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Darktrace vs Sophos Central comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Darktrace
Ranking in AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
82
Ranking in other categories
Email Security (8th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (2nd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (1st), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (1st), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (6th), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (14th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (10th), Attack Surface Management (ASM) (4th)
Sophos Central
Ranking in AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
5.7
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms category, the mindshare of Darktrace is 18.8%, down from 27.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Central is 0.0%. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Darktrace18.8%
Sophos Central0.0%
Other81.2%
AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Malebo Lethoba Group - PeerSpot reviewer
Have found the AI analyst and detection functions highly valuable for network operations while managing complexity in initial setup
The functions I find most valuable in Darktrace are the AI analyst as well as the detection.The autonomous response capabilities of Darktrace are not crucial for me because it doesn't work in a network where there are no core switches. In a modern network, the autonomous response doesn't work, especially when sitting in a shared data center.If I'm running a traditional network where I am not in a shared data center with a layer two dedicated for my resources, then it can work for me. However, if I am in a data center where I don't have layer two, it becomes an issue because the autonomous response is reliant on sending spoofed TCP resets to my core switch to block traffic, which is a major issue.
Sandeepraj Gatla - PeerSpot reviewer
Cost-effective security management with a user-friendly interface, efficient resource utilization, and rapid response capabilities
While Sophos Central has demonstrated commendable functionality, there is room for improvement in the realm of automation. Specifically, addressing ransomware attacks often requires leveraging external tools, deploying virtual machines, and utilizing supplementary tools like Caliper Analytics for operations and security communication. The integration of these essential functionalities directly into the software would represent a significant enhancement, streamlining the incident response process and bolstering the platform's comprehensive threat mitigation capabilities. Furthermore, a valuable addition to future releases could involve augmenting the new screen component with advanced capabilities such as XML utilization and rule integration. This enhancement, especially pertinent to tools involved in sandboxing and virtual machines within the investigation process, would greatly streamline the analysis of logs and reports. This would prove particularly beneficial in the context of email analysis, spam attack detection, and other critical security aspects. By incorporating these features, Sophos Central could further elevate its utility in facilitating in-depth security analyses and response strategies.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The platform has many modules, and each module examines a different situation in the behavior."
"In terms of features, the data or information they collect and unsupervised machine learning are very valuable. Its unsupervised machine learning has reduced our team's effort. Both Darktrace and Vectra work on unsupervised machine learning that learns the behavior or develops a profile on its own, which allows our security team to do some other tasks rather than spending time on Darktrace or Vectra. Because of unsupervised machine learning, its detection capability is quite good. Along with that, if we utilize the integration feature properly, the automated incident response capability of Darktrace is quite useful."
"The ability to see what we have not seen before is most valuable. It is very interesting to find out the most vulnerable devices in our network."
"Darktrace is valuable since it offers full packet capture and detailed metadata."
"The most valuable feature of Darktrace and the most valuable feature is the artificial intelligence module because that is the tool that determines automatically if there is any risk or not in the network."
"The models, triggers, and alerts are customizable."
"I have used multiple solutions, but its graphical user interface is quite interesting and quite descriptive. There are a lot of video animations, and we can easily see how the data is transferred between various points. That's something really interesting. It is also quite easy to understand for a new user."
"Darktrace provides better visibility into network risks, allowing you to take preemptive action against risky user behavior."
"It helps manage all the components from one centralized portal."
"The product's initial setup phase is easy and user-friendly."
"Sophos Central is cloud-based, which allows the administrator to control everything from anywhere. It is free for most of the products except the firewall."
"The solution's most valuable feature is the ease with which admins can monitor and troubleshoot issues related to any emails coming into our environment with malware or viruses."
"The product is easy to use."
"The best features of Sophos Central are that it is very friendly and manageable."
"What I find most valuable in Sophos Central is its clear and detailed threat visibility on the dashboard."
"The interface, especially when using the software center, is quite user-friendly and easy to navigate."
 

