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Comparison · Infra & APIs

Clair vs Kestra

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

Shared themes:open-source

Clair vs Kestra: at a glance

FeatureClairKestra
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score2.55.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themescontainer-security, vulnerability-scanning, sbom, red-hatworkflow-orchestration, design-system, embeddable components, open-source
Last editorial update8h ago1d 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 Kestra?

Kestra's topology package now draws flow graphs outside the Kestra UI.

Kestra published topology v0.2.0 and design-system v0.7.2 on November 11, both from one change: the flow graph can render outside the Kestra UI with its own standalone CSS. That follows the November 6 package releases that added npm licensing. Kestra 2.1.0 is still at its October 20 first release candidate.

Read the full Kestra trajectory →

Clair vs Kestra: 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.

K
Kestra
INFRA · APIS
5.0

Kestra's topology package now draws flow graphs outside the Kestra UI.

◆ Current state

Kestra published topology v0.2.0 and design-system v0.7.2 on November 11, both from one change: the flow graph can render outside the Kestra UI with its own standalone CSS. That follows the November 6 package releases that added npm licensing. Kestra 2.1.0 is still at its October 20 first release candidate.

◆ Where it's heading

Kestra is splitting its frontend into reusable npm packages: a design system, the plumage package and now a topology graph that works on its own. Embedding the flow graph in other tools looks like the goal, while the core 2.1.0 release stays unannounced.

◆ Prediction

Expect 2.1.0 final or a second RC soon, since rc1 is over three weeks old; the package work suggests the topology graph will appear in docs or partner tools.

Alternatives to Clair and Kestra

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 Kestra.

See all Clair alternatives → · See all Kestra alternatives →

Recent activity from Clair and Kestra

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

  1. 13h agoClairClair 4.10 RC reads CycloneDX SBOMs for Java matching
  2. 3d agoKestraKestra topology 0.2.0 renders flow graphs outside the Kestra UI
  3. 3d agoKestraKestra design-system 0.7.2 picks up the standalone topology change
  4. 7d agoKestraKestra plumage 0.1.1 published with npm license
  5. 7d agoKestraKestra design-system 0.7.1 adds npm license
  6. 7d agoKestraKestra publishes topology package 0.1.0
  7. 8d agoKestraKestra design-system 0.7.0 fixes its CSS build setup
  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 Clair and Kestra?

Both compete on the same themes — open-source — within Infra & APIs. Kestra 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 Kestra?

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

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