What offers better cloud security and value?

CrowdStrike and Wiz are two security vendors that operate from very different positions. On the one hand, CrowdStrike has been in the space since 2011 and has solidified itself as an industry leader in endpoint detection and response solutions.

Meanwhile, Wiz is a much younger cybersecurity company founded in 2020 that aims to make a name for itself in the world of cloud security.

In this article, we examine how CrowdStrike and Wiz stack up against each other to determine which one is best for you and your organization.

Recommended Alternative: CrowdStrike CrowdStrike offers the most complete CNAPP to stop breaches from code to cloud. unified protection: CrowdStrike Falcon® Cloud Security provides comprehensive coverage for infrastructure, applications, data, AI and SaaS within a single, consolidated platform. This unified approach reduces complexity and enables organizations to consolidate multiple tools. Unlike Wiz, which focuses on CSPM and vulnerability management, Falcon Cloud Security integrates seamlessly into the Falcon platform with unified cloud, endpoint, identity and data security, providing protection across every attack path. Built to Stop Violations: While Wiz focuses primarily on detecting misconfigurations, Falcon Cloud Security detects misconfigurations and stops cloud breaches in real-time with the same unified agent as its industry-leading EDR and Identity Protection. Leader in detection and response: With 24/7 threat intelligence and managed services, Falcon Cloud Security’s cloud detection and response (CDR) delivers actionable insights and expert support to protect across every cloud environment. While Wiz lacks adversary-focused threat intelligence, CrowdStrike offers robust detection and response to handle even the most sophisticated attacks.

CrowdStrike vs Wiz: Comparison Table

	CrowdStrike	Wiz
Start price	$59.99 per year (Falcon Go)	Use their online portal for price quotes.
Cloud Native Application Protection Platform	Yes	Yes
Cloud security posture management	Yes	Yes
Cloud workload protection	Yes	Yes
Agent-based or agentless	United agent and agentless	Agentless
Endpoint detection and response	Yes	No
Cloud detection and response	Yes	Yes

CrowdStrike vs Wiz: Pricing

As a disclaimer, this article compares CrowdStrike and Wiz and their overall product offerings. Although there is an emphasis on cloud security solutions, we aim to provide the general differences between the two providers as a whole.

CrowdStrike Pricing

CrowdStrike offers several cybersecurity solutions that meet different security requirements and business sizes.

Below is a brief summary of pricing and feature differences for each:

• Falcon Go: $59.99 per year; next generation antivirus, device control and express support.
• Falcon Pro: $99.99 per device, billed annually; all Falcon Go features plus firewall management.
• Falcon Enterprise: $184.99 per device, billed annually; all Falcon Pro features plus EDR, threat hunting and intelligence capabilities.
• Falcon Elite: Contact sales for pricing; all Falcon Enterprise features plus IT hygiene and identity protection.
• CrowdStrike Cloud Security: Contact Sales for a price quote; CSPM, ASPM, container security, and server threat charts.

CrowdStrike offers free trials for most of the subscriptions listed above. I recommend checking out these trials for interested buyers to get a feel for CrowdStrike’s services and whether they fit your organization’s needs.

Wiz prices

Wiz does not provide a standard price for its cloud services. Instead, it offers one-to-one aggregate pricing depending on your organization’s current cloud workload and environment.

On their official website, Wiz has a price request portal that asks a few questions before providing the custom price quote. Below are some questions and details asked by Wiz:

• How many clouds do you use? (AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.)
• Provide name and work email address.
• Job title, company name and telephone number.

You can also get a personal, 30-minute demo of Wiz’s software through their official website. Like the price request, it is accessible after providing a few details.

CrowdStrike vs Wiz: Feature Comparison

Area of ​​focus

While both are in the cybersecurity space, CrowdStrike and Wiz take different approaches to the services they are best known for.

On the one hand, Wiz mainly deals with cloud environments and securing cloud infrastructure. This is achieved through their Cloud Security Posture Management, Vulnerability Management, Infrastructure Entitlements Management, and Cloud Native Application Protection Platform consoles, among others.

On the other hand, CrowdStrike hovers more over endpoint security and is considered an industry leader with its EDR and XDR offerings. They also have managed detection and response, NGAV, and threat-hunting service options.

