Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. The largest vendors in software composition analysis tools
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 11 tools, reviewed
#1 Aikido Security
Developer-focused security platform with a dependency scanner · Belgium · aikido.dev
bundled platform flat pricing Belgium
Aikido takes first place because a small team can see what it will pay before talking to anyone. The Developer plan costs nothing for two users and ten repositories, and the paid tiers are flat monthly totals that already include ten users, with repository caps of 100, 200 and 500.
- Pricing: Flat monthly. A free developer plan for 2 users and 10 repos, then flat monthly fees of 300 (Basic) and 600 (Pro and Advanced) that include 10 users; enterprise pricing is hidden. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Small teams wanting one bundled security tool
- Strengths: Dependency scanning (SCA); Malware detection for packages; CVE-free libraries.
Where it falls short
Software composition analysis is one module in a wider bundle, so teams wanting deep licence workflows or a dedicated SBOM program will find less depth than in a specialist. The pricing page shows monthly figures without naming a currency, and the Free tier is capped at two users.
Wrong for
A regulated company that needs a self-hosted scanner behind its own firewall, or a legal team running formal open source licence review.
Visit Aikido Security →
#2 FOSSA
Licence compliance and SBOM management platform · United States · fossa.com
licence compliance SBOM self-hosted option
FOSSA is second because it targets the question that a legal or procurement contact actually sends: which licences are in our product, and can you hand over an SBOM. Its About page lists licence detection with policy enforcement, SBOM generation, ingestion, analysis and sharing, and a code security module. The Free plan has no time limit.
- Pricing: Per project / month. A free plan with 5 projects and 10 contributing developers, Business at $20 per project per month billed annually, and custom Enterprise pricing. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Teams facing licence and SBOM requests
- Strengths: Automated licence detection; Policy enforcement; SBOM generation and ingestion.
Where it falls short
Pricing is per project, so a company with many microservices can end up paying more than a per-developer price would suggest. Snippet and binary scanning are add-ons priced on request, and Enterprise pricing is hidden.
Wrong for
A team that mostly wants vulnerability alerts in pull requests with automatic fix suggestions.
Visit FOSSA →
#3 Semgrep Supply Chain
Dependency scanning from the Semgrep code security platform · United States · semgrep.dev
contributor pricing reachability free tier
Semgrep Supply Chain ranks third since the free tier is usable by a real team: ten contributors, ten private repos, and dependency scanning counted at $0 per contributor. Teams is priced at $30 per contributor per month, also available standalone for Supply Chain alone, and the pricing page states how a contributor is counted: a commit to a scanned private repo in the past 90 days.
- Pricing: Per contributor / month. Free for up to 10 contributors and 10 private repos, Teams from $30 per contributor per month, and unpublished Enterprise pricing. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Engineering teams already scanning code with Semgrep
- Strengths: Open source dependency scanning; Malware blocking in packages; Reachability analysis (Enterprise).
Where it falls short
Reachability analysis and malicious dependency detection are listed under Enterprise, so Free and Teams buyers get a less filtered finding list. Free sign-in is limited to GitHub and GitLab. No free trial is listed for the plans, and Enterprise pricing is not published.
Wrong for
A company needing licence policy review and SBOM exchange as the main use.
Visit Semgrep Supply Chain →
#4 Snyk Open Source
Developer-first scanner for open source dependencies · United States · snyk.io
fix pull requests free plan EU instance
Snyk is treated as a major incumbent in developer-side security, so it sits at fourth place. Its strengths are working defaults: a Risk Score that weighs reachability, exploit maturity and EPSS or CVSS, one-click fix pull requests with customizable templates, and monitoring that reports newly disclosed issues in projects already scanned.
- Pricing: Per active contributor. Free plan at $0, Team starting at $25 per month for up to 10 developers, and Enterprise through sales with prepaid credits at $1 each. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Developer teams that want fix pull requests
- Strengths: Risk Score with reachability and EPSS; Automated fix pull requests; Continuous monitoring.
Where it falls short
Free is limited to 200 Open Source tests a month and 5 projects, and Team is listed without saying whether $25 is per user or per team. Licence compliance needs Team or higher and SBOM support needs Enterprise.
Wrong for
A company that must run its scanner on its own servers, or a team that mainly needs licence and SBOM evidence for customers.
Visit Snyk Open Source →
#5 Endor Labs
Reachability-based dependency and code scanner · United States · endorlabs.com
reachability malicious packages seat pricing
Endor Labs lands fifth because its pitch is a shorter finding list: the About page names SCA with reachability, malicious package detection, container scanning, AI SAST and secrets detection in one product. The Developer tier is free and needs no account, helping coding agents scan and fix vulnerabilities and exposed secrets locally. Seats are developers who committed to a monitored repository in the last 90 days.
