Security & Cybersecurity · head to head
IBM QRadar vs Splunk Enterprise Security
IBM QRadar
Security & Cybersecurity
Intelligent security analytics for real-time visibility
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Splunk Enterprise Security
Security & Cybersecurity
The platform for operational intelligence
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: IBM QRadar listed on UK G-Cloud at £639 per unit, submitted directly by IBM United Kingdom Limited for IBM Security QRadar on Cloud SIEM (unit basis not further defined in the listing); Splunk Enterprise Security splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
- They diverge on capability: IBM QRadar covers AI-powered detection, Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IBM QRadar and Splunk Enterprise Security actually diverge.
| Attribute | IBM QRadar | Splunk Enterprise Security |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1911 | 2003 |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Security & Cybersecurity).
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 IBM QRadar
- AI-powered detection
- User behavior analytics
- Network insights
- Offense management
- IBM X-Force threat intelligence
- Federated search
- Case management
- Compliance templates
Only in Splunk Enterprise Security
- Security monitoring
- Incident review
- Risk-based alerting
- Threat intelligence
- Investigation workbench
- MITRE ATT&CK mapping
- Automated response
- Compliance reporting
Both cover
- AWS
- Azure
- CrowdStrike
- ServiceNow
- Palo Alto
- Cisco
- ISO 27001
- FedRAMP
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
IBM QRadar
- Siemnot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Security Analyticsnot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Threat Intelligencenot Splunk Enterprise Security
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Running a security operations centre on Splunk indexed log datanot IBM QRadar
- Correlation searches, risk based alerting and incident investigationnot IBM QRadar
- Compliance reporting from pooled security telemetrynot IBM QRadar
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IBM QRadar
- Listed on UK G-Cloud at £639 per unit, submitted directly by IBM United Kingdom Limited for IBM Security QRadar on Cloud SIEM (unit basis not further defined in the listing)
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
- Splunk publishes no rate for Enterprise Security and directs buyers to contact a pricing expert
- UEBA, SOAR and automated threat analysis require the Premier edition rather than Essentials
- The platform underneath can be billed by ingest volume, workload or activity, so the total cost depends on a pricing model chosen at contract time rather than a list price
Pricing, plan by plan
IBM QRadar
On request- QRadar SIEMFree
- Event and flow processing
- Offense management
- Threat intelligence
- QRadar CloudFree
- Cloud-native deployment
- Elastic scaling
- Managed infrastructure
- QRadar SuiteFree
- SIEM + SOAR + XDR
- Unified analyst experience
- Federated search
Splunk Enterprise Security
On request- Workload PricingFree
- Pay per compute
- Flexible scaling
- All features
- Ingest PricingFree
- Pay per GB ingested
- Predictable costs
- All features
- Entity PricingFree
- Pay per monitored entity
- Security focused
- All features
Which should you pick?
Choose IBM QRadar if
- You need ai-powered detection.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want user behavior analytics.
Choose Splunk Enterprise Security if
- You need security monitoring.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want incident review.
Questions people ask
- Is IBM QRadar or Splunk Enterprise Security better?
- Neither clearly leads. IBM QRadar starts at On request and Splunk Enterprise Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, IBM QRadar or Splunk Enterprise Security?
- IBM QRadar starts at On request and Splunk Enterprise Security at On request.
- Does IBM QRadar or Splunk Enterprise Security run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is IBM QRadar best used for?
- IBM QRadar is most often used for siem, security analytics, threat intelligence. Of those, siem and security analytics are not what Splunk Enterprise Security is typically brought in for.
- What can IBM QRadar do that Splunk Enterprise Security cannot?
- IBM QRadar covers AI-powered detection, User behavior analytics, Network insights, Offense management. Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring, Incident review, Risk-based alerting, Threat intelligence. Both handle AWS, Azure, CrowdStrike, ServiceNow.