Best Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software in 2026
Updated
In short: CrowdSec is ranked #1 of 35 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Wazuh and OSSEC. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Wazuh. The lowest first paid tier on this page is AWS Network Firewall at $0.07/mo.
Intrusion detection and prevention software gives you ways to monitor activity across networks and, in some cases, block suspicious traffic inline. Compare cloud workload support, network scope, deployment model, supported platforms, and encrypted traffic inspection to see how each option aligns with your environment. Threat intelligence and inline blocking add further capability distinctions, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help you consider access and cost. The ranking opens with Suricata and CrowdSec, with SELKS, Snort, and OPNsense among the next entries. Weigh these features against the systems and traffic you need to protect, and consider whether each product’s deployment and platform coverage suit your setup.
35 intrusion detection and prevention software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 CrowdSec Top pick · 7.3 
#2 Wazuh Runner-up · 7.1 Free plan · $571/mo
#3 OSSEC Also great · 7.0 Free plan · $5/mo
- Free planFree trial apiextensionLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 49 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Network scope
- multi-scope
- Inline blocking
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 571 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$571/mofirst paid tier About WazuhVisit site - Free planFree trial LinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Network scope
- multi-scope
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$5/mofirst paid tier About OSSECVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- software
- Network scope
- network
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Linuxself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- software
- Network scope
- network
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Network scope
- network
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 25 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$22.50/mofirst paid tier About Arista NG FirewallVisit site - Free plan Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Linuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- software
- Network scope
- network
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$2.50/mofirst paid tier About SnortVisit site - apimacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Network scope
- multi-scope
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial AndroidapiiOSmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$8.15/mofirst paid tier About WatchGuard FireCloudVisit site - Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Network scope
- multi-scope
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Network scope
- multi-scope
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Deployment model
- appliance
- Network scope
- network
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Deployment model
- appliance
- Network scope
- network
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebWindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 5 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Network scope
- multi-scope
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - self-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebWindowsiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- appliance
- Network scope
- network
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.07/mofirst paid tier About AWS Network FirewallVisit site -
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Deployment model
- appliance
- Network scope
- network
- Inline blocking
- Yes
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which intrusion detection and prevention software is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
CrowdSec is ranked #1 of 35 with a score of 7.3. Wazuh is second and OSSEC third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, AWS Network Firewall has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.07/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.