Compare 18 enterprise Varonis alternatives by deployment speed, pricing transparency, and legacy system support. Includes guidance on when to choose Varonis or to pursue other vendors.
Enterprise teams are replacing Varonis for three reasons:
The best Varonis alternatives in 2026 are Data Security Platforms (DSPs) that offer simpler deployment, transparent pricing, and broader coverage across the environment.
If your priority is proactive, data-centric protection with an agentless architecture, DataStealth is the strongest alternative. It deploys at the network layer via a DNS change, protects mainframe and legacy environments without code changes, and uses a predictable pricing model.
If your goal is data discovery and privacy compliance, BigID leads in AI-powered classification across structured and unstructured data.
For file activity monitoring and access governance specifically, Lepide and Netwrix offer lighter-weight alternatives with faster deployment timelines than Varonis.
The right choice depends on whether you need to protect data (tokenize and mask it) or monitor access to data (audit and alert). Varonis excels at the latter. Most of the alternatives below focus on the former.
Last updated: February 6, 2026
In 2026’s hybrid/multi-cloud world, legacy data platforms and access-governance-only tools fall short. While Varonis excels at auditing and permissions, modern enterprises require agentless, inline or network-level protection for data in motion and at rest.
This guide overviews the top Varonis alternatives built for rapid deployment, reduced overhead, and real-time, proactive data security. For a narrower assessment, see our detailed DataStealth vs. Varonis comparison guide.
DataStealth is a DSP that takes a fundamentally different approach from Varonis.
Where Varonis monitors access to data and alerts when something looks wrong, DataStealth protects the data itself by replacing sensitive values with tokenized or masked equivalents in real time. This means that even if data is exfiltrated, it is useless to the attacker – a principle of deploying a data-centric Zero Trust architecture.
The deployment model is the primary differentiator. DataStealth deploys at the network layer using a DNS change -- no agents, no code changes, no API integrations.
This agentless architecture is critical for organizations with mainframes, legacy databases, or COBOL-based systems where installing agents is impractical or impossible.
It also means deployment takes days, not months, with zero disruption to existing applications and user workflows.
Pricing follows a managed-services model with a monthly fee per endpoint. This eliminates the vendor relationship friction that enterprise buyers frequently report with Varonis – no opaque renewal pricing, no forced professional services, no surprise upsell conversations.
DataStealth also provides test data management (TDM) as a built-in capability, securely generating production-like test data without ever copying sensitive real data to non-production environments.
Pros
Best for: Enterprises with hybrid cloud, on-premise, and mainframe environments. Organizations in finance, insurance, telecom, and healthcare that require data protection (not just monitoring) for compliance.
Key differentiators vs. Varonis: Agentless network-layer deployment, data tokenization and masking (vs. access monitoring), mainframe support, predictable pricing.
BigID provides deep data discovery and classification/classification and privacy workflows across both structured/unstructured data stores, and SaaS platforms. It inventories sensitive data and powers privacy/security/governance actions.
Pros
Cons
TCO: High. Licenses + infra + specialist ops.
Ease of deployment: Moderate–Complex. Connector setup; agents in some cases.
Egnyte unifies content collaboration and security/governance. Strong access controls, automated classification, and threat signals, with hybrid options (cloud, on-prem, or both).
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid–High. Licenses, advanced security add-ons, and agent admin.
Ease of deployment: Easy (cloud) / Moderate (hybrid). Agents for on-prem files.
Netwrix Auditor provides change/access auditing across Active Directory (AD), file servers, M365, and more, answering “who changed what, where, when.”
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid. Software, server, and admin time.
Ease of deployment: Moderate. Server install; multi-source configuration.
ARM centralizes permissions management for AD/Exchange/SharePoint to reduce data exposure and simplify audits.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid. Licenses + maintenance + admin effort.
