Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks vs WatchGuard EPDR comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

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
7.7
Cortex XDR enhances threat prevention, compliance, and cost efficiency, providing rapid ROI and improved security and user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
4.0
WatchGuard EPDR offers strong ROI through streamlined endpoint management and quick deployment, despite cost concerns in Latin American markets.
They appreciate the rich telemetry data from the solution, as it provides in-depth threat identification.
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.
I can say that knowing you have a product like WatchGuard EPDR that's working 24/7 to help protect students in a school is good for ROI.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Palo Alto Networks' customer service receives mixed reviews due to language barriers, response times, and inconsistent technical support quality.
Sentiment score
6.1
WatchGuard EPDR's customer service is praised for knowledgeable, responsive support with direct developer access and reliable solutions.
Their support is efficient and responsive whenever I raise a ticket through my portal.
Every vendor has similar support; it depends on how the case is handled and raised.
I would rate technical support from Palo Alto on a scale from one to ten as an eight, as I find it good.
They create a case, tell me to refer to articles, and if not resolved, they take a remote session to solve the issue.
Technical support for Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is provided by the reseller, and they also do preventive maintenance yearly.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Cortex XDR excels in scalability and adaptability across environments, supporting diverse systems with seamless deployment and reliable expansion.
Sentiment score
6.5
WatchGuard EPDR is highly rated for scalability, supporting organizations with up to 800 users effectively and efficiently.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is stable and reliable, with quick bug fixes and consistent performance across platforms.
Sentiment score
7.9
WatchGuard EPDR is praised for its stability, reliable performance, and efficiency in threat management, meeting user expectations consistently.
For the last 11 months, we haven't faced any outage issues, so it is a stable product.
Cortex XDR is stable, offering high quality and reliable performance.
It is very stable with no hanging problems.
The stability is approximately a seven to eight out of ten.
 

Room For Improvement

Users find Cortex XDR challenging due to integration issues, high memory usage, limited features, and a need for improvements.
WatchGuard EPDR in Latin America is pricey, with limited compatibility and features needing improvement for broader system support.
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.
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.
Cortex XDR could improve its sales support team, including better commission structures and referral programs.
Other firewalls allow adding categories and in-app controls which WatchGuard currently lacks.
Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is not compatible with certain network devices like access points, switches, or routers, which would be an area for improvement.
I would prefer to see some features such as AI in antivirus solutions.
 

Setup Cost

Cortex XDR offers flexible licensing, valued for complex security needs, but perceived as costly and variable in international markets.
WatchGuard EPDR is seen as affordable and offers good value, competitively priced against brands like Sophos and Palo Alto XDR.
Compared to competitors such as CrowdStrike and Sophos, the pricing of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is similar to CrowdStrike but more expensive than Sophos.
Cortex XDR is perceived as expensive by some customers, yet offers dynamic pricing.
It is worth the money and provides good return on investment.
The pricing is slightly high, but the product quality justifies it.
Regarding pricing, I am not sure because I did not compare it with other antivirus; maybe it is pricey.
 

Valuable Features

Cortex XDR ensures comprehensive protection with AI-driven analytics, multi-layered threat detection, and seamless integration, enhancing security management.
WatchGuard EPDR offers zero-trust, AI monitoring, ransomware protection, and integration with firewalls, emphasizing real-time insights and patch management.
It incorporates AI for normal behavior detection, distinguishing unusual operations.
The product provides automation responses in case of a threat attack, severity assessments, centralized manageability, and comprehensive compliance features, resulting in reduced costs.
If a user doesn't click any link within 30 days and on the 31st day clicks a new link, Cortex XDR immediately alerts us that this user has clicked on an uncommon link or their behavior is uncommon.
The cloud of WatchGuard lets me see all my devices, updating me to minute levels with detailed information, such as patch status and vulnerabilities.
It prevents issues with Trojans and encryption Trojans, providing efficiency in network oversight.
What is really great about Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is its console in the cloud, and it can keep the inventory of software in the PC.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Net...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
91
Ranking in other categories
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (7th), Ransomware Protection (2nd), AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms (4th)
WatchGuard EPDR
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
11th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
35
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (13th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is 3.7%, down from 4.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WatchGuard EPDR is 2.0%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

NiteshSharma - PeerSpot reviewer
Automated threat response and behavioral control improve security measures
I recommend adding a data loss prevention (DLP) solution to Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks. 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. Additionally, multi-tenancy and multi-cloud features are not available and should be considered for inclusion.
PaolaLamura - PeerSpot reviewer
While being easy to manage and create reports, the tool also offers a good UI
I rate the ease of use and management of Panda Adaptive Defense 360 an eight on a scale of one to ten. The tool's ability to provide information about the vulnerability is the most impactful feature of the product that has an impact on our company's security posture. Speaking about scenarios where the solution effectively prevented the security breach, I would say that our company sees how the tool blocks when our customers accidentally click on some malware, after which it quarantines that file. My company makes a playbook with the SOAR tool that Panda Adaptive Defense 360 uses to block and isolate attacks. In our company's system, if there is a big event that occurs, then to block the endpoint, we use SOAR with Panda Adaptive Defense 360 to block and isolate attacks or threats. The solution's real-time monitoring has improved our company's ability to detect threats if we use it in our company with Panda SIEMFeeder. Only if in my company there is a need to do some research, prepare a report, or if we want to change the policy, so it is not very often that we use the visualization part of the tool in our company. The reporting and analytics part of the tool has helped with the decision-making in our company since we combine different kinds of logs and situations from different ingestion logs, and we can configure a specific alert. In my company, we use the tool's data search functionality if required to check the information we need. Presently, our company uses the configuration alert and SIEMFeeder in our system. I rate the tool a nine out of ten.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) solutions are best for your needs.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Hospitality Company
6%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. Sentinel One
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. SentinelOne SentinelOne offers very detailed specifics with regard to risks or attacks. The ability to reverse damage caused by ransomware with minimal interruptions to...
Comparing CrowdStrike Falcon to Cortex XDR (Palo Alto)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. CrowdStrike Falcon Both Cortex XDR and Crowd Strike Falcon offer cloud-based solutions that are very scalable, secure, and user-friendly. Cortex XDR by Palo Alto offers ...
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...
What do you like most about WatchGuard EPDR?
The product's most valuable features are the zero-trust application service and its capability to detect threats and attacks.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WatchGuard EPDR?
I think the pricing is normal because we subscribe for three years. Regarding pricing, I am not sure because I did not compare it with other antivirus; maybe it is pricey.
What needs improvement with WatchGuard EPDR?
I have no idea if I use some automation functions. I can't find any disadvantages; maybe that is because many companies haven't used it. I would prefer to see some features such as AI in antivirus ...
 

Also Known As

Cyvera, Cortex XDR, Palo Alto Networks Traps
Panda Adaptive Defense 360
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

CBI Health Group, University Honda, VakifBank
Indra, Valea AB, Fineit, Aemcom, Data Solutions INC., Gloucestershire NHS, Golden Star Resources Ltd, Hispania Racing Team, Instituto Dos Museus e da ConserÊo, Escuelas Pias Provincia Emaus, Axiom Housing Association, Municipality of Bjuv, Lesedi Nuclear, Mullsj_ municipality, Eng. skolan Norr AB, Dalakraft AB, Peter Green Haulage Ltd
Find out what your peers are saying about Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks vs. WatchGuard EPDR and other solutions. Updated: August 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.