I've implemented both in enterprise settings. For a 5-person startup, Checkmarx is almost certainly overkill.
**Primary considerations:**
* **Cost:** Checkmarx licensing is expensive, with complex tiering. Semgrep's free tier (Semgrep Cloud Platform) is robust for a small team.
* **Complexity:** Checkmarx requires dedicated maintenance (scan engines, project configuration). Semgrep is agentless and configured via a single `.yml` file.
* **Language Support:** Both cover the core (Java, JS, Python, Go). Checkmarx excels for legacy monoliths (.NET, C++); Semgrep is faster for modern stacks and custom rule creation.
**Example Semgrep config (`semgrep.yml`) for a simple CI check:**
```yaml
rules:
- id: python-flask-debug-mode
patterns:
- pattern: "app.run(..., debug=True, ...)"
message: "Flask debug mode should not be enabled in production."
languages: [python]
severity: ERROR
```
Checkmarx's value is in compliance reporting (SOC2, ISO27001) and managing massive, heterogeneous codebases. Your startup likely needs fast, actionable findings integrated into PRs, not an audit trail. Start with Semgrep; revisit if you scale to a point requiring formal governance workflows.
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