Elastic Security vs IBM Security QRadar comparison

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Microsoft Logo
6,000 views|4,488 comparisons
97% willing to recommend
Elastic Logo
15,437 views|12,779 comparisons
86% willing to recommend
IBM Logo
15,094 views|9,166 comparisons
91% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Sep 1, 2022

We performed a comparison between Elastic Security and IBM QRadar based on our users’ reviews in four categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: Elastic Security users tell us deployment is simple and straightforward. IBM QRadar users advise that a solid understanding of the IBM system is needed to deploy successfully.
  • Features: Elastic Security users appreciate that it is very comprehensive, allows for many tasks to be performed simultaneously, and is very quick to respond. Many users feel the solution could be more user friendly and should offer better integrations with other products.

    IBM QRadar users like that it gives them a single window view into the organization's network, SIEM, network flows, and risk management of assets. The solution offers some very intuitive AI features which make staying on the offense easy. Many users feel the solution is a bit clunky and is very taxing on system resources.
  • Pricing: Elastic Security is an open-source solution. They do have many different licensing options, which can get expensive. IBM QRadar users tell us the solution is very expensive.
  • Service and Support: Many Elastic Security users feel service and support have room for improvement. Most IBM QRadar users feel the service and support are unsatisfactory.

Comparison Results: PeerSpot users feel IBM QRadar makes SIEM easy. It can pan through tremendous amounts of data quickly and the dashboards and monitoring are amazing, making it a user favorite.

To learn more, read our detailed Elastic Security vs. IBM Security QRadar Report (Updated: April 2024).
770,616 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The visibility into threats that 365 Defender provides is really good. You get a full review of your security system and what can be improved. In the Microsoft 365 Defender portal the first page gives you a really big summary of which security policies you are following and what can be improved.""Microsoft 365 Defender is a stable solution.""The product is very easy to use.""The portal is quite user-friendly. There is integration with Office, Intune, and other products from the same portal. From there, we can see which policies are installed on a particular machine. We also can manage devices, groups, and tagging.""Within advanced threat hunting, the tables that have already been defined by Microsoft are helpful. In the advanced threat hunting tab, there were different tables, and one of the tables was related to device info, device alert, and device events. That was very helpful. Another feature that I liked but didn't have access to was deep analysis.""My clients like Defender's file integrity monitoring. They're monitoring Windows and Linux system files.""Microsoft XDR's system of analysis and investigation is super convenient for our customers. It integrates with other Microsoft solutions like Defender for 365 to protect email traffic from malicious external web links and phishing.""The most valuable aspect is undoubtedly the exploration capability"

More Microsoft Defender XDR Pros →

"It is very quick to react. I can set it to check anomalies or suspicious behavior every 30 seconds. It is very fast.""I like that it's a SIEM platform. I like that I can sell Elastic Security quickly. Elastic Security has a large community that can support users.""Elastic Security is very customizable, and the dashboards are very easy to build.""The stability of the solution is good.""It can handle millions of loads at a time, and you can always use the filters to find exactly what you are looking for and detect errors in every log message you are searching for, basically.""The most valuable feature is the scalability. We are in Indonesia, more engineers understand Elastic Security here. So it is easier to scale and also develop. In features, the discovery to query all the logs is very important to us. It is very easy, especially with the query function and the feature to generate alerts and create tools. Sometimes we use the alert security dashboard to monitor our clients.""The intelligence of the system has been very impressive. It's not quite AI, but the technical bit where it correlates information, based on the seen attacks within an organization is good.""The cost is reasonable. It's not overly pricey."

More Elastic Security Pros →

"The scalability is very good. It's not a problem.""QRadar shows very effective correlations. If you combine all the logins plus user behavior and the current intelligence, it gives a very good correlation for business. I think it reduces the false positives in user activity monitoring because there is a lot of social information to correlate with other data.""The feature that I have found most valuable is how it monitors the real network. That is its leading security feature.""QRadar UBA's most valuable feature is the risk rating of users depending on their behavior.""Due to the skills shortage, we are able to use it from the standpoint of bringing in a lower level employee or a person who may not have security knowledge.""In terms of the most valuable features, the log collections and log processing mechanisms are good. They have good dashboards.""The tool is already automated in many ways, but there are some additional functions which should be automated, like sending an email, mobile notification, and integration of XFS.""The ability to add extensions is the most valuable feature. For example, extensions that provide valuable test ports."

