Artifact Repository Managers Compared:

JFrog Artifactory
vs Sonatype Nexus Repository®

Unmatched Data and Pricing with the World’s #1 Artifact Repository Manager

Build fast and secure in a single system of record without any hidden fees or surprises. With Sonatype Nexus Repository, you can scale effortlessly while keeping costs predictable. Realize ROI faster and focus on what matters – delivering exceptional software without the hassle.

Predictable pricing

Manage artifacts and AI models in a centralized repository without paying extra for each supported language needed.

Scalable deployments

Easily scale and deploy High Availability (HA) for clusters, edge nodes, and more without incurring per-node fees.

Secure AI usage

Build smarter by using open source and AI responsibly in Sonatype Nexus Repository.

Sonatype vs. JFrog

The Sonatype Platform is unmatched with 80% more accurate data than JFrog.

Features
Sonatype_logo_full_color
JFrog-Artifactory-Logo
Store and Manage Repositories yes Yes, core repository features and a wide range of repository formats. yes Yes
Repository Firewall yes Yes, supported for Nexus Repository and JFrog Artifactory. Fully identifies malicious components as soon as they are released. yes Yes, for use with Artifactory only. Very little malicious data. Malicious detection is very limited and not proactive.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) yes Yes and named "Leader" in the Forrester Wave: SCA yes Yes, but no depth of SCA features.
Integrations yes Extensive no Varies by product
Partner Network yes Yes yes Yes
Air-Gapped Environments yes Available across platform no Available for selected products
Policy Tools yes Extensive policy tools, including policy recommendations and policy customization no Limited
Licensing Tools yes Full license obligation and compliance with Advanced Legal Pack no Only basic declared licenses show in reports, no policy configuration option available for licenses.
Reporting yes Extensive and customizable with dashboards no Limited
Remediation Guidance yes Extensive. Detailed information for the developer, including ability to add custom messages within the tools they already use. no Limited. Policy violations via email. Components blocked without explanation.
Platform Performance yes Reliable and scalable. no Limited, components blocked without explanation.
SBOM Support yes Export and ingestion within Lifecycle, a complete end to end management system with SBOM Manager. no Export only
AI and Large Language Model (LLM) Detection yes Yes no No
Pricing yes Transparent, predictable, and fair. no Hidden costs for bi-directional transfer and storage fees in cloud. Additional node fees, increasing the cost of HA, DR, Replication and Test (UAT) instances for on-premise.
Sonatype_logo_full_color
Features
Store and Manage Repositories yes Yes, core repository features and a wide range of repository formats.
Repository Firewall yes Yes, supported for Nexus Repository and JFrog Artifactory. Fully identifies malicious components as soon as they are released.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) yes Yes and named "Leader" in the Forrester Wave: SCA
Integrations yes Extensive
Partner Network yes Yes
Air-Gapped Environments yes Available across platform
Policy Tools yes Extensive policy tools, including policy recommendations and policy customization
Licensing Tools yes Full license obligation and compliance with Advanced Legal Pack
Reporting yes Extensive and customizable with dashboards
Remediation Guidance yes Extensive. Detailed information for the developer, including ability to add custom messages within the tools they already use.
Platform Performance yes Reliable and scalable.
SBOM Support yes Export and ingestion within Lifecycle, a complete end to end management system with SBOM Manager.
AI and Large Language Model (LLM) Detection yes Yes
Pricing yes Transparent, predictable, and fair.
JFrog-Artifactory-Logo
Features
Store and Manage Repositories yes Yes
Repository Firewall yes Yes, for use with Artifactory only. Very little malicious data. Malicious detection is very limited and not proactive.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) yes Yes, but no depth of SCA features.
Integrations no Varies by product
Partner Network yes Yes
Air-Gapped Environments no Available for selected products
Policy Tools no Limited
Licensing Tools no Only basic declared licenses show in reports, no policy configuration option available for licenses.
Reporting no Limited
Remediation Guidance no Limited. Policy violations via email. Components blocked without explanation.
Platform Performance no Limited, components blocked without explanation.
SBOM Support no Export only
AI and Large Language Model (LLM) Detection no No
Pricing no Hidden costs for bi-directional transfer and storage fees in cloud. Additional node fees, increasing the cost of HA, DR, Replication and Test (UAT) instances for on-premise.
American Express
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Equifax
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Ready to Migrate from JFrog Artifactory?

