Grype vs Trivy
Grype
github.comTrivy
trivy.devSide by side
| Figure | Grype | Trivy |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 8.2 (#15) |
| Spec score · Container Image Scanning Tools | 8.6 (#2) | 8.2 (#6) |
| Spec score · Container Security Software | 8.7 (#2) | 8.1 (#9) |
| Spec score · Vulnerability Scanner Software | 8.8 (#3) | 8.2 (#12) |
| Spec score · Cloud Vulnerability Scanners | 8.7 (#3) | 8.1 (#12) |
| Founded | 2016 | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Boston, Massachusetts, and Ramat Gan, Israel |
| License | The project is released under the Apache-2.0 License. | The Trivy homepage identifies the project as Go software under the Apache-2.0 License. |
| Output formats | Configuration supports table, template, JSON and CycloneDX vulnerability-report outputs. | Aqua says Trivy can export results in formats including JUnit XML, SARIF, and AWS Security Finding Format (ASFF). |
| Purpose | Grype scans container images, filesystems, and SBOMs for known vulnerabilities. | Trivy scans code repositories, binary artifacts, container images, and Kubernetes clusters for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. |
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.
Trivy
Trivy is a free, Apache-2.0-licensed scanner for code repositories, binary artifacts, container images, and Kubernetes clusters. Its scanners cover vulnerabilities, infrastructure-as-code misconfigurations, secrets, and licenses, and it can generate software bills of materials. Vulnerability checks include operating-system and language-specific packages, some non-packaged software, and Kubernetes components. Configuration checks cover Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, and CloudFormation files, and users can write custom checks. Trivy supports ecosystems including Ruby, Python, PHP, Node.js, .NET, Java, Go, Rust, C/C++, Elixir, Dart, Swift, Julia, and operating-system packages. It can run as a CI/CD binary without middleware or database dependencies and can be used in air-gapped environments. Installation options include container images, release binaries, package repositories, Homebrew, and Windows downloads; official integrations include Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions. Results can be exported as JUnit XML, SARIF, and ASFF. The vulnerability scanner documentation says third-party or self-compiled packages and binaries are unsupported, and the scanner may skip third-party packages. Trivy automatically fetches and maintains the security databases it needs for scans. The project is identified as Go software under the Apache-2.0 License; Aqua Security is listed as founded in 2015 with headquarters in Boston and Ramat Gan.