- Pricing: Quote only. A free Developer tier without an account, then seat-based Core and Pro tiers with no published prices. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Teams cutting noise from dependency alerts
- Strengths: Dependency scanning (SCA) with reachability; Malicious package detection; Container scanning.
Where it falls short
The free tier is read-only vulnerability data with no UI, policies or scan history, so it cannot stand in for a trial of the full product. Core and Pro show no prices, and every product has a 'Get pricing' button. Trial length is not stated.
Wrong for
A buyer who needs fixed published prices or a European-hosted service.
Visit Endor Labs →
#6 Mend
Dependency and licence scanning with self-hosted option · Israel · mend.io
licence policy self-hosted option SBOM export
Mend suits a company that has to prove what it ships. The SCA page describes alerts for licence types that break company policy, SBOM export in SPDX and CycloneDX, import of third-party SBOMs, and prioritization with CVSS 4.0, EPSS and reachability. It connects to GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps, in cloud or self-hosted form, and claims more than 200 languages and frameworks.
- Pricing: Per developer / year. Per contributing developer per year, with Mend AppSec shown as up to $1000, Mend AI up to $300 and Mend Renovate Enterprise up to $250; exact prices require a demo. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Mid-sized firms needing policy and SBOM control
- Strengths: Licence policy alerts; SBOM export in SPDX and CycloneDX; Third-party SBOM import.
Where it falls short
No free plan or trial appears on the pricing page, and the figures are 'up to' amounts with no currency code, so the real quote comes after a demo. Per-developer annual pricing can sting for contractor-heavy teams, since contractors count as contributing developers.
Wrong for
A startup that wants to try a scanner today without talking to sales.
Visit Mend →
#7 JFrog Xray
Artifact-level scanning that works inside JFrog Artifactory · Israel · jfrog.com
Artifactory self-managed option artifact scanning
JFrog Xray earns its place from where it scans. It continuously analyzes repositories, build packages and container images, producing licence compliance and SBOMs for direct and indirect dependencies, and operational risk policies based on version age and end-of-life status. Deployment is SaaS with a 99.99% uptime SLA, or self-managed, optionally in high-availability clusters.
- Pricing: Subscription tiers. Pro SaaS at $50 a month (limited-time offer, usual $150) without SCA, Enterprise X SaaS from $950 a month, Self-Managed from $27,000 a year, and custom Enterprise+. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Teams that already store builds in Artifactory
- Strengths: Binary and code SCA; Container image scanning; Licence compliance with SBOMs.
Where it falls short
The cheap Pro SaaS tier at $50 a month does not include SCA or malicious package detection, which catches buyers who read only the headline price. The value depends on using Artifactory as the central repository. Consumption overage starts at $1.25 a GB.
Wrong for
A team that does not store packages in Artifactory and wants a standalone scanner in the pull request. Snyk, Semgrep or Aikido need no artifact repository.
Visit JFrog Xray →
#8 Trivy
Open source all-in-one security scanner · Israel · trivy.dev
open source Apache-2.0 containers
Trivy belongs on this list because the licence is stated plainly: Apache-2.0, on the homepage and in the GitHub repository. It looks for CVEs and infrastructure-as-code misconfigurations across code repositories, binary artifacts, container images and Kubernetes clusters, and customer testimonials mention SBOM generation, secret scanning and licence checks.
- Pricing: Open source + paid tiers. The scanner itself is Apache-2.0 licensed; Aqua's commercial products (Dev Security, Cloud Security, Platform) show no published price. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Engineers wiring a free scanner into CI
- Strengths: CVE scanning; IaC misconfiguration scanning; Container image scanning.
Where it falls short
The homepage lists scanning of vulnerabilities and misconfigurations and does not name SBOM, secrets or licence scanning as scanners, so those depend on testimonials, not vendor claims.
Wrong for
A company that needs a hosted dashboard, ticketing and licence approval workflow out of the box.
Visit Trivy →
#9 Sonatype Lifecycle
Component intelligence and policy enforcement for builds · United States · sonatype.com
policy enforcement SBOM Nexus Repository
Sonatype Lifecycle sits mid-table as a product in transition. The pricing page says Lifecycle capabilities are now included in Sonatype Guide and that new customers must buy Guide for them, while existing Lifecycle customers can add user licences through sales. Guide covers policy enforcement for security, licence and malware, SBOM generation, upgrade pull requests intended to avoid breaking changes, and an MCP server.
- Pricing: Credits + subscription. Guide Free at $0 with 500 credits, Guide Pro from $1,200 a year for 5,000 credits, Enterprise custom. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Teams standardizing on Nexus repositories
- Strengths: Component and vulnerability intelligence; Security, licence and malware policies; SBOM generation (SPDX 3.0 AI-BOM).
