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IBM Security QRadar vs Sophos MDR comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 19, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.8
IBM Security QRadar is praised for its cost-effectiveness, quick ROI, and efficiency in enhancing security and threat management.
Sentiment score
6.7
Sophos MDR lowers staffing and insurance costs while enhancing security, offering efficient threat response without needing dedicated teams.
With SOAR, the workflow takes one minute or less to complete the analysis.
CyberSecurity Architects at VaporVM
AWS gives the chance to implement a solution out of the box with use cases that are already in IBM Security QRadar.
Strategic Account Executive at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
I have seen a return on investment; I can share that it includes time saved, money saved, and fewer employees needed.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Integrated Solutions
It allows them to have access to a SOC-like service without the associated costs.
Business Development Manager at StarOne IT Solutions
On average, these claims are 97.5% lower compared to those relying solely on endpoint protection.
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.0
IBM Security QRadar support is knowledgeable but inconsistent; satisfaction is higher with specialized contacts or local partners.
Sentiment score
7.2
Sophos MDR's customer service is praised for its efficiency but criticized for occasional slow response times and communication issues.
They assist with advanced issues, such as hardware or other problems, that are not part of standard operations.
Network and Security Architect at Deutsche Telekom
Support needs to understand the issue first, then escalate it to the engineering team.
CyberSecurity Architects at VaporVM
The support is really good; for instance, if a critical ticket is submitted, you will get paged right away as it gets logged, and their analyst will look into it, letting you know as soon as possible so you can work on it.
Cyber Security Intern at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Sophos offers different support levels depending on the severity of the issues, which ensures timely assistance.
Business Development Manager at StarOne IT Solutions
I would rate the technical support by Sophos at nine point five out of ten.
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
IBM Security QRadar offers scalable architecture, supporting seamless growth with flexible management and high performance for enterprises.
Sentiment score
7.9
Sophos MDR is favored for its scalability, easy integration, and adaptability, despite potential cost challenges for large expansions.
For EPS license, if you increase or exceed the EPS license, you cannot receive events.
CyberSecurity Architects at VaporVM
IBM Security QRadar's scalability is great; you can have a new collector to deploy if you have increased EPS per second.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Integrated Solutions
Users have noted that the solution can easily scale to accommodate an increasing number of protected devices without the need for redeployment.
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
Sophos MDR seems to have no limitations on scalability.
Business Development Manager at StarOne IT Solutions
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
IBM Security QRadar is stable and reliable, with minor bugs and scaling challenges in large organizations being quickly resolved.
Sentiment score
7.9
Sophos MDR is highly rated for stability, offering reliable performance, minimal disruptions, and effective real-time threat management.
On cloud, you don't see any disconnections or instability.
SOC Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees
I think QRadar is stable and currently satisfies my needs.
Architect of Cybersecurity at ASSIST - Software Services
The product has been stable so far.
Information Security Analyst at Banglalink
The continuous monitoring and quick incident response provided by Sophos MDR help catch potential threats early, minimizing downtime and keeping data safe.
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
I would rate the stability as very reliable.
Business Development Manager at StarOne IT Solutions
 

Room For Improvement

IBM Security QRadar faces challenges with integration, cost, complexity, support, automation, AI, user interface, and storage limitations.
Sophos MDR requires integration and performance enhancements, better communication, comprehensive reporting, competitive pricing, and improved threat protection.
We receive logs from different types of devices and need a way to correlate them effectively.
Network and Security Architect at Deutsche Telekom
If AI-related support can suggest rules and integrate with existing security devices like MD, IPS, this SIM can create more relevant rules.
Information Security Analyst at Banglalink
IBM Security QRadar does not support Canvas, so we had to create custom scripts and workarounds to pull logs from Canvas.
CyberSecurity Architects at VaporVM
Introducing more detailed and customizable reporting and analytics features could help organizations better understand their security posture and the effectiveness of the MDR service.
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
 

Setup Cost

IBM Security QRadar is costly but valued for its features, with pricing based on EPS, ideal for large enterprises.
Sophos MDR's subscription pricing varies by user count, offering 24/7 support and mixed affordability opinions based on features.
Splunk is more expensive than IBM Security QRadar.
CyberSecurity Architects at VaporVM
It was costly mainly because of the value you can get right now compared to other solutions.
CTO at Sabyk
It depends on how much you want to spend.
Strategic Account Executive at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
The solution is cost-efficient, especially for small customers who cannot justify the expense of setting up an internal SOC.
Business Development Manager at StarOne IT Solutions
The pricing of Sophos MDR is reasonable and competitive, scoring about nine out of ten.
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
 

