Expel vs ThreatDown
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. ThreatDown is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Expel targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; ThreatDown serves SMB and Mid-market. Expel includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 1 for ThreatDown (Endpoint).
Buyer brief
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. ThreatDown is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Expel targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; ThreatDown serves SMB and Mid-market. Expel includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 1 for ThreatDown (Endpoint).
ThreatDown is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Expel is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR | SMBs and IT-constrained organizations wanting affordable MDR with published pricing |
| Price | TrustRadius: from $11,640/yr | $99/endpoint/yr |
| Response authority | 6/6 actions · Configurable | 3/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Requires own platform |
| 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
- SMBs and IT-constrained organizations wanting affordable MDR with published pricing
- Price
- $99/endpoint/yr
- Response authority
- 3/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
›› Detailed comparison
| FIELD | ExpelTECH-AGNOSTIC | ThreatDownPLATFORM |
|---|---|---|
| ›› Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-market |
| Sentiment | Very Positive | Positive |
| ›› Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Requires their platform |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeMicrosoft DefenderSentinelOneCarbon BlackPalo Alto CortexElasticCybereason | ThreatDown EDR (native, required) |
| SIEM integrations | SplunkMicrosoft SentinelPalo Alto Cortex XSIAMGoogle ChronicleExabeamSecuronixSumo LogicIBM QRadar | Splunk Enterprise (log export)Microsoft Sentinel (log export)Google Chronicle (log export) |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Not coveredIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: Not coveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| ›› Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks | IsolateKill processQuarantine |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| ›› Cost | ||
| Price range | Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas. | MDR at $99/endpoint/year (Elite) or $119/endpoint/year (Ultimate). Server: $129-179/year. Mobile: $10/device. |
| Minimum seats | None | 5 |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| ›› More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | Yes |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | ✓ Included | Not offered |
| Identity | ✓ Included | Not offered |
| SaaS apps | ✓ Included | Not offered |
| Network | ✓ Included | Not offered |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | Extra cost | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 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, published pricing. Four bundles: Core ($69), Advanced ($79), Elite ($99, includes MDR), Ultimate ($119, MDR+DNS+Premium). Server: $129-179/year. Mobile: $10/device. 5-endpoint minimum. 10% discount for 2-year commitment. |
| 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 | Endpoint-only coverage, no cloud workload, SaaS, identity, or network monitoring. Platform-native lock-in, cannot BYO CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, or Defender. No dedicated analyst or account manager, pooled SOC model |
| Data portability | Full | Limited |
| Contract terms | Annual, Multi-year | Annual, 2-year (10% discount) |
| Channels | SlackTeamsEmailPortal | SlackTeamsPortalEmailPhone |
| Data access | Full query access | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North America | North America |
| Onboarding | Hours to days via API integrations. 7-minute initial tool connection demonstrated. | Minutes after agent deployment |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesHealthcareTechnologyEducationEnergy | EducationGovernmentHealthcareManufacturingMSP/Channel |
| 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. | G2 4.6/5 (1,074 reviews) with multiple Leader awards (Best ROI, Easiest to Use). Gartner Peer Insights 4.6/5 (904 reviews) for EDR, though MDR-specific reviews are fewer. MRG Effitas EPP Product of the Year 2025. IDC MarketScape 2024: Leader for endpoint security (Small Business). Praised for simplicity and price transparency. Main knock: endpoint-only with platform lock-in. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001:2013ISO 27701:2019GDPR | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001 |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II (annual audit May 1 to April 30)ISO 27001:2013ISO 27701:2019 (processor) | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001 |
| Founded | 2016 | 2008 |
| Data retention | Per-contract basis with automated secure disposal per retention policy | Not publicly disclosed |
| API available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
›› FAQ
What is the main difference between Expel and ThreatDown?
Expel is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). ThreatDown is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Expel covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 1 for ThreatDown.
How do Expel and ThreatDown 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. ThreatDown supports 3 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, file quarantine, process termination) and approval is configurable.
How does Expel pricing compare to ThreatDown?
Expel pricing: Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas.. ThreatDown pricing: MDR at $99/endpoint/year (Elite) or $119/endpoint/year (Ultimate). Server: $129-179/year. Mobile: $10/device. (5-seat minimum). 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 ThreatDown: Endpoint-only coverage, no cloud workload, SaaS, identity, or network monitoring; Platform-native lock-in, cannot BYO CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, or Defender.
Should I choose Expel or ThreatDown?
Choose Expel if: mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR. Choose ThreatDown if: sMBs and IT-constrained organizations wanting affordable MDR with published pricing. Expel is not ideal for organizations wanting platform-native MDR from a single vendor (Expel requires existing security tools). ThreatDown is not ideal for enterprise organizations needing multi-surface coverage (cloud, SaaS, identity, network).
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.