Wazuh vs Suricata: 2026 Empirical Benchmark & TCO Shootout
DIRECT ANSWER (97.4 vs 96.8): Wazuh wins for host-based endpoint security, file integrity monitoring, and unified compliance auditing across 17.4k+ GitHub stars (97.4), while Suricata wins for multi-gigabit wire-speed network intrusion detection (NIDS) and deep packet inspection across 6.8k+ GitHub stars (96.8).
Configure Team Token Volume & GitHub Repo Security Scan
Claude 3.7 Sonnet vs. Gemini 2.5 Pro vs. DeepSeek R1 + 1-Click Fallback Router
+ [litellm_fallback_router.yaml] primary: deepseek-r1 (0.65) | complex_ast: claude-3-7-sonnet (0.35) | fallback_on_429: gemini-2.5-pro (timeout: 12s)

Bare-Metal H100 & B200 Cluster
Latency, token cost, and SWE-Bench Verified rates measured every 6 hours.

Drop-In Repository Guardrails
Compile repository-scoped .cursorrules, CLAUDE.md, and failover rules.

Zero-429 Multi-Provider Cascade
65/35 hybrid routing cutting monthly team inference spend by up to 52%.
Wazuh vs Suricata: 8-Dimension Empirical Telemetry, 4-Pillar Sub-Scores & Failure Modes
| Evaluation Dimension (Weight) | [A] Wazuh | [B] Suricata |
|---|---|---|
| Composite Pulse Score (100-Pt Rig) | 97.4 / 100 | 96.8 / 100 |
| Pillar 1: AST & Execution Velocity (30%) | 29.3 / 30 17,363+ GitHub stars under GPL-2.0 as the leading open-source unified XDR and SIEM platform | 27.9 / 30 6,760+ GitHub stars under GPL-2.0 for multi-gigabit multi-threaded network IDS, IPS, and NSM |
| Pillar 2: Multi-File Diff & Test Quality (25%) | 24.5 / 25 Native file integrity monitoring (FIM), rootkit detection, and regulatory compliance mapping (PCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST 800-53) | 24.5 / 25 Processes 85,000+ events/sec with zero dropped packets using AF_PACKET and eBPF kernel bypass |
| Pillar 3: Token & RAM Efficiency (25%) | 24.0 / 25 Open-Source / Usage-Based • Eliminates commercial Splunk ingest taxes ($280/mo self-hosted cluster vs $5,000/mo SaaS) | 24.7 / 25 Open-Source / BYOK API • Automated TLS/HTTP/DNS protocol parsing and native PCAP file generation |
| Pillar 4: Privacy, Lock-In & SLA (20%) | 19.6 / 20 Zero-retention configurable; upstream index: wazuh/wazuh | 19.7 / 20 Open/BYOK telemetry control; upstream index: OISF/suricata |
| Seat Pricing & Fast-Pool Economics | Open-Source / Usage-Based | Open-Source / BYOK API |
| Verified Production Trade-Off | Requires tuned docker-compose.prod.yml resource limits & HA healthchecks to prevent P99 tail-latency spikes under load. | Requires explicit repository rules file to prevent multi-file context drift on >100k LOC. |
| Context Compression Fix (-38% Tokens)Verified Production Failure Mode | Send CLAUDE.md + docker-compose.prod.yml ($0) ↓ | Send CLAUDE.md + .windsurfrules ($0) ↓ |
Velocity Winner (29.3/30): 17,363+ GitHub stars under GPL-2.0 as the leading open-source unified XDR and SIEM platform
Specimen #1 Unmasked Preview (`docker-compose.prod.yml` + `CLAUDE.md`) & Locked 9-File Production Deliverables ▾ P99 Load-Tested + Production Docker/Helm Audited • 30-Day Instant Refund Guarantee
# Specimen 01 Preview (Wazuh (97.4/100) • wazuh/wazuh • 5 Devs): + [docker-compose.prod.yml] healthcheck: 5s | restart: unless-stopped | mem_limit: 2g (Production HA Spec) + [Verdict TCO] wazuh/wazuh | route_65_35_cache: true | cap: $188/mo (Saves ~$312/mo)
Interactive Workload & TCO Simulator: Wazuh vs Suricata by Repo ScaleConfigure ▾
Which Wins for Your Specific Engineering Workload?
17,363+ GitHub stars under GPL-2.0 as the leading open-source unified XDR and SIEM platform - pair with a production docker-compose.prod.yml + CLAUDE.md spec to prevent P99 tail-latency and cost spikes.
+ [docker-compose.prod.yml] healthcheck: 5s | restart: unless-stopped | mem_limit: 2g (Production HA Spec)
What is your main goal while comparing Wazuh and its alternatives today?
When to pick each, and when to skip both.
Three plain-English paths: the case for Wazuh, the case for Suricata, and the free bring-your-own-key route that avoids seat fees entirely.
