Wazuh vs Exabeam -- Open Source SIEM Compared

Wazuh vs Exabeam (2026)

Wazuh (open source siem) and Exabeam (enterprise siem) are cybersecurity tools that serve different segments of the market. Wazuh is cloud-hosted and self-hosted with open source pricing and is best suited for organizations wanting a free, comprehensive siem/xdr platform with strong compliance capabilities. Exabeam offers cloud-hosted and self-hosted with per-user or per-gb subscription pricing and targets security teams focused on insider threat detection and automated investigation with behavioral analytics.

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The Verdict

Wazuh has an advantage for budget-conscious teams as an open-source option, while Exabeam is a commercial product with per-user or per-gb subscription pricing. Both offer flexible deployment with cloud-hosted and self-hosted options. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your organization's specific requirements, compliance needs, and existing technology stack.

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Wazuh vs Exabeam at a Glance

WazuhExabeam
CategoryOpen Source SIEMEnterprise SIEM
PricingFree (Open Source)Custom enterprise pricing (subscription-based)
Pricing ModelOpen SourcePer-user or per-GB subscription
Open SourceYesNo
Cloud HostedYesYes
Self-HostedYesYes
Founded20152013

Feature Comparison

Key capabilities of Wazuh and Exabeam compared side by side.

Wazuh

  • +Log data analysis
  • +Intrusion detection
  • +File integrity monitoring
  • +Vulnerability detection
  • +Configuration assessment
  • +Incident response
  • +Regulatory compliance
  • +Cloud workload protection

Exabeam

  • +Advanced user and entity behavior analytics
  • +Automated threat investigation timelines
  • +Smart Timelines for incident visualization
  • +Security data lake architecture
  • +Pre-built incident response playbooks
  • +Threat intelligence integration
  • +Compliance and risk scoring
  • +Cloud-native New-Scale SIEM platform

Key Differentiators

Unique to Wazuh

  • Log data analysis
  • Intrusion detection
  • File integrity monitoring
  • Vulnerability detection

Unique to Exabeam

  • Advanced user and entity behavior analytics
  • Automated threat investigation timelines
  • Security data lake architecture
  • Threat intelligence integration

When to Choose Each

Choose Wazuh if...

  • You need a tool best suited for organizations wanting a free, comprehensive siem/xdr platform with strong compliance capabilities
  • You want an open-source solution with full code transparency
  • Open Source pricing fits your budget model

Choose Exabeam if...

  • You need a tool best suited for security teams focused on insider threat detection and automated investigation with behavioral analytics
  • Per-user or per-GB subscription pricing fits your budget model

Pros & Cons Comparison

Exabeam

Pros

  • +Strong behavioral analytics (UEBA)
  • +Automated investigation dramatically reduces analyst time
  • +Smart Timelines provide clear incident visualization
  • +Strong insider threat and credential abuse detection
  • +Modern cloud-native architecture (New-Scale)

Cons

  • Smaller market presence than Splunk or Microsoft
  • Advanced features require significant tuning
  • Integration ecosystem still maturing
  • Transition from legacy Exabeam to New-Scale still ongoing

Wazuh

Pros

  • +Completely free and open source
  • +Unified SIEM + XDR in one platform
  • +Active community with 20M+ annual downloads
  • +Agent-based with multi-platform support
  • +Strong compliance reporting (PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR)

Cons

  • Requires significant infrastructure expertise to deploy
  • UI less polished than commercial alternatives
  • Community support only (paid support available)
  • Can be resource-intensive at scale

Sources & References

  1. Wazuh (Official Site)[Vendor]
  2. Wazuh Reviews on G2[User Reviews]
  3. Wazuh Reviews on TrustRadius[User Reviews]
  4. Wazuh Reviews on PeerSpot[User Reviews]
  5. Exabeam (Official Site)[Vendor]
  6. Exabeam Reviews on G2[User Reviews]
  7. Exabeam Reviews on TrustRadius[User Reviews]
  8. Exabeam Reviews on PeerSpot[User Reviews]

Wazuh vs Exabeam FAQ

Common questions about choosing between Wazuh and Exabeam.

What is the main difference between Wazuh and Exabeam?

Wazuh (open source siem) and Exabeam (enterprise siem) are cybersecurity tools that serve different segments of the market. Wazuh is cloud-hosted and self-hosted with open source pricing and is best suited for organizations wanting a free, comprehensive siem/xdr platform with strong compliance capabilities. Exabeam offers cloud-hosted and self-hosted with per-user or per-gb subscription pricing and targets security teams focused on insider threat detection and automated investigation with behavioral analytics.

Is Exabeam a good alternative to Wazuh?

Wazuh has an advantage for budget-conscious teams as an open-source option, while Exabeam is a commercial product with per-user or per-gb subscription pricing. Both offer flexible deployment with cloud-hosted and self-hosted options. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your organization's specific requirements, compliance needs, and existing technology stack.

How does Exabeam pricing compare to Wazuh?

Wazuh pricing: Free (Open Source) (open source). Exabeam pricing: Custom enterprise pricing (subscription-based) (per-user or per-gb subscription). The best option depends on your team size, usage patterns, and whether you need cloud-hosted, self-hosted, or hybrid deployment.

Can I migrate from Wazuh to Exabeam?

Migration from Wazuh to Exabeam is possible and depends on your specific setup. Both platforms offer APIs that can facilitate data migration. Consider running both tools in parallel during transition to ensure continuity. Check each vendor's migration documentation for specific guidance.