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Cybersecurity · head to head

Chainguard vs Palantir Gotham

Chainguard logo

Chainguard

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Palantir Gotham logo

Palantir Gotham

Government

Data Integration for Defense & Intelligence

From
$10000/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chainguard has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chainguard containers Catalog at 19,000 USD/year expensive for teams under 10 people; Palantir Gotham no pricing information published; enterprise product requiring direct sales engagement
  • They diverge on capability: Chainguard covers Hardened container images, Palantir Gotham covers Data Integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chainguard and Palantir Gotham actually diverge.

Attributes where Chainguard and Palantir Gotham differ
AttributeChainguardPalantir Gotham
Starting priceFree$10000/month
Pricing modelLicensing by artifact type and team sizequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Container, VMDesktop, Web
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown2003

Identical on both: 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 Palantir Gotham

  • Data Integration
  • Pattern Analysis
  • Link Analysis
  • Geospatial Analysis
  • Collaboration
  • Intelligence Databases
  • Classified Systems
  • GIS

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 Palantir Gotham
  • Meeting supply chain security requirements for regulated industriesnot Palantir Gotham
  • Reducing CVE exposure with contractual remediation guaranteesnot Palantir Gotham
  • Building secure language packages with automatic backportsnot Palantir Gotham
  • Verifying artifact provenance with Sigstore signaturesnot Palantir Gotham

Palantir Gotham

  • Citizen Servicesnot Chainguard
  • Records Managementnot Chainguard
  • Public Safetynot Chainguard
  • Civic Engagementnot 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

Palantir Gotham

  • No pricing information published; enterprise product requiring direct sales engagement

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

Palantir Gotham

$10000/month
  • Enterprise$10000/month
    • Data Integration
    • Analysis Tools
    • Collaboration

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.
Chainguard review

Choose Palantir Gotham if

  • You need data integration.
  • You work on Desktop, Web.
  • You also want pattern analysis.
Palantir Gotham review

Questions people ask

Is Chainguard or Palantir Gotham better?
Neither clearly leads. Chainguard starts at Free and Palantir Gotham at $10000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chainguard or Palantir Gotham?
Chainguard has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chainguard and $10000/month for Palantir Gotham.
Does Chainguard or Palantir Gotham run on more platforms?
Chainguard runs on Cloud, Container, VM. Palantir Gotham runs on Desktop, Web.
Can I use Chainguard for free?
Yes. Chainguard has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Palantir Gotham starts at $10000/month.
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 Palantir Gotham is typically brought in for.
What can Chainguard do that Palantir Gotham cannot?
Chainguard covers Hardened container images, CVE remediation SLA, SLSA L2/L3 builds, Sigstore signatures. Palantir Gotham covers Data Integration, Pattern Analysis, Link Analysis, Geospatial Analysis.

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
Palantir Gotham: How much does Palantir Gotham cost?

Palantir Gotham does not publish pricing information on its website. As an enterprise analytics platform, costs are determined through direct sales consultation tailored to organizational scope and requirements.

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
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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