Arctic Wolf vs Expel: MDR Comparison 2026
Arctic Wolf and Expel are both categorized as Pure-play MDRs, but differ in execution. Arctic Wolf works with your existing tools and targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations. Expel works with your existing tools and focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Arctic Wolf vs Expel: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Arctic Wolf if:
- •Mid-market organizations (50-1000 employees) without a dedicated SOC
- •IT generalists overwhelmed by managing multiple security point solutions
- •Organizations wanting a technology-agnostic MDR that works with existing tools
- •Breach warranty matters to you (Arctic Wolf offers one, Expel does not)
- •Threat hunting included in base pricing (it's an add-on with Expel)
Choose Expel if:
- •Mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tool investments wanting to maximize ROI
- •Tech-forward security teams that value transparency and want to see every SOC action
- •Multi-cloud and hybrid environments needing broad integration coverage
- •You want direct Slack integration with your SOC
Bottom line: Both providers target similar markets. Compare their specific response actions, communication channels, and pricing structure to find the better fit for your environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Arctic Wolf and Expel?
Arctic Wolf is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Expel is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Arctic Wolf offers ≤1 hour, Expel offers Not disclosed.
How do Arctic Wolf and Expel differ in response capabilities?
Arctic Wolf supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Expel supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does Arctic Wolf pricing compare to Expel?
Arctic Wolf pricing: Starting ~$20/user/month; MDR Basic ~$44,000/year for up to 100 users. Enterprise pricing is custom.. Expel pricing: Starting at $11,640/year; custom quotes based on environment. Watch for with Arctic Wolf: Incident response and remediation is guided, not performed on your behalf — may need separate IR retainer; Normalized data and active threat feed not directly accessible to customers — security operates as a 'black box' for some. Watch for with Expel: Threat hunting is NOT included in base MDR -- it is an add-on service; Price increases announced for 2025.
Should I choose Arctic Wolf or Expel?
Choose Arctic Wolf if: mid-market organizations (50-1000 employees) without a dedicated SOC. Choose Expel if: mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tool investments wanting to maximize ROI. Arctic Wolf is not ideal for large enterprises requiring deep data access and custom detection engineering. Expel is not ideal for organizations wanting a single-vendor platform-native MDR (Expel requires existing security tools).