Ease of deployment: Moderate. Server + collectors; credential setup.
| Founded | HQ | Solutions | Deployment |
|---|---|---|---|
| (IBM product; enterprise business line) | Armonk, NY, USA (IBM headquarters) | Large-scale information governance & eDiscovery across unstructured data assets. | Complex/long-term deployment; specialized hardware/infra and services. |
IBM StoredIQ targets large-scale information governance and eDiscovery across massive unstructured data estates.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Very High. Software + infra + expert services.
Ease of deployment: Complex/lengthy. Multi-month enterprise project.
Fortra DCS enforces user-driven classification at creation (Office/Outlook, etc.), embedding labels/metadata for downstream DLP/CASB.
Pros
Cons
TCO: High. Per-user, training, and agent ops.
Ease of deployment: Complex/lengthy. Phased enterprise rollout.
Lepide Auditor provides unified auditing and compliance visibility across Active Directory, Exchange, Microsoft 365, and file systems, enabling enterprises to detect and investigate changes in real-time.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid. License per domain/user + moderate infrastructure costs.
Ease of Deployment: Moderate. Requires Windows server setup and connectors/agents for each data source.
ManageEngine ADAudit Plus focuses on real-time Active Directory and file access monitoring, offering strong compliance coverage for Microsoft-centric enterprises.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Low–Mid. Cost-effective for AD-focused use cases.
Ease of Deployment: Easy–Moderate. Windows-based installation with guided setup; minimal tuning needed.
StealthAUDIT (now part of Netwrix) delivers granular data access auditing and governance, helping organizations clean up permissions and reduce insider risk.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid–High. Depends on module selection and environment scale.
Ease of Deployment: Moderate. Requires Windows servers and collectors per target system.
Sentra is a cloud-native Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that automatically discovers, classifies, and secures sensitive data across multi-cloud environments.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid–High. Subscription pricing scales with connected data stores.
Ease of Deployment: Easy. API integrations; fully agentless setup.
DoControl automates data access governance for SaaS applications, giving security teams granular control over file sharing, insider risks, and collaboration data exposure.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid. SaaS subscription per user or connected application.
Ease of Deployment: Easy. Cloud-to-cloud integration; low admin effort.
Cyera provides automated DSPM across cloud data stores, combining discovery, classification, and risk remediation for sensitive data in motion and at rest.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid–High. Based on volume of connected assets.
Ease of Deployment: Easy–Moderate. API-driven setup; no agents required.
Forcepoint offers a mature enterprise DLP platform combining endpoint, network, web, and email security with behavioral analytics for insider threat detection.
Pros
Cons
TCO: High. Multi-module licensing, infrastructure, and administrative overhead.
Ease of Deployment: Moderate–Complex. Requires agent rollout and policy gateway setup.
Proofpoint is a leading email security and DLP provider, offering user-centric threat defense and compliance coverage across email, cloud, and collaboration platforms.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid–High. Subscription per user; modular pricing structure.
Ease of Deployment: Easy–Moderate. Cloud-native setup; optional endpoint agent.
Securonix delivers a cloud-native SIEM and UEBA platform that detects anomalous user behavior and data misuse using advanced analytics and machine learning.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid–High. Based on ingestion volume and data retention.
Ease of Deployment: Moderate. SaaS-based; connector-driven integration.
Rapid7 combines SIEM, vulnerability management, and XDR into a unified analytics platform for detecting, investigating, and responding to data and identity threats.
Pros
Cons
TCO: Mid–High. Tiered pricing by data volume and endpoints.
Ease of Deployment: Moderate. SaaS platform; agents are optional depending on modules.
OpenText offers enterprise data security and governance through its Voltage SecureData (tokenization/or FPE) and EnCase platforms, designed for compliance-intensive organizations.
Pros
Cons
TCO: High. Enterprise licenses + infrastructure and consulting services.
Ease of Deployment: Complex. Multiple components; hybrid cloud/on-prem setup.
Your primary security objective is access governance and insider threat detection for unstructured file data.
Varonis remains the strongest platform for mapping permissions, baselining user behavior via UEBA, and detecting anomalous access patterns across file shares, SharePoint, and Microsoft 365.
