Orca vs Upwind: agentless-first or runtime-first cloud security?
Cloud Security Compare editors · Matchups reviewed September 2026 · Editorial assessment
The short version
Orca Security scores higher, 4.2 to 3.9, and wins five of seven criteria. Upwind wins the one that defines it, runtime protection depth (4.7 against 3.8), built on eBPF sensors and cloud activity baselines. Pick Upwind if detection and response inside running workloads is the main job; pick Orca if coverage without agents and stronger code-to-cloud tooling matter more.
Orca Security
4.2/ 5
Upwind
3.9/ 5
Orca Security wins 5 criteria, Upwind wins 1, 1 tied.
What is the verdict?
This is the clearest design contrast in the matrix. Orca starts from agentless SideScanning and adds an optional sensor; Upwind starts from a runtime sensor and adds agentless scanning. The scores follow the design: Orca is 0.9 behind on runtime and 0.9 ahead on agentless coverage. Orca also leads on code security, where Upwind lists IaC, SCA and DAST but not SAST, and on ecosystem, where Upwind is the younger company, founded in October 2022.
How do Orca and Upwind compare on each criterion?
Agentless coverage and time to value
Weight 18%
Orca: SideScanning reads workload block storage out of band and covers VMs, containers and serverless across six clouds, including Oracle, Alibaba and Tencent.
Upwind: Agentless scanning is part of the platform, though Upwind's design centers on its runtime sensor.
Runtime protection depth
Weight 16%
Orca: The eBPF Orca Sensor adds runtime detections and can terminate processes, but it is an optional layer and less proven than runtime-first rivals.
Upwind: eBPF sensors, baselines of cloud activity and network flows, and forensic event timelines; Upwind says it detects threats in 15 seconds.
Risk prioritization and attack paths
Weight 18%
Orca: Dynamic risk scoring and attack path analysis on one data model built from full agentless context.
Upwind: Correlates static findings with runtime context for attack path and exposure analysis; Upwind claims 93% noise reduction.
Code-to-cloud and AppSec
Weight 14%
Orca: SCA, SAST, secrets, IaC and image scanning with GitHub, GitLab and Azure DevOps, plus cloud-to-code tracing that opens pull requests.
Upwind: IaC security, SCA and SBOM, DAST and a container admission controller; SAST is not among its listed modules.
AI workload security
Weight 12%
Orca: AI-SPM inventory, shadow AI discovery, MCP server monitoring and AI AppGen Security for apps built on AI app builders.
Upwind: AI inventory, AI-BOM, AI-SPM, an AI sensor, AI detection and response, and offensive testing for models, agents and MCP servers.
Ecosystem and integrations
Weight 12%
Orca: Covers the source-control and CI/CD tools buyers expect, but its partner and market footprint is smaller than Wiz's or the platform vendors'.
Upwind: A younger company (founded October 2022, 150+ customers per its newsroom) with a smaller partner and integration footprint.
Pricing transparency
Weight 10%
Orca: No public price list; the pricing URL returns a 404 and quotes go through sales.
Upwind: No public price list; the pricing URL returns a 404.
Scores are 0 to 5. The marker leans toward the stronger vendor; a gap of 1.5 or more pins it to the end. How to read these bars
What are the key differences?
| Fact | Orca Security | Upwind |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Agentless SideScanning of workload block storage; optional Orca Sensor for runtime | Agentless scanning combined with eBPF runtime sensors |
| Runtime sensor | Orca Sensor, eBPF-based, Linux, Kubernetes and Windows; can be configured to terminate processes | eBPF sensor; CDR with cloud activity baselines and forensic timelines |
| Clouds named | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud | AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, OCI (named as partners) |
| Code security | SCM posture, SCA, SAST, secrets, IaC and container image scanning; GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps; cloud-to-code tracing into pull requests | IaC security, SCA and SBOM, DAST, container admission controller |
| AI security | AI-SPM (models, pipelines, training data, AI packages), shadow AI, MCP server monitoring, AI AppGen Security (unveiled ahead of Black Hat USA 2026) | AI inventory, AI-BOM, AI-SPM, AI sensor, AI detection and response, offensive testing for models, agents and MCP servers |
| Ownership | Standalone vendor | Standalone vendor; founded October 2022 in San Francisco; $250 million Series B announced 26 January 2026 |
| Public pricing | Not published. Contact sales. | Not published. Contact sales. |
| Open-source project | None named | None named |
Orca Security sources: Orca platform · SideScanning · Orca Sensor · Application security · AI security · AI AppGen Security · Reviewed Sep 2026
Upwind sources: Upwind home · Upwind newsroom · AI security platform · CDR · Reviewed Sep 2026
When should you pick Orca?
- You need coverage of every account quickly and do not want to roll out a sensor first.
- Your estate includes Oracle, Alibaba or Tencent Cloud.
- Code-to-cloud remediation through pull requests is part of the plan.
When should you pick Upwind?
- Most of your risk sits in Kubernetes and containers, and you want detection and forensics inside them.
- You want runtime context to decide which findings matter; Upwind says this cuts noise by 93%.
- You want offensive testing of AI models, agents and MCP servers in the same platform.
What do buyers get wrong about this matchup?
Buyers sometimes read "runtime-first" as "agent-only". Upwind also scans without agents, and Orca also sells an eBPF sensor that can terminate processes. The real question is which side each vendor has invested in longer. A second trap is comparing vendor speed claims, such as Upwind's "15 seconds to detect", as if they were measured the same way. They are vendor statements; test them in a proof of concept.
Frequently asked questions
Is Upwind agentless?
Partly. Upwind combines agentless scanning with eBPF runtime sensors. Its runtime depth, where it outscores Orca, comes from the sensor.
Does Orca have runtime protection?
Yes. The Orca Sensor is eBPF-based, runs on Linux, Kubernetes and Windows, and can be configured to terminate processes. We score it 3.8 against Upwind's 4.7.
How much has Upwind raised?
Upwind's newsroom lists a $250 million Series B announced on 26 January 2026 and a $100 million Series A announced on 2 December 2024.