GravityKit
GravityKit folds every GravityView extension into one Pro plugin.
Comparison · Infra & APIs
Clair vs Coder
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Clair and Coder — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Clair vs Coder: at a glance
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.
What is Coder?
Coder now checks workspace app URLs on the server, a breaking fix sent to all three lines.
Coder maintains supported release lines on v2.29, v2.34 and v2.37 and patches them together. On November 10 all three got the same breaking fix: workspace app URLs are validated on the server, and `coder open app` only attaches the session token to trusted app links. The same releases tighten database connection errors, and 2.29 also stops tailnet coordination panics. This follows the November 3 fixes for CSRF, cross-org group sync and prebuild claims.
Clair vs Coder: editorial side-by-side
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.
Coder
5.0INFRA · APIS
Coder now checks workspace app URLs on the server, a breaking fix sent to all three lines.
◆ Current state
Coder maintains supported release lines on v2.29, v2.34 and v2.37 and patches them together. On November 10 all three got the same breaking fix: workspace app URLs are validated on the server, and `coder open app` only attaches the session token to trusted app links. The same releases tighten database connection errors, and 2.29 also stops tailnet coordination panics. This follows the November 3 fixes for CSRF, cross-org group sync and prebuild claims.
◆ Where it's heading
Coder's November releases are almost entirely security hardening, sent to three branches at once. The fixes keep narrowing how far tokens, credentials and agent tools can reach outside their intended scope. The feed only shows backport tags, so feature work on the mainline is not visible here.
◆ Prediction
Expect more weekly three-line security backports. Whether new mainline features ship cannot be read from these entries.
Alternatives to Clair and Coder
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 Clair or Coder.
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.
Recent activity from Clair and Coder
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 13h agoClairClair 4.10 RC reads CycloneDX SBOMs for Java matching
- 3d agoCoderv2.29.27: server checks app URLs, no tailnet panics
- 3d agoCoderv2.34.19 backports the app URL and token fixes
- 3d agoCoderv2.37.11: workspace app URLs validated on the server
- 10d agoCoderv2.34.18 backports CSRF, group-sync and prebuild fixes
- 10d agoCoderv2.29.26 backports the November security fixes
- 10d agoCoderv2.37.10 stops group sync crossing org boundaries
- 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 Clair and Coder?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Coder 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 Clair better than Coder?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Coder 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 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.
What are the best alternatives to Coder?
Top Coder alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Coder alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/coder for the full list with editorial commentary on each.