Best SOAR Systems: Top 8 Solutions in 2025

What Are SOAR Systems?

Security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) systems integrate and simplify security operations. They help security teams manage and respond to threats more efficiently. By using SOAR, organizations can automate routine tasks, minimizing human intervention and error. This hopefully reduces response times and improves the overall efficiency of security operations. 

SOAR platforms serve as a single point for managing an organization’s security tools and processes. They automate security workflows and provide an integrated view of security operations. This approach enables better decision-making in threat handling.  By consolidating data from various security tools, SOAR systems help give security teams a clearer perspective on threats and vulnerabilities.

In this article:

• The Evolution of SOAR: From Standalone Solution to SIEM Component
• How SOAR Systems Work
• Notable SOAR Systems 
• How to choose a SOAR system

The Evolution of SOAR: From Standalone Solution to SIEM Component 

SOAR platforms gained traction during a period when security operations centers (SOCs) were overwhelmed by the volume of alerts and the shortage of skilled analysts. Early vendors promised that automation and orchestration would resolve alert fatigue, standardize incident response, and simplify tool integration across fragmented security stacks. 

As a result, SOAR quickly climbed the Gartner Hype Cycle, reaching peak expectations as a transformative solution. However, real-world deployments revealed limitations. Many organizations struggled with the complexity of integrating SOAR into their environments. Building and maintaining playbooks required substantial customization, and the promised automation often required more tuning and oversight than initially anticipated. 

As a result, the market began to reassess SOAR’s role. While SOAR is still a critical capability for the SOC, instead of standing as a separate category, SOAR capabilities are increasingly being absorbed into modern SIEM platforms, where orchestration and automation complement broader detection and response capabilities. 

How SOAR Systems Work

Data Aggregation from Various Security Sources

SOAR systems collect data from multiple security tools and sources like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and antivirus. This aggregation allows for centralized analysis, reducing the time needed to gather information manually from disparate systems.

Data aggregation centralizes information and improves its quality. By collecting data from diverse sources, SOAR systems can provide an overview of security events. This data collection supports more accurate threat detection and response, as all relevant information is considered in the decision-making process.

Analysis and Prioritization of Threats

SOAR systems utilize analytics and intelligence to evaluate and prioritize threats based on severity and potential impact. By employing automation, these systems rapidly assess numerous alerts, determining which threats require immediate attention. This capability enables security teams to focus their efforts on the most critical issues.

In addition to prioritizing threats, SOAR systems support incident investigation by connecting related events and analyzing patterns. This context-rich analysis allows for better understanding and faster resolution of security incidents.

Automated and Manual Response Mechanisms

SOAR platforms provide automated response capabilities, executing predefined actions to mitigate threats without human intervention. These responses can range from isolating affected systems to blocking malicious IPs. Automation helps in rapidly neutralizing threats, minimizing potential damage and maintaining the integrity of business operations.

While automation is crucial, SOAR systems also support manual intervention when needed. Analysts can take over complex or sensitive incidents that require nuanced judgment. This dual capability ensures flexibility and precision in handling security incidents.

Continuous Learning and Adaptation to Emerging Threats

SOAR systems are not static; they evolve by learning from past incidents and adapting to new forms of threats. Machine learning algorithms within these platforms analyze historical data to identify patterns and improve future responses. This adaptive capability ensures that SOAR systems remain effective even as the threat landscape changes.

Continuous learning in SOAR systems extends beyond threat detection. These platforms can update and refine automated workflows, incorporating lessons learned from previous incidents. By staying ahead of emerging threats, SOAR systems help organizations maintain a strong security posture.

Related content: Read our guide to SOAR security

Notable SOAR Systems

1. Exabeam: Supporting Google Cloud Security

Exabeam is a leading provider of security information and event management (SIEM) solutions, combining UEBA, SIEM, SOAR, and TDIR to accelerate security operations. Its Security Operations platforms enable security teams to quickly detect, investigate, and respond to threats while enhancing operational efficiency.

