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Cybersecurity · head to head

Chainguard vs LangChain

Chainguard logo

Chainguard

Cybersecurity

Secure-by-default open source software with hardened container images and libraries

From
Free
Rated
-
LangChain logo

LangChain

Machine Learning

Build applications with LLMs through composability

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chainguard containers Catalog at 19,000 USD/year expensive for teams under 10 people; LangChain the free Developer plan of LangSmith is limited to 1 seat
  • They diverge on capability: Chainguard covers Hardened container images, LangChain covers Chains and agents.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chainguard and LangChain actually diverge.

Attributes where Chainguard and LangChain differ
AttributeChainguardLangChain
Pricing modelLicensing by artifact type and team sizefreemium
PlatformsCloud, Container, VMLinux, Mac, Windows
CategoryCybersecurityMachine Learning
FoundedUnknown2022

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Chainguard

  • Hardened container images
  • CVE remediation SLA
  • SLSA L2/L3 builds
  • Sigstore signatures
  • SBOM generation
  • Language libraries
  • VM images
  • Artifact scanning

Only in LangChain

  • Chains and agents
  • Retrieval-augmented generation
  • Memory management
  • Tool integration
  • Prompt templates
  • OpenAI
  • Anthropic
  • Hugging Face

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Chainguard

  • Deploying hardened container images with minimal attack surfacenot LangChain
  • Meeting supply chain security requirements for regulated industriesnot LangChain
  • Reducing CVE exposure with contractual remediation guaranteesnot LangChain
  • Building secure language packages with automatic backportsnot LangChain
  • Verifying artifact provenance with Sigstore signaturesnot LangChain

LangChain

  • Building LLM applications and agents in Python or JavaScriptnot Chainguard
  • Tracing and debugging LLM chains and agent runsnot Chainguard
  • Evaluating prompt and model changes against datasetsnot Chainguard

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Chainguard

  • Containers Catalog at 19,000 USD/year expensive for teams under 10 people
  • Per-image pricing for containers requires custom quotes with no transparency
  • Free tier limited to 5 container images for testing
  • Libraries pricing by ecosystem and developer count lacks transparent per-developer cost
  • VM image catalog pricing opacity makes cost estimation difficult

LangChain

  • The free Developer plan of LangSmith is limited to 1 seat
  • Base traces are retained for 14 days only; 400 day retention costs extra
  • Included traces are capped at 5,000 per month on Developer and 10,000 per month on Plus, with everything beyond billed pay as you go
  • Self hosted and hybrid deployment of LangSmith is Enterprise only
  • Custom SSO, RBAC and ABAC are Enterprise only
  • A support SLA is Enterprise only
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Chainguard

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • Five container images to test and deploy
  • Containers Per-Image$undefined/custom
    • Licensed by quantity and type
    • Base images, application images, AI/ML images, FIPS variants
    • Custom pricing per image
  • Containers Catalog$19000/year
    • For 10-person engineering teams
    • 2,000+ container images
    • Contractual CVE remediation SLAs
  • Libraries Licensing$undefined/custom
    • Licensed by ecosystem (Python, Java, JavaScript)
    • Licensed by developer count
    • Unlimited pulls with no metering

LangChain

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full framework
    • Community support
  • LangSmith$39/month
    • Debugging
    • Monitoring
    • Testing

Which should you pick?

Choose Chainguard if

  • You need hardened container images.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Container, VM.
  • You also want cve remediation sla.

Choose LangChain if

  • You need chains and agents.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want retrieval-augmented generation.

Questions people ask

Is Chainguard or LangChain better?
Neither clearly leads. Chainguard starts at Free and LangChain at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chainguard or LangChain?
Chainguard starts at Free and LangChain at Free.
Does Chainguard or LangChain run on more platforms?
Chainguard runs on Cloud, Container, VM. LangChain runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.
Can I use Chainguard for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Chainguard best used for?
Chainguard is most often used for deploying hardened container images with minimal attack surface, meeting supply chain security requirements for regulated industries, reducing cve exposure with contractual remediation guarantees, building secure language packages with automatic backports. Of those, deploying hardened container images with minimal attack surface and meeting supply chain security requirements for regulated industries are not what LangChain is typically brought in for.
What can Chainguard do that LangChain cannot?
Chainguard covers Hardened container images, CVE remediation SLA, SLSA L2/L3 builds, Sigstore signatures. LangChain covers Chains and agents, Retrieval-augmented generation, Memory management, Tool integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chainguard: How much is the Chainguard Containers Catalog?

The Containers Catalog is 19,000 USD per year for 10-person engineering teams, providing access to 2,000+ hardened container images.

Source
LangChain: Does LangChain charge for its services?

LangChain's main website does not display pricing. However, LangSmith (a related platform) offers both free and paid plans. Visit the dedicated pricing page or contact LangChain for details.

Source
Chainguard: What SLAs does Chainguard offer?

Chainguard provides contractual CVE remediation SLAs: 7 days for critical vulnerabilities, 14 days for high/medium/low severity, all with priority support.

Source
LangChain: How can I learn about LangChain pricing?

Click on the Pricing link in navigation or use the Try LangSmith or Get a demo options to explore pricing for LangChain's commercial offerings.

Source
Chainguard: Can I try Chainguard before purchasing?

Yes. The free tier includes five container images for testing and deployment, allowing hands-on evaluation.

Source
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