Comparison Guide
SOC-as-a-Service vs In-House SOC
A Security Operations Center (SOC) monitors your environment 24/7 for threats. Building one in-house requires significant investment in people, tools, and processes. SOC-as-a-Service provides the same capability through a managed provider.
Quick Answer
In-House SOC wins for most buyers.
90% lower cost with equivalent or better outcomes for SMBs.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | SOC-as-a-Service | In-House SOC |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $50,000-$200,000 | $1M-$3M+ (staff, tools, facility) |
| Staffing | Fully managed | 6-12 analysts minimum for 24/7 |
| Time to Deploy | Days to weeks | 6-12 months |
| Tool Investment | Included | $500,000+ in SIEM, EDR, etc. |
| Expertise | Shared team of specialists | Must recruit and retain talent |
Our Verdict
SOC-as-a-Service provides enterprise-grade security monitoring at a fraction of the cost of building in-house. Only the largest enterprises with dedicated security budgets should consider building their own SOC.
Quick Picks
Which one should you pick?
Three buyer profiles, three answers. Pick the row that fits.
SMB / mid-market, no security staff
Pick: SOC-as-a-Service
No dedicated security analysts and no appetite to fund 6-12 hires for around-the-clock coverage. Get 24/7 monitoring and human-led response for $50K-$200K a year instead of $1M+, live in weeks, not months.
Get a SOC-as-a-Service quoteLarge enterprise with dedicated security budget
Pick: In-House SOC
1,000+ employees, strict data-residency or regulatory mandates, and a budget that can absorb $1M-$3M a year in analysts, SIEM licensing, and facilities. Full control at full cost, so pressure-test the math with a strategist first.
Talk to a security strategistInternal IT team without 24/7 coverage
Pick: Hybrid: SOC-as-a-Service over your stack
Your team keeps daytime ownership of the environment while an outsourced SOC covers nights, weekends, and escalations. Start with an assessment to map log sources, coverage gaps, and handoff points.
Book a security assessmentWhy Work With Unio Digital?
We Listen
Personalized, customer-centric culture that puts your needs first.
Customer Focused
You are not just another number. We build lasting partnerships.
Technology That Works
We obsess over vetting solutions and going the extra mile.
Need Help Choosing?
Our team can help you evaluate the right solution for your business. Schedule a free consultation.
Get a Free Quote Contact UsMore Comparisons
Explore other side-by-side comparisons in this category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn More About Cybersecurity
Visit our comprehensive Cybersecurity page for detailed information about our capabilities and approach.
Explore Cybersecurity ServicesSources & Methodology
Specifications, pricing, and product capabilities cited on this page are sourced from public vendor documentation as of the dates shown below. Vendor product lines change quickly; verify current specs and pricing directly with each vendor before purchasing.
- Huntress includes its 24/7 human-led SOC at no additional cost, with published per-unit pricing of $8.99/endpoint/month for Managed EDR and $4.00/source/month for Managed SIEM. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Unio Digital's managed cybersecurity service delivers human-led managed detection and response with 24/7/365 monitoring, 8-minute mean response times, and under 1% false positives, with EDR on every workstation and server included. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Microsoft Sentinel, a SIEM commonly deployed by in-house SOCs, bills per GB of data analyzed under a pay-as-you-go default, with commitment tier pricing starting at 100 GB per day and workspace retention beyond 90 days billed separately. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- CyberSeek, a collaboration between Lightcast, NICE, and CompTIA, recorded 514,359 US cybersecurity job listings for the May 2024 to April 2025 period, quantifying the hiring market an in-house SOC must recruit from. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- NIST SP 800-61 Revision 3, Incident Response Recommendations and Considerations for Cybersecurity Risk Management: A CSF 2.0 Community Profile, was published in April 2025 and helps organizations improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their incident detection, response, and recovery activities. [source] · verified 2026-07-01