The Open Source Alternative to Splunk & CrowdStrike

🩺 Vitals

📦 Version: v4.14.2 (Released 2026-01-15)
🚀 Velocity: Active (Last commit 2026-01-29)
🌟 Community: 14.6k Stars · 2.1k Forks
🐞 Backlog: 2829 Open Issues

🏗️ Profile

Official: wazuh.com
Source: github.com/wazuh/wazuh
License: GPL-2.0(/resource/deployment-docker)
Deployment:Docker / Kubernetes / On-Premise
Data Model: Index-based (OpenSearch / Elasticsearch)
Jurisdiction: USA 🇺🇸
Compliance: SOC 2 (Partner support), PCI DSS (Module to help compliance)
Complexity: High (4/5) - Requires distributed systems knowledge
Maintenance: High (4/5) - Regular rule updates and index management
Enterprise Ready: High (5/5) - Scalable to thousands of agents

1. The Executive Summary

What is it? Wazuh is a free, open-source security platform that provides unified XDR (Extended Detection and Response) and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) capabilities. It protects endpoints (laptops, servers, cloud instances) by monitoring them for threats, detecting unauthorized changes, and automating incident response. For CTOs, Wazuh offers a comprehensive security posture without the prohibitive "data tax" of proprietary logging tools.

The Strategic Verdict:

🔴 For Small Non-Technical Teams: Caution. Setting up a robust SIEM requires significant expertise in security engineering and infrastructure management.
🟢 For Regulated Enterprises: Strong Buy. Wazuh provides deep compliance monitoring (PCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST) and full ownership of security telemetry, ensuring that sensitive audit logs never leave your control.

2. The "Hidden" Costs (TCO Analysis)

Cost Component	Proprietary (Splunk / CrowdStrike)	Wazuh (Open Source)
Data Ingestion	High ($ per GB/day)	$0 (Owned Infrastructure)
Agent Fees	Recurring per-endpoint cost	$0 (Unlimited Agents)
Retention	Expensive for long-term storage	Limited by Disk/S3 Cost
Expertise	Vendor-certified specialists	Security Engineers (Common Tech Stack)

3. The "Day 2" Reality Check

🚀 Deployment & Operations

Architecture: Consists of three main components: the Wazuh Indexer (OpenSearch), the Wazuh Server (Manager), and the Wazuh Dashboard. It is designed for horizontal scalability.
Agent Management: Lightweight agents are deployed to endpoints. They are highly efficient, consuming minimal CPU/RAM while providing real-time telemetry.

🛡️ Security & Governance

Compliance: SOC 2 (Partner support), PCI DSS (Module to help compliance)
Integrations: Natively integrates with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and can ingest logs from firewalls, switches, and other network devices via Syslog.

Wazuh