Arctic Wolf vs Palo Alto Networks: MDR Comparison 2026
Arctic Wolf (Pure-play MDR) and Palo Alto Networks (EDR vendor) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Arctic Wolf works with your existing tools, while Palo Alto Networks requires its own security platform. Arctic Wolf targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Palo Alto Networks focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise. Arctic Wolf includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 6 for Palo Alto Networks (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network, OT/ICS).
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Arctic Wolf vs Palo Alto Networks: 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
Choose Palo Alto Networks if:
- •US government and defense organizations needing FedRAMP Moderate, DoD IL5, StateRAMP compliance
- •Large enterprises wanting co-managed SOC with full visibility into their Cortex XDR/XSIAM tenant
- •Organizations wanting breach response guarantee (MSIAM 2.0 — 250 hours IR included)
- •You need OT/ICS coverage included in base pricing
Bottom line: Palo Alto Networks is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Arctic Wolf is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Arctic Wolf and Palo Alto Networks?
Arctic Wolf is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Palo Alto Networks is an EDR vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). SLA commitments differ: Arctic Wolf offers ≤1 hour, Palo Alto Networks offers Not disclosed. Arctic Wolf covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 6 for Palo Alto Networks.
How do Arctic Wolf and Palo Alto Networks 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. Palo Alto Networks 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 Palo Alto Networks?
Arctic Wolf pricing: Starting ~$20/user/month; MDR Basic ~$44,000/year for up to 100 users. Enterprise pricing is custom.. Palo Alto Networks pricing: Cortex XDR Pro: ~$81/endpoint/year starting (platform only). Unit 42 MDR service is additional custom pricing. Total cost depends on endpoints, tier (Pro vs Premium), coverage scope, and contract terms.. 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 Palo Alto Networks: Cortex XDR/XSIAM platform license is a significant prerequisite cost on top of MDR service fee; Cortex Data Lake storage costs are separate and scale with data volume.
Should I choose Arctic Wolf or Palo Alto Networks?
Choose Arctic Wolf if: mid-market organizations (50-1000 employees) without a dedicated SOC. Choose Palo Alto Networks if: enterprise organizations already invested in the Palo Alto ecosystem (NGFW, Prisma, WildFire) wanting native MDR integration. Arctic Wolf is not ideal for large enterprises requiring deep data access and custom detection engineering. Palo Alto Networks is not ideal for sMBs or budget-constrained organizations — significant prerequisite costs (Cortex XDR + Data Lake) plus MDR service fee.