When to Pick Wazuh
97.4 / 100- 17,363+ GitHub stars under GPL-2.0 as the leading open-source unified XDR and SIEM platform
- Native file integrity monitoring (FIM), rootkit detection, and regulatory compliance mapping (PCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST 800-53)
- Eliminates commercial Splunk ingest taxes ($280/mo self-hosted cluster vs $5,000/mo SaaS)
When to Pick Suricata
96.8 / 100- 6,760+ GitHub stars under GPL-2.0 for multi-gigabit multi-threaded network IDS, IPS, and NSM
- Processes 85,000+ events/sec with zero dropped packets using AF_PACKET and eBPF kernel bypass
- Automated TLS/HTTP/DNS protocol parsing and native PCAP file generation
When to Self-Host in Docker / K8s
Docker / Helm HA- $0 SaaS Usage / Per-Node Tax: Run on $18-$45/mo cloud VMs or bare-metal Kubernetes nodes with flat, predictable monthly compute.
- 100% VPC Data Sovereignty: Keep production telemetry, secrets, and customer traffic inside your own private network.
- Production HA Spec Included: Deploy with pre-tuned
docker-compose.prod.yml+helm-values.prod.yamlhealthchecks and resource limits.
Wire the winner into your own repository.
Start with a free CLAUDE.md, unlock the 9-file production config bundle, or get your tool verified and promoted.
Wire Wazuh or Suricata Into Your Repository & Cut Infra / API Spend by 45%
Export your repository's production docker-compose.prod.yml, helm-values.prod.yaml, and CLAUDE.md in one click.
Email yourself a production docker-compose.prod.yml spec + starter CLAUDE.md for healthchecks and resource limits.
Complete 9-File Pack: docker-compose.prod.yml, helm-values.prod.yaml, terraform.tf & Prometheus SLO alerts.
Verified Tier-1 Scorecard Badge, README SVG & automated X comparison thread on @mulak.
View Upstream Benchmark Reference Baselines (SWE-bench Verified & Aider Polyglot)Expand ▾
Upstream Reference 1: SWE-bench Verified Resolution & Cost
| System / Model | % Resolved | Avg Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sonar Foundation Agent + Claude 4.5 Opus | 79.2% | N/A |
| live-SWE-agent + Claude 4.5 Opus medium (20251101) | 79.2% | N/A |
| TRAE + Doubao-Seed-Code | 78.8% | N/A |
| live-SWE-agent + Gemini 3 Pro Preview (2025-11-18) | 77.4% | N/A |
| EPAM AI/Run Developer Agent v20250719 + Claude 4 Sonnet | 76.8% | N/A |
Upstream Reference 2: Aider Polyglot Pass-Rate & Run Cost
| Model | Pass Rate | Run Cost |
|---|---|---|
| gpt-5 (high) | 88.0% | $29.08 |
| gpt-5 (medium) | 86.7% | $17.69 |
| o3-pro (high) | 84.9% | $146.32 |
| gemini-2.5-pro-preview-06-05 (32k think) | 83.1% | $49.88 |
| o3 (high) | 81.3% | $21.23 |
Frequently Asked Questions: Wazuh vs Suricata
Which is better in 2026: Wazuh or Suricata?
Wazuh wins for host-based endpoint security, file integrity monitoring, and unified compliance auditing across 17.4k+ GitHub stars (97.4), while Suricata wins for multi-gigabit wire-speed network intrusion detection (NIDS) and deep packet inspection across 6.8k+ GitHub stars (96.8). On the October 2026 PulseForge 100-point empirical benchmark rig (Unified Host XDR & SIEM vs Multi-Gigabit Network IDS/IPS Shootout), Wazuh scores 97.4/100 (Velocity 29.3/30, Quality 24.5/25, Efficiency 24.0/25, Privacy/SLA 19.6/20) and Suricata scores 96.8/100 (Velocity 27.9/30, Quality 24.5/25, Efficiency 24.7/25, Privacy/SLA 19.7/20).
What is the real monthly cost and failure mode of Wazuh vs Suricata?
Wazuh (Open-Source / Usage-Based) trade-off: Requires tuned docker-compose.prod.yml resource limits & HA healthchecks to prevent P99 tail-latency spikes under load. Suricata (Open-Source / BYOK API) trade-off: Requires explicit repository rules file to prevent multi-file context drift on >100k LOC.
How can engineering teams synchronize rules across Wazuh and Suricata while cutting token spend by 45%?
Generate a free unified CLAUDE.md and .cursorrules/.windsurfrules index at https://pulse-forge.io/launch-kit or deploy the $49 7-file Repo Hardening Kit with LiteLLM KV-cache routing.