Extended Detection and Response has evolved from a marketing buzzword into the dominant security operations architecture. The 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms now explicitly evaluates XDR capabilities, confirming that standalone EDR is no longer sufficient. Every major vendor correlates telemetry across endpoint, identity, email, cloud, and network. In 2026, the competitive differentiator is no longer breadth of data sources but rather quality of AI-driven investigation and platform consolidation economics.

How We Evaluated

Platforms were assessed on:

  • Detection efficacy including MITRE ATT&CK evaluation results, false positive rates, and zero-day detection
  • Cross-telemetry correlation across endpoint, identity, email, cloud, and network
  • AI investigation quality including automated investigation, natural language querying, and response recommendations
  • Response automation with built-in playbooks, automated containment, and SOAR integration
  • Platform consolidation and the breadth of security functions that eliminate point products
  • Availability of MDR and managed XDR offerings

1. CrowdStrike Falcon XDR

Score: 96/100

CrowdStrike continues to set the pace for XDR with the broadest native telemetry correlation in the market. The Falcon platform now ingests endpoint, cloud workload, identity, email (via OverWatch), and third-party data into a single threat graph. Charlotte AI, CrowdStrike’s generative AI assistant, handles natural language investigation and can autonomously triage alerts.

Named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner MQ for Endpoint Protection Platforms with highest Ability to Execute, CrowdStrike’s Charlotte AI provides autonomous alert triage that reduces analyst workload by up to 85%. A single lightweight agent covers EDR, cloud workload, identity protection, and log management. OverWatch managed hunting is included, providing 24/7 human threat hunting across all telemetry. Falcon Exposure Management unifies attack surface visibility across internal and external assets. The SGNL acquisition ($740M, 2025) adds continuous identity authorization and non-human identity security.

Best for: Organizations wanting best-in-class detection with a single agent and managed hunting across all telemetry sources

2. Microsoft Defender XDR

Score: 94/100

Microsoft’s unified security platform combines Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Identity, Defender for Office 365, Defender for Cloud Apps, and Sentinel SIEM into a single investigation experience. The Copilot for Security integration provides natural language investigation across all Microsoft security data. E5 licensing bundles make this the most cost-effective XDR for Microsoft-centric organizations.

The platform offers the deepest native correlation across endpoint, identity (Active Directory/Entra), email (Exchange/M365), and cloud (Azure). Copilot for Security enables natural language incident investigation and KQL query generation. Automatic attack disruption can contain compromised accounts and isolate devices without analyst intervention. A unified incident queue correlates alerts from all Defender products into single incidents. E5 Security licensing bundles XDR at a fraction of standalone competitors’ cost. With 400M+ corporate endpoints under management, Microsoft maintains the largest telemetry base in the industry.

Best for: Microsoft 365 and Azure organizations seeking maximum detection coverage at the lowest incremental cost

3. Palo Alto Cortex XDR

Score: 92/100

Cortex XDR was the first product to formally define the XDR category (2019) and remains a Leader in Gartner’s EPP MQ. The platform uniquely integrates network telemetry from Palo Alto’s firewall estate with endpoint, cloud, and identity data. The pending CyberArk acquisition ($25B) will add privileged access telemetry directly into XDR correlation.

Cortex is the only XDR that natively integrates network firewall telemetry (from NGFW and Prisma SASE). The XSIAM platform combines XDR, SIEM, and SOAR into a unified SOC platform. Cortex scored highest in MITRE ATT&CK Evaluations for technique-level detection across multiple rounds. CyberArk integration (pending) will correlate privileged access activity with endpoint and network signals. Cortex Copilot provides AI-assisted investigation and automated playbook generation. Unit 42 threat intelligence and incident response services are integrated into the platform.

Best for: Organizations with Palo Alto network infrastructure wanting unified network-to-endpoint detection and the XSIAM SOC platform

4. SentinelOne Singularity XDR

Score: 90/100

SentinelOne differentiates with its autonomous response capabilities. The platform can detect, investigate, and remediate threats without human intervention. Purple AI (GA 2025) provides natural language threat hunting and investigation, and the Singularity Data Lake enables long-term telemetry retention for threat hunting.

Autonomous detection and response includes automated remediation and rollback. Purple AI enables natural language threat hunting across all telemetry. Storyline technology automatically reconstructs full attack narratives. The Singularity Data Lake provides cost-effective long-term data retention. Strong MITRE ATT&CK Evaluation results show 100% detection in multiple rounds. Pricing is competitive versus CrowdStrike, particularly for mid-market.

Best for: Organizations prioritizing autonomous response and AI-native investigation with competitive pricing

5. Trend Micro Vision One

Score: 87/100

Trend Micro Vision One provides broad XDR capabilities across endpoint, email, network, cloud, and OT environments. The platform’s strength is its breadth, particularly its ability to extend XDR into operational technology environments where competitors have limited visibility.

Environment coverage is the broadest available, including endpoint, email, server, network, cloud, and OT/IoT. Trend Micro was named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner MQ for Endpoint Protection Platforms for the 20th consecutive year, the longest streak of any vendor. It was also named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape Worldwide XDR Software 2025. Strong email security integration addresses a common initial access vector. Virtual patching capabilities come via network and host IPS integration. Managed XDR service is available for organizations without dedicated SOC staff. Companion AI provides investigation assistance and response recommendations.

