We were testing the solution to see its network detection response capabilities.
Assistant Manager - Network & Security at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Issue-free with a helpful Antigena feature and responsive support
Pros and Cons
- "The product can scale."
- "The Antigena feature is very useful."
- "The cost is a bit on the higher side."
- "The cost is a bit on the higher side."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
We had an okay experience with the product and didn't really have any issues.
The Antigena feature is very useful.
It is stable.
The product can scale.
Support so far has been helpful and responsive.
What needs improvement?
I don't have any specific issues with the solution. We are still in the early phase of analyzing the product.
The cost is a bit on the higher side. We'd like it to be less expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
We were using the solution. In the past month, we stopped using it. We used it for three months.
We're just trying the solution. We had meetings. We were testing it. Nothing is finalized.
Buyer's Guide
Darktrace
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Darktrace. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. However, it varies on a case-by-case basis.
We have four people working with the solution in our company right now. They are in the IT department.
How are customer service and support?
We did speak to technical support and found them to be very helpful and responsive.
How was the initial setup?
I did not handle the setup process. We had a vendor come in and set it up and handle the whole process.
What about the implementation team?
The vendor set the solution up with us.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost is a little high.
We've budgeted about 50,000 Kuwaiti dinars for the solution. That is a yearly operating cost.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We're busy with some different projects and we wanted to evaluate different products as well on the same technology. We looked into, for example, Check Point EDR and options like Crowdstrike.
What other advice do I have?
We're a potential end-user. We tested the solution. We just tried different scenarios to see what would suit us. We were testing it and will still go ahead with testing. The testing is not yet complete. We've put it on hold for now; however, we will still continue testing in the coming days.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
I'd advise potential new users that they should definitely give it a try; however, the price is on the higher side. Darktrace has to consider lowering its price.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Chief Information Officer at Amadys
Strong intrusion detection in the complete network; low maintenance
Pros and Cons
- "One member of staff is enough for deployment and maintenance because Darkforce is AI-driven. It does a lot of things by itself."
- "One member of staff is enough for deployment and maintenance because Darkforce is AI-driven; it does a lot of things by itself."
- "Darkforce could be improved in the range of the interface; how to interact with the actions it's taking or not taking."
- "Darkforce could be improved in the range of the interface; how to interact with the actions it's taking or not taking."
What is our primary use case?
Our use cases for Darktrace are intrusion detection in the complete network, including for all the devices connected, detection, emails, email spoofing, and supply chain attacks.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable Darktrace feature is the cloud protection for all the cloud services, OneDrive, and all the things related to that.
What needs improvement?
Darkforce could be improved in the range of the interface; how to interact with the actions it's taking or not taking.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Darktrace for about a year now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Darktrace is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Darktrace is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was quite straightforward. It took us between two and six months. We got shipped an appliance and installed it in the data center. It then started collecting data. We had a few reviews of what it was collecting and what it would do. There was a test phase after which we enabled it, part by part, following a series of reviews.
Right now, 350 users are affected by Darkforce in our organization. It exists in the background, so they are not actively using it.
One member of staff is enough for deployment and maintenance because Darkforce is AI-driven. It does a lot of things by itself. You need to review what it's doing every now and then. You may, for example, need to release an email that was blocked for some reason, but it's quite low maintenance overall.
You do not need an engineer to manage it. It can be managed by a manager as doing so is not super technical. You always have access to Darktrace support, which means their engineers are available help you with the more complex stuff.
What about the implementation team?
Our deployment was done by Darktrace themselves, but they have some partners that also do it. Once you are up and running, you can deploy any additional appliances by yourself.
What was our ROI?
This is a difficult question and one that was asked of us by the higher ups, but you have to compare the cost with what would happen if there was a breach. It is difficult to articulate a return on investment in hard numbers, but I can see that Darkforce deflects typical attacks and protects users.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I cannot be completely sure what the license cost but it is on a per-user basis. I handle the technical side, so I do not have insight into how much we are paying for it exactly.
What other advice do I have?
I would surely recommend Darkforce. The price might be quite high, but it is really worth it.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Darktrace
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Darktrace. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
894,807 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Security Analyst at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Reliable with excellent support and good pricing
Pros and Cons
- "The solution can scale."
- "They've worked hard to be the top security control in terms of AI and machine learning, and their product works well."
- "I'd love them to see maybe covering the cloud a bit more."
- "The initial setup is a bit complex."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for network detection and response.
What is most valuable?
Antigena is the most valuable due to the reduction in terms of the mean time to respond.
The solution can scale.
It's reliable and stable.
Technical support is great.
The pricing is good.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup is a bit complex.
It's quite a good product. However, I'd love them to see maybe covering the cloud a bit more. We'd like a cloud version. For example, FortiGate firewalls now have virtual firewalls that you can just install, as well as the cloud. They can drive it with Microsoft, and Microsoft can maybe provide technology that would allow Darktrace to work seamlessly in the cloud.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for almost two and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very scalable. You can also install it in a Citrix environment very easily.
The whole security team has access to it. That said, I have the most hands on in terms of the product. Five or six people use the solution.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is great. They come from the UK and they came out to Africa to meet us personally. The engineers are always available. Their resellers are supportive. Even to this day we still run through weekly meetings.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We consume quite a lot of products from Darktrace, so we have a few. We got that Darktrace Network, Antigena, Cloud Sales, and AIS integrations, et cetera.
This is my first time working with an NDR that has AI and machine learning.
How was the initial setup?
From a networking perspective, it is a bit complex since we sort of have to keep an end tab on the network for network log ingestion, flow ingestion, and all of that.
The implementation took about two months or so.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation with the help of a technician from Darktrace and a reseller. I'd rate their assistance a ten out of ten. They were great.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is reasonable. I'm not sure of the exact costs. However, they are not that expensive. We pay annually.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not compare the solution to other options, although I did look into Cisco Secure Network Analytics.
What other advice do I have?
I'm an end-user.
It's quite a good tool. They've worked hard to be the top security control in terms of AI and machine learning, and their product works well. Cisco would not match up. Maybe Palo Alto Cortex could do what they do. Cisco is not a security house, even though they have the networking knowledge and all of that. Most of their products are only now catching up to cybersecurity.
I'd rate Darktrace ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Information Security Program Manager at a non-profit with 11-50 employees
Useful traffic tracing, good support, and beneficial anomaly alerts
Pros and Cons
- "Darktrace's most valuable features are that it understands the network environment and is able to trace the traffic and alert on anomalies."
- "Darktrace's most valuable features are that it understands the network environment and is able to trace the traffic and alert on anomalies."
- "I did not use the AI features because they should make it more user-friendly which would be a benefit. Additionally, the solution could integrate with more SIEM or SOAR tools."
- "I did not use the AI features because they should make it more user-friendly which would be a benefit."
What is our primary use case?
Darktrace is used for lateral entry investigations, lateral movement investigations, behavioral anomalies from end users, and endpoint detection.
How has it helped my organization?
Darktrace has helped our organization by troubleshooting a few issues that were happening in the environment. It was able to see the traffic between the two network components.
What is most valuable?
Darktrace's most valuable features are that it understands the network environment and is able to trace the traffic and alert on anomalies.
What needs improvement?
I did not use the AI features because they should make it more user-friendly which would be a benefit. Additionally, the solution could integrate with more SIEM or SOAR tools.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Darktrace for approximately two and a have years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Darktrace is stable. We had it set up to where it was redundant. If one sensor went offline, we had another sensor that was constantly monitoring, and it worked well for us.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Darktrace was very good.
We had a license for five users, but we had two that were working on it on a daily basis.
How are customer service and support?
We used Darktrace's technical support to help with the setup and with implementation.
I rate the support from Darktrace a four out of five.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did not use a similar solution prior to Darktrace.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Darktrace was straightforward, but we used professional services to do it.
What about the implementation team?
We used professional services for the implementation of Darktrace.
What was our ROI?
We received a return on investment using Darktrace.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated other solutions prior to using Darktrace.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to others is they have to understand that the solution is looking for behavioral anomalies, and it is going to take tuning to achieve this. It's not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. You have to monitor, update, and optimize it for your environment.