Valuable Features

IBM Security QRadar offers scalable log management, seamless integration, and advanced analytics for enhanced threat detection and compliance.
Sophos MDR offers comprehensive threat hunting, 24/7 support, and seamless integration, providing scalable protection against diverse cyber threats.
Recently, I faced an incident, a cyber incident, and it was detected in real time.
Information Security Analyst at Banglalink
IBM Security QRadar gives the opportunity to improve the time to market of the releases with a great evaluation of cybersecurity breaches.
Strategic Account Executive at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Compared to ArcSight, Splunk, or any other SIEM tools where you need their processing language such as structured query language, SPL, and in Sentinel there is KQL query languages, IBM Security QRadar doesn't require reliance on query languages.
SOC Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees
The important features of Sophos MDR include detection and response capabilities.
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
The most valuable feature of Sophos MDR is that it offers a monitoring service directly from the OEM, which is beneficial for SMB customers who cannot afford a SOC.
Business Development Manager at StarOne IT Solutions
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM Security QRadar
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
217
Ranking in other categories
Log Management (7th), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (3rd), User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) (1st), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (17th), Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR) (4th), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (11th)
Sophos MDR
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category, the mindshare of IBM Security QRadar is 1.0%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos MDR is 4.4%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Sophos MDR4.4%
IBM Security QRadar1.0%
Other94.6%
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
 

Featured Reviews

HarshBhardiya - PeerSpot reviewer
SOC Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees
Have managed daily asset and alert monitoring effectively but have encountered limitations with manual processes and interface usability
It's still very manual and doesn't work on its own. It's still in an early stage and not on par where we can consider it a really successful detection system. The accuracy is not there. The UI could be better when compared to Sentinels where we can use flags and tagging. It could be much more user-friendly. IBM Security QRadar has all features and is fully competitive with other SIEM tools, but when it comes to user-friendliness, a new user takes time to get used to it. More intuitive, user-friendly interfaces and more helpful documentation would be beneficial. The query searching and data fetching could be faster. In large to very large organizations with around 5,000 or 6,000 assets or beyond, even with proper configurations and RAM and hardware backing up, the query is fairly slow.
Ahmed_Fahmy - PeerSpot reviewer
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
Comprehensive management and support continuously enhance threat detection and response
Based on user feedback and reviews, here are some areas where Sophos MDR could be improved and suggestions for additional features that could be included in future releases: Areas for Improvement: ---------------------- * Resource Utilization: Some users have noted that Sophos MDR can be resource-intensive, which may impact system performance. Optimizing the software to be less demanding on system resources could enhance the overall user experience. * Support Responsiveness: While the dedicated MDR team is highly praised, the standard support has received mixed. Improving the responsiveness and effectiveness of the general support team could address this concern. * Integration with Other Tools: Enhancing integration capabilities with a wider range of third-party security tools and platforms could provide a more seamless experience for users who rely on multiple security. Suggested Additional Features: ------------------------------ * Advanced Reporting and Analytics: Introducing more detailed and customizable reporting and analytics features could help organizations better understand their security posture and the effectiveness of the MDR service. * Automated Incident Response Playbooks: Providing automated playbooks for common security incidents could help organizations respond more quickly and effectively to. * Enhanced Threat Intelligence: Incorporating more advanced threat intelligence capabilities, including real-time updates and predictive analytics, could help organizations stay ahead of emerging. * User Training and Awareness Programs: Offering integrated user training and awareness programs as part of the MDR service could help organizations improve their overall security culture and reduce the risk of human error
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solutions are best for your needs.
879,853 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

VS
Manager, Enterprise Risk Consulting at a tech company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Jun 28, 2015
Qradar vs. ArcSight
Continuing with the SIEM posts we have done at Infosecnirvana, this post is a Head to head comparison of the two Industry leading SIEM products in the market – HP ArcSight and IBM QRadar Both the products have consistently been in the Gartner Leaders Quadrant. Both HP and IBM took over niche SIEM…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Financial Services Firm
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business90
Midsize Enterprise38
Large Enterprise105
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What are the biggest differences between Securonix UEBA, Exabeam, and IBM QRadar?
It mostly depends on your use-cases and environment. Exabeam and Securonix have a stronger UEBA feature set, friendlier GUI and are not licensed based on capacity (amount of logs and information in...
What SOC product do you recommend?
For tools I’d recommend: -SIEM- LogRhythm -SOAR- Palo Alto XSOAR Doing commercial w/o both (or at least an XDR) is asking to miss details that are critical, and ending up a statistic. Also, rememb...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Security QRadar?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is great compared to the other vendor.
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.
What needs improvement with Sophos MDR?
Based on user feedback and reviews, here are some areas where Sophos MDR could be improved and suggestions for additional features that could be included in future releases: Areas for Improvement: ...
What advice do you have for others considering Sophos MDR?
I would recommend Sophos MDR because it is one of the leaders in Managed Detection and Response services and it is suitable for small, medium, and enterprise companies. I rate Sophos MDR between ni...
 

Also Known As

IBM QRadar, QRadar SIEM, QRadar UBA, QRadar on Cloud, IBM QRadar Advisor with Watson
Sophos Managed Threat Response
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Clients across multiple industries, such as energy, financial, retail, healthcare, government, communications, and education use QRadar.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security QRadar vs. Sophos MDR and other solutions. Updated: November 2025.
879,853 professionals have used our research since 2012.