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AWS CodeGuru

Automated code review and profiling for development teams

Free | Freemium | Paid | Enterprise ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4.2/5 💻 Code Assistants 🕒 Updated
Visit AWS CodeGuru ↗ Official website
Quick Verdict

AWS CodeGuru is an AWS service that provides automated code reviews and application profiling to find defects and optimize Java and Python applications; it’s aimed at engineering teams and SREs who want continual code quality and performance insights with pay-as-you-go pricing based on analysis and profiling hours. Ideal for teams already on AWS, CodeGuru pairs static analysis (CodeGuru Reviewer) with runtime profiling (CodeGuru Profiler) under usage-based costs.

AWS CodeGuru is an Amazon Web Services offering that analyzes source code and application runtime to find bugs, security risks, and performance hotspots. The primary capability is split into CodeGuru Reviewer (static analysis for Java and Python pull requests) and CodeGuru Profiler (continuous runtime profiling for CPU/latency optimization). Its key differentiator is integration into AWS CI/CD pipelines and per-analysis/per-profile hour pricing that targets engineering and SRE teams. CodeGuru in the Code Assistants category is accessible via a free trial tier and pay-as-you-go pricing, making it practical for teams already using AWS.

About AWS CodeGuru

AWS CodeGuru is a managed AWS service that launched as a public offering in 2020 to bring automated code review and runtime profiling into AWS developer workflows. Positioned as a DevOps and developer productivity tool, its core value proposition is to reduce defects and cut application costs by surfacing actionable recommendations: security and correctness findings from static analysis, and resource-usage hotspots from runtime profiling. CodeGuru is designed to integrate with AWS developer tools (CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodePipeline) and common CI/CD workflows, so teams can get continual feedback during pull requests and in production-like environments.

CodeGuru Reviewer performs static analysis on pull requests and repository code to detect common coding defects, concurrency issues, resource leaks, and AWS API misuses. It supports Java and Python codebases and returns findings annotated directly in pull requests for CodeCommit, GitHub, and Bitbucket integrations. CodeGuru Profiler collects sampled runtime performance data, identifies CPU-bound or latency hotspots, correlates them with stack traces, and estimates potential cost savings by showing where code optimization would reduce compute costs. The profiler runs continuously or on-demand and visualizes flame graphs and aggregated metrics in the AWS console. Both components provide prioritized recommendations with explanation, confidence levels, and links to remediation guidance.

Pricing for AWS CodeGuru is usage-based and split across the Reviewer and Profiler features. CodeGuru Reviewer charges per 100,000 lines of code analyzed for repository analysis and per-code-review request costs for pull request scanning; specific prices vary by region and are published on the AWS pricing page. CodeGuru Profiler bills per profiling hour (sampled agent runtime hours) with a lower cost for continuous profiling compared to on-demand heavy sampling; AWS also provides a 90-day free trial for new Profiler customers in some regions and occasional free-tier allowances for initial evaluations. There is no flat monthly "Pro" subscription; teams estimate costs by projected analysis runs and profiler hours. Enterprise customers with large-scale usage may negotiate custom enterprise pricing through AWS support or their account team.

Development teams, SREs, and DevSecOps engineers commonly use CodeGuru for pre-merge code quality checks and production performance tuning. For example, a Senior Backend Engineer uses CodeGuru Reviewer to reduce code-review time by surfacing likely bugs in Java pull requests, while an SRE uses CodeGuru Profiler to reduce EC2/ECS CPU usage and estimate cost savings from optimizations. It’s best-suited to organizations already on AWS who want tight integration with AWS developer services. Compared to generic static-analysis tools, CodeGuru’s integrated runtime profiling and AWS billing/cost estimate hints differentiate it, though teams seeking language breadth beyond Java/Python may consider alternatives like SonarQube or GitHub Advanced Security for different trade-offs.

What makes AWS CodeGuru different

Three capabilities that set AWS CodeGuru apart from its nearest competitors.

  • Separate billing model splitting static analysis (per 100K lines/review) and profiler (per profiling hour), unlike flat subscriptions.
  • Tight integration with AWS developer tools and IAM so findings surface in CodeCommit, CodeBuild, and CloudWatch workflows.
  • Profiler provides estimated cost-savings guidance by correlating hotspots with EC2/ECS resource usage and billing context.

Is AWS CodeGuru right for you?

✅ Best for
  • Backend engineers who need automated pull-request defect detection
  • SREs who need continuous profiling to reduce CPU costs
  • DevOps teams who need AWS-native CI/CD integration and findings in PRs
  • Security engineers who need additional automated checks for Java/Python code
❌ Skip it if
  • Skip if you need deep static analysis for languages other than Java or Python.
  • Skip if you cannot accept per-analysis or per-hour billing and need predictable flat pricing.

