An honest Palo Alto Prisma Cloud alternative
Prisma Cloud is a broad CNAPP that integrates tightly with Palo Alto Networks' larger security portfolio. EchelonGraph is the alternative for teams that want a lighter, free-to-start, transparently-priced platform with CVE-native intelligence — without buying into a full suite.
✓ Our pick: EchelonGraph — for a lighter, free-to-start, transparently-priced, CVE-native platform with self-hosting. Stay with Prisma Cloud if you're standardized on Palo Alto and want suite integration.
EchelonGraph gives you agentless cloud + network + eBPF runtime, real-time CVE intelligence, live exposure, zero-knowledge self-hosting, and a free tier — with pricing you can read on the page.
Honest caveat: Prisma Cloud is broad and especially compelling if you already run Palo Alto Networks products and want one integrated portfolio; its Compute Edition also offers self-hosting. For deep Palo Alto ecosystem integration, Prisma Cloud is the natural fit.
| Tool | Best for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EchelonGraph ★ | Lighter, free-to-start, CVE-native, self-hosted | Best when you don't need a full security suite. |
| Prisma Cloud | Broad CNAPP + Palo Alto suite integration | Strong if standardized on Palo Alto; enterprise pricing. |
Suite vs. focused platform
Prisma Cloud's strength is breadth and integration across Palo Alto's portfolio. EchelonGraph's strength is being a focused, transparent, CVE-native platform you can start free and self-host — useful when you want cloud + CVE intelligence without committing to a whole suite.
Frequently asked
Is there a cheaper Prisma Cloud alternative?
EchelonGraph publishes transparent pricing and offers a free-forever tier, where Prisma Cloud is quote-based enterprise pricing. For deep Palo Alto suite integration, Prisma Cloud remains the natural fit. Source: echelongraph.io/enterprise.
Does EchelonGraph self-host like Prisma Cloud Compute Edition?
Yes — EchelonGraph offers full self-hosted deployment via Helm with zero-knowledge encryption. Prisma Cloud Compute Edition also offers a self-hosted option. Source: echelongraph.io.
See the full picture in our best security tool by requirement guide.