MISP vs OpenCTI vs Yeti

The three platforms organize intelligence in fundamentally different units, and that choice shapes what moves cleanly between them. MISP stores *events* that contain *attributes* (single indicators such as an IP address, file hash or domain) and *objects* that group related attributes. Each event carries a distribution level and, where needed, a sharing group, which decide who receives it when MISP instances synchronize. OpenCTI stores intelligence as STIX-based entities (threat actors, malware, indicators, reports) linked by typed relationships in a knowledge graph, and most of its content arrives through connectors, including a MISP connector. Yeti centers on *observables*, *entities* such as threat actors and campaigns, and *indicators*, and it also holds DFIQ objects, forensic artifact definitions, Sigma and YARA rules and reusable queries alongside them.

Export paths follow from those models. MISP exports MISP JSON, STIX 1 and 2, CSV and detection formats such as Suricata, Snort and Zeek rules through its REST API, so a sensor team can consume MISP output without OpenCTI in the path. OpenCTI exports through its connector framework, and STIX 2.1 is the common language to confirm for any hand-off. Yeti's custom export formats target SIEM and DFIR tools, which suits detection engineering but not a general sharing feed. Before committing to a pipeline, run a test: export a sample set from each platform, import it into the other, and count what survives, especially relationships, sharing restrictions, and any Yeti-only artifacts. Confirm with each vendor which fields round-trip and which are dropped, since a lossy import is the most common hidden cost of running two platforms.

Effort differs more by platform than by license. MISP 2.5 is the recommended version for new deployments, and the project recommends Ubuntu 24.04 with its provided installer, while Docker images, Ansible roles, Puppet and RPM packages are also listed. Since MISP 2.5.47 introduced a new database migration system with PostgreSQL support, the database choice is a decision to make before go-live rather than a later migration project, so confirm with your DBA whether your standard is MySQL or MariaDB or PostgreSQL. Treat the upgrade path as recurring work: MISP 2.4 is end of life with security fixes only, so any legacy 2.4 instance needs a planned move to 2.5 and the project's upgrade script for Ubuntu is the starting point to test against a copy of your data.

OpenCTI carries the heaviest footprint of the three. A deployment combines the platform, Python workers consuming RabbitMQ messages, connectors, and dependencies including Elasticsearch 8.0 or later or OpenSearch 2.9 or later, Redis 7.1 or later, RabbitMQ 3.11 or later and S3-compatible storage. Ask who owns each of those services and their backups before you commit. If you adopt an LTS line, the LTS builds are distributed as container images but require a specific LTS license key, so add key issuance and renewal to your change calendar. Audit logs, playbooks, organization segregation and OpenID, LDAP or SAML single sign-on sit behind the Enterprise Edition, so confirm which of these you need on day one with Filigran before scoping.

Yeti is the lightest to stand up but shifts effort into integration work. Its web API supports automated queries and enrichment, and pluggable data sources and analytics let your engineers add feeds and exports, so budget for that development. Whichever platform you pick, your team must supply the identity provider for single sign-on, the storage and retention plan, the feed agreements that decide which indicators arrive, a written sharing policy covering distribution levels and sharing groups if you use MISP, and analysts who will actually use the platform daily. Confirm each of these in writing during scoping, because they drive more of the total effort than the software install does.

Switching later costs more in data shape and sharing relationships than in software. MISP events and attributes move out through MISP JSON, STIX 1 and 2, or CSV, but a STIX export does not carry MISP's sharing groups, distribution levels or synchronization links with partner instances. Those trust relationships have to be rebuilt by hand on the new side, and any partner who has not agreed to the new feed must be re-onboarded. OpenCTI's MISP connector can import MISP events into its STIX knowledge graph, which helps with history, but it is one-way ingestion for analysis, not a replacement for being a sharing hub. Yeti is the hardest to leave: observables, DFIQ objects, Sigma and YARA rules and saved queries sit in its ArangoDB-backed model, so confirm with the vendor and in a test export which of these come out in a usable form before you commit analyst workflows to them.

Analyst retraining and integrations usually cost more than the data move. Analysts who learn MISP's event and attribute model, OpenCTI's STIX entities and relationships, or Yeti's observable and artifact workflow will need to relearn search, correlation and reporting on the new platform. Every SIEM, SOAR or enrichment integration that calls the MISP REST API, the OpenCTI GraphQL API or Yeti's web API must also be repointed and retested. Ask your implementation partner for a written inventory of these integrations and of the custom export formats you depend on, since those are the items that break silently during a migration.

In the first deployment, preserve exportable and identity-neutral state. Keep sharing agreements, distribution rules and taxonomy choices documented outside the platform, so they can be reapplied elsewhere. Schedule periodic test exports in the formats you care about, and keep the platform-specific IDs needed to correlate records across systems. For single sign-on, confirm which identity features each platform gates behind its paid tier before you design around them, because OpenCTI's audit logs, playbooks and SSO options through OpenID, LDAP or SAML require its Enterprise Edition. Document your upgrade cadence too: MISP 2.4 is end of life, and OpenCTI LTS builds require a specific license key, so a version you cannot upgrade is also a switching cost.