# Cloud-native application protection: what AI models recommend, October 2026

Gane Index, October 2026 Edition. Asked as "CNAPP" and as "cloud-native application protection platform", six framings each, to fourteen models with search on, on behalf of a mid-market B2B company. Page: https://www.gane.ai/index/it/cloud/cloud-native-application-protection/2026-10

This is the permanent record of the October 2026 Edition, published October 1, 2026 and superseded since. The current standing: https://www.gane.ai/index/it/cloud/cloud-native-application-protection/index.md

**Standing:** Wiz leads with 37% of first choices; verdict contested. 68 first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts.

## First-choice share

| Rank | Product | Share | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Wiz](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/wiz/index.md) | 37% | 19% | 70 |
| 2 | [Microsoft Defender for Cloud](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/microsoft-defender-for-cloud/index.md) | 21% | 5% | 57 |
| 3 | [Orca Security](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/orca-security/index.md) | 19% | 14% | 57 |
| 4 | [Aikido Security](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/aikido-security/index.md) | 6% | 0% | 10 |
| 5 | [Aqua Security](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/aqua-security/index.md) | 4% | 17% | 12 |
| 9 | [FortiCNAPP](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/forticnapp/index.md) | 1% | 30% | 20 |
| 14 | [Sysdig Secure](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/sysdig-secure/index.md) | 0% | 6% | 34 |
| 15 | [CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/crowdstrike-falcon-cloud-security/index.md) | 0% | 17% | 24 |
| 16 | [SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/sentinelone-singularity-cloud-security/index.md) | 0% | 9% | 11 |
| 61 | [Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/palo-alto-networks-cortex-cloud/index.md) | 0% | 37% | 19 |
| 68 | [Prisma Cloud](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/prisma-cloud/index.md) | 0% | 42% | 40 |

Rank is by share of first choices among all 68 products named; products with the same share are tied, and the order among them carries no meaning. The table lists those with at least 10 labels.

## Each model's first choice on the direct prompt

- Claude Haiku 4.5: Wiz; alternatives CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Orca Security, SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security
- GPT-5.4 mini: Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Wiz; alternatives Sysdig Secure
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: Orca Security; alternatives Upwind, Wiz
- Perplexity Sonar: Wiz; alternatives Prisma Cloud, Rapid7 InsightCloudSec, SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security, Sysdig Secure
- Grok 4.20: Wiz; alternatives Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Orca Security, Sysdig Secure
- Mistral Small: Orca Security, Wiz; alternatives FortiCNAPP, Sysdig Secure
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: Wiz; alternatives Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Orca Security, Sysdig Secure
- Llama 4 Maverick: no first choice
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: Wiz; alternatives Orca Security, Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud
- Kimi K2: Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Orca Security; alternatives Rapid7 InsightCloudSec, Wiz
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: Wiz; alternatives CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Orca Security
- MiniMax M2.5: Aqua Security, Wiz; alternatives Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- GPT-6 Luna: Wiz; alternatives Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Orca Security
- Muse Glimmer 30B: Orca Security, Wiz; alternatives Rapid7 InsightCloudSec

## Sources the answers cite

76 of 84 answers came back with a source list, from 14 of 14 models. Sites named in the most answers:

- wiz.io: 42 answers, 53 citations
- fidelissecurity.com: 37 answers, 38 citations
- expertinsights.com: 33 answers, 35 citations
- cyberpress.org: 31 answers, 39 citations
- g2.com: 25 answers, 39 citations
- uptycs.com: 25 answers, 31 citations
- startupstash.com: 22 answers, 23 citations
- cipherssecurity.com: 21 answers, 27 citations

Pages named in the most answers:

- https://fidelissecurity.com/threatgeek/cloud-security/top-cnapp-vendors (34 answers)
- https://expertinsights.com/application-security/the-top-cloud-native-application-protection-platforms-cnapps (30 answers)
- https://cyberpress.org/cnapp-platforms-by-business-size-2 (29 answers)
- https://startupstash.com/top-cloud-native-application-protection-platforms (22 answers)
- https://csoonline.com/article/573629/cnapp-buyers-guide-top-tools-compared.html (18 answers)
- https://uptycs.com/hubfs/Market%20Guide_Gartner/Market_Guide_for_Clo_790337_ndx.pdf?hsCtaTracking=07b96d73-e717-40cf-97a2-5bd1ec7a0f66%7C124568a8-0789-4147-9f89-c1784af978e8 (18 answers)
- https://cipherssecurity.com/best-cloud-security-cnapp-platforms-2026 (17 answers)
- https://wiz.io/academy/cloud-security/best-cnapp-solutions (15 answers)
- https://aikido.dev/blog/top-cloud-native-application-protection-platforms-cnapp (14 answers)
- https://cloudaware.com/blog/cnapp-tools (13 answers)

## Warned against

- Prisma Cloud: 17 of 40 labels negative. "Avoid Prisma Cloud if you're mid-market or lack dedicated cloud security engineering" (Kimi K2, negative prompt)
- Wiz: 13 of 70 labels negative. "Options to Avoid on a Tight Budget - Wiz — Starts around ~$100K/year; way too expensive" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, budget prompt)
- Orca Security: 8 of 57 labels negative. "Avoid enterprise vendors (Wiz, Orca, Prisma Cloud) initially" (Kimi K2, budget prompt)
- Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud: 7 of 19 labels negative. "Avoid if you have small engineering teams... the tool can become unmanageable and produce excessive false positives." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, negative prompt)

## Movement since September 2026

Floor: 11 points of share, measured on the calibration repeat.
Same leader: Wiz at 35%.

- Wiz: 46% to 35%, −11. Cleared the floor by 0 points · rank 1 of 66, unchanged.
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud: 30% to 23%, −7. Inside the floor by 4 points · rank 2 of 66, unchanged.
- Aqua Security: 0% to 5%, +5. Inside the floor by 6 points · rank 14 → 5 of 66.
- FortiCNAPP: 0% to 2%, +2. Inside the floor by 9 points · rank 49 → 7 of 66.
- Prisma Cloud: 2% to 0%, −2. Inside the floor by 9 points · rank 5 → 65 of 66.
- Orca Security: 18% to 19%, +1. Inside the floor by 10 points · rank 3 of 66, unchanged.
- Sysdig Secure: 0% to 0%, ±0. Inside the floor by 11 points · rank 6 → 12 of 66.
- CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security: 0% to 0%, ±0. Inside the floor by 11 points · rank 9 → 13 of 66.
- SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security: 0% to 0%, ±0. Inside the floor by 11 points · rank 7 → 14 of 66.
- Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud: 0% to 0%, ±0. Inside the floor by 11 points · rank 51 → 66 of 66.

## Record

- Method: https://www.gane.ai/index/it/methodology
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as Gane Index, October 2026 Edition, www.gane.ai/index/it.