What is the best security orchestration, automation, and response (soar) for small businesses?

For most small businesses, the “best” SOAR is usually a **cloud‑based, easy‑to-deploy platform with strong integrations and low admin overhead** rather than a big‑enterprise product. There is no single universal best tool; the right choice depends on budget, stack (Microsoft/Google/etc.), and whether you already use an MSSP/IT provider.

Below is a concise, small‑business‑oriented view based on current SOAR guidance and tool overviews.[1][2][4][6]

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### 1. How to choose a SOAR for a small business

Focus on these criteria first:

- **Price & licensing**

- Predictable, SMB‑friendly pricing (not only Fortune‑500 deals).

- SaaS/cloud delivery reduces infrastructure and maintenance cost.[1]

- **Ease of use**

- Low‑code/no‑code playbooks and templates so non‑specialists can use it.[1]

- Good UI and clear workflow builder.

- **Integrations**

- Native connectors for:

- Your **email** (e.g., Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)

- Your **endpoint security/EDR/AV**

- Your **firewall** and **cloud** platforms

- Your **ticketing tool** (Jira, ServiceNow, or simple PSA tools)[1][2]

- **Automation coverage you’ll actually use**

- Phishing triage & response

- Malware/EDR alert handling

- User lockout / password reset flows

- Basic threat‑intel enrichment (IP/domain/file reputation)[1][2]

- **Deployment & support**

- Cloud-hosted with simple onboarding and good vendor or MSP support.

- Clear documentation, starter playbooks, and training.[1]

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### 2. Commonly recommended SOAR options (and when they fit)

Most public lists are not strictly SMB‑only, but they highