Prisma Cloud (Cortex Cloud) vs Upwind: 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 3.9, and wins 2 of seven criteria: code-to-cloud security and ecosystem and integrations. Upwind wins 4: agentless coverage, runtime protection, risk prioritization and AI workload security. They tie on pricing transparency. Choose Cortex Cloud if you want wide integration coverage and a larger platform around the CNAPP; choose Upwind if you want the widest coverage without installing agents first.
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud)
4.0/ 5
Upwind
3.9/ 5
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud) wins 2 criteria, Upwind wins 4, 1 tied.
Who wins Cortex Cloud vs Upwind?
Cortex Cloud is ahead by 0.12 points on exact totals. Cortex Cloud's wins cover 26% of our weights; Upwind's cover 64%; tied criteria cover 10%. The largest single gap is on ecosystem and integrations, where Cortex Cloud leads by 1.0.
Where each design starts, on our reading: Cortex Cloud, runtime agent and posture (Prisma Cloud merged with Cortex CDR); Upwind, runtime sensor, with agentless scanning.
How do Cortex Cloud and Upwind compare on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Cortex Cloud | Upwind | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agentless coverage and time to value | 18% | 3.8 | 4.0 | Upwind +0.2 |
| Runtime protection depth | 16% | 4.6 | 4.7 | Upwind +0.1 |
| Risk prioritization and attack paths | 18% | 4.4 | 4.5 | Upwind +0.1 |
| Code-to-cloud and AppSec | 14% | 4.5 | 3.8 | Cortex Cloud +0.7 |
| AI workload security | 12% | 4.2 | 4.4 | Upwind +0.2 |
| Ecosystem and integrations | 12% | 4.5 | 3.5 | Cortex Cloud +1.0 |
| Pricing transparency | 10% | 1.5 | 1.5 | Tie |
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.
Upwind: Agentless scanning is part of the platform, though Upwind's design centers on its runtime sensor.
Runtime protection depth
Weight 16%
Cortex Cloud: Formed by merging Prisma Cloud with Cortex CDR; a performance-optimized agent stops attacks as they execute.
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%
Cortex Cloud: SmartScore and SmartGrouping rank findings by real exposure, with attack path analysis across identities and data.
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%
Cortex Cloud: Application security is one of the platform's four pillars, aimed at stopping risk before it reaches production.
Upwind: IaC security, SCA and SBOM, DAST and a container admission controller; SAST is not among its listed modules.
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.
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%
Cortex Cloud: Sits in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex portfolio next to its security operations products, and Prisma Cloud customers move onto it.
Upwind: A younger company (founded October 2022, 150+ customers per its newsroom) with a smaller partner and integration footprint.
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.
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
How do Cortex Cloud and Upwind price?
| Pricing fact | Cortex Cloud | Upwind |
|---|---|---|
| Published pricing | Not published. CNAPP included at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers. | Not published. Contact sales. |
| Billing basis | Not published. CNAPP included at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers. | Not published. Contact sales. The pricing URL returned a 404 when reviewed. |
| Pricing transparency score | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Source: Cortex Cloud launch press release · Reviewed Sep 2026
Source: Upwind home · Reviewed Sep 2026
What are the key differences?
| Fact | Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud) | Upwind |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Cloud API posture modules plus a performance-optimized runtime agent | Agentless scanning combined with eBPF runtime sensors |
| Runtime sensor | Cortex Cloud Runtime Security agent; CDR from the Cortex CDR merger | eBPF sensor; CDR with cloud activity baselines and forensic timelines |
| Clouds named | Multi-cloud (the pages we reviewed do not list clouds by name) | AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, OCI (named as partners) |
| Code security | Application security module aimed at stopping risk before production | IaC security, SCA and SBOM, DAST, container admission controller |
| AI security | AI-SPM: models, datasets and agents; model poisoning and supply chain risk; RAG data classification | AI inventory, AI-BOM, AI-SPM, AI sensor, AI detection and response, offensive testing for models, agents and MCP servers |
| Ownership | Palo Alto Networks. Prisma Cloud merged with Cortex CDR to form Cortex Cloud (announced 13 February 2025) | Standalone vendor; founded October 2022 in San Francisco; $250 million Series B announced 26 January 2026 |
| Public pricing | Not published. CNAPP included at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers. | Not published. Contact sales. |
| Open-source project | None named | None named |
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud) sources: Cortex Cloud launch press release · Cortex Cloud · Cloud posture security · AI-SPM · Reviewed Sep 2026
Upwind sources: Upwind home · Upwind newsroom · AI security platform · CDR · Reviewed Sep 2026
When should you choose Cortex Cloud?
- You want wide integration coverage and a larger platform around the CNAPP. Cortex Cloud scores 4.5 against 3.5: Sits in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex portfolio next to its security operations products, and Prisma Cloud customers move onto it.
- Developers will fix issues in code and you want cloud risks traced back to the repository. Cortex Cloud scores 4.5 against 3.8: Application security is one of the platform's four pillars, aimed at stopping risk before it reaches production.
When should you choose Upwind?
- You want the widest coverage without installing agents first. Upwind scores 4.0 against 3.8: Agentless scanning is part of the platform, though Upwind's design centers on its runtime sensor.
- You need inventory and posture for models, AI services, agents and MCP servers. Upwind scores 4.4 against 4.2: AI inventory, AI-BOM, AI-SPM, an AI sensor, AI detection and response, and offensive testing for models, agents and MCP servers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cortex Cloud or Upwind better?
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud) scores higher overall, 4.0 to 3.9, and wins 2 of seven criteria: code-to-cloud security and ecosystem and integrations. Upwind wins 4: agentless coverage, runtime protection, risk prioritization and AI workload security. This is an editorial assessment of public vendor material, not a test result.
Where is Cortex Cloud stronger than Upwind?
On code-to-cloud security and ecosystem and integrations: code-to-cloud and AppSec 4.5 against 3.8; ecosystem and integrations 4.5 against 3.5.
Do Cortex Cloud and Upwind publish prices?
Cortex Cloud: Not published. CNAPP included at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers. Upwind: Not published. Contact sales.