Comparison
atalince and fail2ban, side by side.
fail2ban is where many people start, and for good reason: it's free, light and handles a server well. This page shows what each one does, with sources, without overstating either side.
01In short
Two tools, two scopes.
What is
fail2ban
Free software (GPLv2), written in Python, that reads log files such as /var/log/auth.log and bans IPs with too many failures for a while by updating the firewall. It is installed and configured on each server.
What is
atalince
A service with a Go agent on each server and a web dashboard. It detects attacks across several services, blocks in the kernel firewall and only calls a block verified after reading the rule back. It also assesses hardening, CVEs, malware and exposed ports.
02Side by side
Item by item.
Default behavior of each tool. fail2ban can be extended with your own filters and actions.
| Aspect | atalince | fail2ban |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Service: agent on the server and web dashboard. | Free software that runs on each server. |
| Cost | Dev R$9.90 and Pro R$24.90 per server/month, with a 7-day Pro trial. | Free. |
| What it detects | Ready-made sensors for SSH, web (nginx and Apache), mail, FTP, MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, network and file integrity. | Failures recorded in logs, with ready-made filters for several services (sshd, Apache and others) and custom regular-expression filters. |
| How it blocks | Its own iptables chains (ATALINCE-BANS and ATALINCE-INPUT), with ipset when present, on IPv4 and IPv6. Also covers ports published by Docker. | Actions configured per jail: iptables, nftables, firewalld, ufw, ipset, CSF and others. |
| Block confirmation | Reads the firewall back and only shows “verified” after that. Without evidence, the state stays unknown. Every block is re-read every hour. | Runs the configured ban action. fail2ban-client lists the banned IPs in each jail. |
| Dashboard and multiple servers | Web dashboard with every server. On Pro, groups with an SSH policy and fleet blocks. | Configured in files and queried with fail2ban-client, server by server. The project doesn't include a web dashboard. |
| Alerts | Dashboard and email. On Pro, also webhook, Slack and Telegram. | Email actions (mail and sendmail) and an Apprise integration. |
| Security assessments | Hardening (36 checks), package CVEs, malware (Pro) and exposed ports. | Not part of the project. |
| Where data lives | Events go to the dashboard, hosted in Brazil. | Everything stays on the server itself. |
| Systems | Linux: Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux, on amd64 and arm64. | Linux, BSD and macOS. |
03Choosing
When each one makes sense.
fail2ban is enough when
- you look after one or a few servers and prefer everything local, at no cost;
- you already maintain your own jails and filters and check the firewall by hand when needed;
- you don't need a dashboard, central history or alerts for a team.
atalince makes sense when
- you need to know, and show, that the block is in the kernel firewall, not just that it was requested;
- you look after several servers and want one dashboard, with alerts and roles for the team;
- you want hardening, CVEs and exposed ports in the same place as the attacks;
- you want Docker-published ports covered with no extra configuration.
04Both together
You can run both.
Since agent 1.0.2, atalince's rules sit right after chains that only drop traffic, such as fail2ban's f2b-* chains, and ahead of any rule that may accept. The two don't fight over the first position in INPUT.
To switch calmly, install atalince in Monitor only, compare its events with fail2ban's bans for a few days and only then turn protection mode on.
See the firewall order →Sources
Information about fail2ban checked in November 2026 against the project's official documentation.
Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
About atalince
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