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Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting vs Sophos MDR comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender Experts ...
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
22nd
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sophos MDR
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is 1.7%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos MDR is 5.9%, down from 6.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
 

Featured Reviews

GK
Provides security for organizations by detecting suspicious items
We use Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting to support customers by updating, scanning, and installing Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is an antivirus that has provided security for our organization. The solution helps to detect some suspicious items for us and our clients. The…
Shaun Gordon - PeerSpot reviewer
Extensive data lake, ease of use is great and you can really get started very quickly
Sophos MDR is a service. MDR is managed detection and response. It's a managed security service. So instead of having an anti-malware, which in Sophos' case would be Intercept X, with MDR, they add human-led threat hunting. It's a managed service. So it's not a product that you sell the client per se. You're selling them a service, which is almost like an SLA, and that includes Cloud MDR. MDR is not a product. It's a service. The reality is that when it comes to the likes of SentinelOne, McAfee, CrowdStrike, ESET, and all the other players out there, they're single-product security companies. CrowdStrike is an anti-malware. That's one thing. ESET, same thing. But if you look at the other vendors, within the appliances, you're looking at Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Checkpoint. They only sell firewalls. That's all they do. When you deal with Sophos, they are the entire product suite. They sell firewalls. They sell Intercept X, which is their anti-malware, Intercept X for Server with anti-malware, email protection with ties into Office 365, and Sophos Plus encryption. All of these security products pull telemetry. So every time somebody hits a firewall, it's called, for argument's sake, that goes into their central data lake. All the firewalls around the world add that information to a data lake. Now, when you're dealing with Sophos, because of their exposure, because they've got so many different products, their data lake is a lot more extensive than competing vendors because they're not relying on one threat factor. They're not relying on one area of expertise. They're a global company. So, I can't compare their telemetry, for instance, to the likes of CrowdStrike. If CrowdStrike has probably started doing appliances, then the users will get that benefit as well. Sophos is the only vendor that does do that. It's like hiring a security team. Sophos do things differently in that they've got more telemetry and more insight into a network because they offer a variety of products. The other part about it is Sophos MDR; the service, unlike other vendors like CrowdStrike, is not limited to their products. If you are running CrowdStrike in your company, for instance, you can get their integration packs, in which case Sophos will manage your CrowdStrike system for you. Whereas with CrowdStrike, it's only CrowdStrike. You are locked into that vendor. So Sophos offers that flexibility. It's a multi-vendor service as opposed to SentinelOne or CrowdStrike, which is a single-vendor service. For instance, if I'm running Sophos, I would like to go with CrowdStrike MDR. I would have to remove my entire security investment, in this case, Sophos, and reinstall CrowdStrike in order to use their service. Sophos doesn't have that problem. If you've got CrowdStrike and you've already invested in CrowdStrike, cool. You stay on CrowdStrike. They will still manage it for you.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution helps to detect some suspicious items for us and our clients."
"The initial setup is quick and simple. A couple of clicks, and you're up and running."
"Sophos MDR has improved the threat detection process by identifying and addressing the issues before they become severe."
"The solution is stable."
"The most valuable feature is threat hunting."
"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution."
"The product’s most valuable feature is rapid response."
"There is a feature called XDR Central. With this, Sophos can connect to third-party security solutions."
"The most valuable aspect of this solution is the ability to interact with the firewall and workstations seamlessly to shut down the threats. Additionally, you are able to control the workstations remotely."
 

Cons

"The solution’s user interface could be improved."
"The product must provide zero trust security."
"Support could provide a faster response."
"Sophos MDR's support and basic training of their devices could be improved."
"Its technical support could be better."
"Once in a great while, an update fails."
"Maybe the reporting needs improvement."
"The technical team for Sophos MDR is not so good since they take a long time, like a week, to provide a solution to a simple case or problem we face in our company."
"The integration with third-party solutions as an area for slight improvement"
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The tool is too expensive for small companies."
"Compared to other tools, Sophos has a pretty good price."
"Sophos MDR is not a cheap product. Compared with other solutions in the market, Sophos MDR is available at a good price, especially considering its performance."
"It is an expensive platform."
"Sophos MDR is a cheap solution."
"Sophos MDR could be more affordable."
"The solution is expensive."
"I rate Sophos MDR’s pricing a seven or eight out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting?
The solution helps to detect some suspicious items for us and our clients.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting?
We use Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting to support customers by updating, scanning, and installing.
What do you like most about Sophos MDR?
The user doesn't need a technician; it offers 24/7 support to identify and manage your infrastructure and take complete care of any technological incidents.
What needs improvement with Sophos MDR?
There could be improvement in features like more detailed reporting for the end customer. For example, reports should be in simple language that is easy to read and understand for management level ...
What advice do you have for others considering Sophos MDR?
I would absolutely recommend Sophos MDR to other organizations. It is rated ten out of ten overall, with a deduction of one point only due to the commercial cost. I'd rate the solution nine out of ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Sophos Managed Threat Response
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about CrowdStrike, Huntress, Arctic Wolf Networks and others in Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.