# Network detection and response for small business buyers: what AI models recommend, November 2026

Gane Index, November 2026 Edition. Asked as "NDR platform" and as "network traffic analysis tool", six framings each, to fourteen models with search on, on behalf of a small B2B company. Added to the November 2026 Edition. Page: https://www.gane.ai/index/it/security/network-detection-and-response/2026-11/smb

**Standing:** Sophos NDR leads with 16% of first choices; verdict contested. 56 first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts.

## First-choice share

| Rank | Product | Share | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Sophos NDR](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/sophos-ndr/index.md) | 16% | 0% | 32 |
| 2 | [Paessler PRTG Network Monitor](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/paessler-prtg-network-monitor/index.md) | 14% | 0% | 12 |
| 3 | [Stellar Cyber Open XDR](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/stellar-cyber-open-xdr/index.md) | 7% | 0% | 21 |
| 4 | [Rapid7 InsightIDR](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/rapid7-insightidr/index.md) | 7% | 7% | 15 |
| 5 | [Security Onion](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/security-onion/index.md) | 7% | 11% | 18 |
| 8 | [ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/manageengine-netflow-analyzer/index.md) | 4% | 0% | 10 |
| 9 | [Zeek](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/zeek/index.md) | 4% | 17% | 12 |
| 13 | [Wireshark](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/wireshark/index.md) | 2% | 12% | 17 |
| 23 | [Vectra AI Platform](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/vectra-ai-platform/index.md) | 2% | 65% | 46 |
| 24 | [Arctic Wolf](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/arctic-wolf/index.md) | 0% | 0% | 12 |
| 32 | [Corelight Open NDR](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/corelight-open-ndr/index.md) | 0% | 39% | 28 |
| 100 | [ExtraHop Reveal](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/extrahop-reveal/index.md) | 0% | 62% | 13 |

Rank is by share of first choices among all 103 products named; products with the same share are tied, and the order among them carries no meaning. The table lists those with at least 10 labels.

## Each model's first choice on the direct prompt

- Claude Haiku 4.5: Sophos NDR; alternatives B1 Platform
- GPT-5.4 mini: Sophos NDR; alternatives Cisco Secure Network Analytics, Darktrace, ExtraHop RevealX, Vectra AI Platform
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: Lumu Technologies; alternatives Arctic Wolf, Blackpoint Cyber, Darktrace, Fortinet FortiNDR
- Perplexity Sonar: WatchGuard Total NDR; alternatives Stellar Cyber Open XDR
- Grok 4.20: Vectra AI Platform; alternatives Darktrace, ExtraHop Reveal
- Mistral Small: Stellar Cyber Open XDR; alternatives Rapid7 InsightIDR, Sophos NDR
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: Sophos NDR; alternatives Huntress, Security Onion
- Llama 4 Maverick: Rapid7 InsightIDR, Stellar Cyber Open XDR; alternatives Corelight Open NDR, Darktrace, ExtraHop RevealX, Vectra AI Platform
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: Rapid7 InsightIDR; alternatives Arctic Wolf, Corelight Open NDR, Sophos NDR, Stellar Cyber Open XDR
- Kimi K2: WatchGuard ThreatSync+ NDR; alternatives CyGlass, Seceon aiXDR
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: Sophos NDR; alternatives Seceon OTM, Security Onion
- MiniMax M2.5: SonicWall Network Security; alternatives Progress WhatsUp Gold, Sophos NDR, Stellar Cyber Open XDR
- GPT-6 Luna: FortiNDR
- Muse Glimmer 30B: Sophos NDR, WatchGuard ThreatSync+ NDR; alternatives Corelight Open NDR, Rapid7 InsightIDR, Security Onion, Stellar Cyber Open XDR

## Sources the answers cite

75 of 84 answers came back with a source list, from 14 of 14 models. Sites named in the most answers:

- g2.com: 43 answers, 52 citations
- cotocus.com: 28 answers, 32 citations
- ciopages.com: 27 answers, 27 citations
- vectra.ai: 20 answers, 29 citations
- rajeshkumar.xyz: 20 answers, 20 citations
- comparitech.com: 19 answers, 24 citations
- gane.ai/index: 18 answers, 20 citations
- reddit.com: 16 answers, 24 citations

Pages named in the most answers:

- https://g2.com/categories/network-detection-and-response-ndr/small-business (41 answers)
- https://ciopages.com/buyer-guides/network-detection-response (27 answers)
- https://cotocus.com/blog/top-10-network-detection-and-response-ndr-tools-in-2025-features-pros-cons-comparison (22 answers)
- https://gane.ai/index/it/security/network-detection-and-response/smb (18 answers)
- https://rajeshkumar.xyz/blog/network-detection-and-response-ndr (16 answers)
- https://stellarcyber.ai/learn/top-ndr-solutions (14 answers)
- https://comparitech.com/net-admin/network-detection-response-software (11 answers)
- https://reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/16u4tnd/top_ndr_vendors (11 answers)
- https://cotocus.com/blog/top-10-network-detection-response-ndr-features-pros-cons-comparison (10 answers)
- https://theaiops.com/top-10-network-detection-response-tools-features-pros-cons-comparison (10 answers)

## Warned against

- Darktrace: 30 of 46 labels negative. "Enterprise-focused with complex self-learning AI; expensive; requires dedicated security staff to manage; overkill for small networks" (Kimi K2, negative prompt)
- Vectra AI Platform: 30 of 46 labels negative. "With a 58% negative rate, Vectra is positioned as an enterprise solution with "competitive yet complex" and generally expensive pricing" (MiniMax M2.5, negative prompt)
- ExtraHop RevealX: 19 of 30 labels negative. ""Avoid enterprise NDR platforms" like Darktrace, Vectra AI, ExtraHop, and similar high-end solutions if you're a small business." (Muse Glimmer 30B, negative prompt)
- Cisco Secure Network Analytics: 12 of 17 labels negative. "Complex integration; enterprise pricing model; may require additional Cisco ecosystem investments" (Kimi K2, negative prompt)

## Movement since October 2026

Floor: 11 points of share, measured on the calibration repeat.
New leader: Security Onion (15%) to Sophos NDR (16%). Margin 9 points, within noise.

- Security Onion: 15% to 7%, −8. Inside the floor by 3 points · rank 1 → 5 of 103.
- Sophos NDR: 9% to 16%, +7. Inside the floor by 4 points · rank 3 → 1 of 103.
- Rapid7 InsightIDR: 0% to 7%, +7. Inside the floor by 4 points · rank 30 → 4 of 103.
- ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer: 8% to 4%, −4. Inside the floor by 7 points · rank 4 → 8 of 103.
- Corelight Open NDR: 4% to 0%, −4. Inside the floor by 7 points · rank 8 → 32 of 103.
- Paessler PRTG Network Monitor: 11% to 14%, +3. Inside the floor by 8 points · rank 2 of 103, unchanged.
- Stellar Cyber Open XDR: 4% to 7%, +3. Inside the floor by 8 points · rank 6 → 3 of 103.
- Zeek: 2% to 4%, +2. Inside the floor by 9 points · rank 13 → 9 of 103.
- Suricata: 2% to 0%, −2. Inside the floor by 9 points · rank 12 → 92 of 103.
- Wireshark: 2% to 2%, ±0. Inside the floor by 11 points · rank 9 → 13 of 103.
- Vectra AI Platform: 2% to 2%, ±0. Inside the floor by 11 points · rank 29 → 23 of 103.
- Arctic Wolf: 0% to 0%, ±0. New · not ranked in October 2026 · rank 24 of 103.

## Record

- Method: https://www.gane.ai/index/it/methodology
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as Gane Index, November 2026 Edition, www.gane.ai/index/it.