Key Features:

• Scalable log collection and management: The open platform accelerates log onboarding by 70%, eliminating the need for advanced engineering skills while ensuring seamless log aggregation across hybrid environments.
• Behavioral analytics: Uses advanced analytics to baseline normal vs. abnormal behavior, detecting insider threats, lateral movement, and advanced attacks missed by signature-based systems. Customers report that Exabeam helps detect and respond to 90% of attacks before other vendors can catch them.
• Automated threat response: Simplifies security operations by automating incident timelines, reducing manual effort by 30%, and accelerating investigation times by 80%.
• Contextual incident investigation: Since Exabeam automates timeline creation and reduces time spent on menial tasks, it cuts the time to detect and respond to threats by over 50%. Pre-built correlation rules, anomaly detection models, and vendor integrations reduce alerts by 60%, minimizing false positives.
• SaaS and cloud-native options: Flexible deployment options provide scalability for cloud-first and hybrid environments, ensuring rapid time to value for customers. For organizations who can’t, or won’t move their SIEM to the cloud, Exabeam provides a market-leading, full featured, and self-hosted SIEM.
• Network visibility with NetMon: Delivers deep insight beyond firewalls and IDS/IPS, detecting threats like data theft and botnet activity while making investigation easier with flexible searching. Deep Packet Analytics (DPA) also builds on the NetMon Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) engine to interpret key indicators of compromise (IOCs).

Exabeam customers consistently highlight how its real-time visibility, automation, and productivity tools powered by AI, uplevel security talent, transforming overwhelmed analysts into proactive defenders while reducing costs and maintaining industry-leading support. For more information visit Exabeam.com

Source: Exabeam

2. IBM Security QRadar SOAR (On-Premise)

Note: The SaaS version of IBM QRadar was acquired by Palo Alto and is now known as Palo Alto XSIAM. The features below relate to the on-premise version still maintained by IBM.

Key features include:

• Playbooks: Helps automate incident response with customizable workflows that hopefully adapt as incidents evolve.
• Playbook designer: Potentially simplifies workflow creation with in-app guidance.
• Integrated case management: Aims to centralize incident data and provide tools for investigation, tracking, and collaboration across teams.
• Threat intelligence enrichment: Gathers context from external and internal sources to support decision-making.
• Breach response management: Helps manage compliance with global privacy and data breach regulations.

Source: IBM

3. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR

Cortex XSOAR by Palo Alto Networks is a SOAR platform intended to unify automation, orchestration, and collaboration across security operations. Emphasizing automation, it aims to help SOC teams reduce manual work, accelerate investigation, and coordinate incident response.

Key features include:

• Automation-first response: Potentially reduces repetitive tasks and alert noise, with automation content packs for common use cases.
• Visual playbook editor: Enables codeless customization of workflows with prebuilt actions and integration packs.
• Integrated war room: Provides an environment with access to incident data, indicators, and threat intelligence.
• Centralized orchestration: Helps coordinate people, processes, and technologies in the SOC.
• Threat mapping and enrichment: Connects external threat intelligence to internal SOC activity in an attempt to improve context.

Source: Palo Alto Networks 

4. Splunk SOAR

Splunk SOAR is a security orchestration, automation, and response platform intended to simplify security operations by automating tasks and orchestrating workflows across tools and teams. Aiming to help handle the complexity of SOCs, it connects with third-party systems and supports various automated actions.

Key features include:

• Intelligence-driven response: Potentially helps prioritize and investigate threats with intelligence from the Splunk Threat Research Team.
• Automated playbooks: Executes incident response workflows using a library of prebuilt playbooks based on frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK and D3FEND.
• Visual playbook editor: Users can build and modify automation workflows using a drag-and-drop interface.
• Integrations: Connects to third-party tools with support for around 2,800 automated actions.
• Integrated case management: Can be used to segment and assign tasks, track progress, and document investigations via customizable templates.

Source: Splunk

5. Microsoft Sentinel

Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM and SOAR platform designed to deliver threat detection, investigation, and automated response. It is built on the Azure platform and relies on integrated services like Log Analytics and Logic Apps to help collect data, detect threats, and coordinate response in hybrid environments.

Key features include:

• Data collection: Ingests data from on-premises and multi-cloud sources using built-in connectors, including Microsoft services, common event formats, and custom APIs. 
• Threat detection: Uses analytics rules to hopefully correlate signals and minimize false positives.
• Integrated threat intelligence: Supports Microsoft-provided and custom threat intelligence sources to try and provide context for investigation and response.
• Security content hub: Offers packaged SIEM solutions with prebuilt rules, workbooks, and connectors to potentially speed up deployment and monitoring.
• Interactive investigation tools: Intended to visualize relationships between entities using graph-based incident exploration.

