Sophos vs WithSecure
Sophos and WithSecure are both Platform vendors that bring their own security platform. Sophos targets SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise organizations, while WithSecure serves SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. Sophos includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 1 for WithSecure (Endpoint).
Buyer brief
Sophos and WithSecure are both Platform vendors that bring their own security platform. Sophos targets SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise organizations, while WithSecure serves SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. Sophos includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 1 for WithSecure (Endpoint).
Sophos offers broader coverage (5 surfaces vs. 1). WithSecure may suit teams that need depth over breadth.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Existing Sophos endpoint or firewall customers adding managed services on their existing platform | European mid-market organizations prioritizing EU data residency, GDPR, NIS2, and DORA compliance |
| Price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 6/6 actions · Configurable | 5/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Requires own platform | Requires own platform |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Warranty | $1,000,000 | None listed |
- Best fit
- Existing Sophos endpoint or firewall customers adding managed services on their existing platform
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- $1,000,000
- Best fit
- European mid-market organizations prioritizing EU data residency, GDPR, NIS2, and DORA compliance
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 5/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
›› Detailed comparison
| FIELD | SophosPLATFORM | WithSecurePLATFORM |
|---|---|---|
| ›› Fit | ||
| Target size | SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Very Positive | Positive |
| ›› Your stack | ||
| Approach | Requires their platform | Requires their platform |
| EDR integrations | Sophos EndpointCrowdStrikeMicrosoft DefenderSentinelOneCarbon Black | WithSecure Elements EDR (required for MDR service) |
| SIEM integrations | Sophos Central SIEM integration via API | Microsoft Sentinel (native Azure Marketplace connector)Any SIEM via Elements Connector (Syslog forwarding) |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Limited | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Optional add-onSaaSSaaS: Optional add-onNetNetwork: Optional add-onOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| ›› Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantine |
| IR included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| ›› Cost | ||
| Price range | Custom quote required. Tiered pricing bands based on organization size. Starting price not publicly disclosed. | Not publicly disclosed. Custom quotes required. Described as 'competitively priced for mid-sized businesses.' ITPro rated pricing 5/5 stars. |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | $1,000,000 | – |
| ›› More details | ||
| Requires own agent | Yes | Yes |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| Identity | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| SaaS apps | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| Network | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| OT/ICS | ~ Limited | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | ≤1 hour | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Per-user and per-server pricing. Two tiers: MDR Essentials (monitoring and basic response) and MDR Complete (full IR and breach warranty). | Per-endpoint/per-device/per-user subscription. Monthly or annual billing options. |
| Hidden cost warnings | MDR Essentials does NOT include full incident response or breach warranty, requires MDR Complete upgrade. Linux server protection requires separate Sophos Workload Protection subscription. Post-Secureworks acquisition (Feb 2025): unclear if Sophos MDR and Taegis MDR will merge or remain separate products. Breach warranty limited to ONE claim total across all subscriptions, not per-incident | Platform lock-in: requires WithSecure Elements EDR, cannot use competing EDR. Modular pricing: full coverage across identity, cloud, SaaS, and exposure management adds cost beyond base MDR. Ownership transition: being taken private by CVC/Siilasmaa, managed services ARR declined 22% in H1 2025 |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual, Multi-year | Annual, Multi-year |
| Channels | EmailPortalPhone | PortalEmailPhone |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Dedicated analyst | ✓ | ✓ |
| SOC regions | North AmericaEuropeAsia-Pacific | Europe |
| Onboarding | Weeks, varies by environment size and integration scope | Not publicly disclosed. Requires Elements EDR deployment first, then MDR subscription activated in Elements Security Center. |
| Industry focus | ManufacturingHealthcareFinancial ServicesRetailTechnology | Financial ServicesManufacturingHealthcareGovernmentEducationTechnology |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Sophos reports a 38-minute average case closure time. The MDR service description defines a 60-minute response-time SLA for 90% of High Severity Cases, with eligibility timing and service-credit limits. | Not published. Marketing states 'reaction in minutes, containment within hours.' PeerSpot reviewer reported ~4 minute average alert response (anecdotal). |
| Community view | G2: #1 overall MDR for 14 consecutive report cycles, 1,543 reviews, 95% satisfaction. Gartner Peer Insights: 2026 Customers' Choice for Endpoint Protection (4.9/5). MITRE ATT&CK 2025: 100% detection coverage. Praised for integration breadth and MDR Complete's all-in pricing. Recurring complaints about technical support responsiveness and endpoint agent resource usage. | PeerSpot 8.0/10 with 100% recommend rate and growing mindshare (0.3% to 1.0% YoY). Gartner Peer Insights 4.5/5 across 144 reviews (all products). Forrester Strong Performer in MDR Europe Q3 2025. Being taken private by CVC/Siilasmaa (delisting expected H1 2026). Consulting divested to Neqst May 2025. Managed services ARR declined 22% in H1 2025. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001:2022ISO 27017:2015ISO 27018:2019PCI DSS v4.0GDPRHIPAAHITRUST CSF | ISO 27001ISAE 3000 (SOC 2 Type 2 equivalent)GDPRNIS2DORA |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001:2022ISO 27017:2015ISO 27018:2019PCI DSS v4.0 | ISO 27001 (cloud-delivered products and managed security services)ISAE 3000 (assurance-based, SOC 2 Type 2 equivalent)CREST-Accredited CSIR TeamNCSC CIR Level 1 (one of only 9 IR teams globally for Category 1-3 incidents)NCSC CIR Level 2 (via CREST)BSI (German Federal Office for Information Security) Assured IR TeamForrester Strong Performer MDR Europe Q3 2025Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms 2024AV-TEST Approved Advanced EDR 2024MITRE ATT&CK Evaluations Enterprise 2024 Participant |
| Founded | 1985 | 1988 |
| Data retention | 90 days standard, 1-year extended available as add-on | 13-14 months for security events, varying by event severity. |
| API available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
›› FAQ
What is the main difference between Sophos and WithSecure?
Sophos is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). WithSecure is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). SLA commitments differ: Sophos offers ≤1 hour, WithSecure offers Not disclosed. Sophos covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 1 for WithSecure.
How do Sophos and WithSecure differ in response capabilities?
Sophos supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable. WithSecure supports 5 autonomous actions (account disable, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable.
How does Sophos pricing compare to WithSecure?
Sophos pricing: Custom quote required. Tiered pricing bands based on organization size. Starting price not publicly disclosed.. WithSecure pricing: Not publicly disclosed. Custom quotes required. Described as 'competitively priced for mid-sized businesses.' ITPro rated pricing 5/5 stars.. 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. Watch for with WithSecure: Platform lock-in: requires WithSecure Elements EDR, cannot use competing EDR; Modular pricing: full coverage across identity, cloud, SaaS, and exposure management adds cost beyond base MDR.
Should I choose Sophos or WithSecure?
Choose Sophos if: existing Sophos endpoint or firewall customers adding managed services on their existing platform. Choose WithSecure if: european mid-market organizations prioritizing EU data residency, GDPR, NIS2, and DORA compliance. Sophos is not ideal for organizations needing raw telemetry query access (Sophos Central provides dashboards only). WithSecure is not ideal for organizations committed to multi-vendor or BYO-EDR strategies (requires WithSecure agent).
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.