Our primary use case for the solution is customization and integration with Microsoft infrastructure.
Head of Security Monitoring and Control at Alstom Ferroviaria S.p.A.
Great customization and integration with Microsoft infrastructure, but its performance and customization could be better
Pros and Cons
- "Its agility and scalability are valuable."
- "The formats are not compatible, are readily not available, and are not readable."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Its agility and scalability are valuable.
What needs improvement?
Customization and performance can be improved. For example, some formats were incompatible when integrating, and they said we needed to work with the vendor to fix this issue because some logs that AVA logs were not compatible, and it did not readily recognize the format. Most of the time, I heard this as feedback. The formats are not compatible, are readily not available, and are not readable. Then we had to work it and write it manually.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for over five years.
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR
September 2025

Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
868,787 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. Internally, there are around ten to 12 people who use it. However, I am unsure of the exact number of external users.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is priced reasonably.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a seven out of ten. The solution is good, but its performance and customization can be improved. I advise new users to understand their use cases. For example, suppose somebody is starting with highly customizable options and wants more agility to go to a micro level. In that case, I will still recommend people start with XSOAR, understand the environment, and then go to Sentinel. But it could also be done differently. It depends on the company's objective, so if you look at it as we started with Cortex a couple of years before. And now, looking forward and at compelling factors, we are moving to Microsoft.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

SOC Operator at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Centralizes incident management with enhanced security process automation
Pros and Cons
- "Cortex XSOAR's playbook for incident management and automation is highly valuable."
- "The price of the solution could be lower."
What is our primary use case?
We automate security processes, particularly SOC automation, for our clients using Cortex XSOAR. We implement these processes for major companies in Portugal.
What is most valuable?
Cortex XSOAR's playbook for incident management and automation is highly valuable. We develop Playbooks automation, centralize incident data, and try to enhance the efficiency of resolving incident cases. The platform's features focus on closing the incident lifecycle more quickly, managing incidents efficiently, and integration capabilities across security infrastructure.
What needs improvement?
The price of the solution could be lower. Companies utilizing this solution should have a well-developed cybersecurity team to maximize its benefits. It is more suited for large organizations rather than small or medium-sized companies.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Cortex XSOAR for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is rated eight out of ten, indicating it's quite stable without major issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is rated nine, reflecting its ability to scale effectively.
How are customer service and support?
Our team has more experience with the solution than Palo Alto's technical support. Our experience initially showed that the Palo Alto implementation was not optimal, but this has improved over time.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Fortinet. We have now shifted focus to Palo Alto, specifically relying on the Cortex XDR and Cortex XSOAR solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Cortex XSOAR is simple.
What about the implementation team?
Our internal team has been pivotal in implementing and solving issues with the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution is high and not justifiable for small or medium-sized companies without a developed cybersecurity team.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We moved from a primary focus on Fortinet to Palo Alto.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the overall solution eight out of ten as it is considered top-notch in the market. It is highly recommended, however, better suited for organizations with mature cybersecurity teams.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR
September 2025

Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
868,787 professionals have used our research since 2012.
SOC Analyst at Contensis
Used to automate SIEM tools and incidents
Pros and Cons
- "We use the solution to automate our SIEM tools and incidents."
- "The solution's correlation rules and playbooks should be improved."
What is most valuable?
We use the solution to automate our SIEM tools and incidents.
What needs improvement?
The solution's correlation rules and playbooks should be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR for six to seven months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution seven and a half out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
More than 100 users are using the solution in our organization.
I rate the solution a six out of ten for the scalability of its on-premises version.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also use the ArcSight solution.
What about the implementation team?
The solution can be deployed within a few minutes.
What other advice do I have?
We are using the latest version of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR. The solution's on-premises version is not scalable. Around five people are involved with the solution’s maintenance.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Cybersecurity incident response team lead at Information Technology Solutions- ITS
Helps to address multiple cybersecurity and operational needs
Pros and Cons
- "What I like most about Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR is how user-friendly it is for development. It is much simpler to work with compared to similar tools I've used."
- "It doesn't offer automatic internet reports out of the box."
What is our primary use case?
As an integrator, I have used Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR in various customer environments for a wide range of purposes. This includes improving IT security, streamlining operations, automating incident response actions, creating playbooks with approvals, and enhancing integrations with different security tools. In essence, Cortex XSOAR serves as a versatile platform that helps address multiple cybersecurity and operational needs in organizations.
