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NetWitness Platform vs Security Onion comparison

NetWitness and Security Onion Solutions, LLC are both solutions in the Log Management category. NetWitness is ranked #22 with an average rating of 7.6, while Security Onion Solutions, LLC is ranked #18 with an average rating of 7.7. NetWitness holds a 0.3% mindshare in Log Management, compared to Security Onion Solutions, LLC’s 5.5% mindshare. Additionally, 75% of NetWitness users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 66% of Security Onion Solutions, LLC users who would recommend it.
NetWitness Platform
Read 37 NetWitness Platform reviews
  • 768 Views
  • 480 Comparison Views
75% willing to recommend
Security Onion
Read 3 Security Onion reviews
  • 6,709 Views
  • 5,768 Comparison Views
66% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

NetWitness Platform and Security Onion are both leading security solutions known for their distinct benefits in network security. Based on user data, Security Onion seems to have an advantage due to its user satisfaction and adaptability, aligning more closely with user expectations.

Features: NetWitness is recognized for advanced threat detection, offering deep insights and analytics. It also provides excellent threat intelligence, enhancing its security prowess. Meanwhile, Security Onion is valued for its open-source nature, allowing high customization and scalability. It caters to diverse security needs making it versatile for various environments.

Room for Improvement: NetWitness users suggest simpler management, intuitive navigation, and streamlined processes. Security Onion could improve in documentation, ease of configuration, and user guidance. Addressing these areas could enhance overall user experience and satisfaction.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NetWitness users find deployment challenging without expert help and seek better customer support. Security Onion, with clearer installation paths, could still benefit from more responsive support. Thus, deployment is easier with Security Onion, but both need customer service improvements.

Pricing and ROI: NetWitness has high setup costs, impacting its ROI perception, despite its robust functionality. Security Onion offers a cost-effective approach with better ROI, viewed more favorably concerning value for investment.

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To learn more, read our detailed NetWitness Platform vs. Security Onion Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
NetWitness Platform vs. Security Onion
April 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

NetWitness Platform
Ranking in Log Management
22nd
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
37
Ranking in other categories
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (22nd)
Security Onion
Ranking in Log Management
18th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
AWS Marketplace (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of NetWitness Platform is 0.3%, down from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Security Onion is 5.5%, up from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Log Management
 

Featured Reviews

MdZaman - PeerSpot reviewer
Really scalable for enterprise customers
The solution should have more integration capabilities with different platforms. The API is nearly open and scalable, so the solution can integrate with many platforms. The solution has more than 200 log sources in the scalability to support, but this is its limit. Installation is pretty easy. However, there are a couple of modules involved, so it is not as easy as it could be. We are talking about a distributed module, not a single-module type. This is what makes things a bit complex, instead of easier. I rate it as a seven out of ten on its installation and configuration capabilities.
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Jörg Kippe - PeerSpot reviewer
A mature and affordable solution that is easy to install and easy to update
The product takes time to learn, it's not that easy. In the beginning we had a lot of questions. If you want to use such a tool in an real (industrial) environment, you have to ask how to get the network data. Can we do a full packet capture? Can we provide agents to our end systems? There are no simple solutions to these questions. It's a general problem when running such systems in an industrial environment.
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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Offers a good wireless feature."
"The software is scalable to whatever is required, and you can also put a lot of resources in the cloud."
"Incident management is its most valuable feature."
"The most valuable feature is that we can create our own connectors for any application, and NetWitness provides the training and tools to do it."
"The most valuable features are the threat prediction and network forensics."
"NetWitness Platform offers flexibility for deployment and robust integration capabilities."
"Performance and reporting are very good."
"The solution is really scalable for the high-end power, enterprise customer."
More NetWitness Platform pros
"We use Security Onion for internal vulnerability assessment."
"Security Onion is the most mature solution in the market."
"The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports."
 

Cons

"The log system is a bit complex and has room for improvement."
"Nowadays, their support is a little subpar compared to other solutions. I rate RSA support six out of 10."
"Technical support could be improved."
"The user interface is a little bit difficult for new users and it needs to be improved."
"The multi-tenant capabilities are lagging compared to IBM QRadar."
"It should have a monitoring feature. It would help us analyze the current state of attacks faster from a single platform."
"The implementation needs assistance."
"Security needs improvement."
More NetWitness Platform cons
"The product is not easy to learn."
"The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult."
"Security Onion's user interface could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are on an annual license for the use of the solution."
"The licenses are good but the cost is very expensive."
"Many clients are not able to purchase the packet capability because there is a huge amount of data, and the cost depends on the number of EPS (Events per second), as well as the number of gigabytes of data per day."
"Our license is for one year."
"The tool is very expensive, so I rate the pricing a ten out of ten. The solution has an annual subscription."
"In comparison to other SIEM solutions such as Splunk, NetWitness is less costly."
"We have a perpetual license, so the total cost of ownership is not very expensive. It's a good investment."
"There is a licensing fee and the customer can choose whether he wishes this to be subscription-based or perpetual."
More NetWitness Platform pricing and cost advice
"It is an open-source solution."
"Security Onion is an open-source solution."
"Security Onion is a free solution."
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Comparison Review

