Palo Alto Networks has established itself as a leader in the security realm and is known for cloud security offerings like Prisma Cloud—now integrated into the Cortex XDR platform, a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP).
However, many CISOs and security architects are turning to alternatives for a wide range of reasons: total cost of ownership,deployment complexities in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, the depth of true cloud-native capabilities, potential overlaps or visibility gaps within CNAPP components, strategic vendor alignment, and unique security requirements.
The good news? If you’re looking for a unified, proactive, full-lifecycle cloud security solution that avoids such complexities and provides deep cloud-native protection, there are many powerful alternatives to Palo Alto Networks solutions on the market. In this article, we’ll go through six of today’s leading cloud security platforms so you can see which one offers the best fit for your organization's unique security needs.
Gartner® Market Guide for Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP)
In this report, Gartner offers insights and recommendations to analyze and evaluate emerging CNAPP offerings. Your work email here
Why look beyond Cortex Cloud for CNAPP?
As cloud environments grow in scale and complexity, many organizations are reassessing their approach to cloud security. Platforms like Cortex Cloud offer broad capabilities, but some teams are exploring alternatives that better align with the pace, architecture, and workflows of modern cloud-native operations.
Here are some of the common reasons security and cloud teams begin evaluating other CNAPP options:
Operational complexity: Deployments may require agents, tuning, or configuration work that slows time to value – especially in hybrid environments
Modular experience: Posture, workload protection, and compliance are often managed in separate interfaces, making it harder to get a unified view
Evolving team needs: Modern DevSecOps workflows benefit from tighter integrations with developer tools, pipelines, and policy-as-code practices
Contextual visibility: Connecting identity, data, misconfigurations, and network exposure into a clear picture of risk is becoming essential
Customization effort: Some solutions rely on query languages or custom integrations to surface meaningful insights, which can increase workload
Scaling considerations: As usage grows, pricing transparency and SKU complexity become more important for long-term planning
For many organizations, the search for a CNAPP today is about simplicity, speed, and alignment across teams – not just coverage. The ideal platform offers out-of-the-box value, full lifecycle visibility, and the ability to support both security and engineering teams in a shared mission to reduce risk.
What are the top Palo Alto alternatives to consider?
1. Wiz
Overview
Wiz is a modern cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) purpose-built to deliver unified security across the entire software development lifecycle – from code to cloud to runtime. While Palo Alto’s Cortex Cloud has shifted toward feeding telemetry into its XSIAM SOC platform, Wiz remains focused on prevention, detection, and remediation through a single, fully integrated product.
Wiz connects directly to your cloud environments via APIs to deliver fast time to value, scanning thousands of resources in minutes. Its Security Graph provides a deep, contextual understanding of risk by correlating signals across identities, workloads, data, and network configurations – surfacing real, exploitable attack paths instead of isolated alerts.
The platform includes application security posture management (ASPM) capabilities to secure code and cloud pipelines early, and AI-powered security features like Mika, which accelerates investigation and remediation through natural language queries and intelligent guidance. Wiz also includes AI-SPM, helping organizations govern and secure generative AI usage across their environments.
For runtime protection, Wiz offers Defend, a lightweight, eBPF-based sensor that extends visibility into live workloads – containers, VMs, and serverless – without disrupting performance or requiring extensive tuning. Unlike siloed tools stitched together by legacy vendors, Wiz unifies these capabilities into one platform, one graph, and one interface.
With Wiz Lens, the platform supports tailored experiences for every stakeholder – developers, DevOps, CloudSec, GRC, and security operations – enabling collaboration without friction.
Strengths
Full-lifecycle CNAPP: DSPM, CIEM, UVM, CSPM, CWPP, ASPM, Cloud Detection and Response (CDR), Code Security, and AI-SPM in one unified platform
Security Graph correlates misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, identity risks, data exposure, and network access into real attack paths
Embedded ASPM to secure applications early in the SDLC
AI-powered capabilities like Mika and Ask-AI to accelerate detection, triage, and response
Integrated runtime protection via lightweight eBPF sensor (Wiz Runtime Sensor)
Threat Detection and Response (Wiz Defend)
Tailored views and workflows for every team via Wiz Lens
Rapid onboarding with agentless-first architecture
Ideal for…
Organizations seeking a truly unified CNAPP that supports prevention, detection, and remediation across the entire SDLC. Wiz is ideal for cloud-native and hybrid enterprises that need deep visibility, developer-friendly integrations, contextual prioritization, and built-in AI security features – all delivered through a single platform designed to scale with the business.
2. CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security
Overview
CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security is a cloud-native security platform with strong threat detection and runtime protection. It provides advanced cloud-native security, encompassing strong breach prevention, workload protection, and posture management.
This solution offers deployment flexibility with a choice of pure agentless or agent-based approaches, ensuring comprehensive coverage across your cloud estate.
Users get CrowdStrike’s "adversary intelligence" capabilities, which include a wide range of adversary profiles and dark web monitoring. CrowdStrike also offers security response services, platform deployment assistance, and 24/7 support.
Strengths
Unified cloud workload protection including XDR foundation
Runtime coverage
Compatibility with existing endpoint stack
Excels at real-time threat detection and response
Ideal for…
Mid- to large-sized organizations looking for a powerful feature set who are willing to tackle a slight learning curve. Could be a worthwhile candidate for those already using CrowdStrike Falcon who want to expand into CNAPP/XDR territory.
3. Orca Security
Overview
Orca Security delivers agentless-first security through its patented SideScanning technology, giving users broad visibility across cloud environments without needing to deploy agents on workloads. It also integrates with third-party agents to provide deeper runtime visibility and customization where required.
The platform uses advanced generative AI capabilities, simplifying complex security investigations and speeding up remediation. As a result, security teams can respond faster and reduce mean time to resolution.
Strengths
Quick setup
Visual attack path mapping
Near-zero performance impact
Ideal for…
Organizations that prioritize ease of deployment and broad visibility into cloud misconfigurations and vulnerabilities. Often considered by teams that want agentless coverage but don’t need deep runtime protection or advanced DevSecOps integrations.
4. Check Point CloudGuard
Overview
Check Point CloudGuard is a multi-cloud security platform focused on posture management, compliance, and threat prevention.
Check Point, a veteran in cybersecurity, has expanded its product range over the years from its early firewall offerings. With CloudGuard, they now provide a comprehensive suite of cloud security capabilities.
CloudGuard provides single sign-on and works hand in hand with popular services, especially AWS, for streamlined access and management.
The solution offers real-time monitoring and firewall filters for strong network security, supporting unified visibility across multiple cloud vendors’ accounts. Its intuitive UI includes built-in log queries and traffic exploration, compliance monitoring features, and the ability to isolate malicious network traffic.
Strengths
Strong network security heritage
Multi-cloud compliance
Rigorous policy enforcement across hybrid and multi-cloud environments
Ideal for…
Enterprises looking for firewall-level inspection extended to the cloud. These will generally be established organizations needing strong network security and consistent rules across both cloud and traditional IT, especially if they’re already using Check Point products.
The Top 5 CNAPP benefits you need to know in 2025
A CNAPP, or Cloud Native Application Protection Platform, is an integrated security solution that unifies multiple cloud security capabilities—like CSPM, CWPP, CIEM, and IaC scanning—into a single platform.
Read more
5. Fortinet (FortiGate + Lacework FortiCNAPP)
Overview
Fortinet offers a comprehensive cloud security platform and CNAPP solution driven by data-based automated analysis. It uses a combination of agentless and agent-based data collection to ensure visibility across diverse cloud architectures.
Thanks to machine learning capabilities, the platform automates data analysis across multiple cloud environments without relying on manually written rules. This also allows Fortinet to continuously improve security efficacy and deliver strong ROI with smarter, more adaptive security. Fortinet can ingest and analyze massive volumes of security data, including cloud configuration, activity log, and runtime data.
Strengths
Strong hybrid environment support
Performance at scale
Ideal for…
Organizations with a large on-prem footprint looking to easily extend protection into cloud environments. This is a particularly good fit for organizations already using Fortinet products.
6. Tenable Cloud Security (via Ermetic)
Overview
Tenable Cloud Security is an identity-first cloud security platform with strong CIEM capabilities.
Known for its Nessus vulnerability scanner technology, Tenable boosted its CNAPP capabilities in 2023 when it acquired Ermetic. This allows for real-time visibility and continuous monitoring across multi-cloud environments, including major providers like AWS, Azure, and GCP.
Users appreciate Tenable’s cloud infrastructure entitlement management (CIEM) and cloud security posture management (CSPM) capabilities. It offers automated compliance checks, thorough risk assessments, and practical remediation suggestions through an intuitive interface. Plus, practical features like guided tasks and easy navigation with linked resources streamline daily security operations.