I rate Darktrace an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Head of Infrastructure, Security and Communications at a construction company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Easy to set up with good integration capabilities and useful UI
Pros and Cons
- "We have found the product to be stable and issue-free."
- "This is something that is really easy to implement in an organization, gives us good visibility about what is happening in our networks and on the system, and we like the transparency available within our infrastructure now."
- "We'd like threat hunting, and we'd like to see a global solution that can automate vulnerability scans. I know it is something they are working on."
- "We'd like threat hunting, and we'd like to see a global solution that can automate vulnerability scans."
What is our primary use case?
We're using it in a complete security solution yet still within a different product that Darktrace has that's related to the network or email.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect of the product would be that it's a product that is quite easy to integrate. It's quite easy to start working with it, which is working well. The concept of artificial intelligence that is behind the solution is the most interesting feature for us.
The sense of detection and monitoring and topics within security is good.
It was easy to set up the product.
We have found the product to be stable and issue-free.
It is scalable.
What needs improvement?
We need them to ensure they will detect new attacks and pick up anomalies.
We, of course, would love more threat intelligence, and more integration with vulnerability scanners. We'd like threat hunting, and we'd like to see a global solution that can automate vulnerability scans. I know it is something they are working on.
They're working in different modules that could be related to threat intelligence and to the tech vulnerabilities or functionalities related to EDR.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been working with the solution for the last couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We've had no issues with stability. It's reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable and easily expands.
The whole of the organization leverages the product, however, I do not have a clear picture of how many people we are working it. That said, we have a company of 2,000.
How are customer service and support?
I've dealt with technical support in the past. I found them to be helpful.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did previously use a different solution. That said, I don't remember what it was called.
How was the initial setup?
The product is easy to set up.
After deployment, we spent three months, which is the time that this solution needs to learn about what's happening in our network. In one day, once we had defined all the configurations and once they have been seen on the appliance, we were able to start running it.
It's an easy product to maintain.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the initial setup ourselves. We did not need any outside assistance from integrators or consultants.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is okay. I'd rate it seven out of ten in terms of affordability.
You have different modules which you have to pay for. If you want to expand functionality, it ends up costing more.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Looked at Microsoft, Proofpoint, and Minecraft when we were looking into Darktrace. We decided on this product based on the available features.
What other advice do I have?
We are using the last version of the solution, although I don't know the exact version number. We plan to upgrade in the next couple of weeks. We might be on version five, with the latest being six.
This is something that is really easy to implement in an organization. It gives us good visibility about what is happening in our networks, and on the system. We like the transparency available within our infrastructure now. We can also personalize it to fit our needs. You can either choose plug and play or you can go deeper. They have artificial intelligence you can start working with. You can define more by leveraging modules. Overall, it's very interesting.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Vice President | Head of Information Systems & Manufacturing Engineering at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Self-maintaining, works autonomously, and prevents data excavation
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is that it works autonomously."
- "The solution automatically monitors everything on the network to prevent anti-phishing by monitoring, responding, and restoring the system."
- "The solution can improve the reporting."
- "The solution can improve the reporting. Currently, it only runs weekly and the reporting is complex."
What is our primary use case?
The solution automatically monitors everything on the network to prevent anti-phishing by monitoring, responding, and restoring the system. It prevents data excavation.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is that it works autonomously. So you only need to look at the exceptions.
What needs improvement?
The solution can improve the reporting. Currently, it only runs weekly and the reporting is complex. It is more of a network monitoring system, basically AI.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and solid.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable and designed to be enterprise-wide.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously we used Intercept X which is more at the virus level endpoint, but Darktrace is an overall network and phishing solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup did not appear complex.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was completed by a vendor technician. The setup was simple and took a couple of hours.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is about $6,000 per quarter.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution ten out of ten.
Our organization has about 50 nodes and there is no maintenance involved because it is self-maintaining. I recommend the solution, it is better than SIM.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Security Manager at a construction company with 201-500 employees
Beneficial viability, simple installation, and responsive support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Darktrace are its full capabilities. You have visibility of everything."
