Agentless Wiz displaces Palo Alto Networks

Wiz is taking cloud security deals from Palo Alto Networks because it removes the hardest part of buying and rolling out security software. Instead of asking a customer to install and maintain agents across thousands of cloud workloads, Wiz connects directly to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, maps the environment fast, and shows a prioritized list of risks. That simpler first experience has helped it win large enterprise accounts, including Salesforce.

• The product difference is concrete. Prisma Cloud grew out of a broader security stack and has historically leaned on agent based controls, while Wiz built around agentless scanning from day one. That means faster deployment, less coordination with infrastructure teams, and quicker time to value in large multi cloud estates.
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• The customer profile shows why this matters. Wiz reached an estimated $396M ARR by April 2024 with about 800 customers and roughly $495K ACV, versus Palo Alto Networks at $8B ARR with 85,000 customers and about $94K ACV. Wiz is winning fewer but much larger cloud security decisions where ease of rollout matters most.
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• Orca Security validates that agentless itself is not the whole story. Orca also sells agentless cloud security, but Wiz became the category leader by pairing that architecture with a cleaner workflow for security teams and a focused enterprise sales motion, then expanding into adjacent products after landing the account.
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The next phase is a bundle fight. Palo Alto Networks can use pricing, installed relationships, and acquired features to defend its base, while Wiz is using its easier entry point to become the control plane for more cloud and application security products. If that continues, agentless onboarding becomes the wedge and platform expansion becomes the prize.