An honest Lacework alternative
Lacework (now part of Fortinet as FortiCNAPP) built its reputation on the Polygraph data platform — behavioral, anomaly-driven cloud security. EchelonGraph is the alternative when you want sovereignty, a free tier, and CVE-native intelligence rather than a behavioral data lake.
✓ Our pick: EchelonGraph — for zero-knowledge self-hosting, a free tier, and CVE-native intelligence. Stay with Lacework/FortiCNAPP for mature behavioral anomaly detection and the Fortinet ecosystem.
EchelonGraph combines agentless cloud and eBPF runtime with a real-time CVE feed, live exposure, on-host zero-knowledge encryption, and a free tier — a CVE-and-exposure-native approach rather than a behavioral data platform.
Honest caveat: Lacework's Polygraph behavioral analytics are mature, and it now has Fortinet's backing and ecosystem. If behavioral anomaly detection across cloud activity is your core need, Lacework/FortiCNAPP is a strong specialist.
| Tool | Best for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EchelonGraph ★ | ZK/self-hosted, free tier, CVE-native + exposure | Best for sovereignty + CVE-native depth. |
| Lacework / FortiCNAPP | Behavioral anomaly detection | Mature Polygraph analytics; Fortinet ecosystem; SaaS. |
Behavioral platform vs CVE/exposure intelligence
Lacework's distinctive strength is behavioral anomaly detection over a cloud activity data lake. EchelonGraph's is real-time CVE intelligence fused with live internet-exposure, plus zero-knowledge self-hosting and a free tier — different centers of gravity.
Frequently asked
Is there a Lacework alternative with a free tier?
EchelonGraph offers a free-forever tier and zero-knowledge self-hosting. Lacework (now Fortinet FortiCNAPP) is enterprise/subscription. For behavioral anomaly detection, Lacework/FortiCNAPP remains a strong specialist. Source: echelongraph.io/enterprise.
Lacework vs EchelonGraph?
Lacework for mature behavioral/anomaly cloud analytics and the Fortinet ecosystem. EchelonGraph for zero-knowledge sovereignty, a free tier, and CVE-native intelligence with live exposure. See echelongraph.io/compare-vendors.
See the full picture in our best security tool by requirement guide.