NetWitness NDR vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR comparison

NetWitness and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR) category. NetWitness is ranked #25, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.1. NetWitness holds a 1.2% mindshare in SOAR, compared to Palo Alto Networks’s 8.9% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of NetWitness users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 5, 2024

NetWitness NDR and Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR are both competitors in the advanced security platform space. While NetWitness NDR focuses on network detection and response, Cortex XSOAR often has the upper hand due to its extensive orchestration and automation capabilities, albeit at a higher price.

Features: NetWitness NDR provides robust network monitoring, anomaly detection, and real-time threat analysis. It offers incident response and investigation focused on network activities. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR prioritizes security orchestration, automated incident response, and offers comprehensive playbook automation features.

Room for Improvement: NetWitness NDR may require enhancements in extending its orchestration capabilities, simplifying its user interface, and expanding its integration options with other security tools. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR could improve by reducing its complexity in initial configurations, refining its user interface for easier navigation, and enhancing its integration capabilities with non-Palo Alto products.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NetWitness NDR offers a streamlined deployment process with comprehensive documentation and active support channels, ensuring ease for new users. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR presents advanced deployment options but requires more configuration effort upfront, balanced by responsive and helpful customer service.

Pricing and ROI: NetWitness NDR offers a more cost-effective initial setup, focusing on ROI through network monitoring enhancements. In contrast, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR demands a higher initial investment but justifies it with significant ROI benefits due to its automation and time-saving capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed NetWitness NDR vs. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

NetWitness NDR 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

Torq

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR) category, the mindshare of Torq is 4.9%, up from 4.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetWitness NDR is 1.2%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR is 8.9%, down from 11.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR	8.9%
Torq	4.9%
NetWitness NDR	1.2%
Other	85.0%

Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2767650

Senior Consultant at a university with 10,001+ employees

Have found automation to save analyst time but miss more accurate data classification

From our research and testing with the tool, we determined there need to be modifications and changes to train the LLM on the back end. It was able to capture data but was unable to differentiate between the agent hostname we are using and the hostname that resides on the back end of the Internet. It was unable to do that sort of classification. We concluded this tool would be more suitable for initial ticket management rather than security automation. Regarding data handling, I would give preference to Torq. For case management, Cortex and its dashboards prove more useful. Cortex and Palo's solutions do not have as much capability as Torq provides with the same tools. However, Torq's dashboards could be improved, especially on the case management side.

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reviewer1799727

Manager, IT Security Operations at a non-profit with 11-50 employees

Reliable and good support but can be expensive

I have no real complaints about the solution. Threat detection could be better. They need to enhance their threat intelligence feeds. We would like to have more IOCs or more trade intelligence to not only rely on the intelligence of the engineer in charge but to have some threat intelligence and some seeds of IOCs and to have the host have some artificial intelligence to reduce the number of false positives. I don't see this solution being very scalable. The solution is pricey.

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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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"As an analyst, it has demonstrated potential to reduce workforce requirements and time needed for related activities."

"NetWitness Endpoint's most valuable features are its interoperability across many different operating systems and the ease of pivoting from network to endpoint via a single console."

"The stability of the RSA NetWitness Endpoint is very good."

"The most valuable feature of RSA NetWitness Network is the single unified dashboard from which you can manage all the different products of RSA. Additionally, the integration with native applications is good."

"It's a scalable solution. We have around five to eight customers using RSA NetWitness Endpoint, and we hope to increase the number of users."

"Technical support is knowledgeable."

"RSA NetWitness does market analysis in a more granular form. It gives you full visibility."

"This solution allows us to locate the malware in real-time."

"It is stable. We have been using it for some time, without any issues."

More NetWitness NDR pros

"Each incident collected is orchestrated with automation that selects the security analyst to be involved, or provides complex execution plans for managing security incidents."

"I would rate the stability of Cortex XSOAR as nine out of ten."

"The Palo Alto ecosystem has a marketplace offering integration with Sentinel or other products."

"It has an extensive list of integrations that are available out of the box which makes it easy to start."

"It is quite scalable. I would rate it a ten out of ten."

"It’s easy to install."

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

"The product can automate security tasks."

More Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR pros

Cons

"It was able to capture data but was unable to differentiate between the agent hostname we are using and the hostname that resides on the back end of the Internet."

"Threat detection could be better."

"The integration of the solution needs to be improved. The dashboard needs lots of updates as well. In the next release, we would like to see advanced fraud detection features."

"The contamination feature could be improved."

"We would like to see the hunting and investigation features of this solution improved, in order to provide better visibility of issues."

"This solution needs an upgrade in reporting. I have heard from RSA that they are working on this, but as of yet it is not available."

"The deployment process is complex. I don't know why, but this solution will suddenly stop working. Logs stop coming. Often, one thing or another stops working. Most of the time, one of my team members is working with troubleshooting and working with technical support. Log passing is also one of the biggest challenge."

"NetWitness Endpoint's blocking feature does not work properly - if there's a malicious process, it's not possible to kill it via a custom rule unless and until it's flagged as malicious."

"The initial setup requires a high level of skill."

More NetWitness NDR cons

"Corex XSOAR could be improved by reducing the time it takes to process large amounts of data and increasing the number of integrations."