More IBM Security QRadar Pros →

Cons
"Microsoft 365 Defender does not have a unique package with emerging endpoint security technologies, such as EDR and XDR.""What could be improved in Microsoft 365 Defender is its licensing, e.g. it should be more consolidated and would be good if it has some optimizations. Improving the alerts and notifications, in terms of adding more details, would also be good for this solution.""The solution could improve by having better machine learning and AI. Additionally, the interface, documentation, and integration could be better.""The capability to not only thwart attacks but also to adapt to evolving threats is crucial.""Customers say they want absolutely seamless integration between other Microsoft solutions and Defender XDR, including the ability to change device settings within the Defender portal. They need to contact the IT team responsible for the device management tools to change some settings. They would prefer that those changes be initiated directly from the Defender portal or applied from Intune without involving the IT operations team.""Sometimes, configurations take much longer than expected.""A simple dashboard without having to use MS Sentinel would be a welcome improvement.""Microsoft Defender XDR is not a full-fledged EDR or XDR."

More Microsoft Defender XDR Cons →

"This type of monitoring is not very mature just yet. We need more real-time information in a way that's easier to manage.""It would be better if Elastic Security had less storage for data. My customers do not like this. Other vendors have local support in different countries, but Elastic Security doesn't. I would like to have Operational Technology (OT) security in the next release.""This solution cannot do predictive maintenance, so we have to build our own modules for doing it.""It could use maybe a little more on the Linux side.""Elastic Security has a steep learning curve, so it takes some time to tune it and set it up for your environment. There are some costs associated with logging things that don't have value. So you need to be cautious to only log things that make sense and keep them around for as long as you need. You shouldn't hold onto things just because you think you might need them.""Elastic Security could improve the documentation. It would help if they were more simple and clean.""The price of this product could be improved, especially the additional costs. I would also like to see better-quality graphics.""Their visuals and graphs need to be better."

More Elastic Security Cons →

"The weak signal detection with QRadar needs improvement. You can detect what you know, but what is unknown to the rule engine can't be detected.""IBM QRadar User Behavior Analytics could improve machine learning use cases because they are limited and most of the use cases are rule-based. They should develop more use cases, such as in Securonix or Exabeam because they will detect a threat. Using machine learning is mainly on the correlation rules, but if you think about Exabeam or Securonix, they detect using machine learning or machine learning-based algorithms.""The tech support is not that good.""IBM Security QRadar’s GUI could be improved.""IBM QRadar Advisor with Watson could be more user-friendly. You need some skills and understanding of what you're looking at, especially if you're going to draw down specific information.""You can scale IBM QRadar User Behavior Analytics, but it has room for improvement.""I'd like them to improve the offense. When QRadar detects something, it creates what it calls offenses. So, it has a rudimentary ticketing system inside of it. This is the same interface that was there when I started using it 12 years ago. It just has not been improved. They do allow integration with IBM Resilient, but IBM Resilient is grotesquely expensive. The most effective integration that IBM offers today is with IBM Resilient, which is an instant response platform. It is a very good platform, but it is very expensive. They really should do something with the offense handling because it is very difficult to scale, and it has limitations. The maximum number of offenses that it can carry is 16K. After 16K, you have to flush your offenses out. So, it is all or nothing. You lose all your offenses up until that point in time, and you don't have any history within the offense list of older events. If you're dealing with multiple customers, this becomes problematic. That's why you need to use another product to do the actual ticketing. If you wanted the ticket existence, you would normally interface with ServiceNow, SolarWinds, or some other product like that.""In a future release, the solution could provide malware analysis."

