GravityKit
GravityKit folds every GravityView extension into one Pro plugin.
Comparison · Infra & APIs
Clair vs SoftEther VPN
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Clair and SoftEther VPN — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:open-source
Clair vs SoftEther VPN: 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 SoftEther VPN?
SoftEther returns after 16 months with Windows ARM64 support and a pile of fixes.
SoftEther 5.2.5189 is the first 5.x release since July 2025. It adds Windows ARM64 support with an ARM64 Neo6 driver, restores kernel-mode NAT, adds a configurable DHCP discover timeout and a Turkish translation, and fixes memory leaks, a dangling pointer and Linux password input. Builds can now disable the post-quantum OQS library added in 5.2.5188.
Clair vs SoftEther VPN: 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.
SoftEther VPN
2.5INFRA · APIS
SoftEther returns after 16 months with Windows ARM64 support and a pile of fixes.
◆ Current state
SoftEther 5.2.5189 is the first 5.x release since July 2025. It adds Windows ARM64 support with an ARM64 Neo6 driver, restores kernel-mode NAT, adds a configurable DHCP discover timeout and a Turkish translation, and fixes memory leaks, a dangling pointer and Linux password input. Builds can now disable the post-quantum OQS library added in 5.2.5188.
◆ Where it's heading
The 5.x line moves slowly and in batches, with community contributors doing most of the work. After 5.2.5188 added hybrid post-quantum key exchange, this release is about platform reach and stability rather than new protocol features.
◆ Prediction
The cadence suggests a long gap before the next tag; the entries give no sign of another protocol-level change soon.
Alternatives to Clair and SoftEther VPN
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 SoftEther VPN.
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.
See all Clair alternatives → · See all SoftEther VPN alternatives →
Recent activity from Clair and SoftEther VPN
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 13h agoClairClair 4.10 RC reads CycloneDX SBOMs for Java matching
- 9d agoSoftEther VPN5.2.5189 adds Windows ARM64 support and fixes kernel-mode NAT
- 11mo agoClairClair 4.9 moves CVSS data to NVD's 2.0 feeds
- 1y agoSoftEther VPN5.2.5188 adds X25519MLKEM768 post-quantum key exchange ⚡
- 2y agoClairClair 4.8 replaces Red Hat OVAL data with VEX
- 2y agoSoftEther VPN5.02.5187: version bump ahead of the 5187 release
- 2y agoSoftEther VPN5.02.5186 bumps webpack in the admin web UI
- 2y agoSoftEther VPN5.02.5185 fixes DHCP handling and a UDP amplification report
- 2y agoSoftEther VPN5.02.5184: contributor credits, no release notes
- 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 SoftEther VPN?
Both compete on the same themes — open-source — within Infra & APIs. Clair and SoftEther VPN are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 2.5 vs 2.5, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Clair better than SoftEther VPN?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Clair and SoftEther VPN are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 2.5 vs 2.5, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). 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 SoftEther VPN?
Top SoftEther VPN alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "SoftEther VPN alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/softether-vpn for the full list with editorial commentary on each.