1stProtect.ai vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

1stProtect.ai: Runtime enforcement platform with 22 modules on one SIGMA engine, offline-capable. built by 1stProtect.ai. Core capabilities include Single user-space SIGMA engine replacing multiple legacy security engines (EPP, EDR, DLP, IAM, ITDR, SASE), 22 protection modules covering credential theft, ransomware, data exfiltration, process injection, browser attacks, and agent self-defense, Offline-first policy enforcement with local policy engine cached in kernel memory — no cloud dependency required..

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR: AI-driven XDR platform for endpoint security with threat prevention and detection. built by Palo Alto Networks. Core capabilities include AI-driven threat prevention and detection with 99% prevention rate in AV Comparatives EPR Test, 100% detection accuracy in MITRE ATT&CK Evaluations Round 6 with no delays or configuration changes, Single data lake architecture for unified security operations and analytics..

Both serve the Endpoint Detection and Response market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.

1stProtect.ai differentiates with Single user-space SIGMA engine replacing multiple legacy security engines (EPP, EDR, DLP, IAM, ITDR, SASE), 22 protection modules covering credential theft, ransomware, data exfiltration, process injection, browser attacks, and agent self-defense, Offline-first policy enforcement with local policy engine cached in kernel memory — no cloud dependency required. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR differentiates with AI-driven threat prevention and detection with 99% prevention rate in AV Comparatives EPR Test, 100% detection accuracy in MITRE ATT&CK Evaluations Round 6 with no delays or configuration changes, Single data lake architecture for unified security operations and analytics.

1stProtect.ai is developed by 1stProtect.ai. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR is developed by Palo Alto Networks. Vendor maturity, funding stage, and team size can be important factors when evaluating long-term viability and support quality.

1stProtect.ai integrates with Splunk, Datadog, Elastic, Sumo Logic, Okta and 14 more. Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR integrates with Cortex XSIAM, Unit 42 MDR, Unit 42 Managed Threat Hunting, Unit 42 Incident Response. Check integration compatibility with your existing security stack before deciding.

1stProtect.ai and Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR serve similar Endpoint Detection and Response use cases: both cover Ransomware Prevention. Review the feature comparison above to determine which fits your requirements.