What is most valuable?
What I like most about Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR is how user-friendly it is for development. It is much simpler to work with compared to similar tools I've used. If you can think of it, you can probably do it. However, there are some limitations, but speed isn't one of them.
What needs improvement?
One limitation I have noticed with Cortex XSOAR is that it doesn't offer automatic threat intel reports out of the box. However, you can achieve this through coding, and we have managed to do it in our own environment using scripts and playbooks. It is not a built-in feature, but it is possible with some coding skills. The good news is that Palo Alto Networks plans to make this process more automated in the future, but it is not available yet.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cortex XSOAR's stability depends on the right sizing. When sized correctly, it is very stable and I would rate it a strong nine out of ten. But if the sizing is wrong, performance problems can arise. For instance, customers with closed storage systems had issues during heavy workloads. To keep it stable, having at least 3,000 IOPs is advised, especially for customers with high storage needs. So, sizing is key for a successful and stable experience.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cortex XSOAR is generally scalable and I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. It is a bit challenging to migrate it from a regular database to a high-availability Elastic database, but it is possible. The ease of migration depends on how well it was planned from the start. Overall, it is a good option for scalability, but careful planning is essential for smooth transitions. The engine, which acts as a broker for connections and integrations in Cortex XSOAR, is highly efficient and reliable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Cortex XSOAR is generally straightforward, but it can get a bit tricky when dealing with a lot of use cases. If you plan to create large playbooks, it is crucial to size the system correctly from the start. Otherwise, you might run into performance issues. Apart from that, there aren't many problems with the implementation process. The challenge mainly revolves around sizing the system correctly, especially when customers have lots of ideas that could make playbooks complex and resource-intensive. So, it is important to plan carefully in such cases. In the best-case scenario, deploying Cortex XSOAR can be done in about 30 minutes when everything is prepared and ready. However, for full integration into the customer's environment, assuming no restrictions or communication issues, it might take roughly two and a half hours.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. My advice to new users would be to plan ahead before implementing Cortex XSOAR. Understand your use cases well and have a solid strategy because the implementation is an ongoing process that you can always improve. Consider creating an adoption plan for what you will do this year and next year in terms of integration and use cases. Keep it user-friendly and introduce use cases gradually to your team instead of overwhelming them all at once. It's about taking steps to make it effective over time.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Network Engineer at Kamps Propane
Helps to enhance cybersecurity but needs improvement in pricing
Pros and Cons
- "From the security team's standpoint, the solution has improved our organization's overall cybersecurity."
- "The price of the solution could be improved."
How has it helped my organization?
From the security team's standpoint, the solution has improved our organization's overall cybersecurity.
What needs improvement?
The price of the solution could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the past three and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of the tool as a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the scalability of the solution as an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
We haven’t used technical support yet.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not complex.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the product as an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Splunker, Networking and E-Mail Security Architect, Engineer and Guru at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Easy to use, stable, scalable, and has responsive support
Pros and Cons
- "It has an extensive list of integrations that are available out of the box which makes it easy to start."
- "I would love to see more flexibility on what we can display and design on the dashboards."
What is our primary use case?
We use Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR for several areas of security automation, such as phishing, investigating, mitigating, the detection of impossible travel, and consolidating threat information for our internal systems.
How has it helped my organization?
It reduces manual interactions of security analysts. Before they had to check on three, or four different websites to see if something was good or bad. Now, Cortex does all of that for us.
What is most valuable?
It is very easy to use.
It has an extensive list of integrations that are available out of the box which makes it easy to start.
What needs improvement?
I would love to see more flexibility on what we can display and design on the dashboards.
For how long have I used the solution?
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR has been active for six months.
We are always on the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR is pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It offers some architecture recommendations to make it really scalable if you choose.
For example, hot standby, bond standby, clustering, and breaking out components in dedicated servers. You can go wild if you want to go wild, but we wanted to keep it easy and stable.
Pretty much network security and SOC are the main users. I believe that we are licensed for 20 users.
We are definitely extensively using this solution. We are currently training many additional teams to be self-sufficient in usage. The usage will increase more and more.
How are customer service and technical support?
With Palo Alto technical support, if you get to the right people, you get an answer very quickly.
