Dependency-Track vs Trivy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Dependency-Track | Trivy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, binary, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,230 | ★ 38,021 |
| First released | 2013 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Snyk | Snyk, Aqua |
What are Dependency-Track and Trivy?
Dependency-Track
Dependency-Track is an open-source platform that monitors application dependencies for known vulnerabilities using software bills of materials. It helps organizations reduce supply chain risk.
- Consumes SBOM files
- Continuous vulnerability tracking
- Policy enforcement
- Component risk scoring
Trivy
Trivy is an open-source vulnerability and misconfiguration scanner for containers, file systems, Git repositories, and Kubernetes. It can run as a CLI or a long-running server for centralized scanning.
- Scans containers and code
- Misconfiguration detection
- SBOM generation
- Kubernetes integration
Dependency-Track vs Trivy: key differences
Dependency-Track is written in Java, while Trivy is built with Go. Trivy is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Dependency-Track. Dependency-Track is the more established project (first released 2013), while Trivy arrived in 2019. Trivy has the considerably larger community, at 38,021 GitHub stars versus 4,230.
Why pick each one
Choose Dependency-Track if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (4.2k GitHub stars)
Choose Trivy if…
- Broad scan coverage
- Fast and easy CLI
- Huge vulnerability database
Watch out for
- Findings can be noisy
- DB updates need connectivity
Frequently asked questions
Is Dependency-Track or Trivy better?
Trivy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Dependency-Track if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dependency-Track and Trivy free and open-source?
Yes. Dependency-Track is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Trivy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dependency-Track and Trivy with Docker?
Dependency-Track: yes. Trivy: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dependency-Track or Trivy?
Trivy has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Dependency-Track. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.