Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Chainguard vs Vanta

Chainguard logo

Chainguard

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vanta logo

Vanta

Cybersecurity

Compliance automation platform for SOC 2, ISO 27001 and similar frameworks.

From
On request
Rated
-
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; Vanta no published pricing for any tier; all plans require requesting a demo and contacting sales
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chainguard and Vanta actually diverge.

Attributes where Chainguard and Vanta differ
AttributeChainguardVanta
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelLicensing by artifact type and team sizesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Container, VMWeb, API

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 Vanta

Nothing recorded that Chainguard does not also cover.

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

Vanta

  • SaaS and fintech companies needing rapid SOC 2 certification for enterprise salesnot Chainguard
  • Healthcare organisations automating HIPAA compliance managementnot Chainguard
  • European companies managing GDPR and privacy compliancenot Chainguard
  • Organisations implementing ISO 27001 and other security standardsnot Chainguard
  • Companies conducting vendor security assessments and managing third-party risknot 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

Vanta

  • No published pricing for any tier; all plans require requesting a demo and contacting sales
  • Essentials tier limited to one compliance framework; organisations needing multiple frameworks must upgrade to higher tiers
  • Plus and Professional tiers feature unclear differentiation; specific pricing and included questionnaires not published
  • Enterprise pricing fully custom; no transparency on costs or what features are included
  • AI questionnaire automation capped at 25 annually in Plus tier, only 144 annually in Professional tier

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

Vanta

On request
  • Essentials$undefined/variable
    • One compliance framework
    • Vanta AI Agent features
    • Automated evidence collection
  • Plus$undefined/variable
    • All Essentials features
    • Enhanced AI Agent capabilities
    • AI-powered questionnaire automation (25 annually)
  • Professional$undefined/variable
    • All Plus features
    • 144 questionnaires annually (marked 'Most Popular')
    • Risk management tools
  • Enterprise$undefined/variable
    • Fully customisable package
    • Flexible, scalable, advanced compliance
    • Tailored to sophisticated GRC requirements

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 Vanta if

  • You work on Web, API.
Vanta review

Questions people ask

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

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
Vanta: How many compliance frameworks does Vanta support?

Vanta supports 35+ compliance frameworks including SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR and custom frameworks.

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
Vanta: Does Vanta automate questionnaires?

Yes. Vanta's AI Agent can automate questionnaire completion, with the number of annually supported questionnaires varying by plan (25 in Plus tier, 144 in Professional tier).

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
Vanta: How many integrations does Vanta support?

Vanta integrates with 300+ pre-built system connections and supports over 90% automation of compliance tasks through these integrations.

Source
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