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Comparison · Infra & APIs

Clair vs Sonarr

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

Clair vs Sonarr: at a glance

FeatureClairSonarr
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score2.55.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themescontainer-security, vulnerability-scanning, sbom, red-hatmedia automation, self-hosted, accessibility, import lists
Last editorial update8h ago10d 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 Sonarr?

Sonarr 5.0 swaps its interactive search table for cards and trims what counts as advanced.

Sonarr keeps publishing 5.0 test builds every few days. Build 2941 turns multi-season packs from a release type into something users can actually import, compacts API JSON responses and cuts memory used while parsing them, and stops logging the Postgres password during migrations. Build 2907 replaced the interactive search table with cards. Accessibility work continues on settings and filter buttons.

Read the full Sonarr trajectory →

Clair vs Sonarr: 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.

S
Sonarr
INFRA · APIS
5.0

Sonarr 5.0 swaps its interactive search table for cards and trims what counts as advanced.

◆ Current state

Sonarr keeps publishing 5.0 test builds every few days. Build 2941 turns multi-season packs from a release type into something users can actually import, compacts API JSON responses and cuts memory used while parsing them, and stops logging the Postgres password during migrations. Build 2907 replaced the interactive search table with cards. Accessibility work continues on settings and filter buttons.

◆ Where it's heading

5.0 is still mixing contributor features with interface rework and accessibility polish. Performance work now joins it, with cache updates, import list sync and load-time requests all optimized in one build. Basic Auth removal and file safety defaults set its stricter baseline.

◆ Prediction

Expect more interface and accessibility fixes before 5.0 reaches the stable channel. Larger changes are still landing in test builds, so the timing of that release remains unclear.

Alternatives to Clair and Sonarr

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 Sonarr.

See all Clair alternatives → · See all Sonarr alternatives →

Recent activity from Clair and Sonarr

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

  1. 13h agoClairClair 4.10 RC reads CycloneDX SBOMs for Java matching
  2. 11d agoSonarrSonarr 5.0 build 2941: multi-season pack imports, leaner JSON
  3. 13d agoSonarrSonarr 5.0 build 2907: card-based interactive search
  4. 15d agoSonarrSonarr 5.0 build 2870: TMDb lists, multi-season packs
  5. 17d agoSonarrSonarr 5.0 build 2838: episode details redesign, unsaved-edit warning
  6. 19d agoSonarrSonarr 5.0 build 2800: Calendar accessibility, iCal fix
  7. 20d agoSonarrSonarr 5.0 build 2785: OIDC Remember Me, lighter migration
  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 Sonarr?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Sonarr 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 Sonarr?

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

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