head to head · open source
osv-scanner vs enum4linux-ng
osv-scanner has 11,126 GitHub stars, 805 forks, 113 open issues and last shipped yesterday. enum4linux-ng has 1,665 stars, 153 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. osv-scanner leads on adoption by 568% (11,126 vs 1,665 stars). osv-scanner is written in Go under Apache-2.0; enum4linux-ng is written in Python under GPL-3.0. osv-scanner has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, enum4linux-ng 9%. osv-scanner was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (security-audit), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| osv-scanner | enum4linux-ng | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 11K | ★ 1.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-30 | 2026-02-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 805 | ⑂ 153 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick osv-scanner if
- You weight community size — 11K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick enum4linux-ng if
- You want the enum4linux-ng feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and enum4linux-ng fits your workflow better
About osv-scanner
OSV Scanner is an Apache 2.0 licensed vulnerability scanner written in Go that connects a project's list of dependencies with the vulnerabilities affecting them, using data from the open OSV.dev database, and it is aimed at developers, maintainers, and security teams who need to find known vulnerabilities in the dependencies they already ship.
read the full osv-scanner overview →
About enum4linux-ng
enum4linux ng is a Python rewrite of the classic enum4linux tool for enumerating information from Windows and Samba systems, aimed at security professionals and CTF players and released under the GPL 3.0 licence.
read the full enum4linux-ng overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is osv-scanner or enum4linux-ng more popular?
osv-scanner has 11,126 GitHub stars and enum4linux-ng has 1,665. osv-scanner has the larger community by that measure.
Are osv-scanner and enum4linux-ng free?
Both are open source. osv-scanner is licensed under Apache-2.0 and enum4linux-ng under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between osv-scanner and enum4linux-ng?
osv-scanner is written in Go and enum4linux-ng in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, osv-scanner or enum4linux-ng?
Choose osv-scanner if you want the larger community (11,126 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose enum4linux-ng if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.