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Fail2ban vs SSHGuard: catalog facts
Fail2ban	SSHGuard
Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and…	Free Free to download; no paid edition is mentioned.
Linux, Self-hosted, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Cuts SSH and web brute-force noise dramatically with one jail enabled Filters and actions are plain configuration files, easy to extend	Works with many log sources, including the systemd journal Supports iptables, ipfw and pf firewall backends
Regex-based log parsing breaks when a service changes its log format Only reacts after failures are logged; it is not a preventive control	Server-side daemon with no graphical interface Only blocks attacks it has signatures for
Self-hosted	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.