: The tool should support scheduled or triggered scans to continuously monitor the codebase for new issues and prevent the introduction of new problems Community and Support: Assess the tool’s user community, documentation, and available support; an active user community and good support can be invaluable for problem-solving and learning Scalability: If you work on large projects or in large development teams, the tool should scale to accommodate the size and complexity of your codebase Regulatory Compliance: For industries subject to regulatory compliance (e.g., finance, healthcare), ensure that the tool can help you meet industry-specific standards and requirements

The Top 9 Static Code Analysis Solutions

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Veracode SAST

Veracode delivers a robust Static Application Security Testing (SAST) solution, scanning over 100 languages and frameworks to enhance code security across the development lifecycle.

Why We Picked Veracode SAST: We rate Veracode SAST highly for its low false-positive rate and real-time IDE feedback, reducing flaws by up to 60% with seamless developer tool integration.

Veracode SAST Best Features: The platform scans code in real time across 100+ languages, integrating with over 40 developer tools (e.g., Jenkins, Visual Studio) and custom APIs for pipeline compatibility. End-to-end scanning covers IDE, pipeline, and policy stages, with a 60% flaw reduction via IDE scans. Fix-first prioritization, structured training, and expert consultations boost fix rates. Reporting and analytics track security posture, supporting OWASP, PCI DSS, and GDPR compliance.

What’s Great:

Scans 100+ languages with real-time feedback
40+ developer tool integrations
60% flaw reduction via IDE scans
Low false-positive rate with fix prioritization
OWASP, PCI DSS, GDPR compliance reporting

Pricing: Contact Veracode’s sales team for pricing details, tailored to organizational size and scanning needs. Quotes and demos are available.

Who it’s for: Veracode SAST is ideal for development teams seeking a scalable, developer-friendly SAST solution with accurate scanning and robust compliance for enterprise applications.

SonarQube

SonarQube provides a code quality and security platform for consistent, reliable software development. Supporting over 30 languages and frameworks, SonarQube ensures clean code through deep integration and enterprise-grade reporting.

Why We Picked SonarQube: We rate SonarQube highly for its fast, comprehensive analysis and DevOps integrations, enabling teams to enforce clean code standards with clear quality gates.

SonarQube Best Features: The platform scans code in minutes across 30+ languages, including Java, C#, Python, and JavaScript, using over 5,000 coding rules and advanced taint analysis. It integrates with DevOps tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab, Azure DevOps) and IDEs via SonarLint for synchronized rule enforcement. Unified configurations streamline team collaboration, while quality gates and enterprise reporting track compliance with OWASP, MISRA, and GDPR standards. Editions range from Community to Data Center for scalability.

What’s Great:

Scans 30+ languages with 5,000+ rules
Deep DevOps and SonarLint IDE integrations
Fast analysis with quality gates
Enterprise reporting for compliance
OWASP, MISRA, GDPR support

Pricing: Contact SonarQube’s sales team for pricing details, tailored to edition (Community, Developer, Enterprise, Data Center) and deployment needs. Quotes and demos are available.

Who it’s for: SonarQube is ideal for development teams seeking a scalable static code analysis solution to maintain high code quality and security standards in enterprise DevOps workflows.

Snyk Code

Snyk delivers developer-focused security solutions for modern software development. Snyk Code is a real-time Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tool that identifies vulnerabilities directly in the IDE, enabling rapid fixes without disrupting workflows.

Why We Picked Snyk Code: We rate Snyk Code highly for its real-time scanning and AI-driven remediation, prioritizing high-risk vulnerabilities while integrating seamlessly into developer environments.

Snyk Code Best Features: The platform scans code in real time across 20+ popular languages, integrating with IDEs (e.g., VS Code, IntelliJ), CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, CircleCI), and SCM platforms (e.g., GitHub). Its ML-powered engine analyzes open-source libraries, prioritizing risks in deployed or exposed code. Actionable remediation advice and AI-enhanced fix suggestions streamline issue resolution. Security gates enforce policies in CI/CD pipelines, and compliance reporting aligns with OWASP, PCI DSS, and SOC 2 standards.

What’s Great:

Real-time scanning in IDEs
AI-driven remediation suggestions
20+ language support
CI/CD security gate enforcement

Pricing: Contact Snyk’s sales team for pricing details, with plans from free (200 tests/month) to Enterprise (unlimited tests, API, custom roles). Quotes and demos are available.

Who it’s for: Snyk Code is ideal for development teams seeking a developer-friendly SAST solution with real-time vulnerability detection and AI-powered fixes in IDE and CI/CD workflows.

OpenText Fortify Static Code Analyzer

Fortify Static Code Analyzer (SCA) identifies vulnerabilities early in development, supporting over 30 languages and frameworks across on-premises, cloud, and AppSec-as-a-Service deployments.

Why We Picked Fortify SCA: We rate Fortify SCA highly for its early vulnerability detection and centralized management, integrating seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines to maintain secure coding practices.

Fortify SCA Best Features: The platform scans code across 30+ languages and APIs, integrating with IDEs (e.g., Eclipse, Visual Studio), CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, Bamboo), and repositories (e.g., GitHub, GitLab) for automated security. Comprehensive analysis detects vulnerabilities with detailed remediation guidance, reducing post-release fixes. The Fortify Software Security Center (SSC) offers centralized dashboards for tracking security posture, educating developers, and ensuring compliance with OWASP, PCI DSS, and GDPR standards.

What’s Great:

Scans 30+ languages and APIs
IDE and CI/CD pipeline integrations
Centralized SSC for security management
Detailed remediation guidance
OWASP, PCI DSS, GDPR compliance

Pricing: Contact OpenText for pricing details, tailored to organizational size and deployment needs. Quotes and demos are available.

Who it’s for: Fortify SCA is ideal for development teams seeking an efficient static code analysis tool to secure applications early, with centralized management for enterprise-wide AppSec programs.

Codacy Quality

Codacy provides a static code analysis platform to enhance code quality for development teams. Supporting a wide range of languages, Codacy streamlines code reviews with customizable analysis, detailed feedback, and seamless Git integrations.

Why We Picked Codacy: We rate Codacy highly for its AI-powered fix suggestions and unified dashboard, simplifying code quality monitoring and issue prioritization within existing Git workflows.

Codacy Best Features: The platform monitors code quality, test coverage, and security across 30+ languages, integrating with GitHub, BitBucket, and GitLab for pipeline compatibility. It enforces coding standards, identifies issues early, and supports unit test expansion. A single dashboard offers visibility into application performance with a grading system, while security dashboards prioritize critical risks. AI-driven suggested fixes apply directly in Git workflows, and compliance reporting aligns with OWASP and GDPR standards.

What’s Great:

AI-powered fix suggestions in Git workflows
Unified dashboard with performance grading
Supports 30+ languages and standards
GitHub, BitBucket, GitLab integrations
OWASP and GDPR compliance reporting

Pricing: Contact Codacy’s sales team for pricing details, tailored to organizational size and scanning needs. Quotes and demos are available.

Who it’s for: Codacy is ideal for development teams seeking an integrated static code analysis tool to boost code quality, enforce security standards, and streamline reviews in Git-based workflows.

Checkmarx SAST

Checkmarx provides application security testing solutions for modern software development. Checkmarx Static Application Security Testing (SAST) scans source code to detect vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle, enabling rapid and secure software releases.

Why We Picked Checkmarx SAST: We rate Checkmarx SAST highly for its efficient scanning and remediation guidance, integrating seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines to prioritize critical vulnerabilities with minimal false positives.

Checkmarx SAST Best Features: The platform scans uncompiled code across 25+ programming languages and frameworks, requiring no special configurations. It integrates with major IDEs (e.g., Visual Studio, IntelliJ), SCM platforms (e.g., GitHub, GitLab), and CI servers (e.g., Jenkins, Azure DevOps) for pipeline compatibility. Customizable queries categorize issues by severity, with remediation guidance and best-fix locations to speed up resolution. Automated false positive filtering enhances accuracy, and compliance reporting supports OWASP, PCI DSS, and GDPR standards.

What’s Great:

Scans 25+ languages without compilation
Seamless IDE and CI/CD integrations
Customizable severity-based issue prioritization
Detailed remediation guidance
OWASP, PCI DSS, GDPR compliance support

Pricing: Contact Checkmarx’s sales team for pricing details, tailored to organizational size and scanning needs. Quotes and demos are available.

Who it’s for: Checkmarx SAST is ideal for development teams seeking a scalable, user-friendly SAST solution for early vulnerability detection and secure code delivery in CI/CD workflows.

BlackDuck Coverity Scan Static Analysis

Black Duck Software, formerly Synopsys Software Integrity Group, provides static analysis tools for secure software development. Black Duck Coverity Scan is a static analysis service supporting languages like Java, C/C++, C#, JavaScript, Ruby, and Python, identifying defects without code execution.

Why We Picked Black Duck Coverity Scan: We rate Coverity Scan highly for its comprehensive defect detection and cost-free access, enabling open-source developers to enhance code quality with minimal setup.

Black Duck Coverity Scan Best Features: The service analyzes all code lines in Java, C/C++, C#, JavaScript, Ruby, and Python projects, detecting issues like resource leaks, NULL pointer dereferences, memory corruption, and insecure data handling. It requires no test cases, offering detailed remediation guidance via Coverity Quality Advisor. Integration with GitHub and Travis CI supports open-source workflows, with results accessible through a web-based dashboard for efficient issue tracking.

