Palo Alto Networks vs Sygnia: MDR Comparison 2026
Palo Alto Networks (EDR vendor) and Sygnia (MDR provider) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Palo Alto Networks requires its own security platform, while Sygnia works with your existing tools. Palo Alto Networks targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Sygnia focuses on Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Palo Alto Networks vs Sygnia: 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)
- •Breach warranty matters to you (Palo Alto Networks offers one, Sygnia does not)
Choose Sygnia if:
- •Enterprises wanting MDR and IR from the same team with no handoff or separate retainer
- •Organizations with heterogeneous security stacks needing a vendor-agnostic overlay
- •Critical infrastructure and OT/ICS environments needing genuine OT monitoring
Bottom line: Palo Alto Networks is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Sygnia is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Palo Alto Networks and Sygnia?
Palo Alto Networks is an EDR vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Sygnia is a MDR provider that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools).
How do Palo Alto Networks and Sygnia 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. Sygnia 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 Sygnia.
How does Palo Alto Networks pricing compare to Sygnia?
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.. Sygnia pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. 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 Sygnia: No published pricing — requires significant sales engagement to get even a ballpark quote; 8 dedicated experts per client implies premium pricing, likely $200K+/year based on comparable staffing models.
Should I choose Palo Alto Networks or Sygnia?
Choose Palo Alto Networks if: enterprise organizations already invested in the Palo Alto ecosystem (NGFW, Prisma, WildFire) wanting native MDR integration. Choose Sygnia if: enterprises wanting MDR and IR from the same team with no handoff or separate retainer. Palo Alto Networks is not ideal for sMBs or budget-constrained organizations — significant prerequisite costs (Cortex XDR + Data Lake) plus MDR service fee. Sygnia is not ideal for sMBs or mid-market organizations — enterprise-only pricing, likely $200K+/year.