npq vs Confused: 2026 Comparison
npq is a free software composition analysis tool. Confused is a free software composition analysis tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best software composition analysis fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
Developers and AppSec teams managing npm/yarn dependencies in CI/CD pipelines should choose npq for its shift-left approach to package auditing; it catches malicious or compromised packages before they land in your codebase, not after deployment. The tool's free pricing and 1,555 GitHub stars reflect solid adoption among teams that value simplicity over scanning breadth. Not ideal if you need deep vulnerability scoring or license compliance checks; npq does one job well and stops there.
Development teams with sprawling open source dependencies need Confused to catch typosquatting and namespace confusion attacks before they land in production, since most SCA tools skip this supply chain angle entirely. The scanner checks four major repositories (Python, JavaScript, PHP, Maven) and costs nothing, making it a low-friction addition to your CI/CD pipeline. Skip this if your threat model doesn't include malicious package registration or if you're already using a paid SCA platform with its own namespace monitoring; Confused solves one specific problem well rather than replacing your existing composition analysis workflow.