What I like about the Cortex team is that they have a dedicated select center where you can get service in minutes and that's extremely helpful.
Overall, I am satisfied with the technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We evaluated two or three other vendors.
We are a very big Palo Alto shop and we needed to have some Palo Alto features, which are implemented now in Cortex. We are pretty much guided in that direction for some of the security features we need for our firewalls.
How was the initial setup?
I would say the initial setup was really straightforward.
You need to be a little bit aware of Linux unless you buy the hosted version, then you don't need to know anything about it. If you decide you want to run it yourself, you should have some Linux skills because it's a Docker framework on Linux. Knowing a bit about that is handy.
It was up and running in half a day.
What about the implementation team?
It only requires one person to maintain this solution. I do it myself along with many other tasks. In a larger environment, you split into two teams, OS maintenance and application maintenance.
We had help from Palo Alto SE resource for the PoC, but the setup was completed on our own.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a concurrent user license.
The licensing is a pretty high price for a user license per year.
The base product is very cheap, you can even get it for free, but the fee per user is expensive. It is approx $10,000 or $20,000 per year for two user licenses.
It's a great product, although it might become very pricey if you need several user licenses.
They need to automate everything to reduce the number of user licenses needed. If it is an automated workflow, you don't need to be licensed.
If Cortex sends an email asking a user to say yes or no, you don't need a license for that user. You just need a user license if you want to improve what Cortex does in terms of workbooks, cases, and more.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Splunk for six months and decided against it three to six months ago.
What other advice do I have?
Have a very good understanding of what you want to automate. Define the process and make sure the integrations you need are available out of the box.
I would also suggest starting simple. Try easy use cases first and until you feel confident before you get into more complex use cases.
I would rate Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Operations Deputy Manager at Ultramar Agencia Marítima
Helpful remote control capabilities, scalable, and simple deployment
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR are the remote controller from the workstation that can execute commands and isolate the systems outside of the network. Only the system with an internet connection can execute the task because the main console is in the cloud."
- "Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR could improve the look, feel, and management of the cloud console. Additionally, the user could be more easily integrated."
What is our primary use case?
My primary use for Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR is to protect the workstation for the end-users.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR are the remote controller from the workstation that can execute commands and isolate the systems outside of the network. Only the system with an internet connection can execute the task because the main console is in the cloud.
What needs improvement?
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR could improve the look, feel, and management of the cloud console. Additionally, the user could be more easily integrated.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR for two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately 1,000 users using Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR in our organization. The solution is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
We only require one or two staff to deploy the agent of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR because it is very simple. One for the server and the other for the workstation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR could be reduced. We are always looking for a discount. There is an annual license needed to use this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Specialist - Information Security at LPI
Drastically reduces trivial tasks inside the SOC environment
Pros and Cons
- "Cortex XSOAR's most valuable features are the playbooks, custom integration, the machine-learning model, and the layout, classifier, and mapper."
- "Corex XSOAR could be improved by reducing the time it takes to process large amounts of data and increasing the number of integrations."
What is our primary use case?
I mainly use Cortex XSOAR to automate cybersecurity and the SOC environment.
To minimize manual tasks and increase level of automation.
How has it helped my organization?
Cortex XSOAR drastically reduces trivial tasks inside the SOC environment, which provides a huge benefit for L1 analysts.
What is most valuable?
Cortex XSOAR's most valuable features are the playbooks, custom integration, the machine-learning model, and the layout, classifier, and mapper.
What needs improvement?
Corex XSOAR could be improved by reducing the time it takes to process large amounts of data and increasing the number of integrations. In the next release, Palo Alto should include popup features - for example, if someone is working on an incident, it should pop up and display in front of me once it's clicked.
For how long have I used the solution?
4 years
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cortex XSOAR is very stable in our environment, and we haven't seen any platform issues with it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cortex XSOAR is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Palo Alto's support services require a lot of improvement.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used Qradar SOAR . Cortex xsoar support is very good and contain lot of OOTB playbooks but comparatively qradar soar lack in OOTB Playbooks.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy. Also in latest version platform is managed by Palo alto cloud itself and rest of the configuration is done from UI itself.
So zero load in configuring platform.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cortex XSOAR's license price could be lower.
What other advice do I have?
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner

Buyer's Guide
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Updated: September 2025
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