Where it falls short
A product name that changed from Lifecycle to Guide confuses evaluation, and the product page does not say whether Guide is cloud or self-hosted. Prices carry a dollar sign with no currency name, and Nexus Repository Pro self-hosted starts at $7,500 a year.
Wrong for
A buyer who wants a legacy Lifecycle contract unchanged, or one who does not use Nexus Repository.
Visit Sonatype Lifecycle →
#10 Checkmarx SCA
Dependency scanning inside the Checkmarx One suite · Israel · checkmarx.com
suite quote only supply chain package
Checkmarx sells SCA as one module of a broader application security suite, and as a major vendor it is placed in the second half. Essentials includes SAST, SCA, API Security and ASPM; Professional adds Malicious Package Protection, Repository Health, DAST and Container Security; a 'Start with Supply Chain' package includes SCA, Malicious Package Protection, Repository Health and Container Security. The FAQ names SaaS or self-hosted deployment.
- Pricing: Quote only. No prices published; Checkmarx One is priced per package on modules, deployment (SaaS or self-hosted) and number of developers. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Larger security teams buying one suite
- Strengths: Software composition analysis; Malicious Package Protection; Repository Health.
Where it falls short
No prices, plan limits or free plan appear anywhere, and the page states there is no self-serve free trial, only a personalized demo. SCA is not part of the 'Start with SAST' package, so buyers must pick the right package.
Wrong for
A small team wanting to start today with a card and a free tier.
Visit Checkmarx SCA →
#11 Revenera Code Insight
Bill of materials and policy tool from Revenera · United States · revenera.com
SBOM policy enforcement REST API
Revenera Code Insight is placed last because the public material is thin for a buyer. The product page promises an accurate bill of materials for all applications, policy setting and enforcement, proactive vulnerability monitoring, and integrations with build tools, CI/CD and SCM tools, artifact repositories and a REST API framework.
- Pricing: Quote only. No prices are shown; the only commercial path on the product page is a demo request. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Software publishers managing licence obligations
- Strengths: SBOM creation; Policy enforcement; Continuous vulnerability monitoring.
Where it falls short
No price, plan limit, free plan or trial is shown, and the page does not say whether Code Insight runs on-premises, in the cloud or self-hosted. Naming is mixed between Revenera, FlexNet and Flexera.
Wrong for
A startup or small team that needs published prices and a self-serve test. Snyk, Semgrep, FOSSA or Aikido allow that without a sales call.
Visit Revenera Code Insight →
Questions and answers
What is the best software composition analysis tool in 2026?
Aikido Security ranks first of 11, best for small teams wanting one bundled security tool. FOSSA is second (teams facing licence and SBOM requests) and Semgrep Supply Chain third (engineering teams already scanning code with Semgrep). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
What does software composition analysis actually check?
It builds an inventory of the open source packages in your application, including indirect dependencies, and compares each version with vulnerability and licence databases.
How is SCA different from SAST?
SAST reads the code your own team wrote and looks for flaws such as injection or unsafe functions. SCA reads the manifest and lock files to find what you imported from others.
Is there a free software composition analysis tool?
Yes. Aikido, FOSSA, Semgrep and Snyk all list free plans with project, repository or contributor limits, and Sonatype Guide has a free tier with 500 credits. Endor Labs offers a free read-only developer tier.
How are SCA tools priced?
Mostly by the unit of activity. Semgrep, Snyk and Endor Labs count developers who committed to a scanned repository in the last 90 days. Mend prices per contributing developer per year.
Do I need an SBOM, and which tool produces one?
If you sell to large companies, public bodies or regulated industries, you will probably be asked for one.
What is reachability analysis and is it worth paying for?
Reachability checks whether your code calls the vulnerable function in a dependency, so an alert for an unused function can be deprioritized. Mend, Endor Labs and Semgrep (Enterprise) list it, and Snyk's Risk Score weighs it.
Can I run SCA on my own servers?
Some vendors state it. Mend says cloud or self-hosted, FOSSA describes deployment on Kubernetes and Helm in your own infrastructure, JFrog offers Self-Managed subscriptions, and Checkmarx prices by SaaS or self-hosted model.
Do these tools detect malicious packages?
Several do. Aikido lists malware detection for malicious dependencies, Endor Labs names malicious package detection, Semgrep blocks malware in open source packages, JFrog lists detection across 4M open source packages, and Checkmarx includes Malicious Package Protection in higher packages.
Are there European software composition analysis tools?
Aikido Security is the one on this list with a Belgian legal entity, Aikido Security BV in Ghent. Snyk contracts through Snyk Limited, registered in London, for customers outside the United States, and states a Boston headquarters.
Is Trivy enough on its own?
For a small engineering team, often yes as a start. It is free under Apache-2.0 and scans repositories, images and clusters.