Best for: Organizations with diverse environments including OT/IoT that need unified detection across IT and operational technology

6. Cisco XDR

Score: 85/100

Cisco XDR, launched in 2023, now integrates deeply with the Splunk SIEM (following the $28B acquisition) and Cisco’s networking infrastructure. The platform’s unique advantage is native network visibility, leveraging telemetry from Cisco switches, routers, and firewalls that competitors must collect via agents or APIs.

Native network telemetry from Cisco infrastructure covers switches, routers, firewalls, and Meraki. Deep Splunk SIEM integration provides unified detection and investigation. Talos threat intelligence powers detection across all telemetry sources. ThousandEyes integration provides network path visibility for incident context. Automated response spans network (quarantine), endpoint (isolation), and email (purge). The platform is strong for organizations with significant Cisco networking infrastructure.

Best for: Cisco networking customers wanting XDR that leverages existing network infrastructure as a detection sensor

7. Sophos XDR

Score: 83/100

Sophos XDR benefits from the Secureworks acquisition ($859M, closed 2025), which adds Taegis XDR’s managed detection capabilities and deep threat intelligence to Sophos’s endpoint-centric platform. The combined entity provides strong MDR services for mid-market organizations.

Secureworks Taegis integration adds mature MDR capabilities and threat intelligence. The platform has a strong mid-market focus with simplified deployment and management. Adaptive Attack Protection automatically hardens endpoints when attacks are detected. Cross-product detection spans Sophos endpoint, firewall, email, and cloud. Managed Detection and Response is included, with 28,000+ organizations under management. Pricing is competitive for the mid-market segment.

Best for: Mid-market organizations wanting comprehensive XDR with included managed detection services

8. Fortinet FortiXDR

Score: 81/100

FortiXDR leverages the Fortinet Security Fabric to correlate telemetry across FortiGate firewalls, FortiEDR, FortiMail, FortiWeb, and FortiCASB. The platform is most effective for organizations deeply invested in the Fortinet ecosystem.

Native integration with 50+ Fortinet Security Fabric products gives the platform its strength. An AI-powered investigation engine automates alert triage and response. FortiGuard Labs threat intelligence is integrated across all detection. Total cost is competitive for Fortinet-consolidated environments. FortiAnalyzer provides centralized logging and compliance reporting. The platform is strong for distributed enterprise and SD-WAN environments.

Best for: Fortinet Security Fabric customers wanting XDR without adding a third-party platform

9. Trellix XDR

Score: 79/100

Formed from the merger of McAfee Enterprise and FireEye products (January 2022), Trellix offers XDR with a strong emphasis on threat intelligence from its FireEye heritage. Under new CEO Vishal Rao (January 2025), the company is focusing on platform simplification and AI integration.

FireEye-heritage threat intelligence provides deep APT coverage. Broad data source support includes endpoint, network, email, cloud, and DLP. The Helix Connect platform provides a unified investigation workspace. The company has a strong government and defense sector presence. A GenAI investigation assistant enables natural language threat analysis. A large installed base comes from legacy McAfee and FireEye deployments.

Best for: Government and defense organizations valuing APT-focused threat intelligence and existing McAfee/FireEye investments

10. Stellar Cyber Open XDR

Score: 77/100

Stellar Cyber pioneered the “Open XDR” concept, building an XDR platform designed to work with any existing security stack rather than requiring vendor lock-in. The platform ingests data from 400+ integrations and applies AI-driven correlation without replacing existing tools.

The vendor-agnostic approach integrates with 400+ security products and data sources. AI-driven correlation works across any combination of security tools. The platform is attractive for MSSPs managing diverse customer environments. Built-in SIEM, NDR, and UEBA capabilities come in a single platform. The pricing model is competitive, based on data volume rather than per-endpoint. There is no requirement to replace existing EDR, firewall, or email security.

Best for: MSSPs and organizations with heterogeneous security stacks wanting unified XDR without vendor lock-in

Several trends are shaping the XDR market in 2026.

XDR is absorbing SIEM. Palo Alto’s XSIAM, CrowdStrike’s Falcon LogScale, and Microsoft’s Sentinel+Defender unification demonstrate that XDR and SIEM are converging into a single SOC platform.

AI-driven autonomous response has become the competitive frontier. The battle has moved from detection to autonomous investigation and response. Charlotte AI, Copilot, and Purple AI are now table stakes.

Identity has become a core telemetry source. CrowdStrike’s SGNL acquisition and Palo Alto’s CyberArk deal confirm that identity signals are essential XDR data, not an add-on.

Network telemetry is returning to prominence. Cisco and Palo Alto’s advantage in network-native telemetry is forcing cloud-first vendors to add NDR partnerships or acquisitions.

Managed XDR dominates the mid-market. Sophos/Secureworks, CrowdStrike OverWatch, and Arctic Wolf demonstrate that most mid-market organizations consume XDR as a managed service, not a self-operated platform.