RedLens vs Lakera
These two are often shortlisted together but do different jobs: Lakera Guard protects live traffic, RedLens tests and documents before deployment.
Lakera (now part of Check Point) is known for Gandalf, its runtime guard and pre-deployment testing. RedLens is an offensive testing and compliance-evidence platform. We make RedLens, so weigh this accordingly; every Lakera claim is sourced and dated.
Lakera facts checked 18 October 2026What each one is
Lakera
An AI security company acquired by Check Point (announced September 2025, reported around $300M), known for Gandalf, its public prompt-injection game. Its products are Lakera Red, which stress-tests AI systems before deployment, and Lakera Guard, a low-latency inline guard that protects production traffic against prompt injection and data leakage. Now part of Check Point's AI security line. Pricing is quote-based and not public.
RedLens
A younger, vertical platform: real adversarial attacks across 6 categories and 22 methodologies, with a compliance evidence package on every finding. Focus is regulated sectors: citation-level HIPAA and FBI CJIS mapping with evidence grading, a healthcare-restricted curated-only methodology, and synthetic PHI and CJI sandboxes so no real data enters a test. Publishes four tiers with a free hosted tier. Early-stage and pre-revenue, with fewer deployments and a shorter track record than Lakera.
Side by side
The RedLens column is highlighted. This scores depth and fit, not an overall winner.
| Capability | RedLens | Lakera |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-deployment adversarial testing | 6 categories, 22 methodologies | Lakera Red |
| Inline runtime guard | finds and flags, not inline | Lakera Guard, low-latency |
| Agent and MCP methodologies | IPI, TCH, AAA, MMP, MCD, MTP | guard covers injection + leakage; agent testing varies |
| Citation-level HIPAA / CJIS mapping | per finding, evidence-graded | not offered |
| Synthetic PHI / CJI sandboxes | Digital Twin | not offered |
| Maturity / ecosystem | early-stage | Check Point scale; Gandalf brand |
| Published pricing | Free $0 to Enterprise $150k/yr+ | quote-based / not public |
| Free / self-serve start | 25 scans/mo | Gandalf is free to play; product quote-based |
| Deployment | SaaS; on-premise on Enterprise | SaaS / API; part of Check Point |
Where Lakera is the stronger choice
The clearest one: Lakera Guard is an inline runtime guard, a real capability RedLens does not have. If you need real-time protection that inspects production traffic for prompt injection and data leakage, that is Lakera Guard, and RedLens is not a substitute. Lakera also brings Check Point's scale and ecosystem, a well-known brand through Gandalf, and more maturity than RedLens. On the testing side, Lakera Red is an established pre-deployment product.
Where RedLens is the stronger choice
RedLens wins on compliance evidence and accessibility. If you need findings a privacy officer or a CJIS Systems Officer will accept, the citation-level HIPAA and CJIS mapping with evidence grading is the differentiator; Lakera does not map findings to those control sets. The healthcare-restricted methodology and synthetic PHI and CJI sandboxes let you test without real data, and published pricing from $0 means you can start without a sales cycle. The two can also be complementary: a guard watches live traffic while RedLens tests and documents before deployment.
On pricing and procurement
Lakera's pricing is quote-based and not public, especially since joining Check Point; Gandalf is a free game, not the product. RedLens publishes four tiers: Free at $0 with 25 hosted scans a month, Team at $199/mo, Professional at $8,000/mo, and Enterprise from $150k/yr. If you need an inline guard, budget for Lakera on top of, not instead of, a testing and evidence tool. Neither model is better; they suit different needs.
No model-file scanning, no inline runtime guard, no DLP breadth, no org-wide shadow-AI governance beyond discovery, and no FedRAMP or CJIS authorization. RedLens is not an all-in-one AI security suite, and it is newer and less proven than Lakera.
Comparison pages written by a vendor are worth reading skeptically. Our discipline: every Lakera capability here is drawn from Lakera's own materials or dated third-party coverage, the table marks vendor-stated claims as such, and the “where Lakera is stronger” section is not a throwaway. If Lakera finds a line that is wrong or out of date, the correction address is below and we will fix it within a week.
Who should pick which
- Pick Lakera if you need an inline runtime guard for production traffic, want low-latency protection against prompt injection and data leakage, and value Check Point's scale. Lakera Red also covers pre-deployment testing.
- Pick RedLens if you need offensive testing with HIPAA or CJIS evidence per finding, want synthetic regulated data, and want to start on a published, self-serve tier. Consider running both: a guard plus a testing and evidence tool.
The cheapest way to decide is to run both against your own system.
Frequently asked
Is RedLens or Lakera better?
Neither is better in the abstract; they do different jobs. Lakera Guard is an inline runtime guard for live traffic, while RedLens is an offensive testing and compliance-evidence platform. If you need real-time production protection, Lakera; if you need testing with HIPAA or CJIS evidence, RedLens. Many teams would use both.
Does Lakera publish pricing?
No. Lakera's pricing is quote-based and not public, especially since joining Check Point. Gandalf is a free public game, not the commercial product. RedLens publishes four tiers: Free $0, Team $199/mo, Professional $8,000/mo, and Enterprise from $150k/yr.
Is Lakera Guard the same as RedLens?
No. Lakera Guard is an inline runtime guard that inspects and filters production traffic in real time. RedLens is an offensive testing and evidence platform; its Runtime Guard module finds and flags risky behaviour for review rather than acting as an inline filter.
See the evidence format in minutes
The RedLens free attack test shows the finding and evidence format against a target, no card required.
Lakera, if we have described anything inaccurately, email sales@redlens.ai and we will correct it within a week.