Security Data Pipeline
Cribl Stream is a leading security data pipeline platform that gives organizations control over their observability and security data. It routes, reduces, transforms, and enriches data in flight between any source and any destination, helping teams optimize data volumes, reduce SIEM costs, and build flexible data architectures. Cribl enables security teams to send the right data to the right destination at the right time, eliminating vendor lock-in and reducing total data management costs.
Log management and observability pipeline platform with intelligent data routing
From $0.80/GB ingested / Enterprise custom
Teams wanting combined log management and pipeline capabilities with a developer-friendly experience
AI-powered security data pipeline for intelligent data optimization and cost reduction
Custom pricing based on data volume
Security teams wanting AI-driven data optimization to reduce SIEM costs without manual pipeline configuration
Open-source security data pipeline with native support for security-specific data formats
Free (open source) / Enterprise support available
Security teams wanting an open-source, security-native data pipeline with transparent code and no vendor lock-in
Splunk's real-time stream processing engine for data optimization and routing
Included with Splunk Cloud / Enterprise add-on pricing
Existing Splunk customers wanting to optimize data flows and reduce ingest costs within the Splunk ecosystem
Managed observability pipeline for routing and transforming telemetry data at scale
From $0.10/GB processed / Enterprise custom
Organizations already using Datadog that want managed pipeline capabilities with enterprise support and monitoring
Open-source unified data collector and log aggregator from the CNCF ecosystem
Free (open source) / Commercial support via vendors
Cloud-native teams wanting a lightweight, proven open-source data collector with a massive plugin ecosystem
High-performance open-source observability pipeline built in Rust by Datadog
Free (open source, MPL 2.0)
Teams wanting the highest-performance open-source pipeline with Rust-based reliability for high-throughput data routing
Microsoft's fast data analytics service for real-time analysis of streaming security data
Pay-as-you-go (compute + storage) / Reserved capacity discounts
Microsoft-centric organizations wanting a scalable security data lake with powerful KQL analytics at lower cost than SIEM
Security data fabric platform for intelligent routing and optimization of security telemetry
Contact for pricing
Security teams wanting a purpose-built security data fabric with centralized visibility and policy-based routing across their entire security stack
Compare all 9 Cribl alternatives side-by-side across pricing, deployment, and key capabilities.
| Feature | Mezmo 4.1/5 | Observo AI 4/5 | Tenzir 4/5 | Splunk Data Stream Processor 3.8/5 | Datadog Observability Pipelines 4.2/5 | Fluentd 4.3/5 | Vector 4.4/5 | Azure Data Explorer 4.3/5 | Realm.Security 4.2/5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Ingest-based (per GB) | Volume-based | Open source with commercial support | Bundled with Splunk licensing | Volume-based (per GB processed) | Open source | Open source | Consumption-based (compute + storage) | Custom |
| Open Source | -- | -- | + | -- | -- | + | + | -- | -- |
| Cloud-Hosted | + | + | + | + | + | -- | -- | + | + |
| Self-Hosted | -- | -- | + | -- | + | + | + | -- | -- |
| Best For | Teams wanting combined log management and pipeline capabilities with a developer-friendly experience | Security teams wanting AI-driven data optimization to reduce SIEM costs without manual pipeline configuration | Security teams wanting an open-source, security-native data pipeline with transparent code and no vendor lock-in | Existing Splunk customers wanting to optimize data flows and reduce ingest costs within the Splunk ecosystem | Organizations already using Datadog that want managed pipeline capabilities with enterprise support and monitoring | Cloud-native teams wanting a lightweight, proven open-source data collector with a massive plugin ecosystem | Teams wanting the highest-performance open-source pipeline with Rust-based reliability for high-throughput data routing | Microsoft-centric organizations wanting a scalable security data lake with powerful KQL analytics at lower cost than SIEM | Security teams wanting a purpose-built security data fabric with centralized visibility and policy-based routing across their entire security stack |
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The top Cribl alternatives include Mezmo, Observo AI, Tenzir, Splunk Data Stream Processor, Datadog Observability Pipelines, and more. Each offers different strengths in security data pipeline.
Cribl is a leading security data pipeline tool, but the best choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and technical requirements. Compare alternatives on this page to find the best fit.
Cribl pricing: Free (up to 1 TB/day) / Enterprise custom pricing. Pricing model: Volume-based (daily throughput). Compare with alternatives on this page to find the most cost-effective option.
Compare the best open source data pipeline alternatives to Cribl in 2026. Fluentd, Vector, Tenzir — features, performance, and deployment compared.
CategoryCompare the best cloud data pipeline alternatives to Cribl in 2026. Datadog Observability Pipelines, Mezmo, Observo AI — features, pricing, and capabilities compared.
CategoryCompare the best enterprise data pipeline alternatives to Cribl in 2026. Splunk DSP, Azure Data Explorer, Mezmo — enterprise features, scale, and pricing compared.
Use CaseCompare the best Cribl alternatives for log routing and optimization in 2026. Fluentd, Vector, Mezmo, Datadog Pipelines — routing capabilities, pricing, and features compared.
Use CaseCompare the best Cribl alternatives for SIEM data optimization in 2026. Observo AI, Splunk DSP, Datadog Pipelines, Mezmo — SIEM cost reduction capabilities compared.
Use CaseCompare the best Cribl alternatives for building a security data lake in 2026. Azure Data Explorer, Vector, Tenzir, Fluentd — data lake routing and architecture compared.
Use CaseCompare the best Cribl alternatives for multi-destination data routing in 2026. Vector, Fluentd, Datadog Pipelines, Mezmo — multi-destination routing features compared.