Scitools
SciTools provides Understand, a static code analysis and code comprehension tool used by over 20,000 developers globally to maintain legacy codebases and meet safety-critical compliance standards. It serves aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial, and enterprise engineering teams through subscription licensing and global distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersGeorge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Scitools does
Scientific Toolworks, Inc. (doing business as Scitools) is a privately-held software company founded in 1996 and headquartered in St. George, Utah. Its flagship product, Understand, is a static code analysis and code comprehension tool used by over 20,000 developers globally to analyze, visualize, and maintain codebases — particularly legacy and safety-critical systems. The platform combines a proprietary cross-reference engine with graph visualization, metrics analysis, compliance checking (MISRA, AUTOSAR), and bug detection, and supports 15+ languages including rare legacy languages such as Jovial, Ada, and Fortran that are essential to defense and aerospace customers. Understand is certified by TÜV SÜD for ISO 26262, IEC 61508, and EN 50128 functional-safety standards, positioning it as a qualified tool in regulated automotive, industrial, and railway development workflows.
Scitools sells primarily through annual subscription licenses with per-seat pricing for Understand ($100-$120/month) and project-based tiered pricing for the 2024-launched AI product Onboard ($5,000-$150,000+/year). The company operates a sales-led, inside-sales motion supplemented by a global distributor network — Emenda covers seven countries across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and China; TechMatrix handles Japan; Meteonic covers India; and SLEXN handles South Korea. Named customers include the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, NASA, Nvidia, Toyota, Amazon, Samsung, Raytheon Technologies, Honeywell, Dell, IBM, Pratt & Whitney, and Aurora Flight Sciences, spanning aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial, and technology verticals. The company also distributes through a Visual Studio Code extension and a public GitHub plugins repository, and has launched AI-powered code description features in Understand 7.1 (2024) that combine third-party LLMs with Understand's proprietary code-relationship graph. SciTools is founder-owned and has no disclosed external funding.
Scitools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scitools
- Legal name
- Scientific Toolworks, Inc.
- Website
- https://scitools.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SciTools provides Understand, a static code analysis and code comprehension tool used by over 20,000 developers globally to maintain legacy codebases and meet safety-critical compliance standards. It serves aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial, and enterprise engineering teams through subscription licensing and global distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scitools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Static Code Analysis and Developer Tools
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (51321), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Code & Repository Security (Git Security, Code Integrity) (HDADACAG)
Keywords
Where Scitools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- George
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Scitools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Understand Subscription: Annual subscription license for Understand product. Cost breakdown between $100-$120 USD per month with minimum 12-month term. Prices may vary depending on geographical location and number of licenses required. Developer license offers selected features while enterprise options include API access, command line automation, and export capabilities.
- Onboard Subscription: AI-powered Onboard product with tiered pricing: Starter $5,000/yr (1 Project), Growth $18,000/yr (Up to 5 Projects), Business $40,000/yr (Up to 15 Projects), Scale $150,000/yr (Up to 100 Projects), Enterprise $150,000+/yr (Unlimited Projects). All tiers include unlimited lines of code and unlimited users.
- Custom CodeChecks Services: Custom coding standard development services where SciTools engineers create custom compliance checks for unique requirements. Turnaround can be as quick as 24 hours based on complexity.
- Custom Reports and Development: Custom report, graph, or chart development services for specific customer requirements. Quote-based service.
- Analyzing Code as a Service: License cost varies based on size and number of accounts for customers who analyze other people's code as a service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Understand Standard - Annual subscription for developers |
| Subscription | Annual | Onboard Starter - 1 Project |
| Subscription | Annual | Onboard Growth - Up to 5 Projects |
| Subscription | Annual | Onboard Business - Up to 15 Projects |
| Subscription | Annual | Onboard Scale - Up to 100 Projects |
| Subscription | Annual | Onboard Enterprise - Unlimited Projects |
| Freemium | Annual | Educational License - Free for students and teachers |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom CodeChecks - Professional services |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels14 records
Marketing channels12 records
Scitools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scitools develops and sells "Understand," a static code analysis and code comprehension platform that parses source code in multiple languages (C, C++, Java, Python, Ada, Fortran, Delphi, and others) to provide metrics, dependency analysis, call and control flow graphs, and code review checks. The product is targeted at software engineering teams in enterprises that maintain large, complex, and safety-critical codebases, and is sold as an annual subscription per developer.
Product overview
SciTools offers a platform centered on Understand, a comprehensive static code analysis and code comprehension tool trusted by over 20,000 developers. The portfolio includes Onboard (AI-powered onboarding tool built on Understand's cross-reference analysis), CodeCheck (code compliance module for MISRA/AUTOSAR standards), Bug Hunter (automated bug detection), and Custom CodeChecks (custom standards development). All products leverage Understand's deep code analysis capabilities and API for Python/Perl scripting, providing integrated solutions for code understanding, compliance, and quality assurance across industries including aerospace, automotive, and defense.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Understand: Comprehensive static code analysis and code comprehension tool providing project insight, cross-references, compliance checking, and AI-powered summaries.
- Onboard
- Bug Hunter
- CodeCheck
Products and services
- Understand
Quantifiable outcome
- Saved several hours of analysis time on U.S. Air Force legacy code project
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Scitools
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Scitools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability5 records
Feature10 records
Scitools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.
- GitHubcorePublic plugins repository hosted on GitHub at github.com/stinb/plugins. Allows community contributions and plugin sharing for Understand users.
- Visual Studio CodecoreUnderstand VS Code extension available at marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=scitools.understand. Makes most used Understand features accessible directly in VS Code.
