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Comparison · Infra & APIs

Inspektor Gadget vs Velociraptor

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

Inspektor Gadget vs Velociraptor: at a glance

FeatureInspektor GadgetVelociraptor
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score2.50.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesebpf, kubernetes, opentelemetry, least-privilegedfir, endpoint-security, open-source, security-patches
Last editorial update9d ago8h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Inspektor Gadget?

Inspektor Gadget v0.58 adds SELinux and rename tracing and fixes stale OTel series

Inspektor Gadget v0.58.0 adds trace_selinux for SELinux AVC decisions and trace_rename for file renames, an opt-in OpenTelemetry snapshot mode that drops series for processes that no longer exist, and IPv6 support in trace_sni. The profiler fork was rebased onto upstream, and trace_fsslower's output format changed in a breaking way. v0.57.0 had already let gadgets run rootless with narrow capabilities.

Read the full Inspektor Gadget trajectory →

What is Velociraptor?

Velociraptor's recent releases are mostly about patching CVEs.

Velociraptor 0.77.3 shipped on October 5 as a bug fix and CVE release; it also adds an artifact that uploads server results to Azure Monitor and trims the columns emitted by the backup artifacts. 0.77.2 and a 0.76.7 backport in September and August were CVE fixes. The 0.77.1 feature release landed in June, but its notes in the feed only link out.

Read the full Velociraptor trajectory →

Inspektor Gadget vs Velociraptor: editorial side-by-side

I
Inspektor Gadget
INFRA · APIS
2.5

Inspektor Gadget v0.58 adds SELinux and rename tracing and fixes stale OTel series

◆ Current state

Inspektor Gadget v0.58.0 adds trace_selinux for SELinux AVC decisions and trace_rename for file renames, an opt-in OpenTelemetry snapshot mode that drops series for processes that no longer exist, and IPv6 support in trace_sni. The profiler fork was rebased onto upstream, and trace_fsslower's output format changed in a breaking way. v0.57.0 had already let gadgets run rootless with narrow capabilities.

◆ Where it's heading

The project is pairing two tracks: reducing the privileges and trust an eBPF tool needs (rootless runs, multi-tenancy, hardened parsing) and making its output fit standard observability pipelines (OTel metrics and profiles). New gadgets keep widening security-relevant coverage.

◆ Prediction

Expect further OpenTelemetry alignment and more security-focused gadgets; the experimental multi-tenancy from v0.56 has not yet shown a path to stable in the entries.

V
Velociraptor
INFRA · APIS
0.0

Velociraptor's recent releases are mostly about patching CVEs.

◆ Current state

Velociraptor 0.77.3 shipped on October 5 as a bug fix and CVE release; it also adds an artifact that uploads server results to Azure Monitor and trims the columns emitted by the backup artifacts. 0.77.2 and a 0.76.7 backport in September and August were CVE fixes. The 0.77.1 feature release landed in June, but its notes in the feed only link out.

◆ Where it's heading

Since June the project has been in security mode, fixing CVEs on the current line and backporting to the previous one. Feature work shows up as new artifacts, here an Azure Monitor export, which keeps Velociraptor feeding results into the logging tools teams already use.

◆ Prediction

Expect further 0.77 patch releases and possibly another backport if new CVEs are published; the timing of a 0.78 feature release is not signaled here.

Alternatives to Inspektor Gadget and Velociraptor

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 Inspektor Gadget or Velociraptor.

See all Inspektor Gadget alternatives → · See all Velociraptor alternatives →

Recent activity from Inspektor Gadget and Velociraptor

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

  1. 9d agoInspektor Gadgetv0.58.0: SELinux and rename tracing, OTel snapshot mode
  2. 1mo agoInspektor Gadgetv0.57.0: rootless ig run and reduced-privilege deploys
  3. 1mo agoVelociraptorVelociraptor 0.77.3 fixes CVEs and adds Azure Monitor upload
  4. 1mo agoInspektor Gadgetv0.56.2: bounded owner reference enrichment
  5. 1mo agoInspektor Gadgetv0.56.1 hardens USDT parsing against crafted binaries
  6. 1mo agoVelociraptorVelociraptor 0.77.2 patches published CVEs
  7. 2mo agoInspektor GadgetRelease v0.56.0 ⚡
  8. 2mo agoInspektor GadgetRelease v0.55.1
  9. 3mo agoVelociraptorVelociraptor 0.76.7 backports CVE fixes
  10. 4mo agoVelociraptorVelociraptor 0.77.1 feature release ships
  11. 5mo agoVelociraptorVelociraptor 0.77.1 RC1 opens for testing
  12. 5mo agoVelociraptorVelociraptor 0.76.6 bug fix release

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Inspektor Gadget and Velociraptor?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Inspektor Gadget 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 Inspektor Gadget better than Velociraptor?

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

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

What are the best alternatives to Velociraptor?

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