Coverity vs SonarQube

by Gralio Mar 10, 2025

Coverity and SonarQube are both static analysis tools aimed at improving code quality and security. Coverity excels in deep analysis and bug detection, especially for C/C++, while SonarQube offers broader language support and continuous code quality inspection, making it more suitable for diverse development environments.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 207 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 hour, 39 minutes of reading.

Coverity

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SonarQube

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About

Coverity is a tool that helps find and fix security flaws and coding errors within software. It examines your code for potential problems, explains the cause of each issue, and makes it easy for developers to fix them. This helps companies release more secure software and comply with industry coding standards. Coverity is known for its speed, accuracy, and ability to work with large, complex codebases.

SonarQube helps development teams write better and more secure code. It integrates into your existing workflow and flags potential bugs, security vulnerabilities, and code quality issues in real-time. This helps you catch and fix problems early in the development process, saving time and money in the long run. SonarQube supports many popular programming languages and offers different editions to suit the needs of small teams and large enterprises.

Summary

Main difference

Coverity is best known for its deep code analysis and ability to detect complex bugs, especially in C/C++. SonarQube is a broader platform that excels at continuous code quality inspection and supports a wider range of programming languages.

Relative strengths of Coverity (compared to SonarQube)

Stronger deep code analysis capabilities, particularly for C/C++.
Provides detailed explanations of detected defects, aiding in faster remediation.
Excellent integration with CI/CD pipelines for automated security analysis.

Relative weaknesses of Coverity (compared to SonarQube)

Can be resource-intensive and slow for large projects.
Reports more false positives, requiring additional manual review.
Limited language support compared to SonarQube.

Who should use Coverity VS. SonarQube

Coverity is a static analysis tool that helps developers find and fix security vulnerabilities and code defects early in the software development lifecycle. Users praise its ability to detect complex C++ bugs, especially memory-related issues, and its detailed explanations of identified defects. However, some users note frequent false positives and slow performance on large projects. Coverity integrates well with CI/CD pipelines and helps enforce coding standards, making it a valuable tool for teams looking to improve code quality and security.

SonarQube helps development teams write better, more secure code by identifying bugs, vulnerabilities, and code quality issues early on. It integrates seamlessly with existing workflows and supports various programming languages. Users praise its effectiveness in identifying hidden issues and seamless CI/CD integration, but some find the analysis speed slow for large projects and setup complex. SonarQube is a valuable tool for improving code quality and developer confidence.

Ideal for development teams of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.
Best suited for software development companies focused on C/C++ projects, but supports other languages like Java, C#, JavaScript, Ruby, and Python.

Ideal for development teams of all sizes aiming to enhance code quality and security.
Best suited for the Software, IT & Telecommunications industry.

Coverity and SonarQube features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Multi-language support

Supported

Coverity supports C, C++, Objective-C, Java, JavaScript, .NET, and Visual Basic.

Supported

SonarQube supports multiple programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, Python, and C++.
Comprehensive Code Analysis

Supported

Coverity analyzes every line of code and all execution paths for comprehensive testing.

Supported

SonarQube analyzes every line of code for static analysis and integrates with dynamic analysis tools for execution path coverage.
Clear Defect Explanation

Supported

Coverity provides detailed remediation guidance, including descriptions and CWE data, to aid in efficient bug fixing.

Supported

SonarQube provides detailed explanations of defects, aiding in efficient bug fixing.
Code review tools

Partially supported

Coverity automates code review by identifying quality and security issues, but lacks traditional manual review tools.

Partially supported

SonarQube supports automated code review but not manual code reviews.
Azure DevOps integration

Supported

Coverity integrates with Azure DevOps via the Coverity on Polaris extension.

Supported

SonarQube integrates with Azure DevOps for automated code scanning and reporting.
GitHub integration

Supported

Coverity integrates with GitHub for automated scanning and reporting using GitHub Actions.

Supported

SonarQube integrates with GitHub for automated scanning and reporting.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

-0.25

Neutral sentiment
Customer Service

No data

+0.5

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Use

No data

+0.81

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

No data

+0.74

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Implementation

No data

-0.04

Neutral sentiment
Scalability

No data

-0.2

Neutral sentiment

Coverity and SonarQube Pricing

No data

We couldn't find a pricing page for Coverity.

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

-0.25

See full Pricing page

Coverity and SonarQube review insights

207 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Excellent at detecting complex C++ bugs, especially memory-related issues.
Provides detailed and helpful explanations of identified defects.
Integrates well with CI/CD pipelines for automated code analysis.
Helps enforce coding standards and improve code quality.
Centralized reporting and issue tracking facilitates team collaboration.

