EMP Intake vs Ontic: evidence workspace vs intelligence platform
Ontic runs a whole security program from one connected-intelligence picture. EMP is narrower by design: a local evidence and case workspace, preserving originals, recording a SHA-256 hash at intake, and producing a verifier-ready export.
Ontic is a connected intelligence platform for corporate and public sector security. It unifies incidents, investigations, and case management with integrated research, continuous monitoring, AI summaries, and collaboration, so a whole security program runs from one operating picture.
EMP Intake is narrower: the local evidence integrity and case workspace layer that runs on your own Windows machine, preserves originals, records SHA-256 at intake, and produces a verifier-ready export.
Use Ontic when you need connected intelligence, monitoring, and enterprise security program management. Use EMP when the job is building a local, evidence-driven case file with preserved originals and a verifier-ready handoff.
Related: EMP for corporate security investigations, the evidence workstation buyer's guide, and EMP vs Kaseware, plus real pricing from public records.
How they compare
| Criteria | EMP Intake | Ontic |
|---|---|---|
| Scope & breadth | ||
| Connected intelligence + monitoring | Not included | Core platform, strong |
| Corporate-security program breadth | Evidence + case workspace | Full program, broad |
| Intake-to-resolution workflows | Local case workflow | Built in, at scale |
| AI summaries | No built-in AI assistant claimed | AI-assisted summaries |
| Trust & proof points | ||
| Security assurance and compliance | NIST design target, not certified | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, FedRAMP Moderate Authorized |
| Enterprise trust + ROI proof | Founder-direct, newer | Case studies, ROI outcomes |
| Deployment & data | ||
| Deployment | Local-first Windows | Cloud platform |
| Where evidence lives | Your workstation | Vendor-managed cloud |
| Integrity & handoff | ||
| SHA-256 at intake | Automatic, originals preserved | Platform audit trail |
| Verifier-ready export | Yes, recipient checks, no install | Reports, dashboards, activity timelines, full audit trails; an equivalent recipient hash-manifest workflow was not established in the linked sources |
| Pricing & fit | ||
| Pricing transparency | $29 / $49 / $99 monthly, public | Custom quote: products, users, integrations, implementation; support and training included |
| Time to first value | 14-day self-serve trial | Demo, then onboarding |
EMP features vary by tier. Core includes package exports. Standard adds Chain of Custody, Incident Maps and Audit Timeline; Professional adds Timeline Recon, Link Analysis, Global Heat Map and plan overlays. Package contents depend on selection; enable Manifest for checksums and the verifier.
Updated 2026-08-23. The highlighted column is EMP Intake.
Sources checked
Official Ontic materials reviewed on 2026-08-23:
Vendor capabilities may depend on edition, configuration, or contract; confirm details with Ontic.
Where each one wins
Where EMP wins
- You need local evidence integrity on your own Windows machine, with nothing uploaded to a vendor cloud.
- You need a verifier-ready export package recipients can check with the included verifier when Manifest is enabled, without installing EMP.
- You want published pricing and a self-serve trial instead of a demo-first sales cycle.
- You are a solo investigator or small team that needs to start building a defensible case file today.
Where they win
- You need connected intelligence: one operating picture that ties incidents, investigations, and case management together across a security program.
- You need continuous monitoring and integrated research: public records, adverse media, and social platforms searched from inside the case file, with real-time alerts.
- You need corporate-security program breadth for an enterprise or public-sector team, beyond a single investigation.
- Enterprise trust matters for procurement. Ontic states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and FedRAMP Moderate Authorization (April 2026), publishes customer case studies and ROI outcomes, and lists support, training, updates, and customer success as included.
What EMP is not
- Not a connected intelligence or threat-monitoring platform. EMP is the local evidence workspace and verifier-ready handoff layer.
- Not a managed cloud service. EMP is local-first and self-hosted.
- Not certified. NIST SP 800-86 is a design target, not a certification, and admissibility is the court's call.
- Not a research, monitoring, or executive-protection system. EMP organizes and preserves the evidence you already collected.
Competitor details here are drawn from public sources such as vendor websites and documentation, and can change. Verify current capabilities with the vendor. This comparison covers EMP Intake WS. Features vary by tier. Teams has a separate deployment model and pilot scope.
Frequently asked questions
Is EMP an Ontic alternative?
If the job is building a local, evidence-driven case file and handing off a verifiable package, yes. EMP is not a connected intelligence platform like Ontic. If you need monitoring, integrated research, and an enterprise security program in one operating picture, Ontic is the right category. If you need a focused local evidence workspace that preserves originals and exports a verifier-ready package, EMP fits.
Does EMP do monitoring or threat intelligence like Ontic?
No. EMP does not monitor adverse media, search public records, or run threat intelligence. Ontic does that as a core part of its platform. EMP organizes and preserves the evidence you already have, records SHA-256 at intake, and builds a case file you can hand off and prove.
Can EMP and Ontic coexist?
Ontic can stay the program-management and connected-intelligence layer while EMP runs on a workstation for the handoffs that need a local, verifiable evidence package. EMP exports standard CSV and JSON that downstream systems can consume.
Why does Ontic list more certifications than EMP?
Ontic is a managed cloud platform serving enterprise and public-sector teams, so it carries trust posture such as SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and FedRAMP Moderate Authorization that procurement teams require. EMP is local-first on your own machine, so your evidence never reaches us. NIST SP 800-86 is a design target for EMP, not a certification.
See the difference for yourself
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About this comparison: it is based on publicly available materials as of August 2026, and products change. If anything here is out of date, email hello@falcrex.com and we will correct it. All third-party product and company names are trademarks of their respective owners. Falcrex Systems Inc is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any of them.