SELKS
SELKS: A free Suricata stack for network detection, hunting, dashboards, and packet analysis. Ranked #8 of 37 in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software by our editors (8.3/10); pricing: Free plan; best for open-source Suricata monitoring and hunting.
At a glance
- Editor score8.3 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forOpen-source Suricata monitoring and hunting
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Inline blockingYes
- Founded2014
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Combines Suricata IDS/IPS with threat hunting and alert analysis
- Includes graphical ruleset and threat-intelligence management
- Supports PCAP analysis and encrypted-traffic records with TLS and JA3/JA3S
Where it doesn't
- No planned future releases after January 1, 2025
- Archived and superseded by Clear NDR - Community
- Verified platform coverage is narrower than Suricata's
Our verdict on SELKS
SELKS is an open-source network intrusion detection and prevention, network security monitoring, and threat-hunting system built around Suricata. It is suited to home networks, researchers, educators, hobbyists, and small-to-medium organizations that want network visibility without a paid license. The system covers protocol, flow, alert, and file-transaction logs, while also providing packet capture, threat-intelligence management, and encrypted-traffic analysis.
Its main strength is the breadth of its security workflow. Graphical Suricata ruleset management supports rule administration without relying only on command-line work, while predefined and custom filters support threat hunting. Kibana dashboards, visualizations, and reporting add an analysis layer, and PCAP ingestion, capture, and analysis support investigations beyond individual alerts. Integrations with Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana, Arkime, EveBox, CyberChef, and Docker place SELKS within a wider network-monitoring and analysis ecosystem.
SELKS is free and open source, with web, Windows, and Linux platform coverage listed for the product. The important limitation is lifecycle: SELKS is archived, was no longer actively enhanced after January 1, 2025, and has no planned future releases. That makes it a better fit for existing deployments, learning, research, and controlled environments than for organizations seeking an actively developed foundation. Choose SELKS for its Suricata-centered monitoring, hunting, and packet-analysis scope; choose Clear NDR - Community instead when a successor to SELKS is the more appropriate direction.
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SELKS pricing
SELKS fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Deployment model | Software |
| Network scope | Network |
| Inline blocking | Yes |
| Encrypted traffic inspection | Yes |
| Cloud workload support | Not verified |
| Threat intelligence | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Not verified |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, Linux |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 7 integrations: Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana, Arkime, EveBox, CyberChef … |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | stamus-networks.com |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
SELKS integrations
SELKS lists 7 integrations on its own site.
- Elasticsearch
- Logstash
- Kibana
- Arkime
- EveBox
- CyberChef
- Docker
Alternatives to SELKS
- SuricataA capable free network IDS and IPS for teams prepared to manage self-hosted deployment.9.3
- Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat PreventionA strong fit for Palo Alto environments needing inline zero-day and exploit prevention.9.1
- Check Point Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)Enterprise IPS combining signature, behavioral, and virtual patching defenses.8.9
SELKS vs the competition
- SELKS vs Suricata
- SELKS vs Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention
- SELKS vs Check Point Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
- SELKS vs Trellix Intrusion Prevention System
- SELKS vs AhnLab AIPS
- SELKS vs Hillstone Network Intrusion Prevention System
Compare SELKS with any tool side by side →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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