- JenkinscoreJenkins plugin allows users to automate CodeCheck tasks as part of CI/CD pipeline. Verify code compliance and complexity thresholds from existing pipeline.
- MISRAcoreUnderstand provides comprehensive MISRA compliance checking with 99% coverage for MISRA C 2004. Supports MISRA C 2004, MISRA C 2012, MISRA C 2023, MISRA C++ 2008, and MISRA C++ 2023.
- AUTOSARcoreUnderstand provides automated checks against AUTOSAR coding standard with 90% coverage. 362 AUTOSAR rules available.
- EmendacoreGlobal distributor for Understand with offices in US (Jackson, MI), UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, and China. Provides local sales and support.
- TechMatrix JapanregionalJapan distributor for Understand products. Provides local sales and support for Japanese market.
- Meteonic IndiaregionalIndia distributor for Understand products including India and South Korea coverage.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Scitools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sonar (SonarQube): Sonar (SonarQube/SonarCloud) is the closest direct competitor, offering multi-language static analysis, code quality gates, and CI/CD integration. It competes head-to-head with Understand on developer-focused code quality and increasingly with CodeCheck on standards compliance, but lacks SciTools' deep legacy-language coverage and certified tool-of-record status for ISO 26262/IEC 61508.
- Parasoft: Parasoft is a direct competitor in safety-critical static analysis, with strong MISRA/AUTOSAR coverage and certifications for ISO 26262, DO-178, and IEC 61508. It targets overlapping aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers and competes for the same tool-of-record budget as SciTools.
- LDRA: LDRA is a direct peer in safety-critical embedded software analysis, with deep MISRA compliance, certification evidence for IEC 61508/ISO 26262/EN 50128, and tools for Ada, C, and C++. It targets the same avionics, rail, and automotive buyers SciTools serves.
- MathWorks Polyspace: Polyspace is a direct competitor for embedded C/C++ static analysis and MISRA compliance in safety-critical aerospace and automotive programs. It is part of the broader MathWorks MATLAB/Simulink stack, giving it incumbent leverage with control-systems engineers alongside SciTools' Understand.
- Perforce (Klocwork, Helix QAC): Perforce's Klocwork and Helix QAC are direct competitors in C/C++ static analysis with strong MISRA coverage and integration into CI pipelines. Perforce sells into the same enterprise embedded and safety-critical accounts SciTools serves, often via multi-tool deals.
- GrammaTech (Interra Software): GrammaTech CodeSonar is a direct competitor in static analysis for embedded and safety-critical software, with certified use for DO-178, IEC 61508, and ISO 26262. Now part of Interra Software, it competes for the same avionics, automotive, and defense budgets as SciTools.
Broad incumbents
- Synopsys (Coverity, Black Duck): Synopsys is a broad incumbent in static analysis and code quality, with Coverity competing directly against Understand in safety-critical embedded development. It sells to many of the same aerospace/automotive buyers, bundles broader AppSec and EDA portfolios, and has the resources to out-market SciTools, but is less specialized in legacy/defense codebases.
Emerging players
- GitHub (CodeQL, Copilot): GitHub's CodeQL adds semantic code analysis to the world's largest developer platform, and Copilot is rapidly absorbing code-explanation and onboarding workflows. It is an emerging threat rather than a like-for-like competitor today, but its bundling power and AI roadmap make it the most important strategic risk to SciTools.
- JetBrains: JetBrains builds IDEs and increasingly AI-powered code assistance (Junie, AI Assistant, Qodana) that overlap with SciTools' developer productivity and code-quality positioning. It is an emerging competitor in the same buyer (software developers and engineering leads) but focuses on the active-coding workflow rather than legacy reverse engineering.
Regional players
- Vector Informatik: Vector Informatik is a Germany-headquartered provider of embedded software tools (including MICROSAR and static analysis components) that competes with SciTools in European automotive and rail safety-critical accounts. It is a regional incumbent that overlaps with SciTools via the Emenda channel and on MISRA/ISO 26262 workflows.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Scitools social profiles
Digital presenceScitools compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Scitools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scitools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Scitools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scitools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Scitools
What does Scitools do?
Scitools develops and sells "Understand," a static code analysis and code comprehension platform that parses source code in multiple languages (C, C++, Java, Python, Ada, Fortran, Delphi, and others) to provide metrics, dependency analysis, call and control flow graphs, and code review checks. The product is targeted at software engineering teams in enterprises that maintain large, complex, and safety-critical codebases, and is sold as an annual subscription per developer.
Is Scitools a public or private company?
Scitools is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Scitools founded?
Scitools was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Scitools based?
Scitools is headquartered in George, United States, in the North America region.
How does Scitools make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Understand Subscription is the primary driver. The others are onboard Subscription, custom CodeChecks Services, custom Reports and Development and analyzing Code as a Service.
Who are Scitools's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sonar (SonarQube), Parasoft, LDRA, MathWorks Polyspace, Perforce (Klocwork, Helix QAC) and GrammaTech (Interra Software). Synopsys (Coverity, Black Duck) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are GitHub (CodeQL, Copilot) and JetBrains. Vector Informatik is listed as a regional player.
Does Scitools have an API?
Yes. Understand provides Python and Perl APIs that enable automation, custom reporting, and the development of specialized tools. The API allows creation of custom graphs, metrics, and lexical analysis. It can be used from the command line (und), integrated into CI/CD pipelines, and enables custom scripting for CodeCheck scripts and plugins. Developer documentation is at docs.scitools.com.
What industry is Scitools in?
Scitools's product category is Static Code Analysis and Developer Tools. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADACAG, Code & Repository Security (Git Security, Code Integrity). Its NAICS code is 51321 and its SIC code is 7372.