Lumifi vs Palo Alto Networks: MDR comparison 2026
Lumifi is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Palo Alto Networks is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Lumifi targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; Palo Alto Networks serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Lumifi includes 4 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, Identity, Network), compared to 5 for Palo Alto Networks (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Key differences at a glance
Full comparison
Which should you choose?
Choose Lumifi if:
- •SMB and mid-market teams wanting vendor-agnostic MDR that wraps around their existing EDR
- •Organizations that need security data to stay in their own environment for compliance or policy reasons
- •Healthcare and government buyers looking for specialized MDR with industry-specific detection
Choose Palo Alto Networks if:
- •Enterprise organizations already invested in the Palo Alto ecosystem (NGFW, Prisma, WildFire) wanting native MDR
- •US government and defense organizations needing FedRAMP Moderate, DoD IL5, StateRAMP compliance
- •Large enterprises facing sophisticated threats needing Unit 42 threat intelligence (500B events/day)
- •You need SaaS coverage included in base pricing
- •Breach warranty matters to you (Palo Alto Networks offers one, Lumifi does not)
Bottom line: Palo Alto Networks is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Lumifi is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Lumifi and Palo Alto Networks?
Lumifi is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Palo Alto Networks is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Lumifi covers 4 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for Palo Alto Networks.
How do Lumifi and Palo Alto Networks differ in response capabilities?
Lumifi supports 5 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, 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 Lumifi pricing compare to Palo Alto Networks?
Lumifi pricing: Not publicly disclosed. Requires a sales conversation.. Palo Alto Networks pricing: Cortex XDR Pro: ~$81/endpoint/year reported (platform only, pricing sources vary). Unit 42 MDR service is additional custom pricing. Total cost depends on endpoints, tier, coverage scope, and contract terms.. Watch for with Lumifi: Co-managed model requires your team to handle parts of remediation, which means staffing costs on your side; SIEM licensing (EventTracker or third-party) may be separate from the MDR contract. 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 Lumifi or Palo Alto Networks?
Choose Lumifi if: sMB and mid-market teams wanting vendor-agnostic MDR that wraps around their existing EDR. Choose Palo Alto Networks if: enterprise organizations already invested in the Palo Alto ecosystem (NGFW, Prisma, WildFire) wanting native MDR. Lumifi is not ideal for buyers who require independent analyst validation or MITRE-tested detection claims. Palo Alto Networks is not ideal for sMBs or budget-constrained organizations (significant platform prerequisites plus MDR service fee).