← Back to home
Comparison · Infra & APIs

WireMock vs Clair

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

WireMock vs Clair: at a glance

FeatureWireMockClair
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score5.02.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesapi mocking, java, testing, betacontainer-security, vulnerability-scanning, sbom, red-hat
Last editorial update14h ago7h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is WireMock?

WireMock 4.0 beta.42 can record every request header, still in beta.

WireMock is the standard Java tool for mocking HTTP APIs, and its 4.0 line is still in beta. After a quiet month, beta.42 and beta.43 arrived on November 12 and 13: recording can now capture all request headers with exclusions, a new extension point lets code react to served messages, and the rest is Dependabot bumps.

Read the full WireMock 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 →

WireMock vs Clair: editorial side-by-side

W
WireMock
INFRA · APIS
5.0

WireMock 4.0 beta.42 can record every request header, still in beta.

◆ Current state

WireMock is the standard Java tool for mocking HTTP APIs, and its 4.0 line is still in beta. After a quiet month, beta.42 and beta.43 arrived on November 12 and 13: recording can now capture all request headers with exclusions, a new extension point lets code react to served messages, and the rest is Dependabot bumps.

◆ Where it's heading

The 4.0 betas are still mostly fixes and dependency updates, with small additions to recording and message channels. Nothing signals a final release yet.

◆ Prediction

Expect more numbered betas with recording and message-channel fixes; when 4.0 goes final is not visible from these entries.

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 WireMock 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 WireMock or Clair.

See all WireMock alternatives → · See all Clair alternatives →

Recent activity from WireMock 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. 1d agoWireMock4.0 beta.43: recording settings saved correctly, Jetty bump
  3. 1d agoWireMock4.0 beta.42: record all request headers, message listener hook
  4. 24d agoWireMock4.0 beta.41: trust-store, matcher and resetAll fixes
  5. 1mo agoWireMock4.0 beta.40: journal stores enforce maxEntries (breaking)
  6. 1mo agoWireMock4.0 beta.39: dependency updates only
  7. 4mo agoWireMock4.0 beta.38: entity metadata fix and dependency bumps
  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 WireMock and Clair?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. WireMock 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 WireMock better than Clair?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. WireMock 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 WireMock?

Top WireMock alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "WireMock alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/wiremock 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.