Palo Alto Networks vs Sophos: MDR Comparison 2026
Palo Alto Networks (EDR vendor) and Sophos (Services firm) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Palo Alto Networks requires its own security platform, while Sophos works with your existing tools. Palo Alto Networks targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Sophos focuses on SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. Palo Alto Networks includes 6 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network, OT/ICS), compared to 5 for Sophos (Endpoint, SaaS, Identity, Network, OT/ICS).
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Palo Alto Networks vs Sophos: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Palo Alto Networks if:
- •US government and defense organizations needing FedRAMP Moderate, DoD IL5, StateRAMP compliance
- •Large enterprises wanting co-managed SOC with full visibility into their Cortex XDR/XSIAM tenant
- •Organizations wanting breach response guarantee (MSIAM 2.0 — 250 hours IR included)
- •You need Cloud coverage included in base pricing
Choose Sophos if:
- •SMBs and mid-market organizations seeking an all-in-one MDR with inclusive IR
- •Organizations with diverse, multi-vendor security stacks needing broad integration support
- •Companies wanting straightforward pricing with predictable costs
Bottom line: Palo Alto Networks is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Sophos is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Palo Alto Networks and Sophos?
Palo Alto Networks is an EDR vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Sophos is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Palo Alto Networks offers Not disclosed, Sophos offers ≤15 minutes. Palo Alto Networks covers 6 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for Sophos.
How do Palo Alto Networks and Sophos differ in response capabilities?
Palo Alto Networks 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 Palo Alto Networks and included with Sophos.
How does Palo Alto Networks pricing compare to Sophos?
Palo Alto Networks pricing: Cortex XDR Pro: ~$81/endpoint/year starting (platform only). Unit 42 MDR service is additional custom pricing. Total cost depends on endpoints, tier (Pro vs Premium), coverage scope, and contract terms.. Sophos pricing: Custom quote required; tiered pricing bands (10-24, 25-49, 50-99, etc.) (10-seat minimum). Watch for with Palo Alto Networks: Cortex XDR/XSIAM platform license is a significant prerequisite cost on top of MDR service fee; Cortex Data Lake storage costs are separate and scale with data volume. Watch for with Sophos: MDR Essentials does NOT include breach warranty or full incident response — those require MDR Complete; Linux server protection requires separate Sophos Workload Protection subscription.
Should I choose Palo Alto Networks or Sophos?
Choose Palo Alto Networks if: enterprise organizations already invested in the Palo Alto ecosystem (NGFW, Prisma, WildFire) wanting native MDR integration. Choose Sophos if: sMBs and mid-market organizations seeking an all-in-one MDR with inclusive IR. Palo Alto Networks is not ideal for sMBs or budget-constrained organizations — significant prerequisite costs (Cortex XDR + Data Lake) plus MDR service fee. Sophos is not ideal for large enterprises needing deep, custom detection engineering.