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Expel vs Rapid7 Metasploit 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

Expel
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
SOC as a Service (4th), Managed Detection and Response (MDR) (16th)
Rapid7 Metasploit
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (18th)
 

Mindshare comparison

Expel and Rapid7 Metasploit aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Expel is designed for Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and holds a mindshare of 1.8%, down 1.8% compared to last year.
Rapid7 Metasploit, on the other hand, focuses on Vulnerability Management, holds 1.7% mindshare, up 1.4% since last year.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Expel1.8%
CrowdStrike Falcon Complete MDR6.9%
Huntress Managed EDR6.6%
Other84.7%
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
Vulnerability Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Rapid7 Metasploit1.7%
Wiz6.4%
Tenable Nessus4.9%
Other87.0%
Vulnerability Management
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2578461 - PeerSpot reviewer
MDR Specialist at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Rapid threat management and diverse technology integration for effective monitoring
Expel has made it easier for companies to monitor and manage various log sources. With its vast integration portfolio, customers can efficiently monitor diverse environments. Time to value is quick, as Expel can turn their service up very rapidly. They have both automated active responses and human processes that quicken threat resolution.
reviewer1247523 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Sales Services Department at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Extensive exploit database and seamless integration enhance penetration testing capabilities
The automated approach in the audits or in the hacking testing with Rapid7 Metasploit could be improved because even the same attack you provide today will go in different ways another day. I prefer when the auditor or pen-tester provides the attack in a non-automated mode. For some, it might be a valuable option, but I'm not sure it's valuable for us, as after the attack has been provided, we should release a report detailing how it transpired and what the customer should improve to block this way of attack. If the attack was provided in an automated mode, you cannot receive sufficient information that helps with this final report for the customer. While you can check the vulnerability, and the system will tell you there is no vulnerability, usually, a human can change one, two, or three parameters and using the same technique and the same scripts can break the system. Rapid7 Metasploit could be improved in areas concerning the experience with finding particular scripts pre-installed in the solution. Customers, administrators, and pen-testers spend considerable time trying to locate the specific component they need by the name of the technique or the name of the attack, so any improvements in making it easier to find those predefined components by name or timeframe would be beneficial. Search filters could be a correct improvement.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Their threat hunting protocol and process with AI and machine learning are strong, allowing for active and rapid responses."
"This product is fantastic."
"The reporting on the solution is good."
"The greatest advantage of Rapid7 Metasploit is that it is the only system that can directly exploit vulnerabilities on the Metasploit platform."
"Rapid7 has a significant advantage in providing a clear picture of my environment."
"I use Rapid7 Metasploit for payload generation and Post-Exploitation."
"The most valuable feature for us is the support for testing Linux-based web server components."
"Technical support has been helpful and responsive."
"The option to generate phishing emails has proven to be very valuable in understanding the behavior of users."
 

Cons

"The one area where Expel may not measure up is if a customer requires a managed SIEM as part of their overall solution. There's a gap there, and solutions might require third-party assistance for management."
"I think areas with shortcomings that need improvement are more integration and automation."
"Integration with popular vulnerability scanners would be a useful feature."
"The initial setup was a bit "tweaky" for the open-source version."
"It is necessary to add some training materials and a tutorial for beginners."
"The solution should improve the responsiveness of its live technical support."
"Rapid7 Metasploit can add a GUI feature because it is only available online."
"Metasploit cannot be installed on a machine with an antivirus."
"The database is not always updated with the latest vulnerabilities or zero-day exploits."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"I use the open-source version of this product. Pricing is not relevant."
"The cost is approximately $15 per device."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the product's pricing a six. So it's fairly priced."
"We pay monthly. The pricing is reasonable."
"The great advantage with Rapid7 Metasploit, of course, is that it's free."
"It is a reasonably priced solution. I would rate it from five out of ten."
"It is expensive. Our license expired, and our company is not thinking to renew because of our budget."
"I have used the free version of Rapid7 Metasploit."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
11%
Construction Company
10%
Retailer
8%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Construction Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise11
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Expel?
Expel's pricing has adapted as the market evolved and has become competitive over the past twelve months.
What needs improvement with Expel?
The one area where Expel may not measure up is if a customer requires a managed SIEM as part of their overall solution. There's a gap there, and solutions might require third-party assistance for m...
What is your primary use case for Expel?
I have experience reselling Expel. Customers often come to me wanting to evaluate multiple providers to make a choice based on their specific use cases, requirements, technology investments, and so...
What do you like most about Rapid7 Metasploit?
I use Rapid7 Metasploit for payload generation and Post-Exploitation.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Rapid7 Metasploit?
The pricing of Rapid7 Metasploit is quite affordable. It has a free version that many customers start with, and after that, they usually purchase the commercial part of the solution due to its deep...
What needs improvement with Rapid7 Metasploit?
The automated approach in the audits or in the hacking testing with Rapid7 Metasploit could be improved because even the same attack you provide today will go in different ways another day. I prefe...
 

Also Known As

Workbench, Expel SOC-as-a-Service
Metasploit
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Amanda Fennell CSO
City of Corpus Christi, Diebold, Lumenate, Nebraska Public Power District, Prairie North Regional Health, Apptio, Automation Direct, Bob's Stores, Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions, Carnegie Mellon University
Find out what your peers are saying about Huntress, CrowdStrike, Field Effect and others in Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Updated: April 2026.
885,789 professionals have used our research since 2012.