✅ Pros

  • Integrated static analysis and runtime profiling in one AWS-managed service
  • Native integrations with CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodePipeline, GitHub, and Bitbucket
  • Usage-based pricing lets teams pay only for analysis runs and profiling hours

❌ Cons

  • Supports only Java and Python for Reviewer; other languages require external tools
  • Pricing can be hard to estimate for high-frequency scanning or large codebases

AWS CodeGuru Pricing Plans

Current tiers and what you get at each price point. Verified against the vendor's pricing page.

Plan Price What you get Best for
Free trial / Free tier Free Limited trial profiling hours or reviewer scan credits in some regions Small evaluation projects and proofs-of-concept
CodeGuru Reviewer (pay-as-you-go) Exact regional price per 100,000 lines (see AWS) Billed per 100K lines analyzed and per pull-request scan; region-dependent Teams needing pull-request static analysis on demand
CodeGuru Profiler (pay-as-you-go) Exact regional price per profiling hour (see AWS) Billed per profiling hour per instance; continuous profiling supported SREs optimizing runtime costs and latency
Enterprise / Negotiated Custom Custom quotas and SLAs via AWS account team Large orgs with high-volume analysis needs

Best Use Cases

  • Senior Backend Engineer using it to reduce pre-merge defects by 30% in Java pull requests
  • SRE using it to cut EC2/ECS CPU costs by identifying hotspots and reducing instance-hours
  • DevOps Engineer using it to automate PR feedback and shorten review cycles by measurable hours

Integrations

AWS CodeCommit GitHub Bitbucket

How to Use AWS CodeGuru

  1. 1
    Enable CodeGuru in AWS Console
    Open the AWS Management Console, navigate to CodeGuru, and enable Reviewer and Profiler for your AWS account. Success looks like CodeGuru appearing under Developer Tools and IAM permissions populated for the CodeGuru service role.
  2. 2
    Connect your repository to Reviewer
    From CodeGuru Reviewer, choose 'Connect repository' and select CodeCommit, GitHub, or Bitbucket. Grant OAuth or AWS permissions; success shows repository listed and ready for pull-request scanning.
  3. 3
    Install the Profiler agent in your app
    Add the AWS CodeGuru Profiler agent dependency to your Java/Python app, configure profiler group name and IAM role, then deploy. Success shows active profiling data and flame graphs in the CodeGuru console.
  4. 4
    Run a pull request scan and view findings
    Create a pull request in the connected repo or run a manual scan from Reviewer. Success is annotated PR comments with findings and a prioritized list in the CodeGuru console to triage and fix.

AWS CodeGuru vs Alternatives

Bottom line

Choose AWS CodeGuru over GitHub Advanced Security if you prioritize AWS-native profiling and cost-estimation tied to runtime performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does AWS CodeGuru cost?+
Costs are usage-based: Reviewer and Profiler are billed separately. Reviewer pricing is based on lines-of-code analysis and per-review scans (charged per 100,000 lines analyzed, region-dependent). Profiler is billed per profiling hour per instance. Exact per-unit rates vary by AWS region; estimate costs from expected PR scan frequency and profiler hours and consult the AWS CodeGuru pricing page for current region prices.
Is there a free version of AWS CodeGuru?+
There is no permanent unlimited free tier, but AWS offers limited free trials and sometimes free profiling hours. New customers can often access trial credits or temporary free-tier allowances for Profiler; otherwise, CodeGuru is pay-as-you-go. Check the AWS pricing page and your AWS account offers for region-specific trial details and the current free-trial eligibility.
How does AWS CodeGuru compare to GitHub Advanced Security?+
CodeGuru focuses on AWS-native static analysis for Java/Python plus runtime profiling; GitHub Advanced Security emphasizes scanning many languages and secret detection. If you need runtime cost-aware profiling and AWS integrations, CodeGuru has an edge; for multi-language enterprise scanning inside GitHub, GitHub Advanced Security may be preferable.
What is AWS CodeGuru best used for?+
CodeGuru is best for automated pull-request code reviews in Java/Python and continuous runtime profiling to identify CPU and latency hotspots. It’s ideal when you want PR-level findings integrated into CodeCommit/GitHub and production profiling that estimates cost savings for EC2/ECS workloads.
How do I get started with AWS CodeGuru?+
Enable CodeGuru in the AWS Console, connect your repository under Reviewer, and add the Profiler agent to your Java/Python application. Run a test pull-request scan and validate Profiler data; success looks like annotated PR findings and visible flame graphs in the CodeGuru console.

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