No alternative on this list matches its depth in answering "who accessed what file, when, and from where,” particularly for insider threat investigations.
You have a dedicated security operations team to absorb the operational overhead.
Varonis is not a deploy-and-forget platform. It requires skilled staff for initial configuration, ongoing policy tuning, and alert triage. If your organization has a mature SOC with bandwidth to manage a complex tool, Varonis delivers high-fidelity signals that justify the investment.
Budget accordingly: annual subscription pricing with usage-based tiers, professional services for implementation, and internal staffing costs for ongoing management.
Your environment is primarily Microsoft-centric with limited legacy infrastructure.
Varonis excels in Microsoft ecosystems – e.g., Active Directory, M365, Exchange, SharePoint, and Azure. If your data estate fits this profile without significant mainframe, COBOL, or non-standard legacy workloads, Varonis covers the ground well.
AI security governance is an emerging board-level priority.
With the AllTrue.ai acquisition (February 2026), Varonis now offers shadow AI discovery, AI model behavior monitoring, and real-time guardrails for autonomous AI agents.
If controlling how AI systems interact with your sensitive data is a near-term priority, this capability is a differentiator most alternatives lack.
You need to protect data, not just monitor access to it.
This is the fundamental architectural distinction. Varonis detects anomalous access and alerts your team, but if an attacker exfiltrates files, the data inside is fully readable.
If your security model assumes breach (Zero Trust), you need a platform that tokenizes, masks, or encrypts sensitive data so that stolen data is useless.
Varonis does not provide this. DataStealth and OpenText Voltage do.
Your environment includes mainframes or legacy systems.
Varonis's agent-based architecture has limited to no support for z/OS mainframes, legacy databases (IMS, DB2 on z/OS), COBOL-based applications, or TN3270 terminal environments.
If your organization runs production workloads on mainframes, i.e., the standard in banking, insurance, telecom, and government, Varonis cannot protect those systems.
An agentless, network-layer platform is required.
Deployment speed and operational simplicity are constraints.
Varonis deployments typically require 3–6 months for setup, configuration, tuning, and team training, and may take longer.
If you need protection operational in weeks rather than quarters, particularly under audit pressure or after a breach, platforms with agentless architectures (DataStealth, BigID, Sentra, Cyera) or lightweight agent models (Lepide, ManageEngine) deliver faster time-to-value.
Pricing predictability matters to your CFO.
Multiple enterprise buyers report unexpected cost escalation at Varonis renewal, with limited pricing visibility during the initial sales cycle.
If your procurement process requires transparent, predictable pricing for multi-year budget planning, evaluate vendors that offer published pricing, managed-services models with clear, transparent monthly costs (DataStealth), or perpetual licensing (Netwrix).
Negotiate multi-year pricing caps in any subscription contract.
Your data estate spans SaaS collaboration tools beyond Microsoft.
If your sensitive data lives across Google Workspace, Slack, Box, Salesforce, and other SaaS platforms, Varonis's coverage is thinner.
DoControl specializes in SaaS access governance for these environments, and BigID provides discovery and classification across a broader SaaS footprint.
Start by mapping your control model: is your primary need reactive (audit, alert, investigate) or proactive (tokenize, mask, protect in-flight)?
If reactive, Varonis, Lepide, Netwrix, and Securonix are the category. If proactive, DataStealth and OpenText Voltage are in the category. Most mature programs need both.
Next, assess deployment friction. Will you need agents installed on target systems (which drives the timeline and complexity), or can the platform operate at the network or API layer (which simplifies deployment)?
Map this against your environment: mainframes, containers, serverless workloads, and SaaS applications each have different deployment constraints.
Then pilot with one or two critical data flows. Measure time-to-policy, false-positive rate, performance impact on protected systems, and the actual staffing required for ongoing operations.
These four metrics predict long-term TCO more reliably than vendor pricing alone.
Bilal is the Content Strategist at DataStealth. He's a recognized defence and security analyst who's researching the growing importance of cybersecurity and data protection in enterprise-sized organizations.
