Expel vs r-tec IT Security
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. r-tec IT Security is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Expel targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; r-tec IT Security serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Expel includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 0 for r-tec IT Security ().
Buyer brief
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. r-tec IT Security is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Expel targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; r-tec IT Security serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Expel includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 0 for r-tec IT Security ().
Expel (Pure-play MDR) and r-tec IT Security (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize Expel's api-first, vendor-agnostic mdr with 160+ integrations and full transparency into every soc action... or r-tec IT Security's r-tec mdr fits german buyers that need 24x7 detection, incident-response depth and a path to ot mdr.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR | German mid-market and enterprise buyers that want MDR from a services firm with incident-response depth |
| Price | TrustRadius: from $11,640/yr | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 6/6 actions · Configurable | 1/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Full query access | Dashboards |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- Mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR
- Price
- TrustRadius: from $11,640/yr
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- German mid-market and enterprise buyers that want MDR from a services firm with incident-response depth
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 1/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | ExpelTECH-AGNOSTIC | r-tec IT SecurityTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Very Positive | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | Microsoft DefenderSentinelOneCarbon BlackPalo Alto CortexElasticCybereason CrowdStrike | Microsoft Defender XDR CrowdStrike |
| SIEM integrations | SplunkPalo Alto Cortex XSIAMGoogle ChronicleSecuronixSumo LogicIBM QRadar Microsoft Sentinel, Exabeam | Exabeam, Microsoft Sentinel |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: Not coveredIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks | Custom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | ✓ Included |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas. | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Cloud workloads | ✓ Included | Not offered |
| Identity | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| SaaS apps | ✓ Included | Not offered |
| Network | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | + Optional |
| Threat hunting | Extra cost | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | ≤1 hour |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom pricing by coverage type: cloud infrastructure (by resources), on-prem (by endpoints), SaaS (by user accounts), phishing (by email count). Three tiers: Starter, Select, Premium. | Tiered custom quote. r-tec publishes Basic and Premium MDR tiers but does not publish prices. |
| Hidden cost warnings | Threat hunting is NOT included in base MDR, it is a separate add-on. Incident response is NOT included and must be obtained separately. Premium tier required for direct Slack/Teams SOC communication. Pricing scales significantly based on number of integrations and coverage areas | Premium is required for 24x7 service times and the 1-hour qualification and First Response target.. Basic still has 24x7 automated detection and alerting, but human service hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00-18:00.. Public pages do not publish prices or contract minimums.. Optional direct response should be converted into a written pre-approval matrix.. Endpoint telemetry may depend on contracted CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender XDR or Managed EDR scope.. OT MDR and Managed EDR are separate named services, so buyers should confirm whether they are included or quoted separately. |
| Data portability | Full | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual, Multi-year | Basic, Premium, Custom |
| Channels | SlackTeamsEmailPortal | EmailPhone |
| Data access | Full query access | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North America | Europe |
| Onboarding | Hours to days via API integrations. 7-minute initial tool connection demonstrated. | r-tec says site collectors support simple and fast implementation, but no standard public onboarding duration was found. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesHealthcareTechnologyEducationEnergy | Critical InfrastructureEnergyManufacturingOperational TechnologyHealthcareFinancial ServicesPublic SectorLogisticsAutomotiveChemicalsPharmaceuticals |
| MTTD | Not separately published | Not published |
| MTTR | 14 minutes for critical/high incidents with auto-remediation. 22 minutes average alert-to-fix for critical alerts. | Not published |
| Community view | Forrester Wave MDR Leader Q1 2025 (5/5 in 15 of 21 criteria). Gartner Peer Insights 4.6/5 (142 reviews). G2 4.8/5. PeerSpot 9.0/10. Widely praised for transparency, integration breadth, and speed. Primary criticism: threat hunting and incident response are add-ons, not included. | r-tec has limited MDR-specific public review volume. The public buyer case rests on German delivery, a published IT MDR service, a separate OT MDR service, BSI APT-response status and clear Basic versus Premium service-level targets. Buyers should validate exact response authority, pricing, OT scope and the operating model behind Premium 24x7 service. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001:2013ISO 27701:2019GDPR | ISO 27001ISO 9001KRITISGDPR |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II (annual audit May 1 to April 30)ISO 27001:2013ISO 27701:2019 (processor) | ISO 27001ISO 9001BSI-certified APT Response service providerEcoVadis Bronze group certification |
| Founded | 2016 | 1996 |
| Data retention | Per-contract basis with automated secure disposal per retention policy | Not published as a standard MDR retention period. r-tec says Exabeam is operated as a cloud service from a German GDPR-compliant data center. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Expel and r-tec IT Security?
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). r-tec IT Security is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Expel offers Not disclosed, r-tec IT Security offers ≤1 hour. Expel covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 0 for r-tec IT Security.
How do Expel and r-tec IT Security differ in response capabilities?
Expel supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable. r-tec IT Security supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Expel and included with r-tec IT Security.
How does Expel pricing compare to r-tec IT Security?
Expel pricing: Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas.. r-tec IT Security pricing: Not published. 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 r-tec IT Security: Premium is required for 24x7 service times and the 1-hour qualification and First Response target.; Basic still has 24x7 automated detection and alerting, but human service hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00-18:00..
Should I choose Expel or r-tec IT Security?
Choose Expel if: mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR. Choose r-tec IT Security if: german mid-market and enterprise buyers that want MDR from a services firm with incident-response depth. Expel is not ideal for organizations wanting platform-native MDR from a single vendor (Expel requires existing security tools). r-tec IT Security is not ideal for buyers that need public price cards or contract minimums before sales engagement.
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.