Sonatype Nexus Repository is the leading JFrog Artifactory alternative for users looking for a switch. Sonatype's data accuracy is unmatched. Migration is easy too. So why settle for less when you can easily move to Sonatype Nexus Repository now. 

  • Developer friendly

    Get a 2x boost in productivity with component recommendations based on your own organization's OSS policy.

  • Easy to integrate

    Works seamlessly with the DevOps tools you already have in place without any additional fees.

  • Reilable date and security automation

    Superior data and policy customization means less rework and false positives with a stronger security posture.

Superior Data Powers
Our Software Security Platform

Access exclusive vulnerability data

We have you covered. Go well beyond the National Vulnerability Database and leverage Sonatype's exclusive intelligence that scans than 250,000 new releases a day discovered by our in-house team of 30+ security researchers.

95x
more malicious packages discovered

Focus on what matters

We save you time. Using a combination of open source and visibility discovery combined with behavioral intelligence, we analyze the uniqu anatomy of OSS and correctly identify true positives.

2x time savings
for developers by reducing false positives

Accuracy you can trust

We have the breadth and depth. We have catalogued nearly 300 million open source components and continue to find more than 17 thousand vulnerable release implications a day at a speed 10x faster than the NVD.

32%
public security advisories are corrected by us
JFROG VS. NEXUS

Complete Pipeline Protection

Consolidate all your development tools into a  single artifact repository manager that blocks open source malware so you can build with the best artifacts available. Ship code quickly and improve your build performance with comprehensive software supply chain management. 

Workflow of Nexus Repository showing full development from component selection to distribution

Enterprises Everywhere Love Sonatype

Why Nexus Repository is the Best Artifactory Alternative

Nobody knows Open Source like Sonatype

“I don't think that Sonatype has any legitimate competitors regarding their knowledge of open source software. That knowledge is seamlessly woven into their products.”

Read Review

Sonatype Nexus: Best platform for managing artifacts

“Sonatype nexus platform is an excellent choice in comparison to the other products. As a platform it is a combination of various modules plus it comes with the support.”

Read Review

Sonatype Platform used at scale make developers life easy

“Nexus Repository is used as the golden source for artifact management and acts as the crown jewel of the software development factory. All builds and off-the-shelf packages are pulled from Nexus prior to deployments downstream.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is an artifact repository manager?

An artifact repository manager stores and manages binary components, libraries, and other artifacts used in software development. It serves as a centralized storage location where development teams can publish, share, and maintain the various dependencies their applications need.

Artifact repository manager (ARM) tools help organizations:

  • Streamline the software build process by providing a single source of truth for all binary artifacts
  • Improve build speed by caching external dependencies locally
  • Ensure version control and consistency across development environments
  • Facilitate collaboration by allowing teams to share internally developed components
  • Enhance security by providing visibility into what components are being used and scanning for vulnerabilities
  • Support DevOps practices by integrating with CI/CD pipelines and other development tools
What is Nexus Repository?

Nexus Repository is Sonatype’s enterprise-grade artifact repository manager that allows development teams to store, organize, and distribute software components. It provides centralized management of binary artifacts and dependencies used throughout the software development lifecycle. Nexus Repository is the best alternative to Artifactory for organizations seeking superior vulnerability data accuracy, more comprehensive security protection, and a more developer-friendly experience.

Why is Nexus Repository the best Artifactory alternative? 

Sonatype Nexus Repository is a world-class artifact repository manager solution and the top Artifactory alternative for existing Jfrog users. Offering full ecosystem support without any hidden fees, enterprises can manage artifacts in a centralized location to speed up development cycles.

Is Sonatype's data better than JFrog's?

