Cortex XSOAR vs IBM QRadar SOAR

Cortex XSOAR9.3Visit IBM QRadar SOAR8.9Visit

Higher score Cortex XSOAR #1 in Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response Software 9.3/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Cortex XSOAR

vs

IBM QRadar SOAR #5 in Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response Software 8.9/10 Pricing on request ✓ 1 of 4 features Visit IBM

• Cortex XSOAR fits best

  Large SOCs needing mature, full-featured orchestration

• IBM QRadar SOAR fits best

  QRadar-centered SOCs preferring self-hosted SOAR

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Cortex XSOAR 9.3/10 Visit ↗	IBM QRadar SOAR 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.9
Ranking	#1 in Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response Software	#5 in Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response Software
Best for	Large SOCs needing mature, full-featured orchestration	QRadar-centered SOCs preferring self-hosted SOAR
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	—	Pricing on request
Free plan	Not checked yet	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web
Integrations	5 integrations	300+ integrations
Features Cortex XSOAR 0/4 · IBM QRadar SOAR 1/4
Case management	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
SIEM integration	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Threat intelligence	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Endpoint response	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Playbook builder	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Included connectors	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Visual playbooks automate enrichment, investigation and response workflows Case management includes collaboration, war rooms and audit reporting Integrates SIEM, network security, threat intelligence and Cortex tools	Combines incident case management with automated and manual playbooks Low-code Playbook Designer supports custom response workflows Offers 300+ integrations across security and service tools
Cons	Pricing requires contacting sales SaaS incident retention defaults to six months The documented Enterprise mobile app has reached end of life	Requires a sales inquiry for pricing Self-hosted deployment may not suit teams seeking a hosted service Support channels listed are community and documentation
Our verdict	Cortex XSOAR is a security orchestration, automation and response platform from Palo Alto Networks for security operations teams. It combines incident and case management, process-driven playbooks, investigation war rooms, threat… Read the review →	IBM QRadar SOAR gives security operations teams a place to manage incidents, coordinate response and automate repeatable work. Its case management, alert enrichment and investigation workflows suit mid-market and enterprise SOCs handling… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Cortex XSOAR — where it wins

  • Visual playbooks automate enrichment, investigation and response workflows
  • Case management includes collaboration, war rooms and audit reporting
  • Integrates SIEM, network security, threat intelligence and Cortex tools

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contacting sales
  • SaaS incident retention defaults to six months
  • The documented Enterprise mobile app has reached end of life

• IBM QRadar SOAR — where it wins

  • Combines incident case management with automated and manual playbooks
  • Low-code Playbook Designer supports custom response workflows
  • Offers 300+ integrations across security and service tools

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a sales inquiry for pricing
  • Self-hosted deployment may not suit teams seeking a hosted service
  • Support channels listed are community and documentation

• Cortex XSOAR9.3/10 · Pricing on request

  Full-featured SOAR for large security operations teams needing broad automation.

  Visit Cortex XSOARFull verdict →
• IBM QRadar SOAR8.9/10 · Pricing on request

  A self-hosted SOAR platform with case management, playbooks and 300+ integrations.

  Visit IBMFull verdict →