Prisma Cloud (Cortex Cloud) vs Sysdig Secure: 2026 CNAPP comparison
Cloud Security Compare editors · Matchups reviewed September 2026 · Editorial assessment
The short version
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud) scores higher overall, 4.0 to 3.7, and wins 5 of seven criteria: agentless coverage, risk prioritization, code-to-cloud security, AI workload security and ecosystem and integrations. Sysdig wins 2: runtime protection and pricing transparency. Choose Cortex Cloud if developers will fix issues in code and you want cloud risks traced back to the repository; choose Sysdig if you want to model cost from public pricing before a sales call.
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud)
4.0/ 5
Sysdig Secure
3.7/ 5
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud) wins 5 criteria, Sysdig Secure wins 2.
Who wins Cortex Cloud vs Sysdig?
Cortex Cloud is ahead by 0.32 points on exact totals. Cortex Cloud's wins cover 74% of our weights; Sysdig's cover 26%. The largest single gap is on code-to-cloud and AppSec, where Cortex Cloud leads by 1.1.
Where each design starts, on our reading: Cortex Cloud, runtime agent and posture (Prisma Cloud merged with Cortex CDR); Sysdig, runtime agent built on Falco.
How do Cortex Cloud and Sysdig compare on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Cortex Cloud | Sysdig | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agentless coverage and time to value | 18% | 3.8 | 3.5 | Cortex Cloud +0.3 |
| Runtime protection depth | 16% | 4.6 | 4.8 | Sysdig +0.2 |
| Risk prioritization and attack paths | 18% | 4.4 | 4.1 | Cortex Cloud +0.3 |
| Code-to-cloud and AppSec | 14% | 4.5 | 3.4 | Cortex Cloud +1.1 |
| AI workload security | 12% | 4.2 | 3.5 | Cortex Cloud +0.7 |
| Ecosystem and integrations | 12% | 4.5 | 4.0 | Cortex Cloud +0.5 |
| Pricing transparency | 10% | 1.5 | 2.0 | Sysdig +0.5 |
Agentless coverage and time to value
Weight 18%
Cortex Cloud: Posture, vulnerability and attack-surface modules work from cloud APIs, but the pages we reviewed lead with a runtime agent and do not name agentless workload scanning.
Sysdig: Agentless posture covers vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, permissions and threats; workload depth needs the agent.
Runtime protection depth
Weight 16%
Cortex Cloud: Formed by merging Prisma Cloud with Cortex CDR; a performance-optimized agent stops attacks as they execute.
Sysdig: Runtime detection built on Falco, the CNCF graduated project Sysdig created.
Risk prioritization and attack paths
Weight 18%
Cortex Cloud: SmartScore and SmartGrouping rank findings by real exposure, with attack path analysis across identities and data.
Sysdig: Runtime insight into which packages are in use filters out vulnerabilities in code that never runs.
Code-to-cloud and AppSec
Weight 14%
Cortex Cloud: Application security is one of the platform's four pillars, aimed at stopping risk before it reaches production.
Sysdig: Vulnerability management covers images and workloads; source-code scanning is not a stated focus on the pages we reviewed.
AI workload security
Weight 12%
Cortex Cloud: AI-SPM maps models, datasets and agents, flags model poisoning and supply chain risk, and classifies data used for RAG.
Sysdig: Sysdig Sage, a GenAI assistant, speeds triage; AI workload posture is less developed on the pages we reviewed.
Ecosystem and integrations
Weight 12%
Cortex Cloud: Sits in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex portfolio next to its security operations products, and Prisma Cloud customers move onto it.
Sysdig: Falco's open-source community and Kubernetes-native tooling extend its reach.
Pricing transparency
Weight 10%
Cortex Cloud: No public price list; Palo Alto Networks includes CNAPP at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers.
Sysdig: The licensing unit is published (number of hosts), but prices are by quote.
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
How do Cortex Cloud and Sysdig price?
| Pricing fact | Cortex Cloud | Sysdig |
|---|---|---|
| Published pricing | Not published. CNAPP included at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers. | Not published. Licensed by number of hosts; request a quote. |
| Billing basis | Not published. CNAPP included at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers. | Licensing unit published: number of hosts. Prices by quote. |
| Pricing transparency score | 1.5 | 2.0 |
Source: Cortex Cloud launch press release · Reviewed Sep 2026
Source: Sysdig pricing · Reviewed Sep 2026
What are the key differences?
| Fact | Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud) | Sysdig Secure |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Cloud API posture modules plus a performance-optimized runtime agent | Agentless posture plus an agent for runtime and in-use analysis |
| Runtime sensor | Cortex Cloud Runtime Security agent; CDR from the Cortex CDR merger | Sysdig agent with Falco-based detection |
| Clouds named | Multi-cloud (the pages we reviewed do not list clouds by name) | Multi-cloud (the pages we reviewed do not list clouds by name) |
| Code security | Application security module aimed at stopping risk before production | Vulnerability management for images and workloads |
| AI security | AI-SPM: models, datasets and agents; model poisoning and supply chain risk; RAG data classification | Sysdig Sage GenAI assistant for triage |
| Ownership | Palo Alto Networks. Prisma Cloud merged with Cortex CDR to form Cortex Cloud (announced 13 February 2025) | Sysdig |
| Public pricing | Not published. CNAPP included at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers. | Not published. Licensed by number of hosts; request a quote. |
| Open-source project | None named | Falco (created by Sysdig, CNCF graduated project) |
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud) sources: Cortex Cloud launch press release · Cortex Cloud · Cloud posture security · AI-SPM · Reviewed Sep 2026
Sysdig Secure sources: Sysdig Secure · Sysdig pricing · Falco · Reviewed Sep 2026
When should you choose Cortex Cloud?
- Developers will fix issues in code and you want cloud risks traced back to the repository. Cortex Cloud scores 4.5 against 3.4: Application security is one of the platform's four pillars, aimed at stopping risk before it reaches production.
- You need inventory and posture for models, AI services, agents and MCP servers. Cortex Cloud scores 4.2 against 3.5: AI-SPM maps models, datasets and agents, flags model poisoning and supply chain risk, and classifies data used for RAG.
When should you choose Sysdig?
- You want to model cost from public pricing before a sales call. Sysdig scores 2.0 against 1.5: The licensing unit is published (number of hosts), but prices are by quote.
- Detecting and blocking attacks inside running workloads is the main job. Sysdig scores 4.8 against 4.6: Runtime detection built on Falco, the CNCF graduated project Sysdig created.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cortex Cloud or Sysdig better?
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud) scores higher overall, 4.0 to 3.7, and wins 5 of seven criteria: agentless coverage, risk prioritization, code-to-cloud security, AI workload security and ecosystem and integrations. Sysdig wins 2: runtime protection and pricing transparency. This is an editorial assessment of public vendor material, not a test result.
Where is Cortex Cloud stronger than Sysdig?
On agentless coverage, risk prioritization, code-to-cloud security, AI workload security and ecosystem and integrations: agentless coverage and time to value 3.8 against 3.5; risk prioritization and attack paths 4.4 against 4.1; code-to-cloud and AppSec 4.5 against 3.4; AI workload security 4.2 against 3.5; ecosystem and integrations 4.5 against 4.0.
Do Cortex Cloud and Sysdig publish prices?
Cortex Cloud: Not published. CNAPP included at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers. Sysdig: Not published. Licensed by number of hosts; request a quote.