Yes! Sonatype analyzes more than 4.7M components per day and has discovered 95x more malicious packages as compared to alternative solutions. In addition to using public and proprietary data sources, as well as industry-reading behavioral intelligence, Sonatype also has 65 full-time researchers on staff. More than 15M developers rely on Sonatype tools.

Why do developers prefer Sonatype to JFrog?

Sonatype provides actionable insights that help developers understand the root cause of vulnerabilities and associated risks, helping teams prioritize remediation efforts and make more strategic decisions. Sonatype has a lower false positive rate—resulting in less unnecessary work for developers.
Why do security professionals prefer Sonatype to JFrog?

Sonatype’s proprietary data set, fueled by our 65+ member Research Team, offers accurate and timely info on security vulnerabilities, license risks, and architectural issues in open source components. This allows organizations to focus on prioritizing their most critical issues. Sonatype also has a lower false negative rate—resulting in less unknown risk.

Sonatype’s AI-driven, continuous monitoring performs daily scans of deployed applications, ensuring that organizations always have up-to-date information about their dependencies. Instead of simply providing alerts when a vulnerability is discovered, Sonatype focuses on prevention by enabling organizations to define and enforce custom policies for security, legal, and architectural compliance. This enables teams to make decisions that align with their specific requirements, rather than pushing them towards blindly upgrading components after a vulnerability is discovered.

What is the benefit of Sonatype’s perimeter protection (Firewall)?

More than 250,000 malicious and suspicious packages have been discovered and blocked using next-generation, proprietary behavioral analysis, and automated policy enforcement. Sonatype Repository Firewall has helped remove over 22,000 malicious packages from open registries. Sonatype Repository Firewall: 

  • Automatically blocks known vulnerabilities and OSS releases.
  • Automatically releases cleared components, reducing the time spent reviewing them.
  • Allows organizations to decide which components are allowed into the software development life cycle (SDLC).
  • Automatically returns secure versions of the component version range requested.
Does Sonatype Repository Firewall work with any repository?

Yes, Sonatype Repository Firewall works with any repository, including JFrog Artifactory.

What are the benefits of Sonatype Nexus Repository Manager vs. JFrog Artifactory?

Customers choose Nexus Repository as the smart repository option because of its strong integration with popular build tools, like Maven. Nexus Repository is also known for its integration capabilities, ease of use, and support options.

What are the benefits of Sonatype Lifecycle vs. JFrog Advanced Security?

Sonatype Lifecycle was named a "Leader" in SCA because it: 

  • Accelerates the software development process.
  • Sophisticated and customizable policy engine.
  • Makes security automation possible thanks to the industry's most reliable data.
  • Works with existing developer workflows.
How well does Sonatype integrate with other tools vs. JFrog?

The Sonatype platform works with all major CI/CD, Dev, SCM, build and container tools, security tools, IDEs, and issue-tracking software. Supports 40+ languages and package types, including npm, PyPi, Docker, and NuGet.

How do I discover AI / Large Language Model (LLM) use in my organization?

Sonatype helps organizations understand AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), embrace them, and use them safely. With the Sonatype platform, organizations can understand where they are using AI technologies and models, identify what those technologies and models are, and articulate model risk.

How do I migrate from JFrog to Sonatype?

There are factors to consider, such as configurations and integrations. The Sonatype team is experienced with this and can offer the support you need to make the change.

Gartner Badge

Sonatype Nexus Repository number 1 Ranked Repository Manager PeerSpot.

 

2024Q4_Software-Composition-Analysis-Software_181655_L-1

 

“If we want to know what production looks like, we should be able to look at our repository and know - from an infrastructure stack, from a library stack, from an application stack - exactly what is being deployed in production at any given time.”

Bryson Koehler

EVP & CTO of Equifax

See Case Study
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“Sonatype Nexus Repository Manager provides a central platform for storing build artifacts, saving us significant maintenance and hardware costs. I am very confident of its reliability.”

Hagen Rahn

Senior Software Engineer, Systema

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“We implemented the new framework to provide substantial shift left capabilities, quality assessment processes, and a real focus on ensuring our open source library consumption was safe.”

Ken D’Auria

Director of Engineering, The Hartford

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