# OpenCanary

OpenCanary is a Honeypots & Deception product. It runs on-premises. Pricing is free.

OpenCanary is a multi-protocol network honeypot with low resource requirements and alerting capabilities.

Checked October 2026.

## What is OpenCanary?

OpenCanary is a multi-protocol network honeypot that runs as a daemon and implements multiple common network protocols. It has extremely low resource requirements and can be tweaked, modified, and extended. When attackers breach networks and interact with the honeypot, OpenCanary sends alerts via a variety of mechanisms. It is implemented in Python and is cross-platform, with certain features requiring specific OSes. Running on Linux provides the most options, and it can be deployed on devices like a Raspberry Pi or a VM with minimal resources. OpenCanary is the Open Source version of the commercial Thinkst Canary honeypot.

Tags: Linux, Raspberry Pi

## Where it fits in your security program (NIST CSF 2.0)

- [Detect](https://cybersectools.com/guides/building-detect-program-small-team): helps you spot attacks and unusual activity.

## Quick facts

- Category: [Security Operations](https://cybersectools.com/categories/security-operations) · [Honeypots & Deception](https://cybersectools.com/categories/honeypots)
- Deployment: On-Premises
- Company size fit: Startup, SMB, Mid-Market
- Pricing model: Free
- GitHub stars: 2,583
- Website: github.com

## Where it ranks

No shortlist covers this product's category yet. The closest is [Best MDR Solutions for Business](https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-mdr-solutions).

## OpenCanary FAQ

### What is OpenCanary?

OpenCanary is a product in the Honeypots & Deception category. It covers Linux and Raspberry Pi.

### What is the pricing for OpenCanary?

OpenCanary is free. Download and setup instructions are at https://github.com/thinkst/opencanary/.

### What are alternatives to OpenCanary?

Alternatives to OpenCanary listed on CybersecTools:

1. [HoneyWire](https://cybersectools.com/tools/honeywire) - Open-source canary/deception platform for detecting lateral movement on Linux networks. (Free)
2. [Tracebit](https://cybersectools.com/tools/tracebit-dynamic-security-canaries) - Deploys security canaries across cloud, endpoints, SaaS and CI/CD to catch attackers. (Commercial)
3. [Guardpot AI-Powered Cyber Deception](https://cybersectools.com/tools/guardpot-ai-powered-cyber-deception) - AI-powered deception platform using honeypots to detect & disrupt attacks (Commercial)
4. [Acalvio ShadowPlex Cloud Security](https://cybersectools.com/tools/acalvio-shadowplex-cloud-security) - AI-powered deception platform for cloud threat detection using honeytokens (Commercial)
5. [Cybermerc Aushield Detect](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cybermerc-aushield-detect) - Adversary engagement & deception platform for detecting advanced threats (Commercial)

Compare all OpenCanary alternatives at [https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/opencanary](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/opencanary)

### What deployment and organization size does OpenCanary fit?

OpenCanary is available as on-premises software. It is listed for startups, small businesses and mid-market companies. It is free.

## Compare OpenCanary with similar solutions

- [OpenCanary vs HoneyWire](https://cybersectools.com/compare/honeywire-vs-opencanary)
- [OpenCanary vs Tracebit](https://cybersectools.com/compare/opencanary-vs-tracebit-dynamic-security-canaries)
- [OpenCanary vs Guardpot AI-Powered Cyber Deception](https://cybersectools.com/compare/guardpot-ai-powered-cyber-deception-vs-opencanary)

All alternatives to OpenCanary: [/alternatives/opencanary](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/opencanary)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/tools/opencanary

For AI agents: every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md, and any compare page has a Markdown copy too (add .md to its URL).

More on OpenCanary: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=product-md