Cons

"It should be easier to access the Darktrace portal and its documentation. Only the customer can access their portal and support. It could be cheaper."
"It is expensive, but everything else has been great so far."
"Updates keep coming, which is great, but I prefer a unified UI experience. The intelligence section and the incident view should be seamlessly connected in one view to avoid jumping between pages."
"In the next version, I'd like to see penetration testing."
"Darktrace needs to automate the reports of false positives, botnets and everything."
"It could build in integrations for some complementary products, but it has an assistant plugin so this is not really a big deal."
"The pricing needs improvement."
"The price point for the product was too high for what our possible use case could be."
"I would like to see improvements in the password recovery process within the Sophos Central solution."
"With the current hybrid work environment and travel requirements, having a mobile solution would greatly improve our ability to access and navigate Sophos Central on the go, enhancing the overall user experience and making it a more portable solution."
"The current service level is not as efficient as desired, but we acknowledge that it presents an area for improvement, particularly in terms of support concentration."
"Compared to GFI KerioControl, Sophos Firewall can be made much faster at setting up VPN clients and site-to-site VPNs."
"There were challenges we faced with generating reports for the physical firewall in certain instances."
"Maybe the license pricing could be improved."
"It would be beneficial to incorporate automation."
"One area I would like to see improvement in Sophos Central is the multi-factor authentication process."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is inexpensive considering what it can do and the competition."
"When it comes to large installations, it can be expensive, but for small accounts it's fine."
"It's an expensive solution."
"The price of the solution is not cheap. It is not a one-time purchase, there is a subscription that needs to be paid every one to five years depending on your choice. It is expensive but you can reduce the price by only using the services that you want."
"If you consider the features and the cost of market leaders, we are satisfied with the pricing."
"There is an annual license to use Darktrace."
"In the ballpark, we're talking about $30K, $50K, and up. It can even be as much as $50K or $100K."
"The pricing is very flexible for Darktrace. Sometimes, a customer does not have the appropriate budget, but Darktrace can handle that. They offer monthly payments, so the customer can acquire the solution very easily."
"The product is expensive compared to other products like Fortinet and Microsoft Defender."
"The pricing is very competitive. When compared to other vendors like Fortinet, Sophos stands out, especially in terms of firewall and endpoint pricing."
"The cost is quite affordable."
"Pricing is on a device basis."
"The product is not expensive."
"Sophos Central is an affordable solution that any mid-level customer can buy."
"The product is inexpensive."
"The tool's pricing is good."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business44
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise29
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business27
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise6
 

Questions from the Community

How does Crowdstrike Falcon compare with Darktrace?
Both of these products perform similarly and have many outstanding attributes. CrowdStrike Falcon offers an amazing user interface that makes setup easy and seamless. CrowdStrike Falcon offers a cl...
Which is better - SentinelOne or Darktrace?
Which solution is better depends on which is more suitable specifically for your company. Darktrace, for example, is meant for smaller to medium-sized businesses. It is also a good option for organ...
What do you like most about Darktrace?
A very useful feature in Darktrace for real-time threat analysis is the packet inspection that analyzes the packet traffic in real time.
What do you like most about Sophos Central?
One of the significant advantages of Sophos is its affordability compared to other technologies like Check Point and Fortinet.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos Central?
My thoughts on the pricing or licensing with Sophos Central are that it is very good.
What needs improvement with Sophos Central?
I have read some information a few months ago about the machine learning features in Sophos Central, and I saw that they added an AI tool, AI feature in the Sophos Central console. However, I haven...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Irwin Mitchell, Open Energi, Wellcome Trust, FirstGroup plc, Virgin Trains, Drax, QUI! Group, DNK, CreaCard, Macrosynergy, Sisley, William Hill plc, Toyota Canada, Royal British Legion, Vitol, Allianz, KKR, AIRBUS, dpd, Billabong, Mclaren Group.
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Find out what your peers are saying about Darktrace vs. Sophos Central and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,202 professionals have used our research since 2012.