Security scanning
What is SCA?
Software Composition Analysis: identifying third-party dependencies and matching them against known vulnerability databases.
SCA reads your manifests and lockfiles, builds a dependency tree including transitive packages, and cross-references it with advisory sources such as CVE, GHSA and vendor feeds. Most of a modern application is dependencies, so this is usually where the raw finding count lives.
The interesting variable is not whether a tool does SCA (most do) but what it does with the volume. Reachability analysis, exploit-maturity signals and auto-remediation pull requests are what make the output actionable rather than a standing backlog.
What to look for
- Ecosystem coverage for your package managers, including transitive depth
- Whether fix guidance names a specific safe version
- Automatic upgrade pull requests, and how noisy they are
- Advisory freshness and whether the vendor curates beyond public feeds
Best 16 SCA tools
Every tool in the directory whose documentation covers this, 15 fully and 1 partially. Full support is shown first. Shown in a random order that changes on every visit, so no tool gets an advantage from its position.
Support is not the same as parity, since some implementations are narrower in scope, gated to a higher plan tier, or maintained only for existing customers. The note under each tool is what its own documentation describes.
Code Security Platform
AikidoLockfile and dependency-tree scanning across 20+ package managers with chain visualization
Code Security Platform
Checkmarx OneFile analysis, package-manager or lock-file resolution, and evidence analysis against Checkmarx vulnerability databases.
Code Quality Platform
CodacyTrivy scans 12+ package ecosystems with dependency-chain visualization and CVE/GHSA/CVSS metadata.
PR Review Tool
CodeAnt AIDependency vulnerability scanning with an SCA Scan Center for unified vulnerability tracking
PR Review Tool
CodeRabbitOSV Scanner and Trivy in tool catalog; dedicated Dependencies scan requires Security add-on
Code Security Platform
CorgeaLockfile/manifest scanning across 25+ ecosystems with CVE/CVSS
Code Quality Platform
DeepSourceFull transitive tree checked against NVD and other advisories, but billed pay-as-you-go per active dependency target on all plans.
AI Coding Agent
Gemini Code AssistOptional extension's /security:scan-deps runs OSV-Scanner against declared deps for known CVEs.
Code Security Platform
GitHub Advanced SecurityDependency graph plus Dependabot alerts from the GitHub Advisory Database with CVE/GHSA, CVSS, CWE data
PR Review Tool
GreptileSCA scan type in Security Check reviews dependencies against known vulnerability databases for CVEs
Code Quality Platform
QltyOSV-Scanner and Trivy cover npm, Maven, PyPI, NuGet, Conan, CocoaPods and Swift ecosystems
Code Security Platform
SemgrepSemgrep Supply Chain parses lockfiles/manifests for 13 languages; Dynamic Dependency Resolution beta scans without lockfiles.
Code Security Platform
SnykSnyk Open Source builds full dependency graph including transitive deps against Snyk Vulnerability Database.
Code Quality Platform
SonarQubeSCA is a separate product subscription, available only to Team and Enterprise plans.
Code Security Platform
VeracodeAgent-based scan with quick, full and vulnerable-methods depths; direct vs transitive dependency graph
PR Review Tool
Cursor (Bugbot)PartialVulnerability Scanner flags known vulnerabilities and outdated dependencies; beta, Team/Enterprise
Related terms
FAQ
What is SCA?
Software Composition Analysis: identifying third-party dependencies and matching them against known vulnerability databases.
How many tools in the directory offer SCA?
16 of the 20 tools in this directory offer SCA, 15 fully and 1 partially:
Support is not the same as parity, since some implementations are narrower in scope, gated to a higher plan tier, or maintained only for existing customers. The note under each tool is what its own documentation describes.
What should you check when comparing tools with SCA?
Four things:
- Ecosystem coverage for your package managers, including transitive depth
- Whether fix guidance names a specific safe version
- Automatic upgrade pull requests, and how noisy they are
- Advisory freshness and whether the vendor curates beyond public feeds