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Expel vs Upwind comparison

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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
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
14th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
SOC as a Service (5th)
Upwind
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
28th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (40th), Container Security (27th), Software Composition Analysis (SCA) (20th), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (18th), API Security (12th), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (25th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (16th), Attack Surface Management (ASM) (28th), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) (13th), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (18th), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) (8th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (7th), Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) (14th), AI Security (10th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category, the mindshare of Expel is 2.4%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Upwind is 0.1%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Expel2.4%
Upwind0.1%
Other97.5%
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2917971 - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder And Principal Technical Consultant at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Expel has transformed MDR workflows and now streamlines phishing response and SOC 2 audits
Some of the best features Expel offers is the ease of use. Ease of use is top of mind. It also provides an opportunity for me to replace my SOC. Not necessarily replace my SOC because I utilize contractors on an as-needed basis, but it allows me to stay lean. I do get 24/7 monitoring, although they recently shortened up on the 24/7 monitoring offering. It also allows me to augment the existing SOC that I have for larger companies or larger enterprises that rely on me for that. It then extends the use of the tools I already have, as I mentioned with SentinelOne. Octa is another that comes to mind, and then for larger organizations that use CrowdStrike.
Mohammed Mudasser - PeerSpot reviewer
AI/ML Engineer at a educational organization with 5,001-10,000 employees
Runtime context has transformed how we prioritize exploitable cloud risks and protect workloads
I appreciate runtime context, which helps connect vulnerabilities and misconfigurations with actual workload behavior and network relationships, making it easier to prioritize remediation based on real exposure rather than simply working through a long list of security findings. The best features that stand out to me are contextual vulnerability prioritization, cloud workload visibility, and runtime security. I especially value how Upwind connects vulnerabilities with actual runtime behavior, which helps focus on exploitable risk rather than working through a long list of findings. It has helped us focus on actual exploitable risk instead of treating every vulnerability equally. By considering runtime activity, exposure, reachability, and sensitive data context, the team can prioritize remediation much faster and reduce unnecessary alert noise. I also value the runtime visibility and attack path context because it connects security findings with network behavior and actual workload. This makes investigations more actionable and helps the team move from simply detecting issues to understanding their real impact. The biggest positive impact has been the prioritization of cloud security risk and improved visibility. Instead of chasing every vulnerability, we can focus on issues that are actually exposed or active at runtime, which makes the security team more efficient and remediation more targeted.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Expel's customer support is great."
"Their threat hunting protocol and process with AI and machine learning are strong, allowing for active and rapid responses."
"Now, thanks to Upwind, everything is automated and I am saving around six hours per week since switching to Upwind."
"The combination of runtime visibility, security insights, and contextual risk prioritization makes it much easier to focus on the risks that actually matter."
"My advice for others looking into using Upwind is that if you are seeking a strong CNAPP with an advanced runtime and strong CDR capabilities, this is the product."
"Upwind has positively impacted my organization by reducing time to action and time to response by half."
"They are a great overall cloud security platform and they continue innovating and adding new features."
 

Cons

"I think the 24/7 SOC could be improved."
"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 believe the user interface can use improvement because some features are quite tricky to find since they are not where you would expect them to be, but with enough time, you are able to find them."
"Upwind can be improved because its UI is a bit difficult to navigate."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Construction Company
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Upwind?
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing process were pretty reasonable.
What needs improvement with Upwind?
I would appreciate more customizable dashboards and reporting for different teams, such as security operations, engineering, and leadership. The runtime context is excellent, but tailoring those vi...
What is your primary use case for Upwind?
My main use case for Upwind is cloud security and workload protection. I primarily use it to gain visibility into cloud assets, vulnerabilities, and runtime risks, and I mainly use it to prioritize...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Workbench, Expel SOC-as-a-Service
Upwind Security Upwind Platform for AWS Security Hub, Upwind Security Upwind for AWS Security Hub Extended
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Amanda Fennell CSO
StockX, Yotpo, bill, Digital Turbine, nanit, CallRail, boomi
Find out what your peers are saying about CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Huntress and others in Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Updated: October 2026.
921,523 professionals have used our research since 2012.