Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
SolarWinds LEM is security information and event management (SIEM) software.N/A
Splunk Enterprise
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Splunk is software for searching, monitoring, and analyzing machine-generated big data, via a web-style interface. It captures, indexes and correlates real-time data in a searchable repository from which it can generate graphs, reports, alerts, dashboards and visualizations.N/A
Splunk Enterprise Security
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Splunk Enterprise Security is an analytics-driven SIEM that helps to combat threats with actionable intelligence and advanced analytics at scale.N/A
Pricing
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)Splunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Security
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)Splunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Security
Free Trial
YesYesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)Splunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Security
Considered Multiple Products
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
Chose SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
We use Splunk to also collect Syslog data across our enterprise. However, it is quite different in the correlation process. Splunk is less user-friendly and requires advanced-level training to manage. Solarwinds SEM is a lot easier to manage and set-up.
Chose SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
SEM is much better value proposition due to being priced by node and not by size of the event database. It's also much easier to configure that Splunk and needs much less infrastructure to run. Out of the box SEM beats Splunk on functionality. We looked at many products and …
Chose SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
The compare well against the others - the pricing models for all but Splunk (free version) are based on EPS/TB consumed... the problem they pose is guesstimating the price tag per month. SolarWinds Security Event Manager gets around that.
Chose SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
It came down to price on this one. SolarWinds gave us a great break on it. For the features that we were looking for, SolarWinds is a great value for our dollar. As far as features go, we were looking for some
Chose SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
easier to use than Splunk, light linux core
Chose SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
  • Ease of deployment
  • Good UI
Chose SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
Splunk was a pretty good product but the licensing structure needed a lot of work. They changed the structure three times that I am aware and I still had problems understanding LogRhythm had a lot of issues correlating users to IP addresses, the mappings were frequently wrong …
Chose SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
We found that SolarWinds performed poorly when the Architecture included many large data centers spread across the globe. When evaluating the SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM) solution we quickly realized that we needed a distributed architecture with log aggregation to …
Chose SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
Solarwinds LEM lacks a lot of the features and power of their competitors. It also appears, at least at the outside of the competitors, that it is less user friendly and out of the box ready. We ended up with the Solarwinds solution because of budgetary constraints and …
Splunk Enterprise
Chose Splunk Enterprise
Splunk is the industry leading log correlation company. After a presentation and POC, it was clear to go with the best.
Splunk Enterprise Security
Chose Splunk Enterprise Security
Using Splunk Enterprise Security allows the combination of security data sources from any number of services or products, giving analysts a single view of the entire security footprint throughout the organization and correlating events across services that may otherwise be …
Chose Splunk Enterprise Security
Splunk Enterprise Security is overall a better choice due to multiple factors. It can be easily deployed in any type of environment, whether you are looking for On-Premise or Cloud hosting. It scales amazingly well and it is very intuitive to use. It has a strong community, …
Chose Splunk Enterprise Security
Above mentioned tools are environment-specific and provide insights into what is happening in the environment. We were looking for a product that is environment agnostic & able to work with many environments. Hence Splunk Enterprise security stands out for us. Also, we were …
Chose Splunk Enterprise Security
Splunk Enterprise Security allows for data normalization that does not compare to other SIEMs such as QRadar or Trustwave. QRadar requires custom dsm parsers before the data can be onboarded. I appreciate that Splunk Enterprise Security can ingest any source of data and …
Chose Splunk Enterprise Security
The fact that it is used by many large companies was a strong reason for selecting Splunk Enterprise Security.
After several demos and POCs, the teams were convinced of the value it brings: it demands the right amount of customization to fit with the company data sources.
Also …
Chose Splunk Enterprise Security
I believe it is definitely a leader in the security space
Chose Splunk Enterprise Security
I performed a migration from RSA SA and I found that ES is very easier to implement new Correlation Searches.
Chose Splunk Enterprise Security
Qradar is easy for first-timers. Easy to deploy and manage but if you need an advanced solution for ML, Anomaly Detection you need to use Splunk. Qradar is solid, too. But Splunk has advanced functionality for detection and automation.
