Choose Expel or Palo Alto Networks
Choose Expel if
- Mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR
- Security teams that value transparency and want to see every SOC action in real time
- Multi-cloud environments needing broad integration coverage including Oracle Cloud
- You want direct Slack integration with your SOC
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)
- Breach warranty matters to you (Palo Alto Networks offers one, Expel does not)
- Threat hunting included in base pricing (it's an add-on with Expel)
What’s actually different
Buyer brief
Updated 2026-03-09
Fit. Expel connects to whatever you already own through 160+ API integrations and doesn't require you to change anything. Unit 42 MDR requires the Cortex platform as a prerequisite, so it only makes sense if you're already in the Palo Alto ecosystem or ready to commit.
Response. Both cover all six response actions with configurable approval and give you full query access to security data. Expel centralizes signals from your existing tools in Workbench while Unit 42 keeps everything in your Cortex tenant.
Cost and scope. Expel's cost structure is simpler, starting at $11,640/year scaled by coverage areas. Unit 42 stacks Cortex XDR licensing (~$81/endpoint/year), Data Lake storage (~$11,000/TB) and the MDR service fee, with Gartner reviewers reporting renewal increases up to 225%. Unit 42 includes threat hunting and offers a 250-hour IR guarantee on the Premium tier. Expel charges separately for threat hunting, doesn't include IR and has no warranty.
FAQ
What is the main difference between Expel and Palo Alto Networks?
Expel 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).
How do Expel and Palo Alto Networks differ in response capabilities?
Expel 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 Expel pricing compare to Palo Alto Networks?
Expel pricing: Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas.. 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 Expel: Threat hunting is NOT included in base MDR, it is a separate add-on; Incident response is NOT included and must be obtained separately. 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.