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Sophos MDR vs Unit 42 Managed Detection and Response comparison

 

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

Sophos MDR
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Unit 42 Managed Detection a...
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
46th
Average Rating
0.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP) (60th)
 

Featured Reviews

Shaun Gordon - PeerSpot reviewer
Extensive data lake, ease of use is great and you can really get started very quickly
Sophos MDR is a service. MDR is managed detection and response. It's a managed security service. So instead of having an anti-malware, which in Sophos' case would be Intercept X, with MDR, they add human-led threat hunting. It's a managed service. So it's not a product that you sell the client per se. You're selling them a service, which is almost like an SLA, and that includes Cloud MDR. MDR is not a product. It's a service. The reality is that when it comes to the likes of SentinelOne, McAfee, CrowdStrike, ESET, and all the other players out there, they're single-product security companies. CrowdStrike is an anti-malware. That's one thing. ESET, same thing. But if you look at the other vendors, within the appliances, you're looking at Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Checkpoint. They only sell firewalls. That's all they do. When you deal with Sophos, they are the entire product suite. They sell firewalls. They sell Intercept X, which is their anti-malware, Intercept X for Server with anti-malware, email protection with ties into Office 365, and Sophos Plus encryption. All of these security products pull telemetry. So every time somebody hits a firewall, it's called, for argument's sake, that goes into their central data lake. All the firewalls around the world add that information to a data lake. Now, when you're dealing with Sophos, because of their exposure, because they've got so many different products, their data lake is a lot more extensive than competing vendors because they're not relying on one threat factor. They're not relying on one area of expertise. They're a global company. So, I can't compare their telemetry, for instance, to the likes of CrowdStrike. If CrowdStrike has probably started doing appliances, then the users will get that benefit as well. Sophos is the only vendor that does do that. It's like hiring a security team. Sophos do things differently in that they've got more telemetry and more insight into a network because they offer a variety of products. The other part about it is Sophos MDR; the service, unlike other vendors like CrowdStrike, is not limited to their products. If you are running CrowdStrike in your company, for instance, you can get their integration packs, in which case Sophos will manage your CrowdStrike system for you. Whereas with CrowdStrike, it's only CrowdStrike. You are locked into that vendor. So Sophos offers that flexibility. It's a multi-vendor service as opposed to SentinelOne or CrowdStrike, which is a single-vendor service. For instance, if I'm running Sophos, I would like to go with CrowdStrike MDR. I would have to remove my entire security investment, in this case, Sophos, and reinstall CrowdStrike in order to use their service. Sophos doesn't have that problem. If you've got CrowdStrike and you've already invested in CrowdStrike, cool. You stay on CrowdStrike. They will still manage it for you.
MohammedSirajuddin - PeerSpot reviewer
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

"The product’s most valuable features are integration and endpoint protection."
"The tool's ability to work with security threats is competitive. The best part is monitoring and the way we receive automated emails and updates. When an issue arises, a ticket automatically gets raised, clearly outlining the necessary actions to be taken from our end."
"The rapid response team acts quickly to relieve customers."
"The solution provides the best security features."
"The authentication it offers minimizes the risk of access."
"The important mechanism is the dilation of the desktop. It quarantines and removes threats from the network. Sometimes, security devices similar to firewalls are used. It also creates dynamic rules to protect against attacks. The security cross-synchronization is very important."
"It is stable and scalable. It has good technical support."
"The product gives us good visibility into what is happening inside the company."
"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."
"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

"Once in a great while, an update fails."
"Sophos MDR could offer more integration packs and more vendor flexibility."
"Sophos MDR's support and basic training of their devices could be improved."
"Its technical support could be better."
"One of the limitations that we have found is with communications and the languages in different countries."
"The only challenge we face with the tool is the pricing. Clients often compare it with other products in the market and try to negotiate prices. This concern has caused some challenges in closing deals. Otherwise, as a product, we have no worries."
"There could be improvement in features like more detailed reporting for the end customer."
"The reports should be more comprehensive and easier to organize."
"I have a concern regarding pricing, which is perceived as high compared to competitors."
"I also have a concern regarding pricing, which is perceived as high compared to competitors."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is reasonably priced considering the cybersecurity features."
"I rate Sophos MDR’s pricing a seven or eight out of ten."
"The price falls somewhere in the middle range."
"Sophos MDR is a cheap solution."
"The solution has subscription-based pricing plans."
"Sophos MDR is not a cheap product. Compared with other solutions in the market, Sophos MDR is available at a good price, especially considering its performance."
"MDR is a complete enterprise solution, and compared to other OEMs, it is one of the cheapest."
"I would rate the price of Sophos MDR as a nine out of ten, with ten being the most expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Retailer
5%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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?
There could be improvement in features like more detailed reporting for the end customer. For example, reports should be in simple language that is easy to read and understand for management level ...
What advice do you have for others considering Sophos MDR?
On the topic of improvements, if Sophos MDR offers better pricing on endpoints, it could be even more attractive. Additionally, Sophos offers breach compensation, which is a very appealing factor. ...
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...
 

Also Known As

Sophos Managed Threat Response
No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about CrowdStrike, Huntress, Field Effect and others in Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Updated: May 2025.
853,271 professionals have used our research since 2012.