Cybersecurity · head to head
Chainguard vs Recorded Future
Chainguard
Cybersecurity
Secure-by-default open source software with hardened container images and libraries
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Recorded Future
Cybersecurity
Intelligence-driven cybersecurity
- From
- $25000/year
- Rated
- -
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; Recorded Future no pricing published; all three tiers (Core, Professional, Elite) require sales contact for quotes
- They diverge on capability: Chainguard covers Hardened container images, Recorded Future covers Real-time threat intelligence.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Chainguard and Recorded Future actually diverge.
| Attribute | Chainguard | Recorded Future |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $25000/year |
| Pricing model | Licensing by artifact type and team size | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Cloud, Container, VM | Web, Api, Cloud |
| Founded | Unknown | 2009 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).
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 Recorded Future
- Real-time threat intelligence
- Vulnerability intelligence
- Internet-wide data analysis
- Insikt group intelligence
- Brand intelligence
- API-first platform
- Alert and notification system
- Custom reporting
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 Recorded Future
- Meeting supply chain security requirements for regulated industriesnot Recorded Future
- Reducing CVE exposure with contractual remediation guaranteesnot Recorded Future
- Building secure language packages with automatic backportsnot Recorded Future
- Verifying artifact provenance with Sigstore signaturesnot Recorded Future
Recorded Future
- Threat intelligence and monitoringnot Chainguard
- Dark web monitoring and brand protectionnot Chainguard
- Third-party risk managementnot Chainguard
- Security operations and incident responsenot 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
Recorded Future
- No pricing published; all three tiers (Core, Professional, Elite) require sales contact for quotes
- Pricing depends on organization size, usage levels, and services in addition to tier selection
- API usage limits vary by package but limits not specified on pricing page
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
Recorded Future
$25000/year- Threat Intelligence$25000/year
- Threat feeds
- IP reputation
- Domain analysis
- Vulnerability Intelligence$35000/year
- CVE monitoring
- Patch intelligence
- Vulnerability trending
- Complete Intelligence$50000/year
- All features
- Analyst access
- Dedicated feed
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 Recorded Future if
- You need real-time threat intelligence.
- You work on Web, Api, Cloud.
- You also want vulnerability intelligence.
Questions people ask
- Is Chainguard or Recorded Future better?
- Neither clearly leads. Chainguard starts at Free and Recorded Future at $25000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Chainguard or Recorded Future?
- Chainguard has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chainguard and $25000/year for Recorded Future.
- Does Chainguard or Recorded Future run on more platforms?
- Chainguard runs on Cloud, Container, VM. Recorded Future runs on Web, Api, Cloud.
- Can I use Chainguard for free?
- Yes. Chainguard has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Recorded Future starts at $25000/year.
- 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 Recorded Future is typically brought in for.
- What can Chainguard do that Recorded Future cannot?
- Chainguard covers Hardened container images, CVE remediation SLA, SLSA L2/L3 builds, Sigstore signatures. Recorded Future covers Real-time threat intelligence, Vulnerability intelligence, Internet-wide data analysis, Insikt group intelligence.
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.
SourceRecorded Future: What are the main pricing tiers offered by Recorded Future?
Recorded Future offers three tiers: Core (foundational intelligence), Professional (marked most-popular with automation and autonomous threat hunts), and Elite (comprehensive coverage including third-party risk assessment). Specific pricing requires contacting sales.
SourceChainguard: 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.
SourceRecorded Future: What is included in Recorded Future's Core pricing tier?
Core tier includes cyber operations monitoring with threat and malware insights, digital risk protection covering dark web monitoring and credential detection, and the new digital risk hub. Exact cost depends on organization size and usage.
SourceChainguard: Can I try Chainguard before purchasing?
Yes. The free tier includes five container images for testing and deployment, allowing hands-on evaluation.
SourceRecorded Future: What features does Recorded Future Professional tier add?
Professional tier adds autonomous threat hunts, continuous threat monitoring, automated threat preventions, external intelligence ingestion, and external asset discovery. Pricing is custom-quoted based on organization size and services.
SourceRecorded Future: How does Recorded Future handle user limits and API access?
Recorded Future does not limit the number of platform users or integrations across any tier. API usage limits vary by package tier but exact limits are not specified on the public pricing page.
SourceRelated pages
More on Recorded Future
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