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Security Onion vs Wazuh comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 7, 2024

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

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)
Wazuh
Ranking in Log Management
1st
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
46
Ranking in other categories
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (2nd), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of Security Onion is 5.7%, up from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Wazuh is 15.0%, up from 14.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Log Management
 

Featured Reviews

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.
Sandip_Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
Evaluating robust file monitoring with insights for community support improvements
Wazuh's most valuable features include file monitoring and compliance reporting, which do not require excessive costs. These aspects are vital as they provide alerts for changes and facilitate the monitoring of compliance. The platform is also relatively easy to set up and operate. Reports are straightforward to extract and prove useful for compliance requirements.

Quotes from Members

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

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."
"Wazuh's most valuable features include file monitoring and compliance reporting, which do not require excessive costs."
"I find the PCI DSS feature the most valuable, along with the feature that monitors the compliance of Windows and the CIS benchmarks on other devices like Unix or Linux systems."
"The most valuable features are the modules and metrics."
"Integrates with various open-source and paid products, allowing for flexibility in customization based on use cases."
"I like the features we use, including malware detection, inventory, detection of hidden processes, and activity logs. Inventory is probably the most important feature. It tells us when processes and packages were installed and what they are, which is helpful."
"It allows you to aggregate all your logs in one place and provides a unified view to monitor your security environment."
"The configuration assessment and Pile integrity monitoring features are decent."
"Wazuh offers numerous features, such as the ability to define custom rules for detecting malicious activities and remembering behaviors."
 

Cons

"The product is not easy to learn."
"Security Onion's user interface could be improved."
"The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult."
"I have yet to find the same capability in Wazuh to get logs from different sources into the system"
"The support channel is not optimal, and extensive research is required on our part to implement Wazuh effectively."
"I think that the next release should be more suitable for large enterprises, because currently they are not because large companies do not rely on open source solutions."
"It would be great if there could be customization for the decoder portion."
"The computing resources are consuming and do not make sense."
"There is room for improvement by integrating more AI into Wazuh. It requires constant nurturing, as I have to provide it with code and specific requirements."
"The support team could be more responsive and provide quicker replies during our working hours in Indonesia, which would be a significant improvement."
"The deployment is a bit complex."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Security Onion is a free solution."
"Security Onion is an open-source solution."
"It is an open-source solution."
"Wazuh has a community edition, and I was using that. It's free and open source."
"Wazuh is an open-source tool, which means it is freely available for use."
"The product is cheaper compared to other tools."
"Wazuh is not an expensive solution."
"Wazuh is open-source, but you must consider the total cost of ownership. It may be free to acquire, but you spend a lot of time and effort supporting the product and getting it to a point where it's useful."
"Wazuh is a cheaply priced product."
"My client uses the open-source version of Wazuh."
"When I contacted customer care, they mentioned bundling options, that I found to be overall affordable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
12%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
8%
University
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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.
What needs improvement with Security Onion?
The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult.
What do you like most about Wazuh?
Integrates with various open-source and paid products, allowing for flexibility in customization based on use cases.
What needs improvement with Wazuh?
There is room for improvement by integrating more AI into Wazuh. It requires constant nurturing, as I have to provide it with code and specific requirements. This maintenance can be quite labor-int...
What is your primary use case for Wazuh?
We use Wazuh as a SIEM solution because it is open source, highly customizable, and continually expanding. Our clients can request various solutions for their issues, which Wazuh is able to address.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Security Onion vs. Wazuh and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.