Features
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)Splunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Security
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
Comparison of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) features of Product A and Product B
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)
8.9
18 Ratings
12% above category average
Splunk Enterprise
8.2
84 Ratings
4% above category average
Splunk Enterprise Security
8.4
104 Ratings
6% above category average
Centralized event and log data collection9.018 Ratings9.080 Ratings7.1102 Ratings
Correlation8.015 Ratings8.482 Ratings8.9101 Ratings
Event and log normalization/management8.018 Ratings8.581 Ratings8.9102 Ratings
Deployment flexibility10.018 Ratings8.074 Ratings8.0103 Ratings
Integration with Identity and Access Management Tools8.013 Ratings8.175 Ratings9.098 Ratings
Custom dashboards and workspaces9.017 Ratings8.681 Ratings9.9104 Ratings
Host and network-based intrusion detection10.03 Ratings7.760 Ratings8.098 Ratings
Data integration/API management00 Ratings8.228 Ratings8.0100 Ratings
Behavioral analytics and baselining00 Ratings7.526 Ratings8.996 Ratings
Rules-based and algorithmic detection thresholds00 Ratings7.827 Ratings7.997 Ratings
Response orchestration and automation00 Ratings7.523 Ratings8.089 Ratings
Reporting and compliance management00 Ratings8.628 Ratings8.997 Ratings
Incident indexing/searching00 Ratings8.631 Ratings8.0103 Ratings
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User Ratings
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)Splunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Security
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(46 ratings)
8.6
(86 ratings)
7.0
(100 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.3
(2 ratings)
7.0
(18 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(6 ratings)
8.4
(19 ratings)
6.0
(3 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
7.5
(17 ratings)
8.0
(18 ratings)
6.6
(6 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(3 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
9.3
(96 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM)Splunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Security
Likelihood to Recommend
SolarWinds
Optimal for SolarWinds Security Event Manager needs for smaller companies - it is a very cool product but has some limitations around EPS (which gets chewed up quickly if you're doing it the right way & adding servers/storage/FW & other network devices)... Also pricing model is GREAT (not consumption-based, which is the greatest grift the SIEM industry has created).
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Cisco
It's well suited for what I do, which is network security operations. And that's for anything from troubleshooting incidents, troubleshooting performance, troubleshooting for the purpose of a compliance and auditing. It's not best suited for users who are new in terms of they're new to the product and they have expectations that probably Splunk cannot meet.
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Cisco
Well suited: Splunk ES is highly recommended in an environment with many data sources and experienced computer engineers. It has a steep learning curve, but once that hurdle is crossed, it is absolutely a beast. It is also very expensive, so a company putting a high amount of budget in Security is needed. Not well suited: Splunk ES is not recommended if a company has only a few sources and some non-technical IT users. The price won't justify the fewer data sources and scratching just the surface level. Moreover, non-technical IT users would be better off with something that has a query builder, unlike Splunk.
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Pros
SolarWinds
  • It does a great job of notifying us when accounts have been locked out. We can then find out the device on the network where the login attempt occurred.
  • Searching for incidents is now a lot faster with the implementation of the HTML 5 interface.
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Cisco
  • It is very useful in creating custom rules for analyzing system logs and display relevant information. The query language is very easy to learn.
  • We can create custom UI to visualize the output of our data. The interface is very flexible. It also allows the sharing of rules among users.
  • There is an open online community to help others. Stackoverflow also has a splunk community. These resources make it more convenient to learn.
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Cisco
  • Advanced Threat Detection and Correlation: ES stands out in its ability to detect sophisticated threats by correlating data from multiple sources. For instance, it can identify unusual patterns in user behavior, cross-referencing with network logs to flag potential insider threats.
  • Real-time Monitoring and Alerting: ES offers robust real-time monitoring capabilities. It excels in promptly alerting us to critical security events, such as suspicious network traffic spikes or unauthorized access attempts, allowing for immediate response.
  • Comprehensive Log Analysis: ES ingests and analyzes an extensive range of log data. It's particularly adept at parsing and making sense of complex log formats, making it a versatile tool for understanding system activities and security events.
