Syft 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.
Not the right match-up?
Syft
Generate software bills of materials from images and code
VS
Trivy
Comprehensive security scanner for containers and code
| Feature | Syft | Trivy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | docker, binary, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,367 | ★ 37,298 |
| First released | 2020 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Snyk | Snyk, Aqua |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Trivy if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
Frequently asked questions
Is Syft or Trivy better?
Neither is universally better. Trivy has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Syft and Trivy free and open-source?
Yes. Syft is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Trivy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Syft and Trivy with Docker?
Syft: yes. Trivy: yes.