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Cybersecurity · head to head

Chainguard vs Rock Solid

Chainguard logo

Chainguard

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Rock Solid logo

Rock Solid

Government

Parks and Recreation Management

From
$350/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chainguard has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Chainguard covers Hardened container images, Rock Solid covers Program Registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chainguard and Rock Solid actually diverge.

Attributes where Chainguard and Rock Solid differ
AttributeChainguardRock Solid
Starting priceFree$350/month
Pricing modelLicensing by artifact type and team sizesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Container, VMWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown2001

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 Rock Solid

  • Program Registration
  • Facility Scheduling
  • Membership Management
  • Payment Processing
  • Reporting & Analytics
  • Payment Gateways
  • QuickBooks
  • Marketing Tools

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

Rock Solid

  • 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

Rock Solid

Nothing recorded yet. See the Rock Solid review.

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

Rock Solid

$350/month
  • Recreation Management$350/month
    • Program Registration
    • Facility Scheduling
    • Payment Processing

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 Rock Solid if

  • You need program registration.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want facility scheduling.
Rock Solid review

Questions people ask

Is Chainguard or Rock Solid better?
Neither clearly leads. Chainguard starts at Free and Rock Solid at $350/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chainguard or Rock Solid?
Chainguard has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chainguard and $350/month for Rock Solid.
Does Chainguard or Rock Solid run on more platforms?
Chainguard runs on Cloud, Container, VM. Rock Solid runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Chainguard for free?
Yes. Chainguard has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rock Solid starts at $350/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 Rock Solid is typically brought in for.
What can Chainguard do that Rock Solid cannot?
Chainguard covers Hardened container images, CVE remediation SLA, SLSA L2/L3 builds, Sigstore signatures. Rock Solid covers Program Registration, Facility Scheduling, Membership Management, Payment Processing.

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
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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