SCA Comparison
OtterSight vs Dependabot
Dependabot is built into GitHub and free. For many devs, that’s enough. But when you need SBOMs, want EUVD data, or need alerts beyond email, you’ll hit its limits quickly.
In short
Choose Dependabot if…
- ✓You only use GitHub and don’t need additional tools
- ✓Automatic PRs for dependency updates are your main goal
- ✓You have no compliance requirements (no SBOM, no GDPR proof)
- ✓Budget is €0 and should stay that way
Choose OtterSight if…
- →You need CycloneDX SBOMs for clients or compliance
- →EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) is relevant for you
- →Alerts should go to Slack, Discord, Telegram, or 300+ other channels
- →Your data must stay on EU servers (GDPR)
- →You want to track version drift across all repos
Feature comparison
| Feature | OtterSight | Dependabot |
|---|---|---|
| CVE Scanning | ✓ Grype + EUVD | ✓ GitHub Advisory DB |
| SBOM Generation | ✓ CycloneDX 1.6 | — |
| EU Vulnerability DB | ✓ EUVD integration | — |
| EPSS + KEV Scoring | ✓ Prioritization | — CVSS only |
| Ecosystems | 20+ via Syft | ~15 native |
| Notifications | 300+ channels (Apprise) | GitHub + email |
| Auto-Update PRs | — Planned | ✓ Core feature |
| Version Drift | ✓ Tracking + alerts | — |
| Dashboard | ✓ All repos centrally | Per repo in GitHub |
| Data Hosting | Hetzner DE (EU) | GitHub/Microsoft (US) |
| GDPR | ✓ DPA + TOM | GitHub DPA |
| Price | From €9/mo | Free |
| Setup | Connect GitHub, done | YAML per repo |
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What Dependabot can’t do
SBOM generation
Dependabot detects vulnerabilities but doesn’t generate a Software Bill of Materials. For the EU Cyber Resilience Act, client requirements, or compliance audits, you need CycloneDX or SPDX SBOMs. OtterSight generates them automatically with every scan via Syft.
EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD)
The EUVD is Europe’s answer to the US NVD. It’s operated by ENISA and contains CVEs particularly relevant to the European market. Dependabot exclusively uses the GitHub Advisory Database. OtterSight is currently the only SCA scanner that integrates EUVD data.
Notifications beyond email
Dependabot notifies via GitHub notifications and email. If your team uses Slack, Discord, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, or webhooks, you need to build your own integrations. OtterSight uses Apprise and supports over 300 channels out of the box.
EPSS + KEV instead of just CVSS
CVSS tells you how bad a vulnerability theoretically is. EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) tells you how likely it is to be actually exploited. KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities) shows whether it’s already being actively exploited. Dependabot shows only severity labels. OtterSight gives you all three scores for real prioritization.
Version drift detection
Dependabot suggests updates but doesn’t track how far your dependencies are from the current release. OtterSight detects version drift across all repos and alerts you before outdated packages become a security risk.
What Dependabot does better
Fair assessment: Dependabot has clear strengths.
- Automatic PRs — Dependabot creates pull requests for dependency updates. That’s its core function and it does it very well. OtterSight focuses on scanning and alerting, not automatic updates (yet).
- Zero cost — Dependabot is included with GitHub. For solo devs with 1–2 repos and no compliance requirements, that’s hard to beat.
- GitHub-native — No external tool, no additional login. Security alerts right in the repository tab.
Can you use both?
Yes. The tools complement each other.
Dependabot for automatic update PRs in GitHub. OtterSight for the big picture: SBOM export, EUVD data, EPSS scoring, version drift, and alerts via your preferred channel. Many devs use Dependabot as an update bot and OtterSight as a security dashboard.
Ready for complete SCA?
3 repos free. No credit card. SBOM + EUVD + 300+ alerts from day one.
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