Software · head to head
Darktrace vs Cisco Duo
The short version
- Only Cisco Duo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Darktrace listed on UK G-Cloud at £2.50 per user per month for the Darktrace Active AI Security Platform, via reseller Bytes Software Services Limited; Cisco Duo free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Darktrace and Cisco Duo actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Darktrace
- Self-learning AI
- Network anomaly detection
- Autonomous response
- Behavioral analysis
- Threat model visualization
- Email security
- Application control
- Incident response automation
Only in Cisco Duo
Nothing recorded that Darktrace does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Darktrace
- Threat Detectionnot Cisco Duo
- Ndrnot Cisco Duo
- Incident Responsenot Cisco Duo
Cisco Duo
No use cases recorded yet. See the Cisco Duo review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Darktrace
- Listed on UK G-Cloud at £2.50 per user per month for the Darktrace Active AI Security Platform, via reseller Bytes Software Services Limited
- Also listed on UK G-Cloud by reseller Grove Information Systems at £1,500 to £12,500 per device per month for the Malicious Network Activity Detection tool
Cisco Duo
- Free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users
- Licenses cannot be bought individually above the free tier: under 100 users they are sold in increments of 10, and over 100 users in increments of 25
- Duo Premier, the top tier with the most adaptive access controls, costs $9 per user per month on top of the per-increment purchase requirement
Pricing, plan by plan
Darktrace
$20000/year- Detect$20000/year
- Network anomaly detection
- AI-powered threat detection
- Compliance reporting
- Detect & Respond$35000/year
- All Detect features
- Autonomous response
- Email security
- Enterprise$50000/year
- All features
- Dedicated support
- Custom training
Cisco Duo
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cisco Duo review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Darktrace if
- You need self-learning ai.
- You work on Network, Cloud, Email.
- You also want network anomaly detection.
Questions people ask
- Is Darktrace or Cisco Duo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Darktrace starts at $20000/year and Cisco Duo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Darktrace or Cisco Duo?
- Cisco Duo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20000/year for Darktrace and Free for Cisco Duo.
- Does Darktrace or Cisco Duo run on more platforms?
- Darktrace runs on Network, Cloud, Email. Cisco Duo runs on Web.
- Can I use Cisco Duo for free?
- Yes. Cisco Duo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Darktrace starts at $20000/year.
- What is Darktrace best used for?
- Darktrace is most often used for threat detection, ndr, incident response. Of those, threat detection and ndr are not what Cisco Duo is typically brought in for.
- What can Darktrace do that Cisco Duo cannot?
- Darktrace covers Self-learning AI, Network anomaly detection, Autonomous response, Behavioral analysis.