Suricata vs Snort

Suricata9.3Visit SSnort8.4Visit

Higher score Suricata #1 in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Suricata

vs

S Snort #7 in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Snort

• Suricata fits best

  Free open-source network IDS and IPS

• Snort fits best

  Linux teams seeking low-cost Snort-based detection

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Side by side

Feature	Suricata 9.3/10 Visit ↗	SSnort 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.4
Ranking	#1 in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software	#7 in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software
Best for	Free open-source network IDS and IPS	Linux teams seeking low-cost Snort-based detection
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	$29.99/device/yr
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs, Tickets, Email
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Suricata 3/4 · Snort 3/4
Inline blocking	✓	✓
Encrypted traffic inspection	✓	✓
Cloud workload support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Threat intelligence	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Software	Software
Network scope	Network	Network
Supported platforms	Network	Linux
Our review
Pros	Combines signature and anomaly detection with inline prevention Supports protocol logging, PCAP analysis, Lua, and Eve JSON output Integrates with SIEM, Elastic, Splunk, Logstash, Redis, and Netfilter	Free core engine and Community Ruleset Inline traffic blocking with configurable detection rules Packet, PCAP, and SSL/TLS inspection capabilities
Cons	Requires self-hosted network deployment and operational management Does not decrypt encrypted traffic for TLS inspection Custom detection and rule management may require specialist expertise	Deployment is focused on Linux self-hosted environments Rule subscriptions add annual per-sensor costs Configuration and deployment are handled by the user
Our verdict	Suricata is a free, open-source network threat detection engine for home users, corporate organizations, government users, researchers, and developers. It covers network intrusion detection, inline network intrusion prevention, network… Read the review →	Snort is an open-source network intrusion detection and prevention system from Cisco. It monitors network traffic, analyzes packets with configurable rules, generates alerts for detected malicious activity, and can operate inline to block… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Suricata — where it wins

  • Combines signature and anomaly detection with inline prevention
  • Supports protocol logging, PCAP analysis, Lua, and Eve JSON output
  • Integrates with SIEM, Elastic, Splunk, Logstash, Redis, and Netfilter

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires self-hosted network deployment and operational management
  • Does not decrypt encrypted traffic for TLS inspection
  • Custom detection and rule management may require specialist expertise

• Snort — where it wins

  • Free core engine and Community Ruleset
  • Inline traffic blocking with configurable detection rules
  • Packet, PCAP, and SSL/TLS inspection capabilities

  Where it doesn't

  • Deployment is focused on Linux self-hosted environments
  • Rule subscriptions add annual per-sensor costs
  • Configuration and deployment are handled by the user

• Suricata9.3/10 · Free plan

  A capable free network IDS and IPS for teams prepared to manage self-hosted deployment.

  Visit SuricataFull verdict →
• SSnort8.4/10 · Free plan

  A low-cost Snort engine with inline blocking and flexible packet analysis.

  Visit SnortFull verdict →