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Every AI code review tool claims to have a free tier. Most of them have catches. Rate limits, self-hosting requirements, subscriber-only access. Here is what each one actually gives you for $0.
Last updated: March 14, 2026
Last updated: January 2026
Data sources: Official websites, public pricing pages, user reviews from G2/Capterra
Disclosure: Git AutoReview is a competitor to the products mentioned. We strive for accuracy and fairness but recommend verifying current pricing and features on official websites before making decisions.
| Feature | Git AutoReview | CodeRabbit | PR-Agent | Copilot | SonarQube | DeepSource | Semgrep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Reviews | 10/day | Rate-limited | Unlimited* | Subscriber only | Unlimited | Public repos | Unlimited |
| AI-Powered | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ Rules only | ✅ Limited | ❌ Rules only |
| Private Repos | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Self-host | ✅ Paid only | ✅ Self-host | ❌ Paid | ✅ Self-host |
| GitHub | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| GitLab | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bitbucket | ✅ Full | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Setup Time | 2 min | 5 min | 30+ min | 5 min | 1+ hour | 10 min | 15 min |
| Human Approval | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | N/A | ❌ | N/A |
| The Catch | 10/day limit | 3 reviews/hr | Self-host + API key | $19/user/mo min | No AI, rules only | Public repos only | No AI, rules only |
Free tier (10 reviews/day) — AI code review
10 free AI code reviews per day on all platforms (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket Cloud/Server/DC). Uses Claude, Gemini, or GPT via BYOK. Human-in-the-loop approval. 20+ security rules included. No credit card required. The free tier is the full product with a daily review limit.
Free tier limits
Upgrade: $9.99/mo (Developer) or $14.99/mo (Team)
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Best free option for Bitbucket teams or anyone who wants human approval. The 10/day limit is enough for solo developers.
Free tier (rate-limited) — AI code review
CodeRabbit offers a free tier with AI-powered PR reviews. The rate limits are strict: 200 files per hour, 3 back-to-back reviews then 2 per hour, 25 back-to-back messages then 50 per hour. Works on public and private repos. Starts with a 14-day Pro trial, then drops to rate-limited free.
Free tier limits
Upgrade: $24/user/mo (Pro)
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Generous for open-source. Rate limits are too tight for production team use. The 14-day trial is the real product; after that, expect friction.
Free (open-source, self-hosted) — AI code review
Open-source AI code review by Qodo (formerly CodiumAI). Fully free and self-hostable. Requires your own AI API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, or local models via Ollama). The paid version (Qodo Merge) adds hosted infrastructure and more features at $30/user/month.
Free tier limits
Upgrade: $30/user/mo (Qodo Merge Teams)
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Best for teams with DevOps capacity who want full control. Not practical if you just want to install something and start reviewing.
Included with Copilot ($19-39/user/mo) — AI code review (bundled)
Copilot added code review in 2025. It reviews PR diffs and posts comments on GitHub. Not available on any free tier — requires a Copilot Individual ($19/mo), Business ($39/mo), or Enterprise subscription. Diff-only review that misses cross-file issues.
Free tier limits
Upgrade: Already $19-39/user/mo
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Not free. Listed here because people search for it expecting a free option. If you already pay for Copilot, it's a bonus feature. Don't buy Copilot just for code review.
Free (open-source, self-hosted) — Static analysis (not AI)
SonarQube Community Edition is free and open-source. Covers 30+ languages with rule-based analysis for bugs, vulnerabilities, and code smells. Not AI-powered — it runs deterministic rules against your code. Requires self-hosting (Java + PostgreSQL).
Free tier limits
Upgrade: $2,000+/year (Developer Edition with AI)
Pros
Cons
Verdict: The gold standard for rule-based code quality. Use it alongside AI tools, not instead of them. If you only pick one, an AI reviewer catches more real bugs.
Free for public repos — AI + static analysis
DeepSource combines static analysis with AI-powered autofix suggestions. Free for public/open-source repositories. Private repos require a paid plan. Supports GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.
Free tier limits
Upgrade: $35/user/mo (Team)
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Good for open-source maintainers. If your code is private, this isn't free.
Free (open-source) — Static analysis (not AI)
Semgrep is a fast, open-source static analysis tool. Write custom rules in a YAML-based pattern language. Strong for security (OWASP rules included). Not AI-powered — deterministic pattern matching only. Free to self-host with unlimited use.
Free tier limits
Upgrade: $110/contributor/mo (Semgrep Code)
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Best free static analysis for security teams who want custom rules. Not a substitute for AI code review — catches different things.
If you need Bitbucket support, your only free option is Git AutoReview (10 reviews/day).
If you run an open-source project on GitHub, CodeRabbit's free tier is generous enough.
If you have DevOps capacity and want full control, PR-Agent (self-hosted) is truly free after setup.
If you want rule-based analysis (not AI), SonarQube Community or Semgrep are excellent and completely free.
If you want AI review without rate limits, there is no free option. The cheapest unlimited AI review is Git AutoReview at $9.99/mo (Developer) or $14.99/mo (Team, flat rate).
No credit card. No trial expiration. Choose Claude, Gemini, or GPT. Human approval before publishing. GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket.