FOSSology vs OSSKB

FOSSology is an open-source system for examining software for license, copyright, and export-control information. Upload individual files or packages, then unpack and scan them with selected agents. Nomos looks for license indicators through phrases, regular expressions, and heuristics; Monk checks text against stored license texts or phrases supplied by users. Its web interface supports review of findings, license-text management, bulk recognition, aggregated file views, and reusing reviews for files with matching hashes. It can identify copyright statements and presents keyword-based findings that users can review for possible export-control relevance. Reports include SPDX 2.0 exports, Debian copyright files, hierarchical file lists with license identifiers, and Readme files with identified license and copyright details. A REST API supports CI/CD use, uploads, and scan triggers from other applications; the command line can retrieve SPDX files. Deployment options include Docker, Vagrant with VirtualBox, or source installation. It is free, with on-premise deployment options. One stated limit: it cannot determine which libraries produced a binary; binary analysis tools are needed for that task.

OSSKB identifies open source software in source code, including at the snippet level, to provide information relevant to license compliance. It matches source-code fingerprints against a database of fingerprints for known open source software. Results may include license names, copyright statements, quality indicators, and vulnerability information. The web service also offers API access, a Python scanner, and Audit Workbench downloads for macOS Intel, macOS M1/M2, and Linux; a compatible CLI or webhook can support automation. OSSKB is powered by the Open Source Software Knowledge Base, created and maintained by SCANOSS. It is free of charge on a best-effort basis, with no guarantee of availability or performance. The provider may limit the number or frequency of transactions to help maintain availability and performance. Fingerprint matching can produce false positives and false negatives, so results need human assessment. The terms say usage information may be logged to monitor load and improve the service, and that OSSKB is designed for professional use rather than end consumers. The listed plan is free.