Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks vs CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager comparison

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks vs. CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

5.2

Cortex XDR enhances security and cost efficiency by reducing malware incidents, consolidating solutions, and ensuring data protection.

Sentiment score

7.2

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager enhances security, reduces risks and costs, saves resources, and protects sensitive information effectively.

They appreciate the rich telemetry data from the solution, as it provides in-depth threat identification.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks report

Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks helps to reduce my total cost of ownership significantly.

MahmoudOsama Abdo

Detection and Response Consultant at Inovasys

I have seen a return on investment with Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks, as this product is offered at a minimal cost, and we can find a good ROI from it.

Pratham K

Cyber Security Information Security Specialist at MHM Holding GmbH

Deploying CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager has secured the infrastructure, which saves money, time, and resources.

For more quotes and insights, download the CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager report

Lead Consultant at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

I consider CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager's return on investment to be good since it effectively accomplishes the goals expected from privilege access management solutions.

Diego Rivera

Commercial and Technical Professional Manager at Evolution Technologies Group

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.9

Customer opinions on Cortex XDR support vary, praising expertise yet noting slow resolutions and regional language challenges.

Sentiment score

6.2

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager support is knowledgeable but needs improvements in response times, accessibility, and first-level assistance.

The technical support from Palo Alto deserves a mark of ten because they reach out within an hour whenever assistance is needed.

AmjadKhan1

Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees

There is no back and forth, and they know what we are asking for and come up with the best resolution for a solution.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks report

Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk

If any of these services are missed, it becomes a problem in terms of support tickets, follow-up, or special configuration that needs to be done in the system.

reviewer1412415

Chief of IT Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

They respond immediately to our inquiries, resolve issues promptly, and provide valuable guidance, especially in critical situations.

Security Delivery Analyst at Accenture

We engage them when needed and receive prompt responses that typically resolve our issues.

Global Security Systems Consultant at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

Earlier, we received support for normal tickets within a day, but now it takes one or two days to resolve issues.

For more quotes and insights, download the CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager report

Lead Consultant at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.5

Cortex XDR scales efficiently across diverse environments, enabling rapid deployment and seamless expansion for various company sizes.

Sentiment score

7.7

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager efficiently scales for large deployments, praised for growth-centered architecture despite integration complexities.

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks can be expanded anytime by purchasing another license without any issues related to scalability.

AmjadKhan1

Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees

I think scalability for Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is good.

reviewer2798475

Threat Analyst II at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks report

We can set permissions per team or department, allowing some teams to elevate specific applications while others have different permissions.

Global Security Systems Consultant at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is quite scalable.

For more quotes and insights, download the CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager report

Security Delivery Analyst at Accenture

The available reports and other security tools assist in scaling it according to my organization's needs.

Gani Habib

Cybersecurity Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.0

Cortex XDR is reliable, stable, easy to deploy, with some minor issues in updates and heavy data loads.

Sentiment score

8.2

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is stable, with 99.99% uptime, reliable on Windows, needing console improvements and minimal memory.

Cortex remains fast and responsive, even with increasing data and alerts.

Surya Kumar Gedala

Final Year Student at Gitam University

The thresholds we've seen on our firewall boxes at some instances reached 80% to 85%, but even at that level of utilization, we don't observe any latency or any issues reported with respect to accessing the application.

Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk

Cortex XDR is stable, offering high quality and reliable performance.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks report

Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank

It is a robust solution that has effectively supported our environment without major issues.

Security Delivery Analyst at Accenture

Since implementing it, we have not experienced any outages or stability issues.

Global Security Systems Consultant at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager offers multiple options for creating and stopping policies.

For more quotes and insights, download the CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager report

Lead Consultant at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

Room For Improvement

Cortex XDR needs better reporting, UI, integration, reduced resource use, enhanced support, and more automation for improved usability.

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager needs improved integration, user interface, and pricing, along with enhanced compatibility and functionality.

Improving reporting and dashboard customization, along with the addition of real-time and exportable reports, would help SOC teams greatly.

Surya Kumar Gedala

Final Year Student at Gitam University

The inclusion of this feature would allow the application of DLP policies alongside antivirus policies via a single agent and console, making it more competitive as other OEMs often offer DLP solutions as part of their antivirus products.

