Datadog Workload Protection vs Falco: side-by-side comparison (2026)

Datadog Workload Protection: Runtime workload protection for cloud and containerized environments. Built by Datadog.

Falco: Falco is a CNCF graduated runtime security tool that monitors Linux kernel events and syscalls to detect abnormal behavior and security threats in cloud native environments.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

Datadog Workload Protection is made by Datadog. Falco is open-source with 8,740 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

Often, yes. Datadog Workload Protection and Falco are both Workload Protection products, and both cover Kubernetes, Cloud Native, Runtime Security. Key differences: Datadog Workload Protection is Commercial while Falco is Free, Falco is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.