"The platform’s setup procedures could be streamlined compared to one of its competitors."

"The formats are not compatible, are readily not available, and are not readable."

"The solution’s price and technical support could be improved."

"In terms of improvement, it needs to be more modular. It's not. When you're working in layouts and you create specific apps within layouts, there's no portability right now in order to reuse that code across multiple layouts. I can't take a tab and say I want to use this tab on these other layouts. I have to physically go in there and recreate it from scratch, which is maddening."

"The product can be tailored for each deployment to respond to specific customer needs, and this complexity may be seen as a downside."

"There is room for improvement in terms of the pricing model."

"I would like to see Cortex become less dependent on Active Directory and group policies to manage the deployment. Maybe I need to update my understanding of how to deploy it, but that's the way I know how to use it."

More Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"I do not have any opinion on the pricing or licensing of the product."

"The pricing is not very economical. It is a quite costly product for India. One thing is that when you purchase it, you have to purchase a module separately."

"It is highly scalable. It can be bought based on your requirements."

"We are on a three-year contract to use RSA NetWitness Network."

"NetWitness Endpoint is less costly than its competitors, but it offers fewer features."

"The cost depends on the number of endpoints that you want to monitor, but it is not expensive."

"With RSA, there is flexibility in choosing the service, products, and the range that meets your requirement, as well as they are flexible in terms of pricing."

"The price of the solution depends on the environment. If the environment is large then it will cost more. However, the larger the environment with more endpoints, you will receive an increased discount. If the environment is very small, then you might think it is expensive. It is always better to buy in bulk to receive a discount. The minimum number of assets is usually 500, with discounts on 1000 and 2000."

More NetWitness NDR pricing and cost advice

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

"My company did not make any payments towards the licensing costs attached to the product since we were only using its pilot version."

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

"It's cheaper compared to its competitors."

"From the cost perspective, I have heard that its price is a bit high as compared to other similar products."

"The solution's cost is high."

"The solution's pricing needs improvement."

"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."

More Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	25

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Torq?

From our research and testing with the tool, we determined there need to be modifications and changes to train the LL...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Torq?

I used Torq for conducting one of the proof of evaluations for a vendor we are connected with. I am currently working...

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What advice do you have for others considering Torq?

One of our members uses AWS, and we receive their feed. This involves triaging AWS-related logs. While I do not have ...

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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 ze...

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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. ...

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Comparisons

Tines vs Torq

Compared 49% of the time

Splunk SOAR vs Torq

Compared 14% of the time

Blink Ops vs Torq

Compared 12% of the time

Swimlane vs Torq

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiSOAR vs Torq

Compared 3% of the time

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Darktrace vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 9% of the time

ExtraHop Reveal(x) vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 5% of the time

Wazuh vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 5% of the time

Corelight vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 5% of the time

ExtraHop Reveal(x) 360 vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 3% of the time

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Cortex XSIAM vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Compared 24% 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

IBM Resilient vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Compared 3% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR)

December 2025

Download Torq product report

Buyer's Guide

NetWitness NDR

December 2025

Download NetWitness NDR product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

December 2025

Download Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR product report

Also Known As

No data available

RSA ECAT, NetWitness Network

Demisto Enterprise, Cortex XSOAR, Demisto

Overview

Torq is the enterprise AI SOC solution that effectively combines adaptive insights and automation to handle critical threats efficiently. It manages threat lifecycles, swiftly moving from triage to response, ensuring effective risk management.

Torq is designed to streamline security operations by aggregating telemetry across your security stack. It investigates significant risks and manages threats from triage to containment and remediation. This AI-driven tool enhances the capabilities of your SecOps team, allowing them to achieve more impactful results without introducing complicated processes.

What are the key features of Torq?

Adaptive Agentic Insights: Provides real-time threat intelligence tailored to specific security challenges.
Automation: Automates responses to security incidents, minimizing manual intervention requirements.
Threat Lifecycle Management: Comprehensive handling of threats from detection to remediation.
Telemetry Aggregation: Integrates data across platforms for a unified security overview.

Why consider Torq based on reviews?

Efficiency: Users notice significant reductions in time spent managing threats.
Risk Reduction: Enhanced ability to identify and address critical threats promptly.
Resource Optimization: Allows teams to allocate effort to other critical tasks by reducing manual security operations.
Scalability: Adaptable to meet the demands of growing or changing infrastructures.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Torq shows effectiveness by adapting to specific risk scenarios often encountered in these fields. Its integration with existing infrastructures makes it a valuable asset for maintaining stringent security standards, essential for protecting critical data and operations in diverse high-stakes environments.

Torq

Using a centralized combination of network and endpoint analysis, behavioral analysis, data science techniques and threat intelligence, NetWitness NDR helps analysts detect and resolve known and unknown attacks while automating and orchestrating the incident response lifecycle. With these capabilities on one platform, security teams can collapse disparate tools and data into a powerful, blazingly fast user interface.

NetWitness

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

ADP, Ameritas, Partners Healthcare

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

Buyer's Guide

NetWitness NDR vs. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

December 2025

Free Report: NetWitness NDR vs. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Find out what your peers are saying about NetWitness NDR vs. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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