Choose Expel or Sophos
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 Sophos if
- Existing Sophos endpoint or firewall customers adding managed services on their existing platform
- SMBs and mid-market with diverse security stacks needing broad integration support (350+ tools)
- Organizations wanting all-in MDR pricing with full IR and $1M breach warranty (MDR Complete)
- Breach warranty matters to you (Sophos 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 requires no proprietary agent and connects to 160+ tools via API. Sophos requires its own endpoint agent for full MDR but accepts 350+ third-party integrations for telemetry enrichment. If exit risk matters to your procurement team, Expel is the simpler path since disconnecting APIs leaves your existing tools working independently.
Response. Sophos MDR Complete includes more in the base price, bundling unlimited incident response with no caps, a contractual 60-minute SLA for high-severity cases, a $1M breach warranty (single-claim) and threat hunting. Expel charges separately for threat hunting and doesn't include IR or a warranty.
Cost and scope. Expel gives you full query access to security data through Workbench. Sophos provides dashboards only, and reviewers consistently note limited reporting customization. For security teams that want to investigate alongside their MDR provider, that gap matters. Sophos scored 100% detection in the 2025 MITRE ATT&CK evaluation. Expel has not participated in MITRE evaluations.
FAQ
What is the main difference between Expel and Sophos?
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Sophos is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). SLA commitments differ: Expel offers Not disclosed, Sophos offers ≤1 hour.
How do Expel and Sophos 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. Sophos supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Expel and included with Sophos.
How does Expel pricing compare to Sophos?
Expel pricing: Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas.. Sophos pricing: Custom quote required. Tiered pricing bands based on organization size. Starting price not publicly disclosed.. 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 Sophos: MDR Essentials does NOT include full incident response or breach warranty, requires MDR Complete upgrade; Linux server protection requires separate Sophos Workload Protection subscription.