CrowdSec vs OSSEC
CrowdSec
crowdsec.net
OSSEC
ossec.netSide by side
| Figure | CrowdSec | OSSEC |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $49/mo | $4.58/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 5 |
| Spec score · Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software | 9.3 (#1) | 9.0 (#4) |
| Documentation depth | The documentation includes installation guides, architecture, data sources, remediation, APIs, integrations, compilation and contribution/testing guidance. | The manual includes architecture, supported systems, agents, log monitoring, syscheck, rootcheck, rules, decoders, output formats, configuration syntax, man pages and examples. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.7 out of 5 from 87 reviews. | 4.6 out of 5 from 10 reviews |
| Rating on GetApp | No reviews; the listing shows a free starting price and free trial. | 5.0 out of 5 from 1 review for Atomicorp OSSEC |
| Supported systems | Documentation lists Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, macOS, Docker, Kubernetes, OPNsense, pfSense and WHM. | Official materials list Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, macOS, Solaris and Windows support, with Atomic OSSEC extending coverage to AIX and HP-UX. |
| What it does | CrowdSec Security Engine analyzes logs and HTTP requests with behavior-based scenarios, then uses remediation components to block malicious activity. | OSSEC is a scalable, cross-platform open-source host-based intrusion detection system. |
Plans
CrowdSec
- IP Reputation API$49 a month
- Platinum Blocklists$1,900 a month
- Live Exploit Tracker$2,000 a month
- CommunityFree
- Community Security EngineFree
- IP Reputation API access$49 a month
- Local CTI replication$9,000 a month
- CrowdSec Console PremiumPriced on request
In their own words
CrowdSec
CrowdSec is an open-source security stack designed to detect and block malicious IP addresses to protect infrastructure and applications. Its Security Engine analyzes logs and requests for harmful behavior, while the Remediation Component blocks IPs identified by that engine across supported platforms. CrowdSec says analysis takes place locally and logs do not leave the user's infrastructure. Its AppSec Component can provide web application firewall protection. The free Community offering includes real-time decision management, audit support, AWS CloudTrail scenarios, CAPI allow lists, and Kubernetes audit acquisition. IP Reputation data includes contextual criteria, activity timelines, autonomous system and IP range reputation, MITRE technique classification, and hourly updates. Listed integrations include Microsoft Sentinel, AWS log sources, WordPress, Cloudflare, Docker, and Kubernetes. The Community Security Engine is free. The IP Reputation API is listed at $49 a month for 5,000 queries; other listed services include blocklists and threat-intelligence options. CrowdSec lists Linux, macOS, and Windows among its platforms, with API, extension, self-hosted, and web options.
OSSEC
OSSEC is an open-source host-based intrusion detection system for monitoring systems and network components. It analyzes logs, checks file integrity, monitors the Windows registry, detects rootkits, and can alert users in real time or take active response actions. Monitoring can be agent-based or agentless, and a centralized server applies policies across operating systems, with server-specific overrides. Alerts can use SMTP, SMS, and syslog; active response can block an attack immediately. The system runs on Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, macOS, Solaris, and Windows, and supports self-hosted and cloud environments. OSSEC and OSSEC+ use command-line management; Atomic OSSEC editions add a management console and integrations with cloud services and other tools. OSSEC+ adds machine learning, ELK integration, threat sharing, and additional rules. Free OSSEC is listed at free; OSSEC+ is also free, with registration required. Atomic OSSEC is $5 a month per device. Atomic OSSEC SaaS offers a free 14-day trial for up to 10 endpoints.