Expel vs Sophos MDR comparison

Expel and Sophos are both solutions in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category. Expel is ranked #19 with an average rating of 9.0, while Sophos is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.7. Expel holds a 2.1% mindshare in MDR, compared to Sophos’s 6.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Expel users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

Expel

Read 1 Expel review

1,273 Views
1,031 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Sophos MDR

Read 32 Sophos MDR reviews

3,393 Views
3,393 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Expel

Sophos MDR

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Expel and Sophos MDR based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about CrowdStrike, Huntress, Field Effect and others in Managed Detection and Response (MDR).

To learn more, read our detailed Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

September 2025

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Helped 867,497 peers since 2012

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

Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

19th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

SOC as a Service (5th)

Sophos MDR

Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category, the mindshare of Expel is 2.1%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos MDR is 6.0%, down from 6.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Sophos MDR	6.0%
Expel	2.1%
Other	91.9%

Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2578461

MDR Specialist at GuidePoint Security

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.

Read full review

Shaun Gordon

Chief Security Officer at Duxbury

Extensive data lake, ease of use is great and you can really get started very quickly

Sophos MDR is a service. MDR is managed detection and response. It's a managed security service. So instead of having an anti-malware, which in Sophos' case would be Intercept X, with MDR, they add human-led threat hunting. It's a managed service. So it's not a product that you sell the client per se. You're selling them a service, which is almost like an SLA, and that includes Cloud MDR. MDR is not a product. It's a service. The reality is that when it comes to the likes of SentinelOne, McAfee, CrowdStrike, ESET, and all the other players out there, they're single-product security companies. CrowdStrike is an anti-malware. That's one thing. ESET, same thing. But if you look at the other vendors, within the appliances, you're looking at Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Checkpoint. They only sell firewalls. That's all they do. When you deal with Sophos, they are the entire product suite. They sell firewalls. They sell Intercept X, which is their anti-malware, Intercept X for Server with anti-malware, email protection with ties into Office 365, and Sophos Plus encryption. All of these security products pull telemetry. So every time somebody hits a firewall, it's called, for argument's sake, that goes into their central data lake. All the firewalls around the world add that information to a data lake. Now, when you're dealing with Sophos, because of their exposure, because they've got so many different products, their data lake is a lot more extensive than competing vendors because they're not relying on one threat factor. They're not relying on one area of expertise. They're a global company. So, I can't compare their telemetry, for instance, to the likes of CrowdStrike. If CrowdStrike has probably started doing appliances, then the users will get that benefit as well. Sophos is the only vendor that does do that. It's like hiring a security team. Sophos do things differently in that they've got more telemetry and more insight into a network because they offer a variety of products. The other part about it is Sophos MDR; the service, unlike other vendors like CrowdStrike, is not limited to their products. If you are running CrowdStrike in your company, for instance, you can get their integration packs, in which case Sophos will manage your CrowdStrike system for you. Whereas with CrowdStrike, it's only CrowdStrike. You are locked into that vendor. So Sophos offers that flexibility. It's a multi-vendor service as opposed to SentinelOne or CrowdStrike, which is a single-vendor service. For instance, if I'm running Sophos, I would like to go with CrowdStrike MDR. I would have to remove my entire security investment, in this case, Sophos, and reinstall CrowdStrike in order to use their service. Sophos doesn't have that problem. If you've got CrowdStrike and you've already invested in CrowdStrike, cool. You stay on CrowdStrike. They will still manage it for you.

Read full review

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."

"The solution provides the best security features."

"The most valuable aspect of this solution is the ability to interact with the firewall and workstations seamlessly to shut down the threats. Additionally, you are able to control the workstations remotely."

"The user doesn't need a technician; it offers 24/7 support to identify and manage your infrastructure and take complete care of any technological incidents."

"There is a feature called XDR Central. With this, Sophos can connect to third-party security solutions."

"Sophos MDR directly provides a service monitoring system 24/7 and can configure automatic responses even if the customer is not available."

"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to view environmental activities."

"The product’s most valuable feature is rapid response."

"The most valuable feature is threat hunting."

More Sophos MDR pros

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."

