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Cybersecurity · head to head

Falco vs Omada Identity

Falco logo

Falco

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Omada Identity logo

Omada Identity

Cybersecurity

Identity governance and administration focused on access certification and compliance evidence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Falco has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Omada Identity pricing is per managed identity, so organisations with large numbers of contractors, service accounts or seasonal staff pay governance fees on identities nobody is really governing.
  • They diverge on capability: Falco covers eBPF kernel instrumentation, Omada Identity covers Access certification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Falco and Omada Identity actually diverge.

Attributes where Falco and Omada Identity differ
AttributeFalcoOmada Identity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Kubernetes, Self-hostedWeb

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

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 Falco

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

Only in Omada Identity

  • Access certification
  • Joiner mover leaver
  • Role modelling
  • Segregation of duties
  • Access request
  • Connectors

What people use each for

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

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 Omada Identity
  • A regulated business required to evidence host and container intrusion detection on Kubernetes nodes for an auditnot Omada Identity
  • A security team wanting a vendor-neutral detection layer whose rules they can read and modify rather than a black-box agentnot Omada Identity
  • A cluster where a compromised dependency might write to sensitive paths or open unexpected outbound connections, and only kernel-level visibility will catch itnot Omada Identity

Omada Identity

  • An organisation whose auditors flagged that access recertification is run on spreadsheets and cannot be evidencednot Falco
  • A company with high staff turnover where leavers keep access to systems weeks after their last daynot Falco
  • A regulated firm needing documented segregation of duties across finance and ERP entitlementsnot Falco
  • A business that abandoned a previous multi-year IGA implementation and needs something that reaches production this yearnot Falco

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Omada Identity

  • Pricing is per managed identity, so organisations with large numbers of contractors, service accounts or seasonal staff pay governance fees on identities nobody is really governing.
  • It governs access but provides no single sign-on, multi-factor authentication or privileged session management, so it is always a second or third identity subscription rather than a consolidation.
  • The fast-deployment promise depends on accepting its standard process model; organisations with genuinely unusual entitlement structures end up in custom work and the timeline advantage disappears.
  • Connector coverage is strong for mainstream enterprise systems and thin for bespoke or industry-specific applications, and each custom connector is a project with ongoing maintenance.
  • Data quality in the HR system determines whether joiner mover leaver automation works, so companies with messy HR records find the tool exposes that problem rather than solving it.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Omada Identity

On request
  • Omada Identity Cloud$undefined/year
    • Priced per managed identity per year
    • SaaS on Microsoft Azure with regional deployment options
    • Implementation delivered on a defined methodology, quoted separately

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Omada Identity if

  • You need access certification.
  • You also want joiner mover leaver.
Omada Identity review

Questions people ask

Is Falco or Omada Identity better?
Neither clearly leads. Falco starts at Free and Omada Identity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Falco or Omada Identity?
Falco has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Falco and On request for Omada Identity.
Does Falco or Omada Identity run on more platforms?
Falco runs on Linux, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Omada Identity runs on Web.
Can I use Falco for free?
Yes. Falco has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Omada Identity starts at On request.
What is Falco best used for?
Falco is most often used for 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 runtime, a regulated business required to evidence host and container intrusion detection on kubernetes nodes for an audit, a security team wanting a vendor-neutral detection layer whose rules they can read and modify rather than a black-box agent, a cluster where a compromised dependency might write to sensitive paths or open unexpected outbound connections, and only kernel-level visibility will catch it. Of those, 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 runtime and a regulated business required to evidence host and container intrusion detection on kubernetes nodes for an audit are not what Omada Identity is typically brought in for.
What can Falco do that Omada Identity cannot?
Falco covers eBPF kernel instrumentation, System call rules engine, Container and Kubernetes context, Default rule set. Omada Identity covers Access certification, Joiner mover leaver, Role modelling, Segregation of duties.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Falco: Does Falco block attacks?

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

Omada Identity: Does it provide single sign-on?

No. Omada is governance only. You still need Entra ID, Okta or equivalent for authentication.

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.

Omada Identity: How is it licensed?

Per managed identity per year. Count contractors and service accounts before you compare quotes, because they usually count.

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.

Omada Identity: How long does deployment take?

Months rather than years is the positioning, and it is achievable if you accept the standard process model. Heavy customisation returns you to traditional IGA timelines.

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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