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Cons
SolarWinds
  • All SolarWinds product suffer from slow response times in management portals. SolarWinds SEM is no exception. While it is much preferred over a "thick client" there is much room for improvement in speed.
  • If you use the email alert features with SolarWinds make sure to prepare you staff and team for the large amount of emails they could receive. Make sure to reduce the number of alerts so your team does not ignore the alerts.
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Cisco
  • Splunk light limits number of users to 5. Wish there was a flexible license, where one could add more users.
  • Splunk light does not let you add > few realtime alerts. Wish there was a flexible license, where one could add as many realtime alerts as wanted.
  • Better insight into daily ingestion values
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Cisco
  • ES on the cloud (SaaS) has too many limitations with platform administration.
  • Supported integrations are not always on par with enterprise support especially when dependent on 3rd-party proprietary APIs.
  • In later versions, unforeseen glitches seem to show up that have no resolution except version upgrade. This used to not be the case in prior versions which were very stable.
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Likelihood to Renew
SolarWinds
It is pretty likely that we will renew SEM when the time comes up. It is easy to use and maintain so there isn't much of a need to replace this product. It is also a pretty fair price for the capabilities provided by the SEM
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Cisco
We are using Splunk extensively in our projects and we have recently upgraded to Splunk version 6.0 which is quite efficient and giving expected results. We keep track of updates and new features Splunk introduces periodically and try to introduce those features in our day to day activities for improvement in our reporting system and other tasks.
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Cisco
We are very happy with Splunk and would advise anyone to take a serious look at it. It might look pricey but the rewards Splunk offers seem endless.
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Usability
SolarWinds
If you are familiar with SolarWinds then you can use this product it's as easy as that. If you have never used a SolarWinds product then it will take a minute to get how they do reports and make dashboards but that being said the tool is great and can make things very easy once you get a feel for how it works and get everything setup how you like it.
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Cisco
You can literally throw in a single word into Splunk and it will pull back all instances of that word across all of your logs for the time span you select (provided you have permission to see that data). We have several users who have taken a few of the free courses from Splunk that are able to pull data out of it everyday with little help at all.
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Cisco
Maintaining hundreds or even 1000+ SOC use cases is really difficult, considering that the Data sources may not always send the data. A module that detects data freshness issues and detect data format changes would be a great help. the main challenge today using Splunk Enterprise Security is making sure that the detection rules are still working properly given all the changes that occur in data source applications. Also, maintaining the data collects on tens of thousands of servers and more than 100k workstations is a real company IT challenge: the splunkbase forwarder may not support old OS anymore, while these are the most important to monitor. Moving to the Open Telemetry collector has become essential so that only 1 agent is required for both SIEM and application observability.
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Reliability and Availability
SolarWinds
No answers on this topic
Cisco
When properly setup and configured, Splunk is extremely reliable.
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Cisco
I don't think I've ever seen Splunk ES go fully offline or have any downtime greater than a few minutes on rare occasions.
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Performance
SolarWinds
No answers on this topic
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
It takes a long time for items to load if you are just generally searching through logs. It is best to use the data models which load faster but can be strange in terms of what is coming from which logs where. Yes, you can look it up, but this also requires familiarity with where things are and how to look them up.
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Support Rating
SolarWinds
The quality of support can vary depending on whom you end up speaking with. I was fortunate enough to work with a support representative who was very familiar with the product. He had even authored some of the support documentation on the website. On the flip side, I had two other experiences where I was simply directed to online training material.
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Cisco
Splunk maintains a well resourced support system that has been consistent since we purchased the product. They help out in a timely manner and provide expert level information as needed. We typically open cases online and communicate when possible via e-mail and are able to resolve most issues with that method.
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Cisco
It's good when it's responsive, but I've had times where I had to wait quite a while for a response. But these are typically the exceptions rather than the rule. When you do get a response it is always well-informed and appropriate. I would say they've been trending better over time with this.
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In-Person Training
SolarWinds
No answers on this topic
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
I experienced only on-line training, but the trainers were very professional and competent. Maybe it could be more useful if they also have an experience in projects because sometimes they didn't have a real project experience to communicate to the students. Anyway, it was very interesting and I learned many thing that's very difficoult (or maybe impossible!) to have by myself, aven if I have more than 10 years of Splunk activity experience.
