Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR comparison

Fortra and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the SOC as a Service category. Fortra is ranked #3 with an average rating of 10.0, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.1. Fortra holds a 5.7% mindshare in SaaS, compared to Palo Alto Networks’s 6.5% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortra users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR

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92% willing to recommend

Palo Alto Networks Cortex X...

Read 50 Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR reviews

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393 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR

Palo Alto Networks Cortex X...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 2, 2025

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR and Fortra's Alert Logic MDR are major competitors in the security operations category. Cortex XSOAR seems to have the advantage due to its strong automation and customization capabilities, although it's often regarded as expensive.

Features: Cortex XSOAR is recognized for its robust automation, integration, and extensive playbook management, benefiting security teams in streamlining operations. Noteworthy features include the use of machine-learning models, an easy-to-use interface, and comprehensive playbooks. Alert Logic MDR stands out with its effective threat detection and user-friendly dashboards, featuring quick setup and intrusion detection capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Cortex XSOAR's primary challenges lie in its high costs and complex setups. Users also seek more integrations and a modular design. Alert Logic MDR needs better documentation and more intuitive interfaces, alongside easier integration and improved error transparency. High costs are a mutual concern among users of both products.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cortex XSOAR offers deployment across public, private, and hybrid clouds with satisfactory yet inconsistent technical support. Fortra's Alert Logic MDR provides excellent technical support and primarily operates in private and hybrid clouds, praised for its responsivity and consistent quality.

Pricing and ROI: Cortex XSOAR is viewed as costly, especially post-acquisition by Palo Alto, despite its recognized value in automation. Alert Logic MDR, however, offers competitive pricing, appealing to large entities, providing substantial value in cost and benefits balance. Both solutions offer ROI through operational efficiency, with XSOAR's comprehensive features attracting higher costs, whereas Alert Logic focuses on cost-effectiveness.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

December 2025

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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

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR

Ranking in SOC as a Service

3rd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Vulnerability Management (31st), Managed Detection and Response (MDR) (17th)

Palo Alto Networks Cortex X...

Ranking in SOC as a Service

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR) (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the SOC as a Service category, the mindshare of Fortra's Alert Logic MDR is 5.7%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR is 6.5%, down from 24.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

SOC as a Service Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR	6.5%
Fortra's Alert Logic MDR	5.7%
Other	87.8%

SOC as a Service

Featured Reviews

reviewer2191746

President at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

It's a highly mature, competitively priced solution that provides total visibility into your ecosystem. FORTRA's Alert Logic has the only Cybersecurity Platform that integrates XDR+WAF+VM+DLP in one.

Alert Logic offers total visibility into the client's IT ecosystem. The solution's intrusion detection system inspects 100 percent of the network packets and installs universal agents on all physical and virtual servers for log collection. Alert Logic also aggregates logs of the client's various 3rd Party security tools into a single pane of glass. All of the analytics from those data feeds got to a 24/7 SOC with sophisticated resources. Alert Logic has massive threat intelligence resources to provide additional context to the incident response declarations. They do all the heavy lifting for clients who lack the technology and resources to operate their own SOC. The client is solely responsible for the incident response component. The macro analytics resides on Alert Logic's cloud. You have the ECM response and business application team on the client side. Everything works in tandem, which is the only way you can deal with the advanced threats we face today, especially the ransomware families. If you don't respond in minutes, you're in trouble.

Read full review

ChrisCollins

Enterprise Security Architect V at FirstEnergy

Customization supports seamless workflow while data influx challenges response time

What I appreciate most about Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR is that it is very open, even more so than Anomali. I can create various custom automations and custom fields. There is significant customization ability in this platform. If I already have an established process, I do not have to change my process to fit into the tool. I can modify the tool to fit into my process, which makes things considerably easier. All of our alerts from different tools come into this central place as we have multiple SIEMs. We have items coming from Anomali and other platforms that are not SIEM tools. This serves as our central location where our SOC analysts can work and determine if incident response is needed. The platform provides data enrichment capabilities, offering information upfront so analysts do not have to search for it. They can access details such as username, phone number, email address, and workplace information. For malware files, they can retrieve details from VirusTotal, including file names and environment presence. We have built substantial automation around these features, which also helps us track case metrics, investigation time, and threat mitigation duration.

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

"The installation and configuration were slick."

"We receive infrastructure security warnings from it. So, we know what is going on and what needs to be addressed."

"The initial setup is pretty straightforward."

"The solution was consistently available, and I cannot recall any instances where it was down."

"Everything is in one dashboard; I'm notified when there's an incident and advised on what steps to take."

"The quicker implementation of changes to our infrastructure from Alert Logic tell us if there are any problems."

"It is a very stable product."