NiteshSharma

Pre-Sales Architect at network techlab

If the per GB data could be provided at a certain level free of cost or at the same cost which the customer is taking for the entire bundle, that would be better.

Pratham K

Cyber Security Information Security Specialist at MHM Holding GmbH

For more quotes and insights, download the Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks report

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager could be improved by simplifying the administration process, specifically when setting up policies and applications.

Global Security Systems Consultant at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

Currently, no user-based policy option is available inside the EPM console.

For more quotes and insights, download the CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager report

Lead Consultant at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

Some features provided in the self-hosted version of EPM are not supported in the software as a service version, like connection to some analysis applied by Palo Alto.

Marek Neumann

Solution Architect at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

Setup Cost

Cortex XDR is costly but offers flexible licensing and robust security, with discounts available for long-term commitments.

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager's high pricing is justified by its quality, features, and appeal to large enterprises in finance.

The pricing on SentinelOne is far more reasonable and cheaper than Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks.

Olive Kusumbara

Consultant at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

I would say it is definitely not a cheap product, considering how mature it is and how scalable all Palo Alto products are together.

Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk

Cortex XDR is perceived as expensive by some customers, yet offers dynamic pricing.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks report

Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is slightly expensive, but costs can be negotiated to become more competitive.

Gani Habib

Cybersecurity Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is costly compared to other solutions.

For more quotes and insights, download the CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager report

Lead Consultant at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

I've received feedback that the pricing is high, however, for me, the value it brings is worth the cost.

Padmanabha Hegde

Manager at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Valuable Features

Cortex XDR offers AI-driven threat detection, seamless integration, and intuitive features for robust, adaptive endpoint and network protection.

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager enhances security by managing privileges, integrating seamlessly, and preventing ransomware while ensuring regulatory compliance.

It incorporates AI for normal behavior detection, distinguishing unusual operations.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks report

Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank

The product provides automation responses in case of a threat attack, severity assessments, centralized manageability, and comprehensive compliance features, resulting in reduced costs.

NiteshSharma

Pre-Sales Architect at network techlab

It includes machine learning to easily analyze data and detect complex threats across endpoints, networks, or clouds.

Surya Kumar Gedala

Final Year Student at Gitam University

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager effectively reduces malicious content in applications by allowing us to identify and block dangerous applications.

For more quotes and insights, download the CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager report

Security Delivery Analyst at Accenture

It allows them to granularly manage controls to prevent some malicious activities on the endpoint machine.

reviewer1247523

Head of Sales Services Department at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager enhances computer security by providing minimal access, effectively preventing ransomware attacks.

Gani Habib

Cybersecurity Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

Categories and Ranking

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Net...

Ranking in Ransomware Protection

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

103

Ranking in other categories

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (5th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (8th), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (7th), AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms (2nd)

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege...

Ranking in Ransomware Protection

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Endpoint Compliance (4th), Privileged Access Management (PAM) (4th), Anti-Malware Tools (5th), Application Control (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Ransomware Protection category, the mindshare of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is 12.7%, down from 20.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is 6.2%, down from 7.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ransomware Protection Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks	12.7%
CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager	6.2%
Other	81.1%

Ransomware Protection

Featured Reviews

Gained full visibility and streamlined threat detection through behavior-based insights and AI integration

Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk

Initially, we got to have a lot of false positives when we onboarded, but nowadays it's quite smooth. We have fine-tuned our security policies and allowed different levels of policies to get rid of those false positives. Currently, we are getting a fairly good amount of incidents that are not false positives or benign, but actionable items. The process is streamlined. In the initial days, the operations used to get involved in a lot of benign and other activities, but now the process is streamlined. We are leveraging the auto-detection and remediation plans. The operations teams are now more involved in other business roles as well, not just looking into the logs and fetching out what's happening there. They have fixed a lot of things. Initially, they didn't have IAC code drift detection, cloud posture management, or security posture management, but they have those now. They purchased different vendors and did a merger with that. They have now Prisma Cloud that gets integrated and now they are working with Cortex Cloud. Everything that was negative has now been addressed, and the product altogether looks to be in a very better and mature shape now. Currently, it's more or less detecting the workloads with AI-based best practices. Since most organizations are consuming AI agents and other things, we are looking forward to seeing what other feature enhancements Palo Alto can support in that.

