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Best Cloud Data Security Alternatives to Varonis in 2026

Cloud data security platforms provide modern, cloud-native approaches to data discovery, classification, and protection that serve as alternatives to Varonis for organizations with cloud-first data environments.

4 Cloud Data Security Platforms, side by side

Featured listings are paid placements.

ToolDeploymentPricing modelOpen source
Fortra Data SecurityFeaturedCloud + Self-hostedPer-endpoint or per-user subscription—
Microsoft PurviewCloudPer-user subscription (bundled with M365 E5)—
SecuritiCloudModular subscription—
CyeraCloudSubscription (based on data scope)—

These platforms leverage AI, agentless deployment, and multi-cloud connectors to deliver data security without the infrastructure overhead of traditional on-premises solutions. They are ideal for organizations whose data landscape has shifted primarily to cloud and SaaS environments and who need rapid time-to-value without deploying agents and scanning infrastructure.

By use case

Our read on which tool suits which job. Editorial, not paid, and separate from the listing below.

Microsoft-centric organizations wanting integrated data governance, DLP, and compliance across their M365 and Azure environment

Microsoft Purview

The natural choice for Microsoft-centric organizations, offering integrated data governance, DLP, and compliance capabilities bundled with M365 E5 licensing. Strongest when your data resides primarily within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Cloud

Organizations needing a unified platform for data security posture management, privacy compliance, and multi-cloud data governance with AI automation

Securiti

The most comprehensive unified platform covering data security, privacy compliance, DSPM, and consent management. Best for organizations that need privacy automation and multi-cloud data governance alongside security.

Cloud

Cloud-forward enterprises needing agentless, AI-powered data security with rapid deployment and instant visibility into data risk

Cyera

The most modern and rapidly deployable option with AI and LLM-powered classification that delivers visibility in hours, not weeks. Best for cloud-forward organizations that want agentless data security with the fastest time-to-value.

Cloud

Fortra Data Security logo

Fortra Data Security

Unified, AI-native data security platform bringing together DSPM, data classification and DLP

Founded
2022
Pricing
Per-endpoint or per-user subscription
Deployment
Cloud, Self-hosted
Certifications
SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 1, FIPS 140-2

Fortra is a data security company that delivers AI-amplified solutions to help organizations use and protect data with confidence. Fortra Data Security brings together Data Security Posture Management (DSPM), Data Classification, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to provide visibility, context, and protection across the data lifecycle. Organizations can discover sensitive data, understand its risk and context, apply meaningful classification, and enforce policies across endpoints, networks, cloud, SaaS, email, and web. Fortra's integrated approach helps security teams move beyond simply finding data risk to taking action: reducing exposure, simplifying security operations, and supporting compliance across complex and hybrid environments.

Capabilities

  • Data discovery & inventory
  • Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)
  • Sensitive data classification
  • AI-powered data classification
  • Data risk assessment
  • Data exposure analysis
  • Access and entitlement risk
  • Cloud and SaaS data discovery
  • Hybrid data discovery
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
  • Endpoint DLP
  • Network DLP
  • Cloud DLP
  • Email and web protection
  • Data labeling
  • Policy-based enforcement
  • Compliance monitoring
  • AI data security / AI DLP
  • Data analytics and reporting
  • Shadow data discovery
  • Sensitive data detection
  • Structured and unstructured data discovery

Certifications

SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 1, FIPS 140-2

Fortra Data Security

Data Security & Governance
Best fit for

Organisations that want data discovery, classification and loss prevention from a single vendor rather than assembling separate DSPM, classification and DLP tools, particularly across hybrid estates spanning endpoints, cloud and SaaS.

Fortra is a data security company that delivers AI-amplified solutions to help organizations use and protect data with confidence. Fortra Data Security brings together Data Security Posture Management (DSPM), Data Classification, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to provide visibility, context, and protection across the data lifecycle. Organizations can discover sensitive data, understand its risk and context, apply meaningful classification, and enforce policies across endpoints, networks, cloud, SaaS, email, and web. Fortra's integrated approach helps security teams move beyond simply finding data risk to taking action: reducing exposure, simplifying security operations, and supporting compliance across complex and hybrid environments.

Pricing

Custom enterprise pricing / Managed DLP service available

Per-endpoint or per-user subscription

Deployment

Cloud, Self-hosted

Standards & certifications

SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 1, FIPS 140-2

Microsoft Purview

Data Security & Governance
Best fit for

Microsoft-centric organizations wanting integrated data governance, DLP, and compliance across their M365 and Azure environment

Microsoft Purview is a unified data governance and compliance platform that combines the former Azure Purview data governance capabilities with Microsoft 365 compliance solutions. It provides data classification, data loss prevention, information protection, insider risk management, and compliance management across Microsoft 365, Azure, and multi-cloud environments. Purview leverages Microsoft's deep integration with its productivity and cloud ecosystem to provide data security at scale.

Pricing

Included in Microsoft 365 E5 / Standalone plans from $12/user/month

Per-user subscription (bundled with M365 E5)

Deployment

Cloud

Securiti

Data Security & Governance
Best fit for

Organizations needing a unified platform for data security posture management, privacy compliance, and multi-cloud data governance with AI automation

Securiti is an AI-powered data security and governance platform that provides unified data intelligence, privacy automation, data security posture management (DSPM), and consent management. Its DataControls Cloud platform uses AI to discover, classify, and protect sensitive data across multi-cloud, SaaS, and on-premises environments. Securiti is particularly strong in privacy compliance automation, offering DSAR fulfillment, consent management, and data mapping capabilities alongside data security posture management.

Pricing

Custom pricing based on data volume and modules

Modular subscription

Deployment

Cloud

Standards & certifications

SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27701

Cyera

Data Security & Governance
Best fit for

Cloud-forward enterprises needing agentless, AI-powered data security with rapid deployment and instant visibility into data risk

Cyera is an AI-powered data security platform that provides instant visibility into an organization's data landscape, automatically discovering, classifying, and assessing risk across cloud, SaaS, on-premises, and IaaS environments. Cyera's platform uses large language models and AI to understand data context beyond simple pattern matching, enabling organizations to see their data the way an attacker would. Identifying exposure, access risks, and compliance gaps without agents or complex deployment. Cyera has completed the acquisition of Oasis Security, bringing data security and non-human identity security together.

Pricing

Pricing is not published. The site lists two plans, one for DSPM and one for DLP, with optional extras, and offers a custom quote on request.

Subscription (based on data scope)

Deployment

Cloud

Standards & certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II

Comparisons

BigID vs Microsoft Purview

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Fortra Data Security vs Netwrix

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Fortra Data Security vs Forcepoint DLP

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Fortra Data Security vs Spirion

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Fortra Data Security vs Microsoft Purview

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BigID vs Fortra Data Security

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Shortlists

Editorial lists and deep dives covering these tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cloud data security platforms like Purview, Securiti, and Cyera are strongest in cloud and SaaS environments. For organizations with significant on-premises data infrastructure. NAS filers, Windows file servers, and Unix systems. Varonis still provides deeper coverage. If your environment is primarily cloud-based or you are migrating away from on-premises infrastructure, cloud-native platforms may be sufficient. For hybrid environments, many organizations use Varonis for on-premises data alongside a cloud-native tool for cloud and SaaS data.

Varonis has one of the most mature insider threat detection capabilities in the data security market, with years of behavioral analytics and UEBA development. Cloud data security platforms typically offer basic anomaly detection and risk scoring but lack the depth of Varonis's behavioral baselines. If insider threat detection is a primary requirement, Varonis remains the stronger choice. Cloud platforms excel instead in data discovery, classification, and compliance automation.

Cyera's AI and LLM-based classification provides the most advanced contextual understanding of data, going beyond regex patterns to understand data meaning. BigID also offers strong ML-driven classification. Microsoft Purview's trainable classifiers are powerful within the Microsoft ecosystem. For sheer accuracy in regulated data types like PII and PHI, Spirion remains the specialist leader. Your choice should depend on your data environment and whether you need broad contextual classification or precise regulated data identification.

Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) is an emerging category that focuses on discovering, classifying, and assessing risk for cloud data stores. DSPM platforms like Cyera and Securiti provide visibility into data exposure, misconfigured storage, and access risks across cloud environments. Varonis provides similar capabilities but with deeper access governance and remediation. DSPM is essentially a cloud-native evolution of the data security governance that Varonis pioneered for on-premises environments.

View all Data Security & Governance tools

About this listing

Cloud Data Security Platforms tools, compared on public information. The comparison table and the full entries follow our editorial order, with any paid Featured listing shown first and labelled. How we work →