Aikido vs Chainguard

The Chainguard alternative that fixes your existing images

Q: Does Aikido replace Chainguard, or run alongside it?

Both work. Aikido ships its own near-zero-CVE hardened base images, so many teams use Aikido alone for code-to-runtime coverage plus hardened images. Teams already invested in Chainguard can keep it for artifacts and use Aikido for the scanning, cloud, pentesting, and runtime layers Chainguard doesn't cover.

Q: Does Chainguard scan my code?

No. Chainguard provides hardened container images and malware-free libraries, then relies on third-party scanners like Snyk, Trivy, Grype, Wiz, and Qualys to do the scanning. Aikido includes SAST, SCA, secrets, IaC, container, and malware scanning in one platform.

Q: How does Aikido pricing compare to Chainguard?

Aikido is free to start, with no credit card, and self-serve pricing per contributing developer. Chainguard's free tier covers five images with no CVE remediation SLA; production access is sales-gated, with catalog pricing that starts at $19K for a team of 10.

Q: Can I get hardened, near-zero-CVE base images from Aikido?

Yes. Aikido's Hardened Images give you near-zero-CVE base images with extended lifecycle support as drop-in replacements. Change one FROM line and get one-click AutoFix PRs with backported patches, without breaking OS upgrades.

Chainguard only gives you clean images when you move to their catalog. Aikido cleans up the images you already use, without migrating, all with backported fixes, stable versions, and fewer CVEs.

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Three areas where Chainguard falls short but Aikido doesn’t.

NEW BASE NEEDED

Chainguard's fix is a migration.

Chainguard replaces your images with its own catalog. Aikido hardens the Debian, Ubuntu, and Alpine images you already run.

NO BACKPORTS

Chainguard's treadmill never stops

Maintaining CVE free images on Chainguard means rolling forward to new digests. Aikido backports the fix to your newest version.

BLIND TO YOUR STACK

Chainguard sells security parts

Chainguard hands you artifacts and relies on someone else's scanner. Aikido shows you which images are risky, then fixes them.

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Aikido vs Chainguard

Transparent pricing, no hidden charges

Aikido

Chainguard

Base image and distro
Re-platform required
Version handling
Upgrade cadence
Image variant coverage

Works with your existing stack
(Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine and more)
No
Keep your pinned versions, fixes backported
On your schedule, no forced upgrades
The images you already run, plus a hardened catalog

Requires full migration to Chainguard catalog and distro
Yes, migrate to their catalog
Default tracks latest; older versions via paid LTS
Move to latest, or move to a paid LTS lane
Curated catalog (free tier latest-only)

Dependency language coverage
Dependency fix model

Broad: npm, PyPI, Maven, Gradle, Go, NuGet, RubyGems, ...
Fix the vulnerable dependency, with AI Autofix

Chainguard Libraries: Python, Java, JavaScript only
Rebuilt-from-source replacement packages you pull in

Static Code Analysis (SAST)
SCA
DAST & AI Pentesting
Secrets scanning
IaC scanning
CSPM
Runtime protection

Finds what is broken in your stack
AI Autofix

Yes, across code, dependencies, containers, and cloud
Yes, unlimited

No, ships clean artifacts but does not scan your environment
Regenerate from source, not in-place fix

Provenance and compliance
Scanner and workflow fit

SBOM, SOC 2 and ISO tracking, FedRAMP in progress*
Connect repos, scan in 32s, no migration

SBOM and provenance, SLSA L3, FIPS 140-3
Parallel secure registry to standardize on

Try Aikido for free

"Aikido's biggest value is that we stopped thinking about CVEs. They just vanish and our developers don't even notice."

Diogo RaposaApplication Security Engineer at BigID

GEA switched from Sonarqube to Aikido

In just 45 minutes, we onboarded 150+ developers with Aikido.

Marc LehrHead of Customer Engagement & Digital Platform

Read the story

GEA switched from Sonarqube to Aikido

INTRO TO CONTAINER AUTOFIX

Get safe & tested upgrade paths, in ready-to-merge pull requests.

Get your images to zero known CVE's

Code, cloud, runtime, and hardened base images in one platform. Start for free, scan in 30 seconds.

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Faq

FAQs about Aikido vs Chainguard

Does Aikido replace Chainguard, or run alongside it?

Both. Aikido ships its own near-zero-CVE hardened images, so most teams run Aikido alone for code-to-runtime plus images. Already invested in Chainguard? Keep it for artifacts and let Aikido cover the scanning, cloud, pentesting, and runtime it doesn't.

Does Chainguard scan my code?

No. Chainguard ships hardened images and libraries, then sends you to third-party scanners to actually find vulnerabilities. Aikido does the scanning itself: SAST, SCA, secrets, IaC, container, and malware in one platform.

How does Aikido pricing compare to Chainguard?

Aikido is free to start. No credit card, self-serve, priced per contributing developer. Chainguard's free Catalog Starter is five images with no CVE SLA, and production is sales-gated and quote-only.

Can I get hardened, near-zero-CVE base images from Aikido?

Yes. Aikido Images are drop-in replacements with extended lifecycle support. Change one FROM line, get one-click AutoFix PRs with backported patches, no breaking OS upgrades.

Do I have to migrate off my current base images?

No. Chainguard hardens by replacing your base images with its own. Aikido hardens the Debian, Ubuntu, and Alpine images you already run. Change one FROM line, get AutoFix PRs with backported patches, no breaking OS upgrades.

Most of my CVEs are in app dependencies, not the base image. Does that matter?

Yes. Hardening the base image only touches the OS layer, and most of your CVE exposure lives above it in application dependencies. Aikido scans and fixes both, so you're not left securing the base while the risk sits elsewhere.