Head to head
Cortex Cloud vs CrowdStrike: which reaches your whole cloud estate faster?
Short answer
On our coverage weights CrowdStrike scores 7.94 against 7.75 for Cortex Cloud. Cortex Cloud scores higher on clouds and environments named, agentless workload depth and risk context from day one; CrowdStrike scores higher on path to first findings, runtime layer when you need it, integrations and reach and cost visibility before purchase. Cortex Cloud names 5 of 8 environments and CrowdStrike names 4.
Cortex Cloud is the product formerly sold as Prisma Cloud. Palo Alto Networks announced the merger with Cortex CDR on 13 February 2025.
Desk research from public vendor pages read in September 2026, updated 2026-10-11. Editorial assessment; we did not run the products.
How do the scores compare?
| Criterion | Cortex Cloud | CrowdStrike | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clouds and environments named 20% | 9.2 | 8.5 | Cortex Cloud |
| Agentless workload depth 25% | 7.6 | 7.2 | Cortex Cloud |
| Path to first findings 15% | 6.0 | 6.5 | CrowdStrike |
| Risk context from day one 15% | 8.8 | 8.4 | Cortex Cloud |
| Runtime layer when you need it 10% | 9.2 | 9.6 | CrowdStrike |
| Integrations and reach 7% | 9.0 | 9.2 | CrowdStrike |
| Cost visibility before purchase 8% | 3.0 | 7.5 | CrowdStrike |
| Total | 7.75 | 7.94 | CrowdStrike |
Cortex Cloud
CrowdStrike
Which environments does each name?
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud (formerly Prisma Cloud)
The Cortex Cloud posture page offers "agentless, full-coverage visibility across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, OCI, and Alibaba Cloud".
Source: Cortex Cloud posture management · Read 11 Oct 2026
CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security
The Falcon Cloud Security page links to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and OCI pages; Alibaba is not named.
Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security (October 2026 read) · Read 11 Oct 2026
- Named on the vendor's pages we reviewed
- Not named on the pages we reviewed (this does not mean unsupported)
Named by both: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud. Only Cortex Cloud: Alibaba Cloud. Only CrowdStrike: none.
How does each see workloads?
- Coverage model
- Posture, vulnerability and attack-surface modules work from cloud APIs; the pages reviewed lead with a runtime agent and do not name agentless workload scanning.
- Runtime layer
- Cortex Cloud Runtime Security, a performance-optimized agent, plus CDR from the Cortex CDR merger.
- Path to first findings
- API-based posture first; workload depth comes from the runtime agent.
Cortex Cloud
- Coverage model
- Agentless CSPM; workload protection is split between agentless scanning and the Falcon sensor.
- Runtime layer
- The Falcon sensor, the same agent CrowdStrike uses on endpoints.
- Path to first findings
- Agentless posture first; workload depth comes through the Falcon sensor, which is quick for teams that already run Falcon.
CrowdStrike
What does each cost?
Cortex Cloud
Not published No public price; the Cortex Cloud page offers only Request a Demo. CNAPP is included at no additional cost for Cortex Cloud Runtime Security customers.
Source: Cortex Cloud posture management · Read 11 Oct 2026
CrowdStrike
AWS Marketplace, pay as you go (listing combined with Next-Gen SIEM): runtime host protection $0.023 per hour per running host; container protection $0.054 per hour per running worker node; Fargate protection $0.01 per hour per Fargate instance. 30-day free trial with up to $500 in usage credits. CrowdStrike's own pricing page lists endpoint bundles only.
Source: AWS Marketplace: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security and Next-Gen SIEM (pay as you go) · Read 11 Oct 2026
What does each claim?
Cortex Cloud
No speed, count or customer figure from Cortex Cloud is quoted on this site.
CrowdStrike
No speed, count or customer figure from CrowdStrike is quoted on this site.
Which should you choose?
Choose Cortex Cloud if
you value coverage of the most clouds and environments and a deep runtime sensor for detection and blocking.
Best fit: Palo Alto Networks estates and Prisma Cloud customers moving onto Cortex Cloud.
Choose CrowdStrike if
you value a deep runtime sensor for detection and blocking and integrations and platform reach.
Best fit: Falcon endpoint customers who want one agent and one console across endpoint, identity and cloud.
Frequently asked questions
Which scores higher for multi-cloud coverage, Cortex Cloud or CrowdStrike?
CrowdStrike scores 7.94 against 7.75 on our default weights. With equal weights the order is CrowdStrike first (8.13 against 7.54). The coverage calculator lets you set your own weights.
Which clouds do Cortex Cloud and CrowdStrike name?
Cortex Cloud: On the pages we reviewed: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud and Alibaba Cloud. The Cortex Cloud posture page offers "agentless, full-coverage visibility across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, OCI, and Alibaba Cloud". CrowdStrike: On the pages we reviewed: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud. The Falcon Cloud Security page links to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and OCI pages; Alibaba is not named.
Which is cheaper?
Cortex Cloud: Not published. CrowdStrike: AWS Marketplace, pay as you go (listing combined with Next-Gen SIEM): runtime host protection $0.023 per hour per running host; container protection $0.054 per hour per running worker node; Fargate protection $0.01 per hour per Fargate instance. 30-day free trial with up to $500 in usage credits. CrowdStrike's own pricing page lists endpoint bundles only. Neither figure is a quote for your estate.