Honest comparison · Orca's SideScanning is mature

An honest Orca Security alternative

Orca's patented SideScanning is a mature, genuinely good approach to agentless cloud workload analysis. EchelonGraph is the alternative when you need self-hosting / sovereignty, a free tier, or CVE-native intelligence layered into the picture.

✓ Our pick: EchelonGraph — for self-hosted / zero-knowledge deployment, a free tier, and built-in CVE + exposure intelligence. Stay with Orca for mature agentless workload coverage at enterprise scale.

EchelonGraph combines agentless cloud scanning with eBPF runtime telemetry (Tier 3), on-host zero-knowledge encryption, a free tier, and a live CVE feed with internet-exposure data — a different blend from a pure agentless workload scanner.

Honest caveat: Orca is a focused, mature CNAPP with deep agentless workload coverage and a large customer base. If agentless cloud workload analysis at enterprise scale is your core need and SaaS is fine, Orca is an excellent fit.

ToolBest forNote
EchelonGraphSelf-hosted/ZK, free tier, CVE + exposure intelBest for sovereignty + CVE-native depth.
Orca SecurityMature agentless SideScanningDeep agentless workload analysis; SaaS.

Where the two differ

Orca centers on agentless workload visibility. EchelonGraph spans agentless cloud (Tier 1), network scanning (Tier 2), and eBPF kernel telemetry (Tier 3), and folds in real-time CVE intelligence + live exposure — with the option to self-host and keep data in your VPC.

Frequently asked

Is there a self-hosted Orca Security alternative?

EchelonGraph offers full self-hosted deployment via Helm with zero-knowledge encryption (your data stays in your VPC). Orca is delivered as SaaS. Source: echelongraph.io, orca.security.

Does EchelonGraph have a free tier like Orca?

EchelonGraph has a free-forever tier; Orca, as of 2026, does not list a free-forever tier publicly. For mature agentless workload analysis, Orca remains strong. Source: echelongraph.io/enterprise.

Sources & disclaimer

Orca Security and related names are trademarks of their respective owners. EchelonGraph is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Orca Security. This page reflects our understanding of publicly available information at the time of writing and may change; if you believe anything here is inaccurate, email support@echelongraph.io and we'll correct it.