Qodana
The code quality platform for teams
Qodana Cloud vs. Self-Hosted Lite: Which Is Best for Your Team?
Onboarding development teams with new tools can be difficult. People disagree about what’s best, and different organizations have different pains, needs, and regulations. Which option is the best for you? How do you find consensus in your team? How much control do you need over your data? There are many considerations, and it can feel overwhelming.
One size won’t ever fit all, but as software development teams increasingly adopt DevOps practices and shift-left testing, we want to make integrating static code analysis tools like Qodana into your workflows easy and efficient.
With this in mind, we want to help you identify which setup is right for your team when it comes to deployment: Qodana Cloud or Self-Hosted Lite.
Each option brings its own set of benefits and trade-offs. Whether you prioritize speed of adoption, data sovereignty, or infrastructure control, Qodana has a deployment path tailored to your needs. Below, we’ll walk through the key differences to help you make an informed decision.
Qodana Cloud: Fast, scalable, and genuinely easy to set up and use
Qodana Cloud is the simplest way to get started with static code analysis. Hosted and managed by JetBrains, it’s ideal for teams that want to minimize overhead and focus on code quality without worrying about infrastructure.
From what we’ve seen, it’s best for teams that want zero setup and automatic updates, startups or mid-sized companies, and organizations that don’t have strict compliance needs. The Ultimate plan can be ideal for small-to-medium businesses that want to hit the ground running, but Ultimate Plus is universally the best option for code quality and security from Qodana.
Qodana Cloud is especially useful for organizations without dedicated DevOps resources or infrastructure constraints. For teams focused on speed and productivity, especially those in the early or rapid growth stages, Cloud can provide the shortest path to value.
Go for Cloud if you want:
- Low maintenance, with super easy setup.
- To stay up to date with the latest Qodana features.
- Good integration with JetBrains IDEs and popular CI/CD pipelines.
- SSO support and ID integration for easy access.
Qodana Self-Hosted Lite: Lightweight, quick to deploy, and fully self-hosted
Qodana Self-Hosted Lite is our newest offering. It’s a Docker-based, self-hosted package designed for quick setup and full feature parity with Ultimate Plus.
It’s perfect for teams that need data control without the complexity of full-scale infrastructure engineering, like enterprises and teams in regulated industries (such as healthcare, finance, or government). It’s also good for teams that need fast proof-of-concept or production installations or that operate in environments with limited or no internet access.
Self-Hosted Lite benefits:
- One-command installation using the Qodana Installer CLI.
- Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows (via WSL).
- Runs on Docker Swarm (with Kubernetes support coming in Q4).
- Full feature-completeness, except for SSO in the cloud trial version.
Cloud vs. Self-Hosted Lite in a nutshell
| Feature | Qodana Cloud | Self-Hosted Lite |
| Setup time | Nearly instant | Varies (can be quick) |
| Infrastructure | JetBrains-managed | Customer-managed (Docker) |
| Compliance readiness | Moderate | High |
| SSO support | Yes (Cloud Trial excluded) | Yes |
| Kubernetes support | N/A | Coming Q4 2025 |
| Ideal use case | Starting quickly, small teams | Proof of concept, secure environments |
| Update model | Auto | Re-pull Docker image |
| Air-gapped support | No | Yes (via mirrored images) |
Choosing the right option for your team
At the risk of oversimplifying, there are a few easy ways to determine which version of Qodana will be most useful for your team. While our product experts will help you assess them more deeply, the following considerations can serve as a starting point.
Cloud
While enterprises make up about 70% of static code analysis users, smaller teams who use linters are becoming more competitive. Many of the teams we’ve spoken to say Qodana Cloud gives them simplicity and speed, so they can focus on the code and start fixing issues quickly.
With fast onboarding and no specific infrastructure required, it’s a great choice for high levels of functionality, learning, and collaboration, as well as for getting quick insights into code quality.
Self-Hosted Lite
Self-Hosted Lite offers privacy and control over your data without the complexity of managing a full infrastructure. It’s a lightweight solution that helps you get the most out of Qodana’s capabilities, especially in sectors like government, finance, and healthcare, where a self-hosted option is preferred by around 45% to 50% of the market, according to Verified Market Reports.
The rest of your options will be determined by the license you opt for, like Ultimate versus Ultimate Plus.
Qodana has a dedicated team to help you decide!
No matter your team size or technical requirements, Qodana offers a way to integrate powerful static code analysis into your workflow. Speak to us directly or join our LinkedIn Community.
We would be happy to offer you more information, and we can even set up a dedicated session to look at your use case specifically. The session will be confidential, and you’ll speak directly with members of our team. Keep in mind that businesses that move from a comparable solution are eligible for a 25% discount, so don’t miss out.
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