Cybersecurity · head to head
Chainguard vs Yarn
Chainguard
Cybersecurity
Secure-by-default open source software with hardened container images and libraries
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Yarn
Developer Tools
Fast, reliable, and secure dependency management
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Chainguard containers Catalog at 19,000 USD/year expensive for teams under 10 people; Yarn yarn 2+ (Berry) has limited ESM support which can be a constraint for some projects
- Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Chainguard and Yarn actually diverge.
| Attribute | Chainguard | Yarn |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Licensing by artifact type and team size | free |
| Platforms | Cloud, Container, VM | Web, Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Category | Cybersecurity | Developer Tools |
| Founded | Unknown | 2016 |
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 Yarn
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 Yarn
- Meeting supply chain security requirements for regulated industriesnot Yarn
- Reducing CVE exposure with contractual remediation guaranteesnot Yarn
- Building secure language packages with automatic backportsnot Yarn
- Verifying artifact provenance with Sigstore signaturesnot Yarn
Yarn
- Monorepo teams managing dependencies across 50+ interdependent packagesnot Chainguard
- Enterprise JavaScript projects ensuring reproducible builds across CI/CDnot Chainguard
- Open-source projects with plugin ecosystems coordinating versionsnot Chainguard
- Teams requiring consistent package installs regardless of network conditionsnot 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
Yarn
- Yarn 2+ (Berry) has limited ESM support which can be a constraint for some projects
- Smaller ecosystem and community compared to npm, though still substantial
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
Yarn
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Yarn review.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Chainguard or Yarn better?
- Neither clearly leads. Chainguard starts at Free and Yarn at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Chainguard or Yarn?
- Chainguard starts at Free and Yarn at Free.
- Does Chainguard or Yarn run on more platforms?
- Chainguard runs on Cloud, Container, VM. Yarn runs on Web, Linux, macOS, 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 Yarn is typically brought in for.
- What can Chainguard do that Yarn 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.
SourceYarn: What is Yarn's main advantage over npm?
Yarn downloads packages in parallel, significantly reducing installation time. It uses a yarn.lock file for deterministic installs, ensuring identical package versions across machines and preventing version conflicts common with npm.
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.
SourceYarn: Can I use Yarn in offline environments?
Yes, Yarn supports secure offline environments. The yarn.lock file enables reproducible installs without requiring new downloads.
SourceChainguard: Can I try Chainguard before purchasing?
Yes. The free tier includes five container images for testing and deployment, allowing hands-on evaluation.
SourceRelated pages
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