"The most valuable aspect of Alert Logic is its technology platform. They have SOCs in the US and Europe, giving them global visibility of the threat landscape. They detect and respond to threats in minutes. Their biggest value is human expertise. You're being attacked by a human, and you cannot respond to it unless you have a human on the other side. They have the human and technological resources to respond."

More Fortra's Alert Logic MDR pros

"It is a scalable solution."

"The product can automate security tasks."

"Cortex XSOAR's most valuable features are the playbooks, custom integration, the machine-learning model, and the layout, classifier, and mapper."

"The most valuable feature is its capability to automate responses and collect information for any security event before you even delve into the details. It's a vast product with an active roadmap, so I'm satisfied with it for now. It's very efficient at data collection and correlation."

"The repository of playbooks and the integration between Palo Alto and IBM QRadar are some useful features"

"They have a portal where you can find any kind of integration that you need."

"I chose Cortex XSOAR because the client also has Palo Alto firewalls. I can incorporate the data from the Palo Alto firewalls into Cortex and send it into the same data lake to manipulate that data. It lets me manage and monitor the data in one place."

"What I like most about Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR is how user-friendly it is for development. It is much simpler to work with compared to similar tools I've used."

More Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR pros

Cons

"Alert Logic needs to expand its SOCs to serve more markets, such as the Middle East and Asia. There should be infrastructure that covers more time zones. The company should also develop an EDR that is natively integrated into their solution. Currently, a client must buy another EDR solution like CrowdStrike or Sophos. I think Alert Logic is developing this. Built-in email security could also be developed and integrated."

"The product needs to mature. We don't want to be bombarded with unnecessary issues and have the real ones slip through."

"The setup process was complex."

"I would like to see it do initial scans and start capturing data, which it will truly analyze, not just be a reporting system saying, "Here is an email. Here is an email. Here is an email.""

"I would like more data on the alert payload. It would be good to have the ability to customize the alert payload to add whatever data that we want on there. Right now, it is a bit limited."

"As a user involved with the user interface, I believe there is a need to continue improving it based on feedback from our customers."

"Its menu is not very intuitive. I would like to see the user menu expanded a bit. The user menu is very layered, and because of the layers, you have to go down a path that is not very intuitive."

"This product needs to mature more. While it is a good product, there are some areas where it needs work."

More Fortra's Alert Logic MDR cons

"It is been decommissioned by Palo Alto."

"I would love to see more flexibility on what we can display and design on the dashboards."

"Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR could improve the Panorama feature. We had to turn it off because it was not working properly."

"I think they should increase their collaboration base."

"Its dashboard features need improvement."

"The solution is very expensive."

"We need a little hands-on experience to install the solution."

"One of the significant issues we encounter is system slowdown when we receive an influx of alerts, which inhibits how quickly we can access the information needed for investigation."

More Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its pricing is very reasonable considering what you get for what you pay. There is quite a good value there. Its licensing is also very logical. They've got the licensing price points at a reasonable level. It is on a monthly license but a yearly contract. There are no additional costs to the standard licensing fees."

"Alert Logic has better competitive pricing than some of its competitors."

"Price of the solution was very reasonable considering the size of our organization at the time, and so it worked out perfectly."

"Our ROI would probably be zero. We don't even use it. It sits in there. We get emails and just delete them. Around the world, we don't even use it."

"Almost any product that is on the AWS Marketplace is super easy to subscribe to."

"The solution is based on an annual licensing model that is expensive."

"It is expensive."

"The solution is a bit on the expensive side."

"The solution's cost is reasonable."

"There is a perception that it is priced very high compared to other solutions."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price, I rate the pricing a nine."

"Cortex XSOAR's price could be lower."

"When I first looked at Demisto, it had a price tag of $250,000 but when we finally purchased it, it was $345,000."

More Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

14%

Performing Arts

Outsourcing Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	25

Questions from the Community

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What do you like most about Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR?

The product can automate security tasks.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR?

Comparing pricing to Micro Focus, they were offering bundles, making it free with their SIEM. For customers, it is zero versus $20 million, which is why they have to make a decision.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR?

To improve the solution, it needs to have complete features that are low-code, no-code, and should be plug-and-play. We need to see improvements in that area to facilitate cyber analysts.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 12% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon Complete MDR vs Fortra's Alert Logic MDR

Compared 7% of the time

Rapid7 InsightIDR vs Fortra's Alert Logic MDR

Compared 7% of the time

Arctic Wolf Managed Detection and Response vs Fortra's Alert Logic MDR

Compared 7% of the time

More Fortra's Alert Logic MDR Competitors

Cortex XSIAM vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Compared 25% of the time

Splunk SOAR vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiSOAR vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Sentinel vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Compared 5% of the time

Swimlane vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Compared 4% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR

January 2026

Download Fortra's Alert Logic MDR product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

January 2026

Download Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR product report

Also Known As

Alert Logic MDR, Alert Logic Managed Detection and ResponseAlert Logic Threat Manager, Alert Logic Cloud Defender, Critical Watch FusionVM

Demisto Enterprise, Cortex XSOAR, Demisto

Overview

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR specializes in threat detection and response with features like log access and user-friendly notifications. It is used primarily in extensive e-commerce deployments for network protection.

