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Cybersecurity · head to head

Grype vs H2O.ai

Grype logo

Grype

Cybersecurity

Vulnerability scanner for container images and filesystems

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
H2O.ai logo

H2O.ai

Machine Learning

AI Cloud for building and deploying AI applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Grype depends on public vulnerability databases, so coverage and false positives vary by ecosystem; H2O.ai java is always required to run H2O-3 even when working from R or Python, and only a 64-bit JRE or JDK is supported
  • They diverge on capability: Grype covers Image and filesystem scanning, H2O.ai covers AutoML.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grype and H2O.ai actually diverge.

Attributes where Grype and H2O.ai differ
AttributeGrypeH2O.ai
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, DockerWeb, Cloud
CategoryCybersecurityMachine Learning
FoundedUnknown2011

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 Grype

  • Image and filesystem scanning
  • SBOM-driven
  • Wide ecosystem coverage
  • Pipeline friendly

Only in H2O.ai

  • AutoML
  • Distributed computing
  • Feature engineering
  • Model explainability
  • Time series forecasting
  • Spark
  • Hadoop
  • Python

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Grype

  • Re-scanning stored SBOMs as new CVEs are published, without rebuilding imagesnot H2O.ai
  • Failing CI when a build introduces a known vulnerabilitynot H2O.ai
  • Auditing what is actually installed inside a third-party imagenot H2O.ai

H2O.ai

  • Distributed in-memory machine learning over large datasetsnot Grype
  • Training and productionising models from R or Python against a shared H2O clusternot Grype

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Grype

  • Depends on public vulnerability databases, so coverage and false positives vary by ecosystem
  • No triage, exception tracking or reporting UI — that is Anchore’s commercial product
  • Overlaps heavily with Trivy, and most teams pick one rather than running both

H2O.ai

  • Java is always required to run H2O-3 even when working from R or Python, and only a 64-bit JRE or JDK is supported
  • Supported Java versions stop at Java SE 17; newer versions only run by forcing an unsupported version flag and are guaranteed for experiments rather than production
  • H2O-3 only supports numpy below version 2, so a numpy 2 environment must be downgraded
  • Supported Python versions are limited to 3.7 through 3.11
  • The Flow web UI requires an internet browser and is the only graphical interface

Pricing, plan by plan

Grype

Free
  • GrypeFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

H2O.ai

Free
  • H2O-3 Open SourceFree
    • Core algorithms
    • AutoML
    • Community support
  • Driverless AIFree
    • Automatic feature engineering
    • Model explainability
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose Grype if

  • You need image and filesystem scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
  • You also want sbom-driven.
Grype review

Choose H2O.ai if

  • You need automl.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want distributed computing.
H2O.ai review

Questions people ask

Is Grype or H2O.ai better?
Neither clearly leads. Grype starts at Free and H2O.ai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grype or H2O.ai?
Grype starts at Free and H2O.ai at Free.
Does Grype or H2O.ai run on more platforms?
Grype runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker. H2O.ai runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use Grype for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Grype best used for?
Grype is most often used for re-scanning stored sboms as new cves are published, without rebuilding images, failing ci when a build introduces a known vulnerability, auditing what is actually installed inside a third-party image. Of those, re-scanning stored sboms as new cves are published, without rebuilding images and failing ci when a build introduces a known vulnerability are not what H2O.ai is typically brought in for.
What can Grype do that H2O.ai cannot?
Grype covers Image and filesystem scanning, SBOM-driven, Wide ecosystem coverage, Pipeline friendly. H2O.ai covers AutoML, Distributed computing, Feature engineering, Model explainability.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Grype: Is Grype free?

Yes, open source from Anchore. Anchore Enterprise is the paid platform around it.

H2O.ai: Is H2O open source and free?

Yes. H2O-3 OSS is free and Apache-licensed, designed for self-managed and experimental workflows. H2O.ai also offers enterprise cloud solutions with additional features.

Source
Grype: What is the difference between Grype and Syft?

Syft generates the software bill of materials; Grype matches that inventory against vulnerability data. They are designed to be used together.

H2O.ai: How many companies use H2O's open source platform?

Over 18,000 companies across Finance, Insurance, Healthcare, Retail, Telco, Sales, and Marketing use H2O's open-source machine learning platform.

Source
Grype: Grype or Trivy?

They cover similar ground. Trivy is broader out of the box, including misconfiguration and secret scanning; Grype pairs more cleanly with an SBOM-first workflow.

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