Read full review

Helps secure the infrastructure and control users with admin rights

Lead Consultant at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

There are many features that are currently missing. A customization option is required for certain policies. For instance, if we need to stop PowerShell scripting, we have to create a different policy for that. Being able to create a sub-level policy within a top-level policy would be good. Currently, no user-based policy option is available inside the EPM console. We can only create computer-based policies. The database is available, but there is a drawback in not being able to create local groups on the EPM console. We only have to depend on Active Directory. This limits infrastructure security as we depend on the Active Directory team to manage user groups. If they remove any users, we lose control. If we could create groups locally and block them or set specific policies, we would have more control. Local endpoint management is missing from the EPM site. Moreover, there is an issue with policies not running as expected when we make enhancements. We have to find multiple ways to whitelist applications or enhance policies.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	43
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	44

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	18

Questions from the Community

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. Sentinel One

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How is Cortex XDR compared with Microsoft Defender?

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security solution. The tool reduces the attack surface, applies behavioral-based endpoint protection and response, and includes risk-ba...

Looking for recommendations and a pros/cons template for software to detect insider threats

This is an inside-out --- outside-in --- inside-in question, as an insider can be an outsider as well. There is no short answer other than a blend of a PAM tool with Behavioral Analytics and Endpo...

What do you like most about CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager?

The most valuable feature of the solution is its performance.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager?

I believe it's quite a reasonably priced solution. It's not very common to use CyberArk because it's a niche solution, but customers who are willing to control administrative accounts are willing t...

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

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Product Reports

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

January 2026

Download Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks product report

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager

January 2026

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager report

Download CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager product report

Also Known As

Cyvera, Cortex XDR, Palo Alto Networks Traps

Viewfinity

Overview

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks delivers comprehensive endpoint security, integrating well with other systems to offer robust threat detection and real-time protection through AI-driven analytics.

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks offers advanced endpoint protection and threat detection through AI and behavior-based analytics. Its user-friendly design simplifies integration with firewalls, delivering multi-layered protection with low resource consumption. Valued for policy management, USB control, and incident correlation, Cortex XDR enhances threat management and real-time threat hunting capabilities. However, users note challenges with third-party integration, reporting, and dashboard automation. Agent performance across operating systems and memory consumption are areas for improvement, alongside reducing false positives and simplifying endpoint management and setup.

What features does Cortex XDR offer?

Behavior-Based Detection: Analyzes user behavior to identify suspicious activities.
AI Analytics: Utilizes AI for accurate threat detection and response.
Real-Time Protection: Provides immediate defense against threats.
Policy Management: Allows customization of security policies across endpoints.
USB Control: Regulates USB device access for added security.
Incident Correlation: Connects and analyzes various security events for better response.
Firewall Integration: Seamlessly works with firewalls for enhanced security.
Machine Learning Capabilities: Continuously improves threat detection precision.

What benefits should be considered in reviews?

Low Resource Consumption: Efficient security functions without taxing system resources.
Multi-Layered Protection: Comprehensive security across multiple attack vectors.
User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design for easier management.
Enhanced Threat Management: Identifies and mitigates threats effectively.
Real-Time Threat Hunting: Proactively searches for and mitigates potential threats.

Cortex XDR is crucial in industries requiring robust endpoint protection, such as finance, healthcare, and technology. It supports malware detection, behavioral analysis, and ransomware mitigation across endpoints, including remote work environments, providing comprehensive threat visibility and security policy management. The solution's integration with firewalls and specialized industry requirements enhances security posture in diverse operational settings.

Palo Alto Networks

CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager, a critical and foundational endpoint control addresses the underlying weaknesses of endpoint defenses against a privileged attacker and helps enterprises defend against these attacks through removing local admin rights, enforcing least privilege, and implementing foundational endpoint security controls across all Windows, macOS and Linux endpoints from hybrid to cloud environments.

Click here for a free 30 day trial: CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager free trial

CyberArk

Sample Customers

CBI Health Group, University Honda, VakifBank

Information Not Available