The evolving threat landscape in cybersecurity has made intrusion detection systems (IDS) essential for safeguarding organizational networks against unauthorized access and data breaches, with host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) focusing on analyzing log files for anomalies. The article highlights five open-source HIDS tools, including OSSEC, Tripwire, Wazuh, Samhain, and Security Onion, each offering unique features such as log analysis, file integrity checking, and centralized monitoring. OSSEC is noted for its scalability and multi-platform support, while Tripwire is praised for data integrity on Linux systems but lacks real-time notifications. Wazuh, a fork of OSSEC, distinguishes itself with ELK stack integration and improved rulesets. Samhain provides stealth capabilities and centralized monitoring but is more complex to install, particularly on Windows. Security Onion stands out for its comprehensive network security monitoring capabilities but requires familiarity with various tools and lacks Wi-Fi support for network management. The selection of these HIDS tools is based on their popularity, features, and compatibility with different operating systems, emphasizing the importance of strategic tool selection in enhancing a company's security posture amid growing data and security tool sprawl.