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Wazuh alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 1, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Wazuh: self-hosting the server, indexer and dashboard takes real setup and tuning, and managed cloud plans start at several hundred dollars a month. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Wazuh, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. osquery currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1osquery logoosqueryOpen sourceYesLinux, macOS, Windows +14 of 466.5
2Graylog logoGraylogFree plan + paidNoSelf-hosted, Linux, Web6 of 661.8
3Suricata logoSuricataOpen sourceNoLinux, macOS, Windows +15 of 554.5
4SnSnortOpen sourceNoLinux, Self-hosted5 of 550.3
  1. osquery logo

    1. osqueryTop pick

    Best for: Security and IT teams who want SQL-level visibility into every laptop and server.

    Open sourceSelf-hostableLinux, macOS, Windows, Self-hosted

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Wazuh

    Lighter, SQL-based host visibility agent if you'd rather build your own detections.

    Pros

    • Plain SQL for questions about processes, users, ports, packages and files
    • Same agent and tables on Linux, macOS and Windows
    • Scheduled queries and logs show changes across a whole fleet
    • Free, open source, with a plugin and extension API

    Cons

    • No built-in dashboard or central management; needs a separate fleet manager
    • Writing useful queries takes SQL skills and knowledge of the table schema
    • Detection rules and alerting are up to you to build
    Visit osquery Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is osquery a good Wazuh alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0 or GPL-2.0
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Linux, macOS, Windows
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Query language
    SQL
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Fleet managers
    Fleet, Kolide, osctrl, Zentral
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Graylog logo

    2. Graylog

    Best for: IT and security teams who want central log management on their own servers

    Free plan + paidSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux, Web

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Wazuh

    Open-source log management with SIEM features, simpler if logs are the main need.

    Pros

    • Free self-managed edition for core logging
    • Flexible processing pipelines and streams
    • Grows into SIEM features if needed

    Cons

    • SSPL licence is not OSI open source
    • Requires running OpenSearch and MongoDB
    • Key enterprise features are paid
    Visit Graylog Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Graylog a good Wazuh alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    License
    SSPL
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free edition
    Graylog Open, self-managed
    Checked Oct 29, 2026graylog.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Founded
    2009
    Checked Oct 29, 2026graylog.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    From $15,000 a year (Graylog Enterprise)
    Checked Nov 1, 2026graylog.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Graylog Security plan
    From $18,000 a year
    Checked Nov 1, 2026graylog.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes, Graylog Open (self-managed)
    Checked Nov 1, 2026graylog.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Suricata logo

    3. Suricata

    Best for: Teams who want a free, multithreaded IDS/IPS with detailed JSON logs for their SIEM.

    Open sourceLinux, macOS, Windows, Self-hosted

    54.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Wazuh

    Free network IDS/IPS when the priority is inspecting traffic rather than endpoints.

    Pros

    • Multithreaded engine that scales across CPU cores
    • Compatible with most Snort-style rulesets
    • EVE JSON logging integrates easily with SIEMs
    • Fully free under the GPL, run by a non-profit

    Cons

    • No built-in dashboard; alerts need a separate tool to review
    • Tuning rules and performance on busy networks takes expertise
    • Commercial rulesets cost extra
    Visit Suricata Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.360
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Suricata a good Wazuh alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    GPL-2.0
    Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    IDS / IPS
    Yes
    Checked Nov 1, 2026suricata.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Log format
    EVE JSON
    Checked Nov 1, 2026suricata.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Linux, Mac, FreeBSD, Unix, Windows
    Checked Nov 1, 2026suricata.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    OISF (non-profit)
    Checked Nov 1, 2026suricata.io(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Sn

    4. Snort

    Best for: Network defenders who want a proven signature-based IDS/IPS with professionally maintained rules.

    Open sourceLinux, Self-hosted

    50.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Wazuh

    Signature-based network IDS/IPS with Talos-maintained rules.

    Pros

    • Free, open-source engine with a long track record
    • Rules written and tested by Cisco Talos
    • Can run inline to block traffic, not just alert
    • Large rule library and community documentation

    Cons

    • Newest Talos rules require a paid subscription per sensor
    • No built-in dashboard; needs separate tools to review alerts
    • Snort 3 configuration differs from Snort 2, so older guides may not apply
    Visit Snort Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.346
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Snort a good Wazuh alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 29, 2026snort.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Personal rules subscription
    $29.99 per sensor/year
    Checked Oct 29, 2026snort.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Business rules subscription
    $399 per sensor/year
    Checked Oct 29, 2026snort.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Free rules
    Community Ruleset
    Checked Oct 29, 2026snort.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    Cisco
    Checked Oct 29, 2026snort.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Wazuh alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

osquery logo

Best Wazuh alternative for most people

osquery

Lighter, SQL-based host visibility agent if you'd rather build your own detections.

Suricata logo

Best Wazuh alternative for a free option

Suricata

Free network IDS/IPS when the priority is inspecting traffic rather than endpoints.

Graylog logo

Best Wazuh alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Graylog

Open-source log management with SIEM features, simpler if logs are the main need.

osquery logo

Best Wazuh alternative for open source

osquery

Lighter, SQL-based host visibility agent if you'd rather build your own detections.

Elastic Observability logo

Best Wazuh alternative for self-hosting

Elastic Observability

Elastic's stack adds strong search and dashboards, with security features alongside observability.

osquery logo

Best Wazuh alternative for Mac

osquery

Lighter, SQL-based host visibility agent if you'd rather build your own detections.

osquery logo

Best Wazuh alternative for Windows

osquery

Lighter, SQL-based host visibility agent if you'd rather build your own detections.

Sn

Best Wazuh alternative for Linux

Snort

Signature-based network IDS/IPS with Talos-maintained rules.

Sumo Logic logo

Best Wazuh alternative for working in the browser

Sumo Logic

Hosted log analytics with a cloud SIEM, so there's no server to run yourself.

Wazuh alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Wazuh?

osquery ranks first right now. Lighter, SQL-based host visibility agent if you'd rather build your own detections. Elastic Observability and Graylog follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Wazuh?

Yes. osquery (open source), Graylog (free plan + paid), Suricata (open source) and Snort (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Wazuh?

Yes: osquery. osquery can also be self-hosted.

Which Wazuh alternatives work on Linux?

osquery, Graylog, Suricata and Snort run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Wazuh?

The complaints we hear most: self-hosting the server, indexer and dashboard takes real setup and tuning; managed cloud plans start at several hundred dollars a month; default rules can be noisy until tuned.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Wazuh, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.