Grype vs Safety CLI
Grype
github.com
Safety CLI
getsafety.comSide by side
| Figure | Grype | Safety CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · Software Composition Analysis Software | 8.7 (#4) | 7.9 (#29) |
| Headquarters | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Installation | Official binaries and source archives are provided for Linux, macOS and Windows, with installer-script, Docker and package-manager options. | The CLI page instructs users to install Safety with pip install safety, authenticate, and run safety scan. |
| Integrations | The installation documentation provides a Docker image and lists community installation options including Homebrew, MacPorts, Winget, Scoop, and Snapcraft. | Safety says it works with GitHub, GitLab, Docker, and Bitbucket, and provides a GitHub Action for CI/CD scans. |
| Purpose | Grype scans container images, filesystems, and SBOMs for known vulnerabilities. | Safety CLI detects and helps remediate vulnerable dependencies, and the CLI page describes scanning for Python, Java, and JavaScript. |
| Risk prioritization | Results can be sorted by severity, EPSS, KEV and risk scoring. | The CLI prioritizes vulnerabilities based on code risk using reachability analysis and verified fix recommendations. |
| Support | Commercial support is offered through Anchore, while community help is routed through issues, contribution documentation and community meetings. | The pricing page lists 48-hour email support for Free, 4-hour priority email and chat support for Team, and 24/7 priority support for Enterprise. |
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.
Safety CLI
Safety CLI detects vulnerable dependencies and helps remediate them. Its CLI page describes scanning Python, Java, and JavaScript, while the listed supported ecosystem is Python. The tool prioritizes vulnerabilities using code-risk reachability analysis and verified fix recommendations. Safety says its proprietary vulnerability database detects four times more security issues than public sources. Scans can run on development machines, in CI/CD pipelines, or in production, and integrations include GitHub, GitLab, Docker, and Bitbucket; a GitHub Action is available for CI/CD scans. Installation starts with `pip install safety`, followed by authentication and `safety scan`. Safety lists support for Python 3.8 and later, with a Docker option for older versions described in its documentation. The CLI is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted deployment, and supports SBOM generation. The free plan is limited to one developer, one codebase, and 100 monthly scans for non-commercial use. Team costs $25 a month, billed at $25 per developer per month or $240 per year; a 7-day trial is available.