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Cloud · head to head

Northflank vs Orca Security

Northflank logo

Northflank

Cloud

The runtime platform for AI-native companies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Orca Security logo

Orca Security

Cloud

Agentless cloud-native application protection platform for code-to-runtime security.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Northflank has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Northflank pricing complexity with multiple rate dimensions; Orca Security no public pricing; requires a demo and custom quote from sales.
  • They diverge on capability: Northflank covers Application deployments, Orca Security covers Agentless cloud scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Northflank and Orca Security actually diverge.

Attributes where Northflank and Orca Security differ
AttributeNorthflankOrca Security
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAWS, GCP, Azure, On-premisesweb, api

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

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 Northflank

  • Application deployments
  • GPU support
  • Preview environments
  • Database management
  • Multi-cloud support
  • GitOps integration

Only in Orca Security

  • Agentless cloud scanning
  • Attack path analysis
  • Shadow AI detection
  • Secure code development
  • Alert prioritization
  • Workload protection

What people use each for

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

Northflank

  • Deploying AI inference models with GPU accelerationnot Orca Security
  • Running training workloads on distributed GPUsnot Orca Security
  • Building microservices with multi-cloud reliabilitynot Orca Security

Orca Security

  • Gaining full cloud asset visibility without deploying agentsnot Northflank
  • Prioritizing cloud risk with attack path correlationnot Northflank
  • Detecting shadow AI usage across cloud environmentsnot Northflank
  • Scanning code, containers, and IaC before deploymentnot Northflank
  • Reducing alert fatigue through contextual risk scoringnot Northflank

Where each one falls short

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

Northflank

  • Pricing complexity with multiple rate dimensions
  • GPU costs can be expensive for large-scale deployments
  • Learning curve for Kubernetes concepts

Orca Security

  • No public pricing; requires a demo and custom quote from sales.
  • Agentless-only scanning may miss some runtime telemetry that agent-based tools capture.
  • Full value depends on integrating many of the platform's modules across code, cloud, and AI.
  • Primarily targeted at mid-to-large organizations with multi-cloud environments.

Pricing, plan by plan

Northflank

Free
  • Sandbox (Free)Free
    • Always-on compute with no sleeping
    • 2 free services
    • 1 free database
  • Pay-as-you-go$undefined/usage
    • CPU: $0.01667 per vCPU per hour
    • Memory: $0.00833 per GB per hour
    • Network egress: $0.06 per GB
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing with volume discounts
    • Invoice-based billing
    • Annual commitments

Orca Security

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Orca Security review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Northflank if

  • You need application deployments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS, GCP, Azure, On-premises.
  • You also want gpu support.
Northflank review

Choose Orca Security if

  • You need agentless cloud scanning.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want attack path analysis.
Orca Security review

Questions people ask

Is Northflank or Orca Security better?
Neither clearly leads. Northflank starts at Free and Orca Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Northflank or Orca Security?
Northflank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Northflank and On request for Orca Security.
Does Northflank or Orca Security run on more platforms?
Northflank runs on AWS, GCP, Azure, On-premises. Orca Security runs on web, api.
Can I use Northflank for free?
Yes. Northflank has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Orca Security starts at On request.
What is Northflank best used for?
Northflank is most often used for deploying ai inference models with gpu acceleration, running training workloads on distributed gpus, building microservices with multi-cloud reliability. Of those, deploying ai inference models with gpu acceleration and running training workloads on distributed gpus are not what Orca Security is typically brought in for.
What can Northflank do that Orca Security cannot?
Northflank covers Application deployments, GPU support, Preview environments, Database management. Orca Security covers Agentless cloud scanning, Attack path analysis, Shadow AI detection, Secure code development.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Northflank: What is included in the free Sandbox tier?

The Sandbox includes always-on compute, 2 free services, 1 free database, 2 free cron jobs, and is perfect for testing applications.

Source
Orca Security: How much does Orca Security cost?

Orca Security does not publish pricing tiers or rates on their website. Organizations must contact Orca Security directly or request a demo to receive custom pricing information based on their specific use case and requirements.

Source
Northflank: How much does CPU cost on Northflank?

CPU costs $0.01667 per vCPU per hour on pay-as-you-go pricing.

Source
Northflank: What GPUs are available?

GPU options include NVIDIA L4 at $0.80/hr through H100 at $2.74/hr.

Source
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