Arctic Wolf vs Secureworks: MDR Comparison 2026
Arctic Wolf (Pure-play MDR) and Secureworks (Services firm) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Arctic Wolf works with your existing tools, while Secureworks works with your existing tools. Arctic Wolf targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Secureworks focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise. Arctic Wolf includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 4 for Secureworks (Endpoint, Cloud, Identity, Network).
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Arctic Wolf vs Secureworks: 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
- •You need SaaS coverage included in base pricing
- •Breach warranty matters to you (Arctic Wolf offers one, Secureworks does not)
Choose Secureworks if:
- •Organizations valuing deep threat intelligence (CTU now part of Sophos X-Ops, still actively publishing)
- •Companies needing OT/ICS MDR coverage (Dragos, Claroty, Nozomi, SCADAfence integrations)
- •Financial services organizations needing FFIEC-examined technology service provider
Bottom line: Arctic Wolf (Pure-play MDR) and Secureworks (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize Arctic Wolf's strong concierge model for mid-market organizations needing a dedicated security partner or Secureworks's enterprise-grade open xdr mdr with broad integration, ctu threat intelligence (now sophos x-ops),....
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Arctic Wolf and Secureworks?
Arctic Wolf is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Secureworks is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Arctic Wolf covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 4 for Secureworks.
How do Arctic Wolf and Secureworks 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. Secureworks supports 4 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, network containment, account disable, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Arctic Wolf and included with Secureworks.
How does Arctic Wolf pricing compare to Secureworks?
Arctic Wolf pricing: Starting ~$20/user/month; MDR Basic ~$44,000/year for up to 100 users. Enterprise pricing is custom.. Secureworks pricing: PeerSpot community reports: ~$60K-$320K+/year depending on environment. One user: initial $160-170/endpoint negotiated to $110/endpoint. Another: ~$70 USD/agent/year with volume discounts. Available on AWS and Azure Marketplaces.. 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 Secureworks: Sophos acquisition completed Feb 2025 — Taegis integration into Sophos Central underway, long-term platform consolidation likely; ~6% workforce reduction (~380 roles) in Feb 2025 post-acquisition — analyst continuity should be verified.
Should I choose Arctic Wolf or Secureworks?
Choose Arctic Wolf if: mid-market organizations (50-1000 employees) without a dedicated SOC. Choose Secureworks if: enterprise organizations wanting open XDR with existing CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender, SentinelOne, or Carbon Black EDR investments. Arctic Wolf is not ideal for large enterprises requiring deep data access and custom detection engineering. Secureworks is not ideal for enterprise organizations concerned about Sophos's SMB/mid-market heritage and whether Taegis enterprise investment continues.