AIDE vs EventSentry File Monitoring
AIDE
aide.github.ioEventSentry File Monitoring
eventsentry.comSide by side
| Figure | AIDE | EventSentry File Monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · File Integrity Monitoring Software | 8.2 (#13) | 8.5 (#7) |
| File attributes | AIDE can check attributes including file type, permissions, inode, ownership, link name, size, block count and timestamps for inconsistencies. | File monitoring can gather digital certificates and entropy, with entropy usable to detect certain ransomware outbreaks. |
| Founded | 1999 | 2002 |
| Purpose | AIDE is a file and directory integrity checker that uses a database initialized from configuration rules to verify file integrity. | File integrity monitoring tracks additions, removals, size changes, SHA-256 checksum changes and transaction-log tampering. |
| Support | The project directs usage questions and release announcements to its mailing list, and also offers an IRC discussion channel and GitHub issue tracker. | EventSentry Light includes community support, while the full edition includes phone and email support plus getting-started assistance. |
Plans
EventSentry File Monitoring
- EventSentry LightFree
- EventSentry$85, paid once
In their own words
EventSentry File Monitoring
EventSentry File Monitoring tracks file additions and removals, size and SHA-256 checksum changes, and transaction-log tampering. It can gather digital certificates and entropy, which may help detect certain ransomware outbreaks. Changes can be logged to the Application event log with customizable severity and previous and new sizes or checksums. The current status of monitored files can be consolidated in the EventSentry database for comparisons across computers.
Notifications and integrations can go to email, MSSQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL or Oracle databases, HTTP(S), Syslog, SNMP traps, and executable processes. Exported text event logs can be cryptographically signed and timestamped to help identify tampering. EventSentry says its file integrity monitoring helps with PCI requirement 11.5. The full edition is an on-premise perpetual license listed at $85 per Windows device; EventSentry Light is free for five machines. A 30-day trial is listed. The feature is listed for Linux, macOS, web, and Windows, while the detailed supported operating-system list names Windows versions from NT 4 SP6 through Server 2025.