Grype vs Retire.js
Grype
github.comRetire.js
retirejs.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Grype | Retire.js |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Software Composition Analysis Software | 8.7 (#4) | 8.2 (#14) |
| Funding | Anchore announced a $20 million Series A led by SignalFire on January 22, 2020; VentureBeat reported that this brought total funding to about $30 million. | The project says donations fund maintenance of the tool and vulnerability repository. |
| Integrations | The installation documentation provides a Docker image and lists community installation options including Homebrew, MacPorts, Winget, Scoop, and Snapcraft. | Retire.js has a Burp plugin and an OWASP ZAP add-on; ZAP officially supports its add-on and includes it in weekly releases. |
| License | The project is released under the Apache-2.0 License. | The project is published under the Apache-2.0 license. |
| Purpose | Grype scans container images, filesystems, and SBOMs for known vulnerabilities. | Retire.js detects JavaScript library versions with known vulnerabilities, including libraries that are not listed in package manifests. |
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.
Retire.js
Retire.js detects JavaScript library versions with known vulnerabilities, including libraries stored directly in source control. Its command-line scanner checks web apps and Node.js projects for vulnerable libraries and Node.js modules, and requires Node.js and npm to install and run. By default, the CLI exits with code 13 when it finds vulnerabilities; its behavior can be changed with `--exitwith 0`. Chrome and Firefox extensions scan visited sites and report insecure libraries in the developer console and browser toolbar. The Chrome extension is not officially available in the Chrome Web Store, and the Firefox extension is deprecated. Retire.js also has a Burp extension and an OWASP ZAP add-on, while retire-site-scanner supports headless website scanning. It can generate CycloneDX SBOM output, including JSON formats and versions with a vulnerabilities section. The Grunt plugin and Gulp task are also marked deprecated. Retire.js is free and is distributed under Apache License 2.0.