- "The most valuable features of Darktrace are its full capabilities, as you have visibility of everything happening on your network, emails, and SaaS applications."
- "Darktrace could improve by being more user-friendly."
- "Darktrace could improve by being more user-friendly."
What is our primary use case?
Darktrace is an appliance that has been installed in our network, and it is connected to the database SaaS applications and they're collecting the data from there.
We are using Darktrace for tracking our network and if any suspicious activity happens, we will be notified or we can check it on our tenant.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Darktrace are its full capabilities. You have visibility of everything.
What needs improvement?
Darktrace could improve by being more user-friendly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Darktrace for approximately six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Darktrace is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Darktrace is good.
We have approximately 350 users using the solution in my company. Everyone is using it.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Darktrace is responsive and speedy.
I rate the support of Darktrace a nine out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
Darktrace is simple to install and the full process took approximately three weeks.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment of Darktrace was done by the vendor.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Darktrace is high and could be reduced. We pay approximately $30,000 to $54,000 annually.
The cost of the solution is high making it an issue for smaller companies. We are a small organization and it is difficult to afford. We are not a large organization. For this reason, the solution's price must be reduced. Having 350 users is not a large organization. It's a small organization and paying approximately $30,000 to $54,000 annually, is a lot. However, sometimes we had too many services to have more visibility and be secure, this is the idea why we went with Darktrace without negotiating the prices.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Darktrace to others, it is a helpful service you will have full visibility of what's happening on your network, emails, and SaaS applications.
I rate Darktrace an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Director Of Information Technology at a security firm with 1-10 employees
Responsive support, good alerting, but the initial setup is complex and time-consuming
Pros and Cons
- "The models, triggers, and alerts are customizable."
- "It's beneficial to me and I can see that with more time and energy put into optimizing it and personalizing the unit, it can be much more powerful than the way I am using it now."
- "The initial setup is more complex and time-consuming than some solutions."
- "The initial setup is more complex and time-consuming than some solutions."
What is our primary use case?
We use Darktrace to analyze our network traffic.
What is most valuable?
Darktrace is a good product, although it depends on how much time you put into it.
The models, triggers, and alerts are customizable.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup is more complex and time-consuming than some solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Darktrace for more than a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Darktrace is quite stable, but potentially expensive.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The vendor has different options for scaling. I use the appliance; they also offer a cloud service but I prefer the appliance. I put it between the router and the core switch and it picks up all of the traffic.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is better than Check Point. They respond more quickly.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I am currently using Darktrace and Vectra in addition to Check Point. I've been using all three and I find that Check Point is the one where I get the most information from. I will stop using Vectra this year but I will retain Darktrace, as long as they keep it at a certain price.
Darktrace requires a lot more configuration; unlike Check Point, there are a lot more changes that need to be made. In general, it's more sophisticated. As far as getting the settings and the configuration and the models that you want, it would help if you spent some time on that. We're a small team. It's beneficial to me and I can see that with more time and energy put into optimizing it and personalizing the unit, it can be much more powerful than the way I am using it now. That said, it's my secondary device. We're working on a lot of different projects, so I haven't assigned any of my guys to it yet. Ultimately, when it's fully integrated, it may end up being as useful as the Check Point.
The reason I keep all three is that they all give me a different kind of view. They all give me different information. If they gave the same information, it'd be useless to keep them.
With respect to similar security products, I have demoed CrowdStrike and worked with Symantec.
How was the initial setup?
You have to customize it to the way you want, in order for it to work best for your environment. Definitely take time to train while you can during deployment.
Some things do work well, out of the box. However, this would be better suited for somebody that can take the time to configure it correctly during deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Prior to negotiating, Darktrace offered their appliance and service for $80,000 per year.
I suggest negotiating either at the end of their fiscal year or at the end of every quarter. At the end of the quarter, they have an incentive to lower the prices to sell as many units as possible in order to meet their end-of-quarter quota.
What other advice do I have?
My advice for anybody who is implementing Darktrace is that you definitely need to take your time. Sit down and understand how to use the model breach customization. They use models and if something hits that model, it triggers an alert.
I would rate this solution a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Updated: May 2026
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