Why not just SCA?
SCA reports. Chainsaw refuses. Run both.
SCA tells you what's already inside your build. Chainsaw refuses the request on the install path, before bytes land.
Decision timing
Where each tool acts on one install
Chainsaw decides before the package enters a build. SCA reports after it is in use.
-
01 · Developer or CI
npm install -
02 · Chainsaw decides
- CVE, license, version
- up to 25 supply-chain signals
on supported ecosystems
-
Refused
never reaches a build
Allowed
in the build. SCA reports on it from here, after install
Feature matrix
Reporting vs. install-time control
| Capability | SCA tool Snyk · Sonatype · Mend | Chainsaw Install-time policy proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Dependency inventory / SBOM | Yes | Partial |
| CVE reporting & alerts | Yes | Partial |
| Refuses a package before it reaches a build | No | Yes |
| License policy at install time Refuse GPL in production, for example. | Partial | Yes |
| Monitor-only mode before enforcing | No | Yes |
| Policy response to a new CVE Stop new installs without waiting on upgrade PRs. | No | Yes |
| Post-install reporting | Yes | Partial |
| Refuses supply-chain attacks beyond CVE Install-script exfiltration, maintainer takeover, worm bursts. | No | Yes |
| Checksum fail-closed on upstream fetch | No | Yes |
Want to see it in practice?
Compare your current SCA coverage to install-time control
Start a free org in monitor mode. See what Chainsaw would have refused this week.