Comparison
How Doorman stacks up against other security scanners.Doorman is designed to replace the complexity of multiple tools with a single, zero-config command. Here is an honest comparison with popular alternatives.
Feature Comparison #
| Feature | Doorman | Semgrep | SonarQube | Snyk Code | CodeQL | ESLint Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero config | Yes | No (requires selecting rule packs) | No (server setup) | No (account required) | No (queries required) | No (config required) |
| Local / private | Yes | Yes | Self-hosted | Cloud | Yes | Yes |
| Categories | 10 | 2-3 | 4 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1 |
| Languages | 11 | 30+ | 29 | 10+ | 12 | 1 (JS only) |
| Rules | 2,120+ | 2,000+ (community) | 5,000+ | undisclosed | 300+ | ~30 |
| Auto-fixes | AI-assisted | Limited | Some | AI suggestions | No | Some |
| MCP / AI rules | Yes (unique) | No | No | No | No | No |
| Detection engines | 4 layers | 1 (pattern) | 2 (pattern + dataflow) | 1 (AI) | 1 (dataflow) | 1 (AST) |
| Setup time | < 30 seconds | 5-15 minutes | 1-4 hours | 5-10 minutes | 15-30 minutes | 5-10 minutes |
| Price | Free | Free / paid tiers | Free / paid | Free / paid | Free (open source) | Free |
Note: Rule counts vary by definition. Doorman focuses on specific, actionable findings rather than broad pattern matching.
Doorman vs Semgrep #
Semgrep is a powerful pattern-matching tool with a large community rule library. However:
- Config required: Semgrep needs you to select or write rule packs. Doorman works with zero config.
- Single detection layer: Semgrep uses pattern matching only. Doorman adds taint tracking, scope analysis, and AST analysis.
- Narrower categories: Semgrep focuses on security and a few other areas. Doorman covers 10 categories including cost, compliance, and deployment.
- No MCP/AI rules: Semgrep does not scan MCP tool handlers or AI API usage patterns.
Doorman vs SonarQube #
SonarQube is a comprehensive platform with the most rules of any scanner. However:
- Complex setup: SonarQube requires a server, database, and project configuration. Doorman is a single command.
- Heavy resource usage: SonarQube needs significant infrastructure. Doorman runs locally with minimal resources.
- Slower feedback: SonarQube scans are typically part of a CI pipeline. Doorman gives instant local feedback.
- No MCP/AI coverage: SonarQube does not have rules for MCP security or AI API patterns.
Doorman vs Snyk Code #
Snyk Code uses AI-powered analysis but:
- Requires an account: Snyk needs sign-up and cloud connectivity. Doorman is fully local.
- Sends code to cloud: Snyk analyzes code on their servers. Doorman never sends data anywhere.
- Limited categories: Snyk focuses on security and dependency vulnerabilities. Doorman covers 10 categories.
Doorman vs CodeQL #
CodeQL is GitHub's powerful query-based scanner:
- Requires query knowledge: Custom CodeQL queries need learning a query language. Doorman works out of the box.
- Slow scans: CodeQL builds a full database which can take minutes to hours. Doorman scans in seconds.
- Fewer auto-fixes: CodeQL detects issues but does not tell your AI to fix them. Doorman offers AI-assisted fixes via Claude/Codex.
Doorman vs ESLint Security Plugins #
ESLint security plugins (eslint-plugin-security, eslint-plugin-no-secrets) are lightweight but limited:
- JavaScript only: ESLint only works with JS/TS. Doorman supports 11 languages.
- Few rules: Security plugins have ~30 rules. Doorman has 2,120+.
- Single category: ESLint plugins only cover security. Doorman covers performance, cost, compliance, and more.
Summary #
Doorman is the best choice when you want:
- Zero-config setup (no accounts, no servers, no rule selection)
- Complete local privacy (no data leaves your machine)
- Broad coverage (10 categories, not just security)
- MCP and AI API security scanning (unique to Doorman)
- Extensive auto-fixes (510+ patterns)
- Fast feedback (seconds, not minutes)