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Comparison · Infra & APIs
Apache CloudStack vs Clair
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Apache CloudStack and Clair — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:open-source
Apache CloudStack vs Clair: at a glance
What is Apache CloudStack?
Apache CloudStack 4.23 ships as a Regular release while two LTS branches stay on maintenance cadence.
Apache CloudStack maintains three active release lines: 4.23.0.0 just shipped as the latest Regular release, 4.22 continues on LTS maintenance with patch 4.22.1.1, and 4.20 received a maintenance tag (4.20.3.1). A security release (4.22.0.1) in May addressed two CVEs — backup access control and instance access violations. The project's multi-branch support model indicates a large installed base that upgrades slowly.
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.
Apache CloudStack vs Clair: editorial side-by-side
Apache CloudStack
5.0INFRA · APIS
Apache CloudStack 4.23 ships as a Regular release while two LTS branches stay on maintenance cadence.
◆ Current state
Apache CloudStack maintains three active release lines: 4.23.0.0 just shipped as the latest Regular release, 4.22 continues on LTS maintenance with patch 4.22.1.1, and 4.20 received a maintenance tag (4.20.3.1). A security release (4.22.0.1) in May addressed two CVEs — backup access control and instance access violations. The project's multi-branch support model indicates a large installed base that upgrades slowly.
◆ Where it's heading
CloudStack follows a predictable Regular → LTS → maintenance cadence. 4.23 as a Regular release means 4.24 or the LTS designation of 4.23 will come next. The concurrent maintenance of 4.20 alongside 4.22 suggests the project serves operators who can't upgrade quickly — a characteristic of infrastructure software running in production cloud deployments. No signal of architectural pivots.
◆ Prediction
A 4.23.x security or maintenance release will follow within 2-3 months, consistent with historical cadence; 4.23 LTS designation or a 4.24 preview could come mid-2027. Security response is active — operators on 4.22 and earlier should apply the CVE patches.
Clair
2.5INFRA · APIS
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 Apache CloudStack 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 Apache CloudStack or Clair.
Payload CMS
Payload's v4 beta.9 keeps every past image crop and raises the Node floor again.
Nautobot
Nautobot 3.3 alpha 2 adds test helpers and a cable location filter after 3.2.9's token-leak fix.
Shuffle
Shuffle tags builds almost daily, but the notes are empty.
KrakenD
KrakenD's community edition is shipping only dependency bumps.
Velociraptor
Velociraptor's recent releases are mostly about patching CVEs.
See all Apache CloudStack alternatives → · See all Clair alternatives →
Recent activity from Apache CloudStack and Clair
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 13h agoClairClair 4.10 RC reads CycloneDX SBOMs for Java matching
- 2mo agoApache CloudStackApache CloudStack 4.23.0.0 (Regular)
- 2mo agoApache CloudStack4.22.1.1: LTS patch tag
- 2mo agoApache CloudStack4.20.3.1: LTS patch tag
- 5mo agoApache CloudStackApache CloudStack 4.22.1.0 (LTS)
- 6mo agoApache CloudStackApache CloudStack 4.22.0.1 (LTS Security Release)
- 7mo agoApache CloudStackApache CloudStack 4.20.3.0 (LTS)
- 11mo agoClairClair 4.9 moves CVSS data to NVD's 2.0 feeds
- 2y agoClairClair 4.8 replaces Red Hat OVAL data with VEX
- 2y agoClairClair 4.7.4 changes the default layer download location
- 2y agoClairClair 4.7.3 requires TLS 1.2 or newer
- 3y agoClairClair 4.7.2 drops the retired CRDA source
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Apache CloudStack and Clair?
Both compete on the same themes — open-source — within Infra & APIs. Apache CloudStack 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 Apache CloudStack better than Clair?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Apache CloudStack 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 Apache CloudStack?
Top Apache CloudStack alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Apache CloudStack alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/cloudstack 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.