Quick answer
Codacy - Codacy wins for most builders because its free tier is actually usable long term for individual development work, while DeepSource’s free offer is mainly a 14-day trial plus a capped open-source plan.
How the free tiers compare
The core difference is permanence versus evaluation. Codacy gives individual developers a free forever IDE-based workflow with code quality, SAST, SCA, secrets scanning, auto-fix, and editor integrations, so a solo builder can keep using it without a deadline. Its upgrade path is also straightforward: you move into a per-seat Team plan when you need Git repo integrations, cloud scans, pull request gates, and team reporting. DeepSource is stronger if you are working in open source, because its free plan includes unlimited public repositories, unlimited team members, and ongoing code review features, but the trial framing matters: the hosted service is still a 14-day trial with bundled AI credits, and the free plan is capped at 1,000 PR reviews and 1,000 formatting runs per month. So Codacy is the better default for private, individual use, while DeepSource is the better free option for public OSS workflows.
Codacy vs DeepSource free tier, side by side
| CodacyFTV 44 | DeepSourceFTV 43 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free forever statusDifferent free structures: permanent free vs trial plus OSS offering | Yes, Developer plan is free forever | Trial is 14 days; open-source plan is ongoing |
| Credit card required for free accessOnly stateable because the field is present | No card required | No card required |
| Private repositories on free tierCodacy's free Developer plan is IDE-focused; private repo quota is only listed on Team | Not stated for Developer; Team includes up to 100 private repos | Excluded on Open Source plan |
| Public repositories on free tierBoth support OSS, but DeepSource is explicitly unlimited on public repos | Open-source projects get Team features at no cost | Unlimited public repositories |
| Pull request reviews on free tierDeepSource gives a numeric OSS cap | AI Reviewer and merge gates for pull requests on open-source projects | 1,000 pull requests reviewed per month |
| Formatting runs on free tierOnly DeepSource lists formatting quotas | Not stated | 1,000 automated code formatting runs per month |
| Languages supported on free/paid tierCodacy lists language counts; DeepSource does not in the provided input | 38 languages on Developer; 49 on Team | Not stated |
| Bundled AI creditsApplies to DeepSource's 14-day trial | Not stated | Up to $50 in bundled AI Review credits |
After you outgrow the free tier
Both products move to per-seat pricing for their first paid tier. Codacy’s Team plan starts at $18 per dev/month billed yearly, or $21 monthly, and adds repo integrations plus cloud scanning and team features. DeepSource’s Team plan starts at $24 per user/month billed yearly and includes unlimited repos, unlimited PR reviews, unlimited formatting runs, and AI Review/Autofix. For small teams, Codacy is cheaper on sticker price. DeepSource’s cost diverges mainly when you need higher-volume repo and review workflows, but the provided data does not include usage-based rates beyond the open-source plan’s quotas and trial credits.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Codacy | DeepSource |
|---|---|---|
| 1 developer, private code, IDE-only workflowDeepSource's first paid tier is per user; the free trial is time-limited, so this compares ongoing paid cost | $0/mo | $24/mo est. |
| 3 developers on a small teamBased on listed per-seat prices | $54/mo billed yearly or $63/mo monthly | $72/mo billed yearly |
| 5 developersCodacy stays cheaper at the listed entry tier | $90/mo billed yearly or $105/mo monthly | $120/mo billed yearly |
| Open-source project with public repos onlyDeepSource's Open Source plan is ongoing for public repos; Codacy says open-source projects can use Team features at no cost | $0/mo | $0/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Codacy when…
- You want a free tool for solo IDE-based scanning on private code.
- You need an always-free editor workflow with auto-fix and scan-as-you-type.
- You are mainly checking code quality, SAST, SCA, and secrets before commit or in the editor.
- You want a free plan that does not depend on a 14-day trial window.
Pick DeepSource when…
- You maintain open-source repositories and want unlimited public repos.
- You need free access for multiple contributors on a public project.
- You want PR review automation, code formatting runs, and basic security checks on OSS.
- You are okay with quotas on the free plan as long as the project is public.
- You want to evaluate the hosted product with a no-card 14-day trial and $50 in AI Review credits.
Bottom line
For most builders, Codacy is the better free-tier pick because it stays useful after the trial window and covers the common solo workflow without forcing a card or a deadline. DeepSource is the stronger choice if your work is public open source and you want unlimited public repos and multiple contributors on the free plan. If you are choosing a free tool for private, day-to-day coding, Codacy is the safer default. If you are choosing for a public repo, DeepSource can be the better fit.
Read the full listings: Codacy and DeepSource. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.