What’s Great:

Analyzes all code lines without execution
Detects diverse defects like memory leaks
Free for open-source projects
GitHub and Travis CI integration
Detailed remediation guidance

Pricing: Contact Black Duck’s sales team for commercial pricing details.

Who it’s for: Black Duck Coverity Scan is ideal for developers seeking a robust, no-cost static analysis tool to improve code quality and security in collaborative projects.

Aikido SAST

Aikido provides a robust application security testing platform. Aikido’s Static Application Security Testing (SAST) solution is an open-source dependency scanning tool that detects vulnerabilities, malware, end-of-life runtimes, and open-source licenses, streamlining code security for development teams.

Why We Picked Aikido SAST: We rate Aikido SAST highly for its automated alert triaging and transparent scanning, reducing false positives and integrating seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines for efficient code analysis.

Aikido SAST Best Features: The platform continuously scans open-source code for risks using tools like Trivy, Syft, and Grype, with custom rule configuration. It supports all programming languages and integrates with GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, Azure DevOps, and IDEs for real-time developer feedback. Automated triaging filters out false positives (e.g., ignoring test file findings), prioritizing critical resource risks. Aikido generates Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) and provides remediation summaries with actionable tips. Compliant with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001:2022, it ensures data security without storing source code post-analysis.

What’s Great:

Automated false positive filtering
CI/CD and IDE integrations
SBOM generation for audits
Transparent use of Trivy, Syft, Grype
SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance

Pricing: Contact Aikido’s sales team for pricing details, tailored to organizational size and scanning needs. Quotes and demos are available.

Who it’s for: Aikido SAST is ideal for software development teams seeking a user-friendly, integrated SAST solution for open-source dependency scanning, automated risk management, and compliance in CI/CD workflows.

The Top 9 Static Code Analysis Solutions

FAQs

Everything You Need To Know About Static Code Analysis Tools (FAQs)

SCA tools can provide a range of features that cater to different developer requirements. Some solutions will be offered as part of a larger platform or static application security testing stack, while others will be standalone solution. Here are a selection of some key features to consider when selecting a static code analysis tool:

Language Support: Ensure the tool supports the programming languages used in your project
Integration tool should seamlessly integrate with your development environment, including popular integrated development environments (IDEs) and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines
Customization: Look for a tool that offers flexibility in configuring and customizing analysis rules and severity levels
Rule Set: A robust tool should provide a comprehensive set of pre-defined rules covering a wide range of issues, from basic coding style to complex security vulnerabilities
Real-Time Feedback: Having the ability to receive real-time feedback within the IDE while writing code can greatly enhance developer productivity
Reporting: The tool should generate clear and informative reports when issues are detected
Performance: Consider the tool’s impact on build times and resource utilization; it should be efficient and not significantly slow down the development process
Continuous Monitoring: The tool should support scheduled or triggered scans to continuously monitor the codebase for new issues and prevent the introduction of new problems
Community and Support: Assess the tool’s user community, documentation, and available support; an active user community and good support can be invaluable for problem-solving and learning
Scalability: If you work on large projects or in large development teams, the tool should scale to accommodate the size and complexity of your codebase
Regulatory Compliance: For industries subject to regulatory compliance (e.g., finance, healthcare), ensure that the tool can help you meet industry-specific standards and requirements

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Joel Witts

Joel is the Director of Content and a co-founder at Expert Insights; a rapidly growing media company focussed on covering cybersecurity solutions. He’s an experienced journalist and editor with 8 years’ experience covering the cybersecurity space. He’s reviewed hundreds of cybersecurity solutions, interviewed hundreds of industry experts and produced dozens of industry reports read by thousands of CISOs and security professionals in topics like IAM, MFA, zero trust, email security, DevSecOps and more. He also hosts the Expert Insights Podcast and co-writes the weekly newsletter, Decrypted. Joel is driven to share his team’s expertise with cybersecurity leaders to help them create more secure business foundations.

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Laura Iannini Cybersecurity Analyst

Laura Iannini is a Cybersecurity Analyst at Expert Insights. With deep cybersecurity knowledge and strong research skills, she leads Expert Insights’ product testing team, conducting thorough tests of product features and in-depth industry analysis to ensure that Expert Insights’ product reviews are definitive and insightful. Laura also carries out wider analysis of vendor landscapes and industry trends to inform Expert Insights’ enterprise cybersecurity buyers’ guides, covering topics such as security awareness training, cloud backup and recovery, email security, and network monitoring. Prior to working at Expert Insights, Laura worked as a Senior Information Security Engineer at Constant Edge, where she tested cybersecurity solutions, carried out product demos, and provided high-quality ongoing technical support. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity from the University of West Florida.

The Top 9 Static Code Analysis Solutions

Explore the top static code analysis tools with features like code quality assessment, security vulnerability scanning, and integration with development workflows.