More IBM Security QRadar Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The solutions price is fair for what they offer."
  • "The price could be better. Normally, the costs depend on the country you're located in for the license. When we were in the initial stage, we went with the E5 license they call premium standard. It cost us around $5.20 per month for four users."
  • "The price of the solution is high compared to others and we have lost some customers because of it."
  • "Microsoft is not competitive with the pricing of the solution. The competitors are able to offer lower discounts. The price of the solution is higher."
  • "We have a lot of problems in Latin America regarding the price of Microsoft 365 Defender, because the relationship between dollars and the money of the different countries, it's is a lot. Many customers that have small businesses say that they would like the solution but it is too expensive. However, large companies do not find the cost an issue."
  • "The most valuable licensing option is expensive, so pricing could be improved. Licensing options for this solution also need to be consolidated, because they frequently change."
  • "Microsoft should provide lower-level licensing options. They should do it in such a way that even an individual could purchase a license, and it should be entirely flexible."
  • "They have moved from a licensing model to pay-per-use... The question is: What happens if, for any reason, there's not enough budget to accept this model? That could be a great problem."
  • More Microsoft Defender XDR Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "We use the open-source version, so there is no charge for this solution."
  • "We are using the free, open-source version of this solution."
  • "Elastic Stack is an open-source tool. You don't have to pay anything for the components."
  • "There is no charge for using the open-source version."
  • "This is an open-source product, so there are no costs."
  • "It's a monthly cost with Elastic SIEM, but I am not sure of the exact cost."
  • "It is easy to deploy, easy to use, and you get everything you need to become operational with it, and have nothing further to pay unless you want the OLED plugin."
  • "Compared to other products such as Dynatrace, this is one of the cheaper options."
  • More Elastic Security Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "found other solutions, with more features at the same cost or less. You don’t have to leave the Gartner Magic Quadrant to beat their price."
  • "Most of the time, it is easier and cheaper to buy a new product or the QRadar box."
  • "IBM's Qradar is not for small companie. Unfortunately, it would be 'overkill' to place it plainly. The pricing would be too much."
  • "IBM's Qradar is not for small companie. Unfortunately, it would be 'overkill' to place it plainly. The pricing would be too much."
  • "Go through a vulnerability assessment review for price breaks. A virtualized solution will also cut down on cost."
  • "It is expensive. It is not a product that I can provide for SMBs. It is a program that I can only provide for really large enterprises."
  • "The maintenance costs are high."
  • "Pricing (based on EPS) will be more accurate."
  • More IBM Security QRadar Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Comparison Review
    Vinod Shankar
    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The integration, visibility, vulnerability management, and device identification are valuable.
    Top Answer:There is the cost of the license, and there is the cost of implementation services. Only by enabling a license for your… more »
    Top Answer:The web filtering solution needs to be improved because currently, it is very simple. It is very important. Integrations… more »
    Top Answer:With Datadog, we have near-live visibility across our entire platform. We have seen APM metrics impacted several times… more »
    Top Answer:It is an extremely stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
    Top Answer:The product offers an amazing pricing structure. Price-wise, the product is very competitive.
    Top Answer:It mostly depends on your use-cases and environment. Exabeam and Securonix have a stronger UEBA feature set, friendlier… more »
    Top Answer:For tools I’d recommend:  -SIEM- LogRhythm -SOAR- Palo Alto XSOAR Doing commercial w/o both (or at least an XDR) is… more »
    Top Answer:The event collector, flow collector, PCAP and SOAR are valuable.
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Threat Protection, MS 365 Defender
    Elastic SIEM, ELK Logstash
    IBM QRadar, QRadar SIEM, QRadar UBA, QRadar on Cloud, QRadar, IBM QRadar User Behavior Analytics, IBM QRadar Advisor with Watson
    Learn More
    Overview

    Microsoft Defender XDR is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect against threats in the Microsoft 365 environment. 

    It offers robust security measures, comprehensive threat detection capabilities, and an efficient incident response system. With seamless integration with other Microsoft products and a user-friendly interface, it simplifies security management tasks. 

    Users have found it effective in detecting and preventing various types of attacks, such as phishing attempts, malware infections, and data breaches.

    Watch the Microsoft demo video here: Microsoft Defender XDR demo video.

    Elastic Security is a robust, open-source security solution designed to offer integrated threat prevention, detection, and response capabilities across an organization's entire digital estate. Part of the Elastic Stack (which includes Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana), Elastic Security leverages the power of search, analytics, and data aggregation to provide real-time insight into threats and vulnerabilities. It is a comprehensive platform that supports a wide range of security needs, from endpoint protection to cloud and network security, making it a versatile choice for organizations looking to enhance their cybersecurity posture.


    Elastic Security combines the features of a security information and event management (SIEM) system with endpoint protection, allowing organizations to detect, investigate, and respond to threats in real time. This unified approach helps reduce complexity and improve the efficiency of security operations.

    Additional offerings and benefits:

    • The platform utilizes advanced analytics, machine learning algorithms, and anomaly detection to identify threats and suspicious activities.
    • It offers extensive integration options with other tools and platforms, facilitating a more cohesive and comprehensive security ecosystem.
    • With Kibana, users gain access to powerful visualization tools and dashboards that provide real-time insight into security data.

