OSV-Scanner vs Syft
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
OSV-Scanner
Vulnerability scanner backed by the OSV database
VS
Syft
Generate software bills of materials from images and code
| Feature | OSV-Scanner | Syft |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | binary, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,770 | ★ 9,367 |
| First released | 2022 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Snyk, Dependabot alerts | Snyk |
Why pick each one
Choose OSV-Scanner if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.8k GitHub stars
Choose Syft if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is OSV-Scanner or Syft better?
Neither is universally better. OSV-Scanner has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are OSV-Scanner and Syft free and open-source?
Yes. OSV-Scanner is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Syft under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OSV-Scanner and Syft with Docker?
OSV-Scanner: yes. Syft: yes.