CrowdStrike vs Upwind: cloud security facts side by side
How do their category maps compare?
CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security
- Described on the vendor's pages we read
- Not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it on the pages we read)
What are the facts, side by side?
| Fact | CrowdStrike | Upwind |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | CrowdStrike's cloud security module, which pairs agentless posture with the same Falcon sensor used on endpoints. | A cloud security platform that combines agentless scanning with eBPF runtime sensors, from a company founded in October 2022. |
| Agent approach | Agentless parts, agent for depth Agentless CSPM; workload protection is split between agentless scanning and the Falcon sensor. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Agentless parts, agent for depth Agentless scanning plus eBPF runtime sensors; the design centers on the runtime sensor. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| Runtime sensor | The CrowdStrike Falcon sensor, the same agent used for endpoints. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | eBPF sensors that baseline cloud activity, network and application flows, with forensic event timelines. Source: Upwind CDR, read . |
| Clouds named | AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI The Falcon Cloud Security page links to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and OCI pages; Alibaba Cloud is not named. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security (re-read), read . | AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI AWS, Google Cloud, Azure and OCI are named as partnerships. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| CNAPP | Described Combines CSPM, workload protection, CIEM, ASPM and AI-SPM under Falcon Cloud Security. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Described Lists posture, identity, data, workload, code, API and detection modules on one platform. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| CSPM | Described Agentless CSPM enriched with adversary intelligence. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Described CSPM is listed. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| CWPP | Described Cloud workload protection with agent and agentless options. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Described Container and Kubernetes, serverless, and CDR modules, with eBPF sensors. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| CIEM | Described CIEM is listed. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Described CIEM is listed. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| DSPM | Described DSPM is named: discover, classify and protect cloud data. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security (re-read), read . | Described DSPM is listed. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| Vulnerability management | Described AI-driven vulnerability management is named. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security (re-read), read . | Described Vulnerability management and attack path analysis are listed. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| Code securityDiffers | ASPM maps business applications onto cloud infrastructure; source-code scanning is not the focus of the pages we read. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | IaC security, SCA and SBOM, DAST and a container admission controller; SAST is not among its listed modules. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| AI security | AI-SPM covers AI infrastructure. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | AI inventory, AI-BOM, AI-SPM, an AI sensor, AI detection and response, and offensive testing for models, agents and MCP servers. Source: Upwind AI security platform, read . |
| Kubernetes runtime | Workload protection for cloud workloads through the Falcon sensor and agentless scanning. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Container and Kubernetes security is listed, with eBPF sensors. Source: Upwind homepage, read . |
| Private cloud or on-premises | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Disconnected environments | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Compliance reportingDiffers | Not in our sources | Supports CIS benchmarks, HIPAA, ISO 27001, NIST, PCI and SOC 2 compliance with 13-month data lookback. Source: AWS Marketplace: Upwind Cloud Security Platform, read . |
| Public-sector authorizationDiffers | CrowdStrike lists Falcon Cloud Security, Falcon Cloud Security for Containers and for Managed Containers among its FedRAMP High authorized products. Source: Securing Critical Systems: CrowdStrike Achieves FedRAMP High Authorization, read . | Upwind says it is pursuing FedRAMP Moderate Equivalency; no authorization is stated. Source: Upwind pursues FedRAMP certification to power trusted federal cloud solutions, read . |
| Price | Not published AWS Marketplace pay-as-you-go listing that combines Falcon Cloud Security with Next-Gen SIEM: runtime host protection (EC2, WorkSpaces) $0.023 per hour per running host; container cluster and node protection $0.054 per hour per running worker node; Fargate container 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 Next-Gen SIEM and Cloud Security (pay as you go), read . | Not published No price on upwind.io. AWS Marketplace, 12-month contract: Upwind Cloud Security Platform $30,000.00 and Upwind Managed Detection and Response 24/7 Service $6,000.00; the unit basis is not described in our notes. 24-month and 36-month contracts are listed as saving up to 8% and 11%. Source: AWS Marketplace: Upwind Cloud Security Platform, read . |
| Open source | None named | None named |
| Ownership | CrowdStrike. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Standalone vendor, founded October 2022 in San Francisco; CEO Amiram Shachar. $250 million Series B announced 26 January 2026. Source: Upwind newsroom, read . |
Where do they differ?
- Code security: CrowdStrike partly matches; Upwind matches.
- Compliance reporting: CrowdStrike is not in our sources; Upwind matches.
- Public-sector authorization: CrowdStrike matches; Upwind partly matches.
Choose CrowdStrike if
- The Falcon sensor already runs on your endpoints and servers.
- You want cloud posture read against adversary intelligence.
Choose Upwind if
- Runtime detection is your first requirement and you will deploy a sensor.
- You want DAST, API security and AI detection in the same platform.
Which limits should you check?
CrowdStrike
- Its only public price is an AWS Marketplace pay-as-you-go listing that combines Falcon Cloud Security with Next-Gen SIEM; CrowdStrike's own pricing page lists endpoint bundles only.
- Compliance frameworks are not listed on the Falcon Cloud Security page we read, and source-code scanning is not the focus.
Upwind
- No price on upwind.io; the AWS Marketplace 12-month contract of $30,000 does not state its unit basis in our notes.
- A younger company (founded October 2022; 150+ customers per its newsroom), and Upwind says it is pursuing FedRAMP Moderate Equivalency; no authorization is stated.
- SAST is not among its listed code modules.
Frequently asked questions
How do CrowdStrike and Upwind differ?
Neither is scored on this site. CrowdStrike describes 6 of six categories and Upwind 6 on the pages we read, and they differ on 3 recorded facts. Which fits depends on your clouds, agent tolerance and existing tools; the finder checks those.
Which of the two needs an agent?
CrowdStrike: Agentless parts, agent for depth. Upwind: Agentless parts, agent for depth.
Do CrowdStrike or Upwind publish prices?
CrowdStrike: AWS Marketplace pay-as-you-go listing that combines Falcon Cloud Security with Next-Gen SIEM: runtime host protection (EC2, WorkSpaces) $0.023 per hour per running host; container cluster and node protection $0.054 per hour per running worker node; Fargate container 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. Upwind: No price on upwind.io. AWS Marketplace, 12-month contract: Upwind Cloud Security Platform $30,000.00 and Upwind Managed Detection and Response 24/7 Service $6,000.00; the unit basis is not described in our notes. 24-month and 36-month contracts are listed as saving up to 8% and 11%.