Side by side
Nancy vs OSV-Scanner
Both stand on software composition analysis software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Choose Nancy if you need a free command-line vulnerability scan for Go module dependencies and want to use it in documented CI workflows. Look elsewhere if your dependency set relies on commit-hash-only resolutions or you require official Sonatype product support.
Visit Nancy
Choose OSV-Scanner if you want a free scanner with broad ecosystem coverage, container scanning, and GitHub Actions workflows. Look elsewhere if transitive scanning beyond Maven or computed graphs that include test dependencies are essential. Treat guided remediation with care in untrusted projects because it can run package-manager scripts or follow external registries.
Visit OSV-ScannerThe facts
| Nancy | OSV-Scanner | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | google.github.io |
| On software composition analysis software | #13 of 65 | #17 of 65 |
Nancy: what it does well
- Free and licensed under Apache-2.0.
- Accepts Go dependency data directly or through a pipe.
- Offers text, JSON, pretty JSON, and CSV output.
- Exclusions can target CVEs or Sonatype vulnerability IDs.
- Documents GitHub Actions and CircleCI integrations.
What to know first
- Only Go module dependencies are supported.
- Dependencies resolved by commit hash rather than proper versions are unsupported.
- The default stdin input limit is 100 MB.
- Maintainers direct users to GitHub Issues rather than Sonatype support tickets.
OSV-Scanner: what it does well
- Free open-source scanner with CLI and Go library options.
- Scans source dependencies across many ecosystems.
- Checks container images for operating-system packages and language artifacts.
- Supports SBOM generation and reachability analysis.
- Can scan from a local OSV database offline.
What to know first
- Transitive dependency scanning currently supports Maven pom.xml only.
- Computed dependency graphs do not support test dependencies.
- Guided remediation is experimental and covers specified npm and Maven files.
- Prebuilt GitHub workflows for other platforms are not currently offered.
Alternatives to Nancy Alternatives to OSV-Scanner The whole list