    Finally, Elastic Security benefits from a global community of users who contribute to its threat intelligence, helping to enhance its detection capabilities. This collaborative approach ensures that the solution remains on the cutting edge of cybersecurity, with up-to-date information on the latest threats and vulnerabilities.

    IBM Security QRadar is a security and analytics platform designed to defend against threats and scale security operations. This is done through integrated visibility, investigation, detection, and response. QRadar empowers security groups with actionable insights into high-priority threats by providing visibility into enterprise security data. Through centralized visibility, security teams and analysts can determine their security stance, which areas pose a potential threat, and which areas are critical. This will help streamline workflows by eliminating the need to pivot between tools.

    IBM Security QRadar is built to address a wide range of security issues and can be easily scaled with minimal customization effort required. As data is ingested, QRadar administers automated, real-time security intelligence to swiftly and precisely discover and prioritize threats. The platform will issue alerts with actionable, rich context into developing threats. Security teams and analysts can then rapidly respond to minimize the attackers' strike. The solution will provide a complete view of activity in both cloud-based and on-premise environments as a large amount of data is ingested throughout the enterprise. Additionally, QRadar’s anomaly detection intelligence enables security teams to identify any user behavior changes that could be indicators of potential threats. 

    IBM QRadar Log Manager

    To better help organizations protect themselves against potential security threats, attacks, and breaches, IBM QRadar Log Manager gathers, analyzes, preserves, and reports on security log events using QRadar Sense Analytics. All operating systems and applications, servers, devices, and applications are converted into searchable and actionable intelligent data. QRadar Log Manager then helps organizations meet compliance reporting and monitoring requirements, which can be further upgraded to QRadar SIEM for a more superior level of threat protection.

    Some of QRadar Log Manager’s key features include:

    • Data processing and capture on any security event
    • Disaster recovery options and high availability 
    • Scalability for large enterprises
    • SoftLayer cloud installation capability
    • Advanced threat protection

    Reviews from Real Users

    IBM Security QRadar is a solution of choice among users because it provides a complete solution for security teams by integrating network analysis, log management, user behavior analytics, threat intelligence, and AI-powered investigations into a single solution. Users particularly like having a single window into their network and its ability to be used for larger enterprises.

    Simon T., a cyber security services operations manager at an aerospace/defense firm, notes, "The most valuable thing about QRadar is that you have a single window into your network, SIEM, network flows, and risk management of your assets. If you use Splunk, for instance, then you still need a full packet capture solution, whereas the full packet capture solution is integrated within QRadar. Its application ecosystem makes it very powerful in terms of doing analysis."

    A management executive at a security firm says, "What we like about QRadar and the models that IBM has, is it can go from a small-to-medium enterprise to a larger organization, and it gives you the same value."

    Sample Customers
    Accenture, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, General Electric, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and many others.
    Texas A&M, U.S. Air Force, NuScale Power, Martin's Point Health Care
    Clients across multiple industries, such as energy, financial, retail, healthcare, government, communications, and education use QRadar.
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Manufacturing Company18%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Government10%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Government8%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm29%
    Computer Software Company25%
    Healthcare Company13%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Government9%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm23%
    Computer Software Company15%
    Comms Service Provider10%
    Security Firm6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization18%
    Computer Software Company15%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Government6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business43%
    Midsize Enterprise22%
    Large Enterprise35%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business26%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise57%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business60%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise23%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business26%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise56%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business39%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise45%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business21%
    Midsize Enterprise29%
    Large Enterprise50%
    Buyer's Guide
    Elastic Security vs. IBM Security QRadar
    April 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Elastic Security vs. IBM Security QRadar and other solutions. Updated: April 2024.
    770,616 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Elastic Security is ranked 5th in Log Management with 59 reviews while IBM Security QRadar is ranked 6th in Log Management with 198 reviews. Elastic Security is rated 7.6, while IBM Security QRadar is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Elastic Security writes "A stable and scalable tool that provides visibility along with the consolidation of logs to its users". On the other hand, the top reviewer of IBM Security QRadar writes "A highly stable and scalable solution that provides good technical support". Elastic Security is most compared with Wazuh, Splunk Enterprise Security, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and CrowdStrike Falcon, whereas IBM Security QRadar is most compared with Microsoft Sentinel, Splunk Enterprise Security, Wazuh, LogRhythm SIEM and Sentinel. See our Elastic Security vs. IBM Security QRadar report.

    See our list of best Log Management vendors, best Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) vendors, and best Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR) vendors.

    We monitor all Log Management reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.