VS
Feb 26, 2015
HP ArcSight vs. IBM QRadar vs. ​McAfee Nitro vs. Splunk vs. RSA Security vs. LogRhythm
We at Infosecnirvana.com have done several posts on SIEM. After the Dummies Guide on SIEM, we are following it up with a SIEM Product Comparison – 101 deck. So, here it is for your viewing pleasure. Let me know what you think by posting your comments below. The key products compared here are…
Read full review
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Government
6%
Insurance Company
6%
University
12%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about NetWitness Platform?
The product's initial setup phase was not at all difficult.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetWitness Platform?
The pricing is comparable to others, and I consider the cost to be intermediate. Specific cost details are unknown to me.
See all answers
What needs improvement with NetWitness Platform?
There is currently no need for improvement in the SIEM ( /categories/security-information-and-event-management-siem ), though there could be potential enhancements by integrating with AI.
See all answers
What do you like most about Security Onion?
The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Security Onion?
Security Onion is an open-source solution. On a scale from one to ten, where ten is expensive and one is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Security Onion?
The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Splunk Enterprise Security vs NetWitness Platform Logo
Splunk Enterprise Security vs NetWitness Platform
Compared 28% of the time
IBM Security QRadar vs NetWitness Platform Logo
IBM Security QRadar vs NetWitness Platform
Compared 18% of the time
Elastic Security vs NetWitness Platform Logo
Elastic Security vs NetWitness Platform
Compared 14% of the time
Trellix Network Detection and Response vs NetWitness Platform Logo
Trellix Network Detection and Response vs NetWitness Platform
Compared 11% of the time
RSA enVision vs NetWitness Platform Logo
RSA enVision vs NetWitness Platform
Compared 10% of the time
More NetWitness Platform Competitors
Wazuh vs Security Onion Logo
Wazuh vs Security Onion
Compared 61% of the time
Elastic Stack vs Security Onion Logo
Elastic Stack vs Security Onion
Compared 11% of the time
Splunk Enterprise Security vs Security Onion Logo
Splunk Enterprise Security vs Security Onion
Compared 9% of the time
Graylog vs Security Onion Logo
Graylog vs Security Onion
Compared 6% of the time
Kali Linux vs Security Onion Logo
Kali Linux vs Security Onion
Compared 4% of the time
More Security Onion Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
NetWitness Platform
April 2025
NetWitness Platform reportDownload NetWitness Platform product report
Buyer's Guide
Log Management
April 2025
Security Onion reportDownload Security Onion product report
 

Also Known As

RSA Security Analytics
No data available
 

Overview

NetWitness Platform is an evolved SIEM and threat detection and response solution that functions as a single, unified platform for ALL your security data. It features an advanced analyst workbench for triaging alerts and incidents, and it orchestrates security operations programs end to end. In short: NetWitness Platform is all you need to run an intelligent SOC.

NetWitness

Security Onion is an open-source Linux distribution for intrusion detection, network security monitoring, and log management. It offers comprehensive solutions for enterprises seeking to enhance their cybersecurity infrastructure.

Security Onion provides a full suite of tools to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats efficiently. As a robust and versatile distribution, it includes capabilities for real-time analysis, network visibility, and threat detection, making it indispensable for security operations centers. Users value this tool for its integration of open-source software with advanced analytics, affording professionals a detailed overview of network traffic and potential intrusions.

What are Security Onion’s most important features?
  • Intrusion Detection: Utilizes Suricata or Zeek for effective threat monitoring.
  • Network Security Monitoring: Offers powerful visualization tools for network analysis.
  • Log Management: Centralizes log collection and analysis.
  • Comprehensive Dashboards: Provides integrated dashboards for threat visibility.
What benefits or ROI should you look for in reviews?
  • Cost Efficiency: Reduced cybersecurity costs due to its open-source nature.
  • Improved Threat Detection: Enhanced ability to identify and respond to threats quickly.
  • Integration Capability: Seamless integration with existing security infrastructures.
  • Scalability: Support for scaling network security operations as needed.

Security Onion finds extensive application in industries such as finance, healthcare, and government sectors, where robust network monitoring is critical. Its ability to integrate with existing security tools makes it a preferred choice for organizations looking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture.

Security Onion Solutions, LLC
 

Sample Customers

Los Angeles World Airports, Reply
Information Not Available
Buyer's Guide
NetWitness Platform vs. Security Onion
April 2025
Free Report: NetWitness Platform vs. Security Onion
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