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Comparison · Infra & APIs

Alwaysdata vs Clair

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Alwaysdata and Clair — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Alwaysdata vs Clair: at a glance

FeatureAlwaysdataClair
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score5.02.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesweb-hosting, runtimes, php, security-updatescontainer-security, vulnerability-scanning, sbom, red-hat
Last editorial update18d ago8h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Alwaysdata?

Alwaysdata rolls out patched PHP, Node, Python and Ruby within three days.

Alwaysdata added PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35, Node.js 24.22.1 and 22.23.4, Python 3.14.9 and 3.13.17, and Ruby 4.0.9, 3.4.12 and 3.3.13 between October 20 and 22. The PHP round includes the releases that fix this month's critical remote code execution CVEs. The last non-runtime change was SSH key management in the admin panel.

Read the full Alwaysdata trajectory →

What is Clair?

Clair 4.10 RC can read SBOMs to match Java vulnerabilities.

Clair cut its first 4.10.0 release candidate on November 13, eleven months after 4.9.0. Its Java indexers can now read CycloneDX SBOM files and treat them as the source of truth, and Red Hat's VEX data now covers Maven advisories, so Java packages in Red Hat images can be matched. It also reduces memory use when many packages share a source package.

Read the full Clair trajectory →

Alwaysdata vs Clair: editorial side-by-side

A
Alwaysdata
INFRA · APIS
5.0

Alwaysdata rolls out patched PHP, Node, Python and Ruby within three days.

◆ Current state

Alwaysdata added PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35, Node.js 24.22.1 and 22.23.4, Python 3.14.9 and 3.13.17, and Ruby 4.0.9, 3.4.12 and 3.3.13 between October 20 and 22. The PHP round includes the releases that fix this month's critical remote code execution CVEs. The last non-runtime change was SSH key management in the admin panel.

◆ Where it's heading

The changelog is mostly upstream runtime tracking, with occasional control-panel additions. Turnaround on upstream security releases is a day or two, which is the main thing the feed shows customers.

◆ Prediction

Expect continued runtime updates within days of upstream releases; panel features appear only occasionally.

C
Clair
INFRA · APIS
2.5

Clair 4.10 RC can read SBOMs to match Java vulnerabilities.

◆ Current state

Clair cut its first 4.10.0 release candidate on November 13, eleven months after 4.9.0. Its Java indexers can now read CycloneDX SBOM files and treat them as the source of truth, and Red Hat's VEX data now covers Maven advisories, so Java packages in Red Hat images can be matched. It also reduces memory use when many packages share a source package.

◆ Where it's heading

Since 4.8 Clair has moved from Red Hat's older OVAL data to VEX, and each release follows Red Hat's security data more closely. 4.10 adds SBOMs as an input, so Clair can match what an image's own manifest declares, not only what it finds on disk.

◆ Prediction

More 4.10 release candidates and then a final are likely; the long gap between releases suggests that could take weeks.

Alternatives to Alwaysdata and Clair

Other Infra & APIs products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Alwaysdata or Clair.

See all Alwaysdata alternatives → · See all Clair alternatives →

Recent activity from Alwaysdata and Clair

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 13h agoClairClair 4.10 RC reads CycloneDX SBOMs for Java matching
  2. 22d agoAlwaysdataNew Ruby versions available: 4.0.9, 3.4.12, 3.3.13
  3. 22d agoAlwaysdataNew Python versions available: 3.14.9, 3.13.17
  4. 23d agoAlwaysdataNew Node.js versions available: 24.22.1, 22.23.4
  5. 24d agoAlwaysdataNew PHP versions available: 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36, 8.2.35
  6. 1mo agoAlwaysdataAdd your SSH keys directly through the administration interface
  7. 1mo agoAlwaysdataNew Deno version available: 2.9.7
  8. 11mo agoClairClair 4.9 moves CVSS data to NVD's 2.0 feeds
  9. 2y agoClairClair 4.8 replaces Red Hat OVAL data with VEX
  10. 2y agoClairClair 4.7.4 changes the default layer download location
  11. 2y agoClairClair 4.7.3 requires TLS 1.2 or newer
  12. 3y agoClairClair 4.7.2 drops the retired CRDA source

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Alwaysdata and Clair?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Alwaysdata is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Alwaysdata better than Clair?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Alwaysdata is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Alwaysdata?

Top Alwaysdata alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Alwaysdata alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/alwaysdata for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Clair?

Top Clair alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Clair alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/clair for the full list with editorial commentary on each.