To be clear, CrowdStrike has a dedicated Falcon Cloud Security product that overlaps with Wiz’s offerings. It bundles CSPM, CNAPP and CIEM functionality into a unified console.

Despite these similarities, I think this is a good place to start in determining which provider to go for. Are you looking for a solution that exclusively provides strong visibility and protection for your cloud infrastructure? In this case, Wiz might be the better choice.

Meanwhile, if you want a more comprehensive provider that offers both cloud and endpoint security tools, CrowdStrike should be your top consideration.

Independent assessments

Looking at independent assessments, both CrowdStrike and Wiz rank well among their competitors in the cloud space.

In the Forrester Wave’s Cloud Workload Security Report for Q1 2024, CrowdStrike was named a leader, while Wiz was recognized as a strong performer.

The report praised CrowdStrike for its CWS vision, robust container runtime protection and strong agent-based CWP. Meanwhile, Wiz was highlighted as a good choice for organizations that “prioritize agentless CWP, need attack path visualization, but only minimal agent-based workload protection.”

One thing to note is this is Wiz’s first inclusion in a Forrester report. Although it is only four years old, I feel that it shows how the company has already made a good impression on both end users and independent evaluators.

For CrowdStrike’s part, their regular presence at the top of third-party reports shows that they are still one of the most influential players in cybersecurity today.

Agent-based vs agentless

One main difference between the two is their choice of agent-based and agentless security.

CrowdStrike is known for its agent-based Falcon platform, but has also introduced agentless security in recent years. Now it is positioning its Falcon Cloud Security service as a “flexible” agent-based and agentless unified platform, aiming to bring the benefits of both systems into their software.

Meanwhile, Wiz’s CSPM platform is an agentless solution that prioritizes ease of deployment, low maintenance needs and scalability.

CrowdStrike vs. Wiz on Reddit

To round out this comparison, I explored online forums and communities like Reddit to see how CrowdStrike and Wiz fared with different users worldwide.

For both, user perception appears to be very positive. In the Cyber ​​Security Reddit Communityasked one poster what other users’ experience has been with Wiz and their cloud based solutions.

One commenter in that thread said, “Wiz has been really effective for us. We went with it because it is agentless, which makes deployment very quick and simple. It’s great for identifying vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, which is a big help.”

“The interface is pretty solid, putting everything we need to see in one place, and while it’s on the expensive side, the amount of work it saves us justifies the cost,” the commenter added.

SEE: The Top 4 CrowdStrike Alternatives and Competitors in 2024 (TechRepublic)

CrowdStrike Pros and Cons

Advantages of CrowdStrike

• Agent-based and agentless solution.
• Deep cloud visibility.
• Also offers EDR and XDR.

Disadvantages of CrowdStrike

• Involvement in July 2024 IT Outage.

Wiz pros and cons

Advantages of Wiz

• Full focus on cloud infrastructure security.
• Completely agentless.
• Simple deployment and intuitive UI.

Cons of Wiz

• Fewer options in terms of other security solutions.

Should Your Business Use CrowdStrike or Wiz?

Both CrowdStrike and Wiz are quality choices when it comes to securing your organization’s cloud infrastructure. That said, there are differences between the two that may sway your decision to one over the other.

If you’re looking for a provider with years of industry experience, strong real-time threat response, and an agent-based platform, CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security should be your choice. It is also the better choice if your business is looking for additional security services, especially in endpoint security.

On the other hand, if you prefer to invest in a newer cybersecurity provider that focuses solely on cloud security, Wiz is the better option. It’s also the clear choice if you want a completely agentless solution.

SEE: Everything you need to know about the cybersecurity threat of misinformation (TechRepublic Premium)

Methodology

My comparison of CrowdStrike and Wiz involved doing a head-to-head comparison of their software offerings, features, and overall value.

In particular, I considered key differences between the two cloud providers, such as their area of ​​focus, independent assessments, and choice between agent-based or agentless security. Research on the vendors included an extensive review of official product documentation, available demos, and advertised use cases for each product.

In addition, real user feedback and verified third-party reviews were also considered to round out the final recommendations.