Darktrace vs Macquarie Government
Darktrace is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Macquarie Government is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Darktrace targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Macquarie Government serves Enterprise. Darktrace includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Network), compared to 3 for Macquarie Government (Endpoint, Cloud, Network).
Buyer brief
Darktrace is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Macquarie Government is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Darktrace targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Macquarie Government serves Enterprise. Darktrace includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Network), compared to 3 for Macquarie Government (Endpoint, Cloud, Network).
Darktrace is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Macquarie Government is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Critical infrastructure and industrial environments needing OT/ICS security with protocol-agnostic detection | Australian Commonwealth and state agencies that require sovereign onshore SOCaaS and MDR |
| Price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 3/6 actions · Configurable | 3/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Requires own platform | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Full query access | Dashboards |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- Critical infrastructure and industrial environments needing OT/ICS security with protocol-agnostic detection
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 3/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- Australian Commonwealth and state agencies that require sovereign onshore SOCaaS and MDR
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 3/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | DarktracePLATFORM | Macquarie GovernmentTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Requires their platform | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeMicrosoft DefenderSentinelOne | Customer endpoint security toolsWorkstation logs |
| SIEM integrations | SplunkMicrosoft Sentinel | Macquarie Government SIEMaaSSplunk EnterpriseCustomer SIEM platforms |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: Optional add-onCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: Optional add-onNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: LimitedNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateContainCustom playbooks | IsolateContainCustom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published. Reviewers report pricing in the upper market segment. | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | Yes | No |
| Endpoints | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| Identity | ~ Limited | ~ Limited |
| SaaS apps | + Optional | ~ Limited |
| Network | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | + Optional | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom quote. Pricing based on number of devices monitored and service tier selected. | Custom government subscription and procurement model. SOCaaS, SIEMaaS and SASE pricing is not published. |
| Hidden cost warnings | Full coverage (endpoint, cloud, email, OT) requires multiple separate modules that increase total cost significantly. High false positive rates require internal analyst time for tuning despite the MDR service. No free trial available to test before purchase. Steep learning curve may require professional services or extended onboarding | The service is explicitly built for Australian Commonwealth and state government agencies, so private-sector and non-Australian buyers may not be eligible or may not fit the operating model.. Public pages do not publish prices, minimum terms, MTTD/MTTR, service credits or formal MDR SLAs.. SOCaaS is closely tied to Macquarie Government SIEMaaS, Splunk, sovereign hosting, SASE and gateway services; model migration work if replacing the service later.. Buyers should document which automated response actions are allowed by default and which require agency approval.. Log retention, ingestion, secure cloud, SASE and CTI options can materially change the total contract scope. |
| Data portability | Limited | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual | SOCaaS subscription, SIEMaaS subscription, SASE for Government, Custom government procurement |
| Channels | EmailPortalTeamsSlackPhone | PortalEmailPhone |
| Data access | Full query access | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North AmericaEuropeAsia-Pacific | APAC |
| Onboarding | Not published | Not published. Macquarie Government describes customized playbooks aligned with agency security processes and integration with existing security systems. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesHealthcareManufacturingEnergyGovernmentCritical Infrastructure | GovernmentDefensePublic SectorCritical Infrastructure |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | Not published |
| Community view | Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice 2025 for NDR (4.8/5, 242 reviews). Practitioners praise Self-Learning AI for detecting novel threats and Antigena response speed. Consistent complaints about high false positive rates, expensive pricing, and steep learning curve. MDR service launched June 2024, so limited community feedback on the managed service specifically. | Macquarie Government has strong vendor-controlled evidence for Australian government sovereignty, 24x7 SOC operations, SIEMaaS, threat intelligence and SASE integration, but little independent MDR-specific buyer-review signal in public communities. Government buyers should use procurement references to validate analyst quality, response authority, onboarding effort and Splunk/log-volume cost exposure. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001GDPRCSA STAR Level 1 | Essential 8ISMIRAPASDACSCDISP |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001CSA STAR Level 1Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice 2025 (NDR) | NV1-cleared specialistsIndustry Security Program memberAustralian Government Strategic certified data centresPROTECTED-level secure web gateway assessmentIRAP-aligned virtual services gateway language |
| Founded | 2013 | – |
| Data retention | Not published. Varies by module. | SIEMaaS pages describe sovereign local hosting and storage of up to seven years of security and event information. Public pages do not publish default retention for SOCaaS contracts or export terms. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Darktrace and Macquarie Government?
Darktrace is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Macquarie Government is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Darktrace covers 1 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 3 for Macquarie Government.
How do Darktrace and Macquarie Government differ in response capabilities?
Darktrace supports 3 autonomous actions (custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, network containment) and approval is configurable. Macquarie Government supports 3 autonomous actions (custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, network containment) and approval is configurable.
How does Darktrace pricing compare to Macquarie Government?
Darktrace pricing: Not published. Reviewers report pricing in the upper market segment.. Macquarie Government pricing: Not published. Watch for with Darktrace: Full coverage (endpoint, cloud, email, OT) requires multiple separate modules that increase total cost significantly; High false positive rates require internal analyst time for tuning despite the MDR service. Watch for with Macquarie Government: The service is explicitly built for Australian Commonwealth and state government agencies, so private-sector and non-Australian buyers may not be eligible or may not fit the operating model.; Public pages do not publish prices, minimum terms, MTTD/MTTR, service credits or formal MDR SLAs..
Should I choose Darktrace or Macquarie Government?
Choose Darktrace if: mid-market and enterprise organizations wanting AI-powered threat detection with autonomous response across diverse attack surfaces. Choose Macquarie Government if: australian Commonwealth and state agencies that require sovereign onshore SOCaaS and MDR. Darktrace is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious buyers. Premium pricing, no trial, and no published pricing transparency.. Macquarie Government is not ideal for private-sector or non-Australian buyers that do not need a government-specific sovereign provider.
Daylight Security
AI-native MDR for buyers comparing active remediation across endpoint, cloud, identity, and SaaS. Daylight works with existing EDR/SIEM stacks and uses ChatOps-native collaboration, so it can be a useful third reference point in this comparison.