Darktrace vs Performanta
Darktrace is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Performanta is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Darktrace targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Performanta serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Darktrace includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Network), compared to 2 for Performanta (Endpoint, Identity).
Buyer brief
Darktrace is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Performanta is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Darktrace targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Performanta serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Darktrace includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Network), compared to 2 for Performanta (Endpoint, Identity).
Darktrace is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Performanta 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 | Buyers already committed to Microsoft Defender and Sentinel that want a services firm to manage detection and response |
| Price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 3/6 actions · Configurable | 1/6 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
- Buyers already committed to Microsoft Defender and Sentinel that want a services firm to manage detection and response
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 1/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | DarktracePLATFORM | PerformantaTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Requires their platform | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeSentinelOne Microsoft Defender | Microsoft Defender |
| SIEM integrations | Splunk Microsoft Sentinel | Microsoft Sentinel |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: Optional add-onCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: Optional add-onNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: LimitedNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateContainCustom playbooks | Custom 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 | ~ Limited |
| Identity | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | + Optional | ~ Limited |
| Network | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| 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 quote. Performanta does not publish MDR, Safe XDR or managed SOC package pricing. |
| 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 | Public pages do not publish MDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.. The explicit MDR offer is tied to Defender for Endpoint, so Microsoft licensing and customer tenant readiness can drive total cost.. Public pages do not define default MDR response authority, so buyers need the managed-technology boundary in writing.. Cloud and SaaS coverage appear tied to Microsoft security controls and Safe XDR scope, so non-Microsoft telemetry should be confirmed early.. Incident response is listed as a consulting service, so buyers should confirm what is included in MDR versus a separate incident-response engagement. |
| Data portability | Limited | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual | Custom, Managed SOC, Safe XDR, MDR for Defender for Endpoint |
| Channels | EmailPortalTeamsSlackPhone | PortalEmailPhone |
| Data access | Full query access | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North AmericaEuropeAsia-Pacific | EuropeAfrica |
| Onboarding | Not published | Not published. Performanta describes scoping, discovery, prioritisation, validation and mobilisation stages for Safe XDR, but no standard implementation duration was found. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesHealthcareManufacturingEnergyGovernmentCritical Infrastructure | Financial ServicesEducationHealthcareGovernmentRetailProfessional ServicesAgricultureTelecommunicationsManufacturingTransportationTourism |
| 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. | No meaningful MDR-specific buyer-review signal was found in major English-language review communities during this pass. The public buyer case rests on Performanta's Microsoft security focus, UK and South Africa SOC operations, Safe XDR platform, threat-hunting process and incident-response consulting depth. Buyers should validate pricing, response authority, non-Microsoft telemetry support and exact incident-response inclusion directly. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001GDPRCSA STAR Level 1 | – |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001CSA STAR Level 1Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice 2025 (NDR) | – |
| Founded | 2013 | 2010 |
| Data retention | Not published. Varies by module. | Not published. Performanta says it monitors customer environments and SIEM platforms, but no standard public MDR log-retention period or data-residency term was found. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Darktrace and Performanta?
Darktrace is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Performanta is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Darktrace covers 1 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 2 for Performanta.
How do Darktrace and Performanta differ in response capabilities?
Darktrace supports 3 autonomous actions (custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, network containment) and approval is configurable. Performanta supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does Darktrace pricing compare to Performanta?
Darktrace pricing: Not published. Reviewers report pricing in the upper market segment.. Performanta 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 Performanta: Public pages do not publish MDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.; The explicit MDR offer is tied to Defender for Endpoint, so Microsoft licensing and customer tenant readiness can drive total cost..
Should I choose Darktrace or Performanta?
Choose Darktrace if: mid-market and enterprise organizations wanting AI-powered threat detection with autonomous response across diverse attack surfaces. Choose Performanta if: buyers already committed to Microsoft Defender and Sentinel that want a services firm to manage detection and response. Darktrace is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious buyers. Premium pricing, no trial, and no published pricing transparency.. Performanta is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales.
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.