ClearlyDefined vs SW360
ClearlyDefined
clearlydefined.ioSW360
eclipse.devSide by side
| Figure | ClearlyDefined | SW360 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Open Source License Compliance Software | 8.0 (#10) | 7.4 (#23) |
| Purpose | ClearlyDefined is an open source project that crowdsources the gathering, curation, and upstreaming of licensing, security, and other data about free and open source projects. | SW360 is a software catalogue and repository for collecting, organizing, and sharing information about software components used in an organization. |
Plans
In their own words
ClearlyDefined
ClearlyDefined has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
SW360
SW360 is an open-source catalogue and repository for organizing software component information across an organization. It records components, releases, and projects, manages license information and obligations, and supports workflows that produce license-related documents. Software Bill of Materials management is listed as a use case, with SPDX RDF/XML and CycloneDX import formats. SW360 also collects vulnerability information and matches it with components in its component service. A REST API exposes its functions, with documented HTTP Basic, API token, OAuth2, and Keycloak authentication options. The recommended version 20 deployment uses Docker- or Podman-compatible containers for the frontend, Keycloak, CouchDB, and Spring Boot backend. SW360 can trigger FOSSology clearing and import its reports, while FOSSology performs license scanning. SW360 itself does not scan licenses or source code. The project is free, licensed under EPL-2.0, and designed for self-managed deployment. Version 20.1.0 is listed as dated July 29, 2026.