Arkime vs Gatewatcher NDR: 2026 Comparison
Arkime is a free network detection and response tool. Gatewatcher NDR is a commercial network detection and response tool by Gatewatcher. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best network detection and response fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, integrations, company size fit, here is our conclusion:
Security teams operating on-premises or hybrid networks with packet capture requirements should adopt Arkime for PCAP indexing and retrospective threat hunting; the open-source model means zero licensing friction at scale, and the tool's ability to ingest and search months of network traffic at line rate beats commercial alternatives on cost-per-terabyte. Arkime excels in the Detect function of NIST CSF 2.0, particularly for forensic investigation after an incident surfaces. This is not suitable for organizations needing real-time alerting, automated response, or managed service support; you're running it yourself.
Mid-market and enterprise security teams managing both IT and OT networks will get the most from Gatewatcher NDR because it detects threats in encrypted traffic without decryption, catching what perimeter tools miss. The platform scores strongly on NIST DE.CM and DE.AE, meaning it prioritizes finding anomalies and analyzing them fast, which matters when your SOC is understaffed. Skip this if you need deep incident response automation; Gatewatcher is built for detection and investigation, not orchestrated remediation workflows.
