Softwr

Government · head to head

CentralSquare vs Falco

CentralSquare logo

CentralSquare

Government

Public Safety and Administration Software

From
$1500/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Falco logo

Falco

Cybersecurity

CNCF-graduated runtime threat detection for Linux and Kubernetes using eBPF

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Falco has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CentralSquare no pricing information is published on the website; Falco falco detects and alerts but does not block; stopping an attack requires wiring up Falco Talon or your own response tooling, so out of the box a confirmed detection still means a human intervening after the fact.
  • They diverge on capability: CentralSquare covers Computer-Aided Dispatch, Falco covers eBPF kernel instrumentation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CentralSquare and Falco actually diverge.

Attributes where CentralSquare and Falco differ
AttributeCentralSquareFalco
Starting price$1500/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Ios, AndroidLinux, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded2018Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CentralSquare

  • Computer-Aided Dispatch
  • Records Management
  • Jail Management
  • Fire RMS
  • Community Development
  • Esri ArcGIS
  • FBI CJIS
  • NCIC

Only in Falco

  • eBPF kernel instrumentation
  • System call rules engine
  • Container and Kubernetes context
  • Default rule set
  • Falcosidekick
  • Falco Talon
  • Plugins framework
  • DaemonSet deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CentralSquare

  • Citizen Servicesnot Falco
  • Records Managementnot Falco
  • Public Safetynot Falco
  • Civic Engagementnot Falco

Falco

  • A platform team that needs to know when a shell is opened inside a production container, which image scanning cannot detect because it happens at runtimenot CentralSquare
  • A regulated business required to evidence host and container intrusion detection on Kubernetes nodes for an auditnot CentralSquare
  • A security team wanting a vendor-neutral detection layer whose rules they can read and modify rather than a black-box agentnot CentralSquare
  • A cluster where a compromised dependency might write to sensitive paths or open unexpected outbound connections, and only kernel-level visibility will catch itnot CentralSquare

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CentralSquare

  • No pricing information is published on the website
  • Pricing model is not disclosed; visitors are directed to request a demo or contact sales

Falco

  • Falco detects and alerts but does not block; stopping an attack requires wiring up Falco Talon or your own response tooling, so out of the box a confirmed detection still means a human intervening after the fact.
  • The default rule set is noisy in real clusters and generates a large volume of benign matches from normal operational activity; without weeks of tuning, alert fatigue sets in and the team stops reading the feed, which is the usual failure mode.
  • There is no storage, console, search or case management in the project, so a working detection capability means also running Falcosidekick, an event store, a dashboard and alert routing, all of which you build, host and maintain.
  • The modern eBPF driver requires kernel 5.8 or later; older hosts fall back to the legacy probe or the kernel module, which brings driver-building against kernel headers and the operational fragility that comes with it on every kernel upgrade.
  • Per-node syscall instrumentation carries measurable CPU overhead on busy hosts, and the cost scales with syscall volume rather than with cluster size, so the noisiest and most performance-sensitive workloads are exactly the ones that feel it most.

Pricing, plan by plan

CentralSquare

$1500/month
  • Public Safety Suite$1500/month
    • CAD
    • Records Management
    • Mobile Solutions

Falco

Free
  • Falco (open source)Free
    • Apache 2.0 licence, CNCF graduated project
    • eBPF and kernel module drivers
    • Full rules engine and default rule set

Which should you pick?

Choose CentralSquare if

  • You need computer-aided dispatch.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android.
  • You also want records management.
CentralSquare review

Choose Falco if

  • You need ebpf kernel instrumentation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want system call rules engine.
Falco review

Questions people ask

Is CentralSquare or Falco better?
Neither clearly leads. CentralSquare starts at $1500/month and Falco at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CentralSquare or Falco?
Falco has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1500/month for CentralSquare and Free for Falco.
Does CentralSquare or Falco run on more platforms?
CentralSquare runs on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android. Falco runs on Linux, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use Falco for free?
Yes. Falco has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CentralSquare starts at $1500/month.
What is CentralSquare best used for?
CentralSquare is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what Falco is typically brought in for.
What can CentralSquare do that Falco cannot?
CentralSquare covers Computer-Aided Dispatch, Records Management, Jail Management, Fire RMS. Falco covers eBPF kernel instrumentation, System call rules engine, Container and Kubernetes context, Default rule set.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CentralSquare: How much does CentralSquare cost?

CentralSquare does not publish pricing on its website. The company directs customers to request a demo or schedule a call with their sales team to discuss pricing.

Source
Falco: Does Falco block attacks?

No. It detects and emits events. Response requires Falco Talon or your own automation on top.

CentralSquare: What is CentralSquare's pricing model?

The pricing model is not disclosed. CentralSquare appears to use a custom quote or consultation-based approach, as the website does not mention subscription plans or tier-based pricing.

Source
Falco: Is Falco owned by Sysdig?

Sysdig created and open sourced it, but it graduated within the CNCF in February 2024, so governance sits with the foundation rather than the vendor.

CentralSquare: Is there a free tier or trial?

No information about free tiers or trials is available on the website.

Source
Falco: What does it cost?

The project is Apache 2.0 with no licence fee. The cost is the storage, routing, tuning and staff time needed to make its output useful.

CentralSquare: How do I get a pricing quote?

Contact CentralSquare through their website to request a demo or schedule a call with their sales team.

Source
Falco: What kernel version do I need?

Kernel 5.8 or later for the default modern eBPF driver. Older hosts need the legacy eBPF probe or the kernel module.

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