"The technical team for Sophos MDR is not so good since they take a long time, like a week, to provide a solution to a simple case or problem we face in our company."

"The reports should be more comprehensive and easier to organize."

"I have contacted Sophos MDR support, and their support is average. They are sometimes slow and don't always understand requests immediately."

"Sophos MDR could offer more integration packs and more vendor flexibility."

"The integration with third-party solutions as an area for slight improvement"

"Multitenancy features of Sophos Managed Threat Response should be improved. You cannot use the solution for multiple clients."

"The service could enhance its scope, particularly in managing firewalls."

"Sophos MDR’s pricing is the biggest factor that needs improvement per customers and technical professionals."

More Sophos MDR cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Sophos MDR could be more affordable."

"Sophos MDR is less expensive than other products like Fortinet or Palo Alto."

"The solution has subscription-based pricing plans."

"The cost of the solution is based on how many users use it."

"The price falls somewhere in the middle range."

"MDR is a complete enterprise solution, and compared to other OEMs, it is one of the cheapest."

"The product is reasonably priced considering the cybersecurity features."

"The solution is expensive."

More Sophos MDR pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	8

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.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Sophos MDR?

The user doesn't need a technician; it offers 24/7 support to identify and manage your infrastructure and take complete care of any technological incidents.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos MDR?

I don't have many suggestions for improvement in Sophos MDR as it performs quite well. It would be beneficial to have the ability to pull a report of all incident responses within a tenant, with ca...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Sophos MDR?

I believe Sophos MDR pricing is reasonable for my customers. I would recommend those planning to use Sophos MDR to consider what financial impact a compromise could have on their organization and c...

See all answers

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Compared 11% of the time

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CrowdStrike Falcon Complete MDR vs Sophos MDR

Compared 16% of the time

SentinelOne Vigilance vs Sophos MDR

Compared 10% of the time

Intercept X Endpoint vs Sophos MDR

Compared 8% of the time

Huntress Managed EDR vs Sophos MDR

Compared 7% of the time

Bitdefender MDR vs Sophos MDR

Compared 7% of the time

More Sophos MDR Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

September 2025

Download Expel product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos MDR

August 2025

Download Sophos MDR product report

Also Known As

Workbench, Expel SOC-as-a-Service

Sophos Managed Threat Response

Overview

Expel provides a security operations platform designed to help businesses manage threats efficiently. It offers a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity, enabling organizations to focus on improving their security posture while leveraging advanced technology and expertise.

Expel services are crafted to simplify and enhance security operations by delivering transparent insights and actionable guidance. It uses a combination of automated detection and human expertise to identify threats and prevent security breaches, allowing clients to reduce risk and save time. The tailored approach ensures that each client receives support aligned with their security challenges, making it a reliable choice for protective measures in complex ecosystems.

What are Expel's key features?

24x7 Monitoring: Continuous surveillance to detect and mitigate threats in real-time.
Automated Detection: Leveraging machine learning algorithms to identify threats quickly.
Expert Guidance: Access to seasoned security professionals for strategic advice.
Clear Reporting: Simplified reports for better visibility into security operations.

What benefits should you consider when evaluating Expel?

Risk Reduction: Significant decrease in potential security breaches.
Cost Efficiency: Lower operational costs by optimizing existing security resources.
Enhanced Focus: Freeing internal teams to work on growth initiatives rather than threat management.
Scalability: Ability to adapt to the evolving security needs of businesses.

Expel implementation varies across industries, addressing specific challenges within different sectors. In finance, it strengthens defenses against cyber fraud, whereas in healthcare, it focuses on safeguarding sensitive patient data. Technology firms utilize Expel for maintaining data integrity and compliance, proving its versatility across multi-faceted environments.

Expel

Threat Notification Isn’t the Solution – It’s a Starting Point
Other managed detection and response (MDR) services simply notify you of attacks or suspicious events. Then it’s up to you to manage things from there.

With Sophos MTR, your organization is backed by an elite team of threat hunters and response experts who take targeted actions on your behalf to neutralize even the most sophisticated threats.

Sophos

Sample Customers

Amanda Fennell CSO

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

September 2025

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