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An agentless alternative to OSSEC

Alertica checks your servers' files from outside, the way OSSEC's agentless mode does, without a manager to run or scripts to keep. Add a server in the web app with a read-only SFTP, FTPS or FTP login, pick your rules, and the first scan runs the day you connect. There's a free plan that never expires.

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  • No manager to run
  • Free plan that never expires

Why teams pick Alertica over OSSEC

  • No manager to keep alive

    OSSEC's agentless checks run from a manager you host, patch and back up. Alertica's checks run on our side, so there's nothing to keep running.

  • Set up in the browser

    No register_host.sh, no expect package and no ossec.conf to keep in sync. You add a server and its rules in the web app, and on Pro our team sets the first ones up with you.

  • Works over FTP too

    OSSEC's agentless checks need SSH. Alertica also connects over SFTP, FTPS or FTP, so it watches hosting accounts that never give you a shell.

  • Alerts beyond a changed file

    More than 200 files deleted, a script in an uploads folder, a nightly backup that never arrived. And if the login stops working, you get a Scan Failed alert.

Side by side

OSSEC's side is from the OSSEC 4.4 documentation and ossec.net, checked October 2026.

Feature Alertica OSSEC
Setup
What you run yourself Nothing, it's hosted An OSSEC manager on Linux or Unix
How you add a server In the web app register_host.sh and ossec.conf on the manager
Works over FTP and FTPS Yes No
Price Free plan, or $20 per site a month on Pro Free and open source
Detection
Files added, changed and deleted Yes Yes
Compares file contents (hashes) Coming Yes
How often it checks Weekly, daily or hourly, by plan Every 6 hours by default, near real time with an agent

OSSEC is an open source project managed by Atomicorp. Alertica isn't affiliated with OSSEC or Atomicorp.

Running in three steps

  1. Add a server

    Enter an SFTP, FTPS or FTP login in the web app. Alertica only lists files, so a read-only login is enough.

  2. Pick your rules

    Choose a folder and what matters there: any change, more than 200 deleted files, a script where scripts don't belong, or no new backup since yesterday.

  3. Get the alert

    Alerts go to the people you choose by email or SMS, with Slack coming soon. Every scan is kept in scan history.

Questions from teams comparing

What changes if you move file checks from OSSEC to Alertica, and what doesn't.

Comparing for a specific audit? Tell us what it needs
  • OSSEC is free. What am I paying for?

    Not running it. There's no manager to host, no hosts to register by script and no config files to keep in sync, and the alerts, rules and scan history live in one web app. On Pro our team sets up your first servers with you.

  • Does Alertica hash files the way OSSEC does?

    Not yet. Today it compares each file's name, size and modified time, and never opens the file. A content check is coming: it will fingerprint files on your own server over SSH where the host allows it, so it catches an edit that keeps the date and size, and only fingerprints leave the server.

  • Can I run Alertica next to OSSEC?

    Yes. Alertica only needs a login, so it adds a check from outside the host without touching your OSSEC agents or manager.

  • Does Alertica cover PCI DSS 11.5?

    Alertica does both things requirement 11.5.2 asks of a change-detection mechanism: it alerts when critical files are changed, added or deleted, and compares them at least once a week, daily on Pro. It compares file details rather than contents until the content check ships, so if your assessor wants hashes, keep a hashing tool on those hosts for now. It doesn't cover 11.6.1, the scripts on a payment page as the browser receives them.

  • Is it safe to give Alertica access to our servers?

    Yes. Alertica is agentless and read-only: it lists files and never opens, changes or deletes them, so a read-only login is all it needs. The logins you give it are encrypted with AES-256, and every Alertica account uses two-step sign-in.

  • What does Alertica cost?

    Free covers one site with weekly scans. Pro is $20 per site per month with daily scans, SMS alerts, and setup and onboarding with our team. Enterprise adds hourly scans and on-premises installation, priced by quote. Compare plans

More comparisons

Try it on one server first

Tell us what you watch with OSSEC today. We'll set Alertica up on one server with you, so you can compare the alerts side by side.

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