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Comparison · Infra & APIs

Clair vs Hanko

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

Shared themes:open-source

Clair vs Hanko: at a glance

FeatureClairHanko
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score2.50.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themescontainer-security, vulnerability-scanning, sbom, red-hatauthentication, passkeys, enterprise-sso, identity
Last editorial update8h ago11d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

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 →

What is Hanko?

Hanko maps SAML and OIDC attributes into custom claims, a step toward enterprise SSO.

Hanko is a passkey-first authentication platform, open source or cloud-hosted. October's update lets teams bring attributes from SAML and custom OIDC connections into Hanko as custom claims, configured in the Cloud Console. Earlier 2026 releases added Firebase password hash import, inactivity logouts, session transparency and stronger passcode policies.

Read the full Hanko trajectory →

Clair vs Hanko: editorial side-by-side

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.

H
Hanko
INFRA · APIS
0.0

Hanko maps SAML and OIDC attributes into custom claims, a step toward enterprise SSO.

◆ Current state

Hanko is a passkey-first authentication platform, open source or cloud-hosted. October's update lets teams bring attributes from SAML and custom OIDC connections into Hanko as custom claims, configured in the Cloud Console. Earlier 2026 releases added Firebase password hash import, inactivity logouts, session transparency and stronger passcode policies.

◆ Where it's heading

Hanko is filling in what enterprise customers expect from an identity provider: SSO attribute mapping, session controls and migration paths from incumbents. Releases arrive monthly or less, each with a narrow feature.

◆ Prediction

More enterprise SSO features, such as directory sync or role mapping from claims, are the likely next additions; the entries do not confirm a timeline.

Alternatives to Clair and Hanko

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 Hanko.

See all Clair alternatives → · See all Hanko alternatives →

Recent activity from Clair and Hanko

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

  1. 13h agoClairClair 4.10 RC reads CycloneDX SBOMs for Java matching
  2. 1mo agoHankoHanko maps SAML and OIDC attributes to custom claims
  3. 5mo agoHankoJune 2026 Updates
  4. 7mo agoHankoApril 2026 Updates
  5. 8mo agoHankoMarch 2026 Updates
  6. 9mo agoHankoJanuary 2026 Updates
  7. 11mo agoClairClair 4.9 moves CVSS data to NVD's 2.0 feeds
  8. 11mo agoHankoDecember 2025 Updates
  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 Clair and Hanko?

Both compete on the same themes — open-source — within Infra & APIs. Clair is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 vs 0.0), 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 Hanko?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Clair is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 vs 0.0), 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 Hanko?

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