Expel vs Secureworks
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Secureworks is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Expel targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Secureworks serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Expel includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 4 for Secureworks (Endpoint, Cloud, Identity, Network).
Buyer brief
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Secureworks is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Expel targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Secureworks serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Expel includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 4 for Secureworks (Endpoint, Cloud, Identity, Network).
Expel (Pure-play MDR) and Secureworks (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 Secureworks's open xdr mdr with broad integration, ctu threat intelligence (now sophos x-ops), strong mitre res....
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR | Enterprise organizations wanting open XDR with existing CrowdStrike, Defender, SentinelOne, or Carbon Black EDR |
| Price | TrustRadius: from $11,640/yr | Buyer benchmark: median $91,350/yr |
| Response authority | 6/6 actions · Configurable | 4/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Full query access | Full query access |
| 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
- Enterprise organizations wanting open XDR with existing CrowdStrike, Defender, SentinelOne, or Carbon Black EDR
- Price
- Buyer benchmark: median $91,350/yr
- Response authority
- 4/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
›› Detailed comparison
| FIELD | ExpelTECH-AGNOSTIC | SecureworksTECH-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 | CrowdStrikeMicrosoft DefenderCarbon BlackPalo Alto CortexElasticCybereason SentinelOne | CrowdStrike Falcon InsightMicrosoft Defender for EndpointVMware Carbon Black (Cloud & Enterprise)Sophos EndpointTaegis Endpoint Agent (native) SentinelOne |
| SIEM integrations | SplunkMicrosoft SentinelPalo Alto Cortex XSIAMGoogle ChronicleExabeamSecuronixSumo LogicIBM QRadar | Taegis XDR (native Next-Gen SIEM) |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: Optional add-onNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on |
| ›› Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks | IsolateContainDisable accountsCustom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | ✓ Included |
| ›› Cost | ||
| Price range | Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas. | Third-party buyer data reports a $91,350/year median buyer cost for Secureworks, with a visible public range from $15,200 to $421,751/year. PeerSpot reviews also report MDR/MXDR annual deals around $60K-$320K+ depending on environment. |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| ›› More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Identity | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| Network | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| 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. | Per-endpoint pricing, custom/quote-based. Three tiers: MDR, MDR Plus, MDR Enhanced. |
| 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 | Sophos acquisition completed Feb 2025, Taegis integration into Sophos Central underway with long-term platform consolidation likely. ~6% workforce reduction (~380 roles) in Feb 2025 post-acquisition, verify analyst continuity. Per-endpoint pricing varies widely ($70-$170/endpoint reported), negotiate hard |
| Data portability | Full | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual, Multi-year | Annual, Multi-year |
| Channels | SlackTeamsEmailPortal | PortalEmailPhone |
| Data access | Full query access | Full query access |
| Dedicated analyst | – | ✓ |
| SOC regions | North America | North AmericaEuropeAsia-Pacific |
| Onboarding | Hours to days via API integrations. 7-minute initial tool connection demonstrated. | 30-45 days typical |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesHealthcareTechnologyEducationEnergy | Financial ServicesGovernmentHealthcareManufacturing / OTEducationRetailTechnology |
| MTTD | Not separately published | Not formally published. |
| MTTR | 14 minutes for critical/high incidents with auto-remediation. 22 minutes average alert-to-fix for critical alerts. | Not formally published. 60-minute investigation SLA from case initiation to customer notification (service-level credits apply). |
| 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. | G2 4.6/5 (48 reviews). PeerSpot 7.8/10 (#2 MSSP, #15 MDR). Glassdoor 3.5/5 with 64% recommending. Taegis achieved 100% visibility and 95% detection in MITRE evaluation. Product quality respected, but organizational stability is the concern after Sophos acquisition and significant headcount losses. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001:2013ISO 27701:2019GDPR | ISO 27001SOC 2 Type IIFFIEC Examined (Technology Service Provider)FIPS 140-3HIPAA/HITRUSTPCI DSSGDPR |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II (annual audit May 1 to April 30)ISO 27001:2013ISO 27701:2019 (processor) | ISO 27001 (ISMS for Taegis infrastructure, Schellman-certified)SOC 2 Type II (security, availability, confidentiality)FFIEC Examined as Technology Service Provider (annually)FIPS 140-3 encryption complianceCOBIT alignmentNIST SP800-53 alignment |
| Founded | 2016 | 1998 |
| Data retention | Per-contract basis with automated secure disposal per retention policy | 12 months standard included. Extendable up to 48 additional months for a fee. |
| API available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
›› FAQ
What is the main difference between Expel and Secureworks?
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Secureworks is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Expel offers Not disclosed, Secureworks offers ≤1 hour. Expel covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 4 for Secureworks.
How do Expel and Secureworks 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. Secureworks supports 4 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, network containment) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Expel and included with Secureworks.
How does Expel pricing compare to Secureworks?
Expel pricing: Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas.. Secureworks pricing: Third-party buyer data reports a $91,350/year median buyer cost for Secureworks, with a visible public range from $15,200 to $421,751/year. PeerSpot reviews also report MDR/MXDR annual deals around $60K-$320K+ depending on environment.. 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 Secureworks: Sophos acquisition completed Feb 2025, Taegis integration into Sophos Central underway with long-term platform consolidation likely; ~6% workforce reduction (~380 roles) in Feb 2025 post-acquisition, verify analyst continuity.
Should I choose Expel or Secureworks?
Choose Expel if: mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR. Choose Secureworks if: enterprise organizations wanting open XDR with existing CrowdStrike, Defender, SentinelOne, or Carbon Black EDR. Expel is not ideal for organizations wanting platform-native MDR from a single vendor (Expel requires existing security tools). Secureworks is not ideal for buyers concerned about organizational stability after Sophos acquisition and significant headcount losses.
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.