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Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting vs Unit 42 Managed Detection and Response 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

Microsoft Defender Experts ...
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
19th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Unit 42 Managed Detection a...
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
32nd
Average Rating
0.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP) (26th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is 1.3%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Unit 42 Managed Detection and Response is 1.1%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting1.3%
Unit 42 Managed Detection and Response1.1%
Other97.6%
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
 

Featured Reviews

Joe Cicero - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Marketing Officer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Proactive threat hunting has strengthened our defenses and provides expert support for incidents
Proactive threat hunting as well as the Ask an Expert feature, which is a button inside of the XDR portal that becomes available when the customer owns Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting, are the best features it offers. If a customer or one of our analysts needs extra support or has a question about a Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting notification, they can click on that button and chat directly with a Microsoft security analyst to get more information or fill in any gaps regarding the Ask an Expert feature. Improved detection rates are one of the specific outcomes that show the positive impact because Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is a second set of eyes or a second team looking for emerging threats within a shared customer's environment. For us, the proactive approach that Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is always running is valuable, and we see those alerts pop up inside of our incident queues in Microsoft Sentinel and we respond and acknowledge them. In many cases, Microsoft might see an alert from a zero-day that we aren't even aware of yet or the industry isn't aware of yet and we see that tagged within our incident queue, which allows us to follow up with it much sooner than had we had to search and detect for it ourselves. Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting helps my customers detect or prevent emerging threats that are not yet published but Microsoft has visibility into. Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting's reporting and analytics are clear and actionable, and the fact that it's tied to the MITRE framework puts it all in a common language. Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting helps my customers comply with industry regulations or standards, though I am unsure how, but many have requirements for threat hunting and this checks that box. Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting helps my team respond to incidents by providing a backstop, which does speed up the process and improve outcomes.
MohammedSirajuddin - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead Consultant at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Flexible and reduces IT operations but requires local data sovereignty and competitive pricing
I prefer having local data sovereignty. It would be advantageous for Palo Alto to have local data centers across different countries to adhere to this requirement. I also have a concern regarding pricing, which is perceived as high compared to competitors. Improvements should focus on response times and reducing the time taken to reach solutions.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"What really stands out about Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is that it's easy to use, the cost is clear, and the pricing is transparent, with straightforward onboarding in hybrid, cloud, or on-premise environments."
"Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting helps my customers detect or prevent emerging threats that are not yet published but Microsoft has visibility into."
"The best feature of this solution is that it is an integrated and comprehensive solution for the entire Microsoft ecosystem."
"The solution helps to detect some suspicious items for us and our clients."
"Easy to use is what my customers say is the biggest benefit of Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting for them."
"Unit 42 MDR provides us with managed detection and response functionalities, eliminating the need for capital expenditure since it is an operational expenditure-based service."
 

Cons

"We tried the proactive threat hunting feature, but it was not a good experience with Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting. It created more trouble than expected with false positives and non-expected answers."
"The price of the solution is costly, which I find significant."
"There is a lot of change in a small period. This might not be helpful for IT administrators and users."
"The solution’s user interface could be improved."
"As a partner, Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting could be improved by getting earlier threat detection signals so we could proactively research on our own end and help support a campaign to raise awareness as well as proactive response."
"I also have a concern regarding pricing, which is perceived as high compared to competitors."
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915,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Construction Company
6%
Construction Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Marketing Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

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

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting?
As a partner, Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting could be improved by getting earlier threat detection signals so we could proactively research on our own end and help support a campaign to rai...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting?
As a working security partner, my main use case for Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is that many of our customers also have Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting and really find a lot of va...
What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting?
As a partner, there can be some concern that Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is taking away some of our business because they're providing a solution that we also provide. However, the team ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Unit 42 Managed Detection and Response?
I find the pricing to be expensive, especially when compared with competitors who offer significant discounts. Palo Alto has room to become more competitive in its pricing.
What needs improvement with Unit 42 Managed Detection and Response?
I prefer having local data sovereignty. It would be advantageous for Palo Alto to have local data centers across different countries to adhere to this requirement. I also have a concern regarding p...
What is your primary use case for Unit 42 Managed Detection and Response?
Unit 42 is a Managed Detection and Response solution with MDR capabilities. I use it in a managed service context where my organization's security needs are catered to by Palo Alto. Generally, it i...
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Huntress, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne and others in Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Updated: September 2026.
915,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.