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Best CNAPP Alternatives to Wiz in 2026

Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPPs) provide unified security across the full cloud application lifecycle, combining cloud security posture management (CSPM), cloud workload protection (CWPP), container security,

5 Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) Tools, side by side

ToolDeploymentPricing modelOpen source
Prisma CloudCloudCredit-based (per module and resource)—
Aqua SecurityCloud + Self-hostedWorkload-based (per protected workload)—
SysdigCloud + Self-hostedNode-based (per protected node)—
LaceworkCloudResource-based (per cloud resource)—
WizCloudResource-based (per cloud workload)—

infrastructure-as-code scanning, and often cloud identity management (CIEM) into a single platform. These comprehensive solutions aim to replace the collection of point tools that organizations previously needed for cloud security, offering a single pane of glass across code, infrastructure, and runtime.

By use case

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

Large enterprises already using Palo Alto Networks products that want a comprehensive code-to-cloud CNAPP platform

Prisma Cloud

The broadest CNAPP platform covering code-to-cloud security with Bridgecrew IaC scanning, runtime protection, and WAAS. Best for large enterprises already in the Palo Alto ecosystem that need the most comprehensive feature coverage regardless of complexity.

Cloud

Organizations running container-heavy and Kubernetes-native environments that need the deepest container security and runtime protection

Aqua Security

The strongest CNAPP for container-native and Kubernetes-heavy environments, with industry-leading container image scanning, runtime drift prevention, and open-source tools (Trivy, Tracee). Best for DevSecOps teams building containerized applications.

Cloud, Self-hosted

Organizations that need strong runtime security and real-time threat detection alongside cloud posture management, especially in Kubernetes environments

Sysdig

The best CNAPP for runtime security, powered by the CNCF-graduated Falco engine with deep system call visibility. Best for organizations where real-time threat detection and cloud detection and response (CDR) are top priorities.

Cloud, Self-hosted

Organizations that want behavioral analytics-driven threat detection to reduce alert fatigue and automate cloud security monitoring

Lacework

A data-driven CNAPP (now part of Fortinet) that uses anomaly detection across cloud configurations, workloads, and user behavior. Best for organizations that want automated baseline-driven threat detection with minimal rule configuration.

Cloud

Prisma Cloud

Cloud Security & CNAPP
Best fit for

Large enterprises already using Palo Alto Networks products that want a comprehensive code-to-cloud CNAPP platform

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks is a comprehensive Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) that secures applications from code to cloud. It provides full lifecycle security covering code security, infrastructure security, runtime protection, and cloud identity management. In February 2025 Palo Alto Networks announced Cortex Cloud as the next version of Prisma Cloud, combining its CNAPP capabilities with Cortex cloud detection and response and the Cortex XSIAM SOC platform, with existing Prisma Cloud customers upgraded to Cortex Cloud. As part of the Palo Alto Networks portfolio, Prisma Cloud benefits from deep threat intelligence integration and a broad security ecosystem, making it a natural fit for organizations already invested in the Palo Alto security stack.

Pricing

Module-based enterprise pricing / Credits system

Credit-based (per module and resource)

Deployment

Cloud

Aqua Security

Cloud Security & CNAPP
Best fit for

Organizations running container-heavy and Kubernetes-native environments that need the deepest container security and runtime protection

Aqua Security is a cloud-native security platform purpose-built for securing containerized applications, Kubernetes clusters, serverless functions, and cloud VMs. Aqua provides the full lifecycle of cloud-native security from build to runtime, with container image scanning, Kubernetes admission control, runtime protection with drift prevention, and supply chain security. Its open-source tools Trivy and Tracee are widely adopted in the DevSecOps community.

Pricing

Free (Trivy OSS) / Enterprise custom pricing

Workload-based (per protected workload)

Deployment

Cloud, Self-hosted

Standards & certifications

FedRAMP High, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27701:2019, ISO/IEC 27017:2015, ISO/IEC 27018:2019

Sysdig

Cloud Security & CNAPP
Best fit for

Organizations that need strong runtime security and real-time threat detection alongside cloud posture management, especially in Kubernetes environments

Sysdig is a cloud and container security platform built on the open-source Falco runtime security engine. Sysdig provides comprehensive CNAPP capabilities including CSPM, CWPP, vulnerability management, and cloud detection and response (CDR), with a particular strength in runtime security powered by deep system call visibility. Sysdig's approach combines agentless cloud scanning with agent-based runtime protection, offering both posture management and real-time threat detection in a single platform.

