Managed SIEM
Managed SIEM cost in 2026: MSSP pricing, what's included, in-house comparison
Independent reference for managed SIEM pricing. Monthly ranges by organisation size, the line items every MSSP contract should specify, in-house vs managed cost comparison, and where managed SIEM ends and MDR begins.
SMB monthly
$3K-$5K
Business-hours coverage
Mid-market monthly
$5K-$15K
24x7 alert triage
Enterprise monthly
$15K-$50K
Dedicated SOC capacity
In-house alternative
$450K-$900K/yr
5-6 FTE 24x7 SOC
Managed SIEM pricing by org size
SMB (under 100 endpoints)
Monthly
$3K-$5K
Annual
$36K-$60K
Typically includes
Business-hours coverage, basic alerts, monthly reports
Mid-market (100-1,000)
Monthly
$5K-$15K
Annual
$60K-$180K
Typically includes
24x7 monitoring, alert triage, weekly reports, basic IR support
Enterprise (1,000-10,000)
Monthly
$15K-$50K
Annual
$180K-$600K
Typically includes
24x7 SOC, custom rules, dedicated CSM, IR retainer, threat hunts
Large enterprise (10,000+)
Monthly
$50K-$150K+
Annual
$600K-$1.8M+
Typically includes
Multi-region, dedicated team, custom integrations, board-level reporting
MSSP pricing structures
Four common pricing structures across MSSPs. Most providers will offer two or more depending on your environment.
Per-endpoint MSSP
$15-$50 per asset per month
Best for: Predictable footprint, low log diversity
Per-GB MSSP
$0.50-$2.00 per GB per day
Best for: Volume-driven environments
Flat-tier MSSP
$3K-$50K per month tier
Best for: Simple budgeting, defined scope
Hybrid (per-asset + GB overage)
$25/asset + $0.80/GB over baseline
Best for: Mixed workloads with growth headroom
In-house 24x7 SOC: what does it really cost?
A genuine 24x7 SOC requires shift coverage. Eight analyst-hours per shift, three shifts per day, plus shift overlap and leave coverage averages 5-6 FTE for the frontline tiers, plus engineering and leadership.
| Role | Count | Salary | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 analyst | 4 | $85K + 28% benefits | $435K |
| Tier 2 analyst | 2 | $110K + 28% benefits | $282K |
| Tier 3 / lead | 1 | $145K + 28% benefits | $186K |
| SIEM engineer | 1 | $130K + 28% benefits | $166K |
| Total fully loaded | $1.07M/yr |
Salaries reflect 2026 US market rates from Robert Half and Mandiant compensation surveys. Add SIEM platform licensing on top: typically $150K-$500K for the environment a 1,000-employee organisation generates.
When managed SIEM makes sense
Managed wins
- Org under 1,000 endpoints
- No security operations capability today
- Compliance demands 24x7 monitoring
- Hiring market makes SOC building impractical
- Predictable monthly bill matters more than control
In-house wins
- Org over 5,000 endpoints with budget for talent
- Custom detection logic core to business
- Existing SOC ops capability with retention
- Data sensitivity prohibits MSSP access
- Threat hunting and red team coordination matters
FAQ
Common questions
How much does managed SIEM cost?
Managed SIEM (sometimes called co-managed SIEM or SIEMaaS) typically runs $3,000-$5,000 per month for small businesses, $5,000-$15,000 per month for mid-market, $15,000-$50,000 per month for enterprise, and $50,000-$150,000 per month for large enterprise. What is included varies dramatically: business-hours alert review at the low end, full 24x7 SOC with incident response retainer at the high end. The headline rate often excludes incident response hours, custom detection development, and threat hunting.
Is managed SIEM cheaper than in-house?
For organisations under 1,000 endpoints, managed SIEM is almost always cheaper than building a 24x7 in-house SOC. A genuine 24x7 in-house SOC requires 5-6 analyst FTEs minimum (covering shifts, leave, training time), which lands at $450K-$900K per year fully loaded. Most MSSP managed SIEM deployments at this size land $60K-$180K per year. The break-even rises with org size: above 5,000 endpoints, in-house starts to make economic sense if you can hire and retain the talent.
What is the difference between managed SIEM and MDR?
Managed SIEM operates the SIEM platform you license (the MSSP runs the rules, triages alerts, escalates incidents). MDR (Managed Detection and Response) bundles the detection technology, the platform, and the analyst service into a single subscription. MDR is more opinionated and often cheaper at small scale because it strips away SIEM platform licensing. Managed SIEM is more flexible because you keep the underlying SIEM and the data. The choice is often dictated by compliance and data ownership requirements. See mdrcost.com for an MDR-focused breakdown.
What should I expect from a managed SIEM service?
Standard inclusions: 24x7 alert monitoring and triage, escalation of high-fidelity incidents within defined SLAs (typically 15-60 minutes for critical), weekly or monthly reporting, monthly tuning sessions, and quarterly business reviews. Common exclusions: custom detection rule development, in-depth forensic investigation beyond initial triage, incident response hours beyond a baseline allotment, threat hunting, and tabletop exercises. Get the inclusion list in writing and benchmark against multiple providers before committing.
Are MSSPs vendor-neutral?
Some MSSPs are vendor-neutral and operate whichever SIEM the client owns (Trustwave, Cybereason, NTT). Others have a preferred SIEM stack and discount their service when you adopt it (Arctic Wolf with their own platform, ReliaQuest with theirs). Vendor-neutral MSSPs typically charge a 10-20 percent premium for the flexibility. Vendor-aligned MSSPs are cheaper but lock you into their platform choice. Both models work; which is right depends on whether platform flexibility matters to you.
Continue reading