Network & Connectivity · head to head
Palo Alto Networks vs Splunk
Palo Alto Networks
Network & Connectivity
Enterprise cybersecurity platform
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Splunk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Palo Alto Networks enterprise-focused pricing model; Splunk no prices are published on any plan; every model requires contacting sales for an estimate
- They diverge on capability: Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Splunk covers Log aggregation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Palo Alto Networks and Splunk actually diverge.
| Attribute | Palo Alto Networks | Splunk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2005 | 2003 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Network & Connectivity).
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 Palo Alto Networks
- Advanced threat prevention
- Threat detection and response
- Cloud security
- Endpoint protection
- Network security
- API protection
- Incident response
- Threat intelligence
Only in Splunk
- Log aggregation
- Real-time monitoring
- Data visualization
- Full-text search
- Custom dashboards
- Alert management
- Anomaly detection
- Log parsing
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Palo Alto Networks
- Enterprise network security and threat protectionnot Splunk
- Cloud-native application protectionnot Splunk
- Identity and access securitynot Splunk
- Security operations and incident responsenot Splunk
Splunk
- Log search and analysis across infrastructurenot Palo Alto Networks
- SIEM, SOAR and UEBA for a security operations teamnot Palo Alto Networks
- Application performance and infrastructure monitoringnot Palo Alto Networks
- Cloud, private cloud or on-premises deploymentnot Palo Alto Networks
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Palo Alto Networks
- Enterprise-focused pricing model
- Complex implementation required
Splunk
- No prices are published on any plan; every model requires contacting sales for an estimate
- Three separate pricing models, workload, ingest and entity, so the same deployment costs different amounts depending on which was signed
- Ingest pricing bills on data volume, so cost tracks how much you log rather than how much value you get from it
- Security, observability and platform are priced separately
Pricing, plan by plan
Palo Alto Networks
On request- Enterprise$undefined/year
- Threat prevention
- Detection and response
- Cloud security
Splunk
Free- FreeFree
- Log aggregation
- Real-time monitoring
- Data visualization
Which should you pick?
Choose Palo Alto Networks if
- You need advanced threat prevention.
- You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
- You also want threat detection and response.
Choose Splunk if
- You need log aggregation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want real-time monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is Palo Alto Networks or Splunk better?
- Neither clearly leads. Palo Alto Networks starts at On request and Splunk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Palo Alto Networks or Splunk?
- Splunk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Palo Alto Networks and Free for Splunk.
- Does Palo Alto Networks or Splunk run on more platforms?
- Palo Alto Networks runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. Splunk runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Splunk for free?
- Yes. Splunk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Palo Alto Networks starts at On request.
- What is Palo Alto Networks best used for?
- Palo Alto Networks is most often used for enterprise network security and threat protection, cloud-native application protection, identity and access security, security operations and incident response. Of those, enterprise network security and threat protection and cloud-native application protection are not what Splunk is typically brought in for.
- What can Palo Alto Networks do that Splunk cannot?
- Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Threat detection and response, Cloud security, Endpoint protection. Splunk covers Log aggregation, Real-time monitoring, Data visualization, Full-text search. Both handle Web support.