Effectively identifies hidden bugs, security vulnerabilities, and code quality issues across multiple languages.
Seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines allows for continuous quality monitoring.
Detailed reports facilitate team improvement and codebase understanding.
Customizable rules and plugins offer flexibility.
Provides valuable code reviews and feedback, improving code quality and developer confidence.

Users dislike

False positives can be frequent, requiring manual review.
Can be slow and resource-intensive, especially for large projects.
UI/UX could be improved for better navigation and clarity.
Limited language support beyond C/C++ reduces its applicability.
Reporting features could be enhanced with more customization options and faster generation times.

Slow analysis speed, especially for large projects, impacts workflow.
Setup and configuration can be complex and time-consuming.
Limited and costly Enterprise features, like parallel analysis.
Some features, like reports API and SCA, could be more flexible.

Coverity and SonarQube Ratings

G2

4.2/5

(56)
Glassdoor

4.0/5

(4056)

G2

4.4/5

(90)
Capterra

4.6/5

(61)
Glassdoor

2.7/5

(61)

Company health

Employee growth

9% increase in the last year

22% increase in the last year

Web traffic

26% decrease in the last quarter

14% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

October 2022 - $0

January 2022 - $457M

How do Coverity and SonarQube compare in false positive rates?

Both Coverity and SonarQube users mention false positives as a drawback, indicating that neither tool completely eliminates this issue. Coverity users specifically point out that manual review is often required due to the frequency of false positives. While SonarQube users don't explicitly mention the frequency of false positives, the presence of this issue is implied within their feedback about the tool. Therefore, it is difficult to definitively say which has a lower rate of false positives based on user reviews.

Which product better integrates with existing CI/CD pipelines?

Both Coverity and SonarQube offer good CI/CD integration. However, user reviews suggest that Coverity's integration is slightly more seamless, while SonarQube's CI/CD integration, while effective, can sometimes suffer from slow analysis speeds, especially for larger projects. Therefore, for organizations with extensive or complex codebases, Coverity might offer a slightly better CI/CD experience.

What are the advantages of Coverity?

Coverity excels in detecting complex bugs, especially memory-related issues in C/C++, providing detailed explanations for efficient fixing. It integrates well with CI/CD pipelines for automated analysis and enforces coding standards for improved code quality. Centralized reporting and issue tracking in Coverity facilitates team collaboration.

What are the disadvantages of Coverity?

Coverity's disadvantages include a tendency to produce false positives, which necessitates manual review and can be time-consuming. It can also be slow and resource-intensive, particularly for larger projects. Some users find the UI/UX could be improved for better navigation and clarity. Finally, its language support is primarily focused on C/C++, potentially limiting its applicability for projects using other languages.

Alternatives to Coverity and SonarQube

Codacy

Codacy helps software development teams improve code quality and security. It automatically checks your code for errors, vulnerabilities, and style inconsistencies as you write it. This helps developers find and fix problems early, saving time and money on fixing issues later. Codacy supports over 40 programming languages and integrates with popular development tools.

Snyk

Snyk is a security platform that helps businesses find and fix security weaknesses in their software. It scans code, open-source libraries, containers, and cloud infrastructure for known vulnerabilities. Snyk provides actionable insights to fix these vulnerabilities, ensuring your applications are secure throughout their lifecycle. It integrates with development tools to help developers build secure software from the start. Snyk offers visibility into potential risks and helps meet compliance requirements.

Semgrep

Semgrep is a code analysis tool that helps companies find and fix security problems in their software. It scans code for vulnerabilities and provides clear explanations, making it easy for developers to understand and address the issues. Semgrep integrates with existing development processes and can be customized to an organization's specific needs. This helps teams find and fix security issues early in the development process, saving time and resources.

Codiga

Codiga is a code analysis tool that helps development teams improve code quality and security. It offers real-time feedback in your IDE, automated code reviews, and customizable analysis rules to catch potential problems early in the development process. Codiga also helps developers find and use secure code snippets directly within their workflow. The platform integrates with popular development tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, making it a valuable addition for teams looking to streamline their coding practices and deliver more reliable software.

GitGuardian

GitGuardian is a security software that finds and helps fix risky code within a company's software development process. It scans code for hidden credentials and sensitive information that could be exploited. This helps companies prevent security breaches by finding and fixing vulnerabilities before they become a problem. GitGuardian is known for its accuracy in detecting these risks and its easy integration into existing developer workflows.

DeepSource

DeepSource is a code analysis platform that helps businesses create higher quality and more secure software. It automatically checks your code for errors, security vulnerabilities, and areas that need improvement as you write it. This helps developers find and fix issues quickly, often even suggesting the fixes for you. DeepSource integrates with popular platforms like GitHub and GitLab and provides reports and insights to track your code quality over time. It aims to help your development team work faster while improving the overall quality and security of your software.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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