Source: Microsoft

6. Fortinet FortiSOAR

Fortinet FortiSOAR is a SOAR platform intended to centralize and automate security operations in IT and OT environments. Acting as a unified operations hub, it purportedly helps security teams manage incidents, reduce alert fatigue, and automate repetitive tasks in threat investigation and response workflows.

Key features include:

• Centralized incident management: Aims to consolidate alerts and standardize response processes.
• AI-powered analyst assistance: FortiAI and a machine learning–based recommendation engine help guide analysts with natural language prompts.
• Low-code playbook builder: A set of visual design tools enable the creation and customization of playbooks.
• Integrations and content: Offers various third-party integrations and prebuilt playbooks, with a community-driven content hub of resources.
• Threat intelligence: Uses FortiGuard Labs threat intelligence and public sources to support investigations.

Source: Fortinet

7. Sumo Logic Cloud SOAR

Sumo Logic Cloud SOAR is a cloud-native security orchestration, automation, and response platform designed to scale and simplify security operations across multi-cloud environments. It focuses on automating time-consuming security tasks, aiming to improve threat investigation.

Key features include:

• Triage: Automates the investigation of indicators of compromise (IoCs) to hopefully reduce false positives.
• Centralized case management: Provides a chronological view of incident workflows with role-based access control, intended for multi-user investigations.
• Automated SOPs: Attempts to simplify standard operating procedures by automating routine SOC tasks.
• Dashboards and reports: Tracks incident response KPIs through visual, real-time dashboards and templates.
• Open integration framework: Offers prebuilt integrations and playbooks with third-party tools. Includes an open API and no-code integration capability.

Source: Sumo Logic

8. Rapid7 InsightConnect

InsightConnect is Rapid7’s SOAR platform aiming to simplify and automate security operations by connecting tools and processes. It enables security teams to build automation workflows without writing code.

Key features include:

• No-code workflow builder: Allows users to create, customize, and manage automation workflows using a visual builder.
• Plugin ecosystem: Integrates with various tools using prebuilt plugins that offer ready-to-use triggers and actions.
• Out-of-the-box automation templates: Offers preconfigured workflows for common use cases like phishing investigation, user deprovisioning, or malware response.
• Human-in-the-loop decision points: Supports manual approval steps to help analysts keep track of sensitive actions.
• Reusable workflow components: Supports the use of “snippets”—modular workflow blocks—to build and scale automation.

Source: Rapid7

How to Choose a SOAR System

Choosing the right SOAR system involves evaluating both technical capabilities and organizational needs. The decision impacts not just how incidents are handled, but also how teams collaborate and improve over time. Here are key considerations that often go overlooked but can significantly affect the success of a SOAR deployment:

• Scalability for future growth: Evaluate whether the SOAR platform can handle increasing data volumes and expanded use cases as the organization grows. A system that performs well in a pilot environment may face performance issues at scale.
• Playbook version control and testing: Look for support for versioning and sandbox testing of playbooks. This ensures safe iteration and validation of workflows before deployment into production, reducing the risk of automation errors.
• Support for compliance and auditability: Ensure the platform can generate detailed audit logs and compliance reports. This is essential for meeting regulatory requirements and internal governance standards.
• Customization of UI and workflow views: Some teams benefit from tailoring dashboards and workflow views to their roles. Check if the platform supports user-specific interfaces or role-based visualizations.
• Incident enrichment flexibility: The ability to customize how threat intelligence is applied to incidents—such as dynamic tagging or conditional enrichment rules—can drastically improve triage and investigation efficiency.
• Vendor lock-in and portability: Understand the extent of lock-in due to proprietary scripting languages, integrations, or infrastructure dependencies. Prefer solutions that allow easy export of workflows and logic.
• Cross-functional integration: Consider how well the SOAR platform integrates with other departments’ tools, such as ITSM or DevOps platforms. Broader integration can drive better collaboration and extend automation benefits beyond the SOC.
• Availability of a developer ecosystem: A strong user or developer community provides access to shared playbooks, integration connectors, and troubleshooting resources—accelerating deployment and reducing total cost of ownership.