Choose Expel or Red Canary
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
Choose Red Canary if
- Linux-heavy environments needing purpose-built Linux EDR for containers and Kubernetes
- Security teams wanting Slack-native SOC communication with configurable automated response playbooks
- Threat hunting included in base pricing (it's an add-on with Expel)
What’s actually different
Buyer brief
Updated 2026-03-08
Fit. This is the closest head-to-head on the site. Both are vendor-agnostic Forrester Wave Leaders (Q1 2025) with full data query access and configurable auto-remediation. Red Canary has broader EDR support (8 platforms), Slack-native SOC communication and included threat hunting. Expel has more integration breadth overall (160+), a REST API and lower entry pricing ($11,640/year).
Response. The real conversation is about Zscaler. After acquiring Red Canary for $675M in August 2025, Zscaler disclosed elevated customer churn in Feb 2026 earnings, with mindshare declining from 4.2% to 2.9%. Forrester flagged that vendor-agnostic positioning may erode under Zscaler ownership. Expel remains independent.
Cost and scope. Neither includes incident response or a breach warranty. If long-term independence from a platform vendor matters to your procurement team, that tips toward Expel. If Slack-native SOC access and the broadest EDR support matter more today, Red Canary still delivers on the product.
FAQ
What is the main difference between Expel and Red Canary?
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Red Canary is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools).
How do Expel and Red Canary 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. Red Canary 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 Red Canary?
Expel pricing: About $11,640/yr entry (third-party listings) up to six figures at mid-market and enterprise scope. AWS Marketplace publishes $88,800/yr for 500 cloud resources on a 12-month term. Red Canary pricing: AWS Marketplace list rates (annual, seller Red Canary, observed 2026-07-18): $120/endpoint, $100/user, $250/cloud resource, $20/network per 12 months, with per-unit overage. Negotiated deals run well below list: Vendr (Feb 2026) reports a median of about $79,881/year and per-endpoint of roughly $35 to $75 depending on volume. Multi-year discounts advertised up to 50% (2yr) and up to 67% (3yr). Watch for with Expel: Threat hunting, phishing response, and vulnerability prioritization are separate add-ons; base tiers include remediation recommendations and endpoint auto-remediation, with multi-surface auto-remediation starting at Select; Onboarding and professional services can be billed separately (third-party estimate $10,000-$50,000+). Watch for with Red Canary: Overage fees when unit counts exceed the contract (AWS overage: $10.00/endpoint, $8.33/account, $20.83/cloud resource, $1.66/network per unit); Adding cloud, identity or network coverage mid-contract typically prices higher than bundling it up front (Vendr, Feb 2026).