Grype vs OSV-Scanner
Grype
github.com
OSV-Scanner
google.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Grype | OSV-Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Software Composition Analysis Software | 8.7 (#4) | 7.7 (#40) |
| Purpose | Grype scans container images, filesystems, and SBOMs for known vulnerabilities. | OSV-Scanner finds known vulnerabilities affecting a project's dependencies using the OSV database. |
| Support | Commercial support is offered through Anchore, while community help is routed through issues, contribution documentation and community meetings. | The project directs users to GitHub issues to report problems and accepts code contributions through its contribution guidelines. |
Plans
In their own words
Grype
Grype is a free, Apache-2.0-licensed scanner for known vulnerabilities in container images, filesystems, and software bills of materials (SBOMs). It can also scan directories, individual files, archives, and packages identified by PURL or CPE. Coverage includes major operating-system package ecosystems and language packages such as Ruby, Java, JavaScript, Python, .NET, Go, PHP, and Rust; supported image formats include Docker, OCI, and Singularity. Grype uses EPSS, KEV, and risk scoring to help prioritize findings. OpenVEX can filter results or add context. Reports can be emitted as a table, JSON, SARIF, or a custom Go template. The project supports SBOM generation and runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, or in a self-hosted setup. Installation options include a Docker image and community packages such as Homebrew, MacPorts, Winget, Scoop, and Snapcraft. Individual package scanning is described as useful for lightweight vulnerability checks and compliance scanning of specific dependencies. Security updates are applied only to the most recent release, and vulnerability-report support is described as best effort.
OSV-Scanner
OSV-Scanner has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.