The best SBOM tools generate a software bill of materials that lists every component inside an application or device, then help you manage those SBOMs and spot vulnerable or risky parts. Some are free generators you add to a build, others are platforms that analyse SBOMs from your own teams and your suppliers. Eleven options follow in no particular order.
Modern software is mostly other people's code. Open source libraries, packages and firmware sit inside almost everything, and when a vulnerability hits one of them, the first question is: do we use it?
An SBOM answers that in minutes instead of days. The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's or project's own page, read this week. For the broader picture, my guide to cybersecurity essentials for customer-facing platforms is a useful starting point.
SBOM tools compared
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names a free plan, a free version, a free account or an open source edition. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchore Enterprise | SBOM-powered SCA platform | SBOM-led supply chain security | Trial only |
| Cybeats | SBOM management | Managing SBOMs at scale | Not stated |
| Dependency-Track | Open source SBOM analysis | Continuous SBOM analysis | Yes |
| Finite State | Device product security | Connected devices and firmware | Not stated |
| FOSSA | Supply chain compliance | License compliance with SBOMs | Trial only |
| Interlynk | SBOM platform | Medical device SBOM rules | Not stated |
| Lineaje | Supply chain security | SBOMs plus curated open source | Not stated |
| Manifest Cyber | Supply chain security platform | Checking supplier software | Not stated |
| Microsoft SBOM Tool | SBOM generator | SPDX SBOMs in builds | Not stated |
| RunSafe Security | Embedded software security | Build-time SBOMs for C and C++ | Not stated |
| Syft | Open source SBOM generator | Generating SBOMs from containers | Yes |
Eleven SBOM tools to evaluate
Anchore Enterprise
Best for: Security teams who want an SBOM-powered platform for composition analysis, vulnerability scanning and automated compliance, with a free trial.
Cybeats
Best for: Product security teams who want SBOM management with vulnerability analysis and prioritisation across their software supply chain.
Dependency-Track
Best for: Teams who want a free, open source OWASP platform that analyses SBOMs so they know exactly what is in their software.
Finite State
Best for: Makers of connected devices who want product security and SBOM work for their firmware and device software in one system.
FOSSA
Best for: Engineering and legal teams who want SBOMs alongside open source license compliance and audit-grade reports, with a full-access free trial.
Interlynk
Best for: Medtech and embedded teams who want SBOM generation and management for C and C++ code, FDA 524B and the EU CRA.
Lineaje
Best for: Platform teams who want full-lifecycle supply chain security, with SBOM360 for SBOMs and trusted open source packages.
Manifest Cyber
Best for: Buyers and makers who want to know what is inside every product they build or buy by analysing supplier SBOMs and binaries.
Microsoft SBOM Tool
Best for: Developers who want a scalable tool from Microsoft that creates SPDX 2.2 compatible SBOMs for many kinds of build artifacts.
RunSafe Security
Best for: Embedded software teams who want build-time SBOM generation for C and C++ plus runtime protection, with no code changes needed.
Syft
Best for: Engineers who want Anchore's free, Apache-licensed CLI tool and library for generating SBOMs from container images and filesystems.
Pick by what you're building
- Free SBOM generation: Syft or Microsoft SBOM Tool.
- Free SBOM analysis: Dependency-Track.
- Medical devices and embedded code: Interlynk, RunSafe Security or Finite State.
- Checking supplier software: Manifest Cyber.
- License compliance with SBOMs: FOSSA.
- SBOM-led security platforms: Anchore Enterprise, Cybeats or Lineaje.
The EU is writing SBOMs into law
EUR-Lex publishes the Cyber Resilience Act, Regulation (EU) 2024/2847. It defines a software bill of materials as a formal record containing details and supply chain relationships of components included in the software elements of a product with digital elements, and it says manufacturers should identify and document components, including by drawing up an SBOM.
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The Regulation applies from December 11, 2027, with its reporting obligations under Article 14 applying from September 11, 2026. If you sell software or connected products in the EU, an SBOM is moving from good practice to part of the compliance file.
Generate, manage or analyse?
Generators create SBOMs from source code, container images or builds. Many are free and slot into a pipeline in an afternoon.
Management platforms store SBOMs across products and versions, track new vulnerabilities against them and share them with customers who ask.
Analysis of supplier SBOMs is the newer job. If you buy software or devices, it tells you what's inside before it's on your network.
Questions before you choose
- Which formats do we need: SPDX, CycloneDX or both?
- Can it generate SBOMs at build time automatically?
- Does it handle compiled code and firmware?
- Will it keep checking components for new vulnerabilities?
- Can we share SBOMs with customers safely?
- Can it read SBOMs from our suppliers?
Signs you need an SBOM process
- A new vulnerability means days of searching. Generate SBOMs.
- Customers ask what's inside your product. Share an SBOM.
- You sell into the EU. Prepare for the CRA.
- Suppliers won't say what they ship. Ask for their SBOM.
Do you make SBOM or software supply chain tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on SBOM tools
Start free. Add an SBOM generator to one build pipeline first, and you'll learn more about what's in your product than any workshop would teach you.
Then decide whether you need a platform to manage and share SBOMs at scale. If you work with AI coding tools, my list of AI prompts for code review helps tighten what goes into the build.
Frequently asked questions
What is an SBOM?
A software bill of materials is a formal record of the components inside a piece of software, including how they relate to each other in the supply chain.
Is an SBOM required by law?
In the EU, the Cyber Resilience Act brings SBOM duties for manufacturers of products with digital elements, and the Regulation applies from December 11, 2027.
Are there free SBOM tools?
Yes. There are free, open source tools for generating SBOMs and for analysing them.
What formats do SBOMs use?
The two common formats are SPDX and CycloneDX. Many tools support both.
Do SBOMs help with vulnerabilities?
Yes. When a new vulnerability is announced, an SBOM shows quickly whether the affected component is in your product.
Who needs SBOM tools?
Software makers, connected device manufacturers, medical device teams and organisations that buy software and want to know what's inside it.