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Online Training
SolarWinds
No answers on this topic
Cisco
The online course was simple clear and described the main capabilities of the solution. There is also an initial module that can be done for free so anyone can familiarize themselves with the functionality of this solution. On the other hand, however, there could be more free online courses. Maybe even with a certificate, this would broaden the group of people who are familiar with the platform while increasing familiarity with the solution itself.
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Cisco
It was very interesting and I learned many thing that's very difficoult (or maybe impossible!) to have by myself. The only problem was that, when I worked with the Splunk Professional Services, I found some difference between the training contents and the information from PS. In addition is required a long experience on Splunk Enterprise for the data ingestion part, in other words I'm able to work with ES because I'm worling on Splunk since 11 years, otherwise I'd some problem.
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Implementation Rating
SolarWinds
No answers on this topic
Cisco
Smooth without too many major issues.
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Cisco
It's a fantatic product and it was very useful the presence of Splunk Professional Services for the Design Phase and the final Health Check.
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Alternatives Considered
SolarWinds
Fortianalzyer can only do logs from FortiGate so usefulness is limited. Elasticsearch was a lot slower than Solarwinds and the filters were a lot harder to set up and use. The connectors for SEM were far more stable.
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Cisco
I didn't get to fully evaluate Logstash as our corporation was already using Logstash, but both seemed like viable solutions to the problem that we were having. I wanted to evaluate Logstash some more, both did seem like they would work for the business needs that we had, we went with splunk as many teams were already using it.
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Cisco
Splunk enterprise is the only solution that we’ve been able to identify that provides risk based alerting, which allows our SOC to reduce analyst fatigue which would be a huge problem without it. Before RBA, there were thousands of alerts a day and it was impossible to review all of them
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
SolarWinds
No answers on this topic
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
for my exterience, unit pricing and billing frequency are correct. As I already said, I hint to have more discount flexibility, expecially with new customers, because there are competitors less expensive and very aggressive that are dangerous. In addition the possibility to don't pay the license for the development period could be a very interesting feature for the final customers.
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Scalability
SolarWinds
No answers on this topic
Cisco
Splunk can scale in to the petabyte per day range which of course is awesome
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Cisco
- 8 out of 10 and took 2 for the data pipeline and administration part. Even if you'd like to improve yourself or your team, you have to pay a lot of money and it could be more than GIAC education + cert. - Normalization for Data models and CPU-based searches can be a problem sometimes.
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Professional Services
SolarWinds
No answers on this topic
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
I had a fantastic experience with Splunk Professional Services: they worked with us in our last SON project (a SOC migration for a very large customer) and helped to build a multi tenent environment even if ES isn't a multi tenant platform. Th Splunk PS was a very professional and competent people, he is italian and was able to speak with our italian customers.
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Return on Investment
SolarWinds
  • For the price, it produced a decent value. It did a lot of the easy stuff well. I can't give any specific data given the objective of the product was to monitor very basic events in the environment.
  • There are free options that can do a better job.
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Cisco
  • I don't have any numbers to share but Splunk has positively served as a 24/7 monitoring tool that has saved hours of work by self-detecting, saving statistics and alerting problems in the system or from external interfaces as soon as they happen.
  • Splunk dashboards does a solid job in collecting, analyzing data and creating reports that contain an entire day's activity and then automatically sent out to the business.
  • Splunk is very easy to learn and very useful to any program or business application.
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Cisco
  • ES has highly impacted ROI because as the customer of the ES the work we do for creating use cases for clients in terms of security-related aspects by their logs has given more return than investment.
  • The correlation searches we run to get detailed results from the Data models are very less time-consuming than Splunk Enterprise itself we can get quick responses to the use cases and dashboards populated because of ES.
  • The CIM compliance feature is ES has made more jobs easy in the terms of finding more Authentication related data we can get data onboarded in the Email data model from O365 and search is email data model instead of searching for particular indexes.
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ScreenShots

SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM) Screenshots

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