OPSWAT MetaDefender NetWall vs Owl DiOTa: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

OPSWAT MetaDefender NetWall

Enterprise and mid-market teams protecting critical OT infrastructure from IT-sourced malware will get the most from OPSWAT MetaDefender NetWall because its hardware-enforced unidirectional data flow eliminates the attack surface entirely, not just monitors it. The combination of support for industrial protocols like Modbus, DNP3, and OPC with multiscanning across 30 antivirus engines and deep CDR file sanitization covers both the OT/IT boundary problem and supply chain risk simultaneously, addressing NIST GV.SC and PR.DS priorities that most network segmentation tools leave incomplete. Skip this if you need bidirectional communication for remote diagnostics or if your OT environment runs predominantly proprietary protocols that MetaDefender hasn't certified yet; unidirectional gateways are a design choice, not a limitation to work around.

Owl DiOTa

Mid-market and enterprise OT teams managing critical infrastructure will get the most from Owl DiOTa because hardware-based data diodes are the only enforcement mechanism that actually prevents exfiltration, not just monitors it. The compact form factor means you can deploy it at distributed OT boundaries without ripping out existing networks, and minimal maintenance keeps your already-stretched OT staff from babysitting another appliance. Not the right fit if you need east-west microsegmentation across a sprawling OT fabric or if your governance team demands software-based solutions that play nicely with existing IT security stacks.