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR provides a unified interface with comprehensive search capabilities, immediate log access, and efficient reporting tools. Users benefit from accurate scanning, automated security warnings, and rapid response times, supported by SOCs for global visibility. The technology employs human expertise for enhanced threat detection and prevention, with a hardware setup designed to avoid virtual environment issues. However, there's a need for improved error tracing, intuitive navigation, and stronger analytical automation within the platform. Enhancements in setup documentation and user interfaces are desired, alongside demands for a built-in EDR and better alert management systems.

What are the key features of Fortra's Alert Logic MDR?

Comprehensive Searching: Enables detailed investigations.
Immediate Log Access: Provides quick insight into system activities.
User-Friendly Notifications: Enhances alert effectiveness.
Automated Security Warnings: Offers proactive security measures.
Optimized Platform: Delivers efficient functionality across services.
Heuristic Monitoring: Guards against complex threats.

What benefits and ROI should users seek in reviews?

Quick Response Times: Minimizes downtime and improves efficiency.
Global Visibility: Extends threat management reach through SOCs.
Human Expertise: Enhances detection and intervention accuracy.
Streamlined Deployment: Facilitates smoother hardware integration.

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR is widely implemented across public and private sectors for robust network protection. It supports large-scale e-commerce operations, offering advanced detection capabilities with AI and machine learning. Security scanning, intrusion detection, and vulnerability analysis in Kubernetes are key applications.

Fortra

Palo Alto Networks delivers a complete solution that helps Tier-1 through Tier-3 analysts and SOC managers to optimize the entire incident life cycle while auto documenting and journaling all the evidence. More than 100+ integrations enable security orchestration workflows for incident management and other critical security operation tasks.

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR is a piece of Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response software that redefines what it means for a program to orchestrate security in an automated manner. It is a next-generation solution that offers all of the features of dozens of siloed security operations center tools in one place. Cortex XSOAR combines case management, automation, real-time collaboration, and threat intelligence management to create a platform that can handle all aspects of system security. Teams that make use of Cortex XSOAR can expect to cut the number of issues that they will have to deal with by 75%. At the same time, the speed at which they resolve those issues that slip through will rise by 90%.

Cortex XSOAR ensures that all of the IT and security tools that you employ function as a unified system. It does this by employing hundreds of integrations that allow you to run a wide variety of programs at once without ever worrying about them interfering with each other. These integrations are limited only by your imagination. They can be used immediately as they are, if that is what you need. However, they can also be customized according to the requirements of your system. This approach provides you with the maximum levels of both flexibility and utility.

The model that this platform uses is based on a machine learning algorithm. The level of automation allows you to provide more than an unchanging and inflexible blanket of coverage. Cortex XSOAR takes all of the data that it gathers and uses it to expand its protective capabilities. This creates recommendations that you can use to create a threat playbook that can be deployed uniformly throughout your organization.

Benefits of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Some of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR’s benefits include:

The ability to have all of your data collected in a single location. Valuable time can be saved now that everything that security analysts need to know in order to diagnose and react to threats has been centralized.
Security operations center tasks can be automated. This allows you to assign management and analyst staff to the most essential tasks. The effectiveness of your organization will be increased, which will result in a rise in your company’s overall security and productivity.
Many kinds of data can be stitched together by this platform. Network, endpoint, cloud, and identity data can be combined to offer a more complete picture of the threats that are discovered.
Integrated threat intelligence management can notify you about threats in real time. Now you can diagnose and address issues as they arise. You can also assign values to the threats so that your resources are being used in the most effective manner possible.

Reviews from Real Users

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR’s centralized monitoring interface and automation are two features that help it stand out. This might help explain why one quarter of the Fortune 500 companies choose Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR over the competition.

Peerspot users note the effectiveness of these features. One user wrote, “We were looking for a single pane of glass type of solution that would allow us to physically be in one appliance - be able to work in concert with other servers that we have within our environment. We wanted orchestration and automation. The single pane of glass was the most important part.” Another noted, "The automation part and the playbook creation part are awesome. The way it is responding to the customers and incidents is also very good. In the SOC environment, I guess it will carry out around 50% of the work."

Palo Alto Networks

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Cellcom Israel, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, esri, Cylance, Flatiron Health, Veeva, ADT Cybersecurity

Buyer's Guide

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

December 2025

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