Osquery vs Zeek Agent: 2026 Comparison
Osquery is a free endpoint detection and response tool. Zeek Agent is a free endpoint detection and response tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best endpoint detection and response fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
Security teams managing macOS fleets at scale should pick Osquery for endpoint visibility that doesn't require expensive commercial EDR licensing; it ships queryable system activity data from thousands of hosts without agent bloat. The tool has been deployed by Meta, Apple, and Uber across hundreds of thousands of endpoints, proving it handles volume. Osquery excels at hunt-driven investigation and compliance baselines but doesn't include behavioral detection or automated response, so teams expecting out-of-the-box threat hunting will need to layer in separate analytics.
Linux and macOS teams running Zeek already have a natural home for Zeek Agent; it pipes endpoint telemetry directly into your existing detection pipeline without requiring a separate platform. The tool captures file, socket, and process events at the kernel level, giving you raw visibility that feeds Zeek's network detection logic rather than forcing you into a separate EDR console. This is not for buyers shopping for a standalone endpoint tool with its own alerting and response capabilities; Zeek Agent is a collector, not an analyst, and you'll need Zeek expertise to turn events into actionable rules.