Strengths
Strong focus on identity-based security
Granular identity visibility
Risk-based access control
Dedicated CSPM
Ideal for…
Larger organizations or those in secure industries who need deep control over who can access what and want to focus on cloud identity risk and achieving least privilege.
How can you make the right choice for your organization?
Deployment and environment fit
Not everything can be moved to the cloud at once. Choose a solution that secures all your applications, even older ones, across cloud and on-premises environments. A solution that works with hybrid environments will probably give you the greatest flexibility, but many cloud-native solutions lack effective protection for on-premises assets. You should also prioritize a solution that gives you total visibility without disrupting operations or requiring host-level installations.
One important question is whether to go with an agent or agentless solution:
Agent solutions can offer deep host-level insights and granular control over workloads.
Agentless solutions offer broad visibility without performance impact, eliminating intrusive host-level installations and their associated operational burden.
eBPF solutions offer the best of both worlds: deep workload protection directly from the Linux kernel with near-zero performance impact.
Points to consider
Look for solutions that let you apply uniform security policies across VMs, containers, and bare metal in any cloud or on-premises environment.
Consider platforms that unify visibility with a single pane of glass across all your environments.
If you have legacy on-prem applications, factor in the support you need to secure these until they’re refactored into the cloud.
Prioritize automation for rapidly changing workloads spanning both traditional data centers and hyperscale cloud providers.
Cloud-native coverage
Cloud-native environments are distributed and complex. You need specialized, deep protection tailored to these complexities.
You may be torn about whether to choose an XDR or full CNAPP solution. XDR provides unified threat detection and response across diverse IT security layers, while CNAPP guards cloud-native applications and infrastructure across the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC). Some CNAPP solutions incorporate XDR for more holistic coverage.
Points to consider
Look for solutions that give you contextualized risk visibility across your entire code-to-cloud pipeline.
Prioritize tools that provide IaC scanning and automation to find and fix cloud misconfigurations early in the SDLC.
Select a platform with run-time coverage of cloud-native workloads and APIs through continuous monitoring and behavioral analysis.
Developer and Ops workflow support
Security solutions shouldn’t slow down your developers. The best platforms support secure development workflows from code to cloud–and fit into your current workflows and tools. By providing actionable security feedback early in the software development lifecycle, they support a shift-left approach, integrating within CI/CD pipelines, IaC scanning, and policy as code.
Points to consider
Select a tool that…
Enables security teams to create guardrails without blocking developer velocity
Offers pre-built integrations with development tools, deployment frameworks, and alerting and workflow platforms
Supports ingestion into SIEMs (e.g., Splunk, Sentinel, Elastic) and data lakes
Exposes APIs and webhooks for custom automations and workflows
Reduces operational friction with minimal setup and broad ecosystem support
Cost structure and total ownership
Pricing models vary widely across platforms, and hidden costs can creep in fast—especially with agent-heavy or usage-based billing.
Points to consider
Look for transparent, predictable pricing (e.g., per cloud asset or per account).
Beware of SKU sprawl and bundling that hides true costs.
Consider total cost of ownership, including time to deploy, agent maintenance, and staffing effort.
Choose solutions that scale with your cloud footprint without incurring complexity-based penalties.
Why is Wiz a leading alternative to Palo Alto for network security?
Securing your complex cloud and hybrid environments demands a unified approach. That’s what makes Wiz a leading alternative to Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud.
Discover how one global asset management company deployed Wiz in hours to unify its hybrid and multi-cloud security posture, simplifying the complexities of mixed on-premises and multi-cloud environments.
Wiz was designed to combat the unique, fast-moving threats of cloud, bringing together all the security features you need across the entire SDLC, from code to cloud runtime.
With Wiz, you’ll get the full lifecycle visibility and protection of a purpose-built CNAPP, the deep cloud visibility and real-time threat detection of an XDR solution, and up-to-the-minute threat intelligence. Wiz connects the dots across cloud logs, workloads, and control plane events, surfacing real attack paths, not just alerts, and proactively stopping security events in their tracks.
Wiz gives you…
A unified CNAPP with agentless, eBPF-powered DSPM, CIEM, CSPM, and CWPP
Real-time risk correlation through the Wiz Security Graph
Proven scalability across Fortune 100 customers
Fast onboarding with no agents or friction for developers
Best-in-class remediation workflows that integrate into CI/CD and developer tools
Truly comprehensive cloud security with integrated posture management, workload protection, and detection response
Wiz makes it fast and easy to get started—find out just how easy by booking a free demo.
Every Solution. One Platform
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