Pricing

Custom enterprise pricing / Free (Falco OSS)

Node-based (per protected node)

Deployment

Cloud, Self-hosted

Standards & certifications

SOC 2 Type II

Lacework

Cloud Security & CNAPP
Best fit for

Organizations that want behavioral analytics-driven threat detection to reduce alert fatigue and automate cloud security monitoring

Lacework is a data-driven cloud security platform that uses Polygraph behavioral analytics to automatically detect anomalies and threats across cloud workloads, containers, and cloud accounts. Rather than relying solely on rule-based detection, Lacework builds a baseline of normal behavior for every cloud entity and alerts on deviations, significantly reducing alert fatigue. The platform covers CSPM, workload protection, container security, and compliance monitoring with a focus on automated threat detection.

Pricing

Custom enterprise pricing

Resource-based (per cloud resource)

Deployment

Cloud

Standards & certifications

SOC 2 Type II

Wiz

Cloud Security & CNAPP
Best fit for

Agentless cloud security platform with full-stack visibility and risk prioritization across multi-cloud environments

Wiz is a cloud security platform that provides agentless, full-stack visibility across AWS, Azure, GCP, and Kubernetes environments. Wiz connects via cloud APIs to scan the entire cloud estate in minutes, identifying critical risk combinations across misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, exposed secrets, overly permissive identities, and sensitive data exposure. Its Security Graph correlates risks across layers to surface the toxic combinations that actually matter, enabling security teams to prioritize remediation of the attack paths most likely to be exploited. Google completed its acquisition of Wiz on 11 March 2026 and Wiz now operates as part of Google Cloud, keeping its own brand and support for AWS, Azure, Oracle Cloud and Google Cloud.

Pricing

Pricing is not published. Licensing scales by workloads, active developers, log ingestion or sensors depending on the module, with a custom quote on request.

Resource-based (per cloud workload)

Deployment

Cloud

Standards & certifications

SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, FedRAMP High, PCI DSS

Comparisons

Sysdig vs Trend Micro Cloud One

Choose Sysdig if runtime security built on the widely-adopted Falco engine is your priority and organizations that need ...

Read Comparison

Aqua Security vs Check Point CloudGuard

Choose Aqua Security if container and Kubernetes security depth is your priority and organizations running container-hea...

Read Comparison

Aqua Security vs Orca Security

Choose Aqua Security if container and Kubernetes security depth is your priority and organizations running container-hea...

Read Comparison

Aqua Security vs Ermetic

Choose Aqua Security if container and Kubernetes security depth is your priority and organizations running container-hea...

Read Comparison

Aqua Security vs Lacework

Choose Aqua Security if container and Kubernetes security depth is your priority and organizations running container-hea...

Read Comparison

Aqua Security vs Trend Micro Cloud One

Choose Aqua Security if container and Kubernetes security depth is your priority and organizations running container-hea...

Read Comparison

Shortlists

Editorial lists and deep dives covering these tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) unifies multiple cloud security capabilities. CSPM, CWPP, container security, IaC scanning, and often CIEM and DSPM. Into a single platform. Before CNAPPs, organizations needed 5-10 separate point tools to cover cloud security, creating visibility gaps, alert fatigue, and management complexity. CNAPPs matter because they provide correlated risk analysis across all layers of the cloud stack, enabling security teams to understand which combinations of issues create real attack paths rather than treating each finding in isolation.

Wiz provides a fully agentless CNAPP with best-in-class CSPM, CIEM, and DSPM, powered by its Security Graph for attack path visualization. Prisma Cloud offers the broadest feature set including agent-based runtime protection, WAAS, and Bridgecrew IaC scanning. Wiz wins on UX, time-to-value, and risk visualization. Prisma Cloud wins on feature breadth and runtime protection. Choose Wiz for the best agentless experience; choose Prisma Cloud for the most comprehensive code-to-cloud coverage with runtime capabilities.

Wiz's agentless approach provides excellent visibility into vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and risk posture, but it cannot detect or block active runtime threats. If your threat model includes adversaries who have already breached cloud workloads, you need agent-based runtime protection from tools like Sysdig, Aqua Security, or Prisma Cloud to detect behavioral anomalies, block exploits, and respond to active incidents. Many organizations deploy Wiz for posture management alongside a runtime tool for real-time detection.

For Kubernetes-specific depth, Aqua Security leads with the best container image scanning (Trivy), admission control policies, runtime drift prevention, and eBPF-based detection (Tracee). Sysdig is the strongest for runtime security in Kubernetes with Falco-powered system call monitoring. Prisma Cloud offers the broadest K8s coverage from code to runtime. Wiz provides excellent Kubernetes posture scanning and misconfiguration detection without agents but lacks runtime protection. Choose based on whether your priority is posture (Wiz), runtime (Sysdig/Aqua), or breadth (Prisma Cloud).

View all Cloud Security & CNAPP tools

About this listing

Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) 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 →