To choose between two similar libraries on security, compare them on the same eight questions: activity, release recency, maintainers, vulnerability history and response, security policy, default safety, dependency tree and fit for your problem. Score each answer, note the unknowns, and pick on the whole picture, not on popularity.
Why a fixed list helps
Without a list, you compare whatever is easiest to find, usually star counts or a blog post. The OpenSSF evaluation guide explicitly says to choose software that fits your problem and not just because it is popular or trendy. A fixed list keeps the comparison fair and gives you something to show reviewers.
The eight questions
- Activity: is there meaningful recent work? The guide suggests significant commits in the past 12 months.
- Release recency: was the last release in the past 12 months?
- Maintainers: more than one, ideally from different organizations?
- Vulnerability record: how many advisories, and how quickly were they fixed?
- Reporting: is there a published way to report a vulnerability privately?
- Defaults: is the easy path the safe path?
- Tree: how many indirect dependencies does it bring?
- Fit: does it solve your actual problem without extra features you will not use?
A scoring table
Rate each from 0 to 2: 0 for a concern, 1 for acceptable, 2 for strong, and mark unknown separately.
| Question | Library A | Library B |
|---|---|---|
| Activity | ||
| Release recency | ||
| Maintainers | ||
| Vulnerability record | ||
| Reporting process | ||
| Secure defaults | ||
| Tree size | ||
| Fit | ||
| Unknowns |
Add the scores, but read the unknowns column too. Two libraries with equal totals are not equal if one has four unknowns.
Interpreting the outcome
A few cautions keep the exercise honest:
- A longer vulnerability list is not automatically worse. A heavily used library attracts more researchers, and prompt fixes are a good sign. Look at response time.
- A library with no advisories may simply be less examined.
- Weight the questions by your exposure. For a parser of untrusted input, defaults and vulnerability response matter most. For an internal tool, fit and tree size may dominate.
- Do not let a single red flag be averaged away. An archived repository or no release in years should end the comparison.
Finish with a trial
Install both in a scratch project and write the same small feature with each. Notice how many steps it takes to do the safe thing. Then record the decision, the date and the alternatives you rejected, so a later reader can see why.
Try it yourself
Open the demo and look at how findings are prioritized in one view. Think about how each library's vulnerability record would appear there.
Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.
Quick check
Should the library with fewer advisories win?
Not automatically. Fewer advisories can mean less scrutiny. Compare how fast fixes arrived and how the maintainers responded.
What if the scores are tied?
Look at the unknowns column and your exposure. Run a small trial with both and choose the one whose safe usage is simpler.
Safeguard's SBOM and dependency scanning and vulnerability management show known issues per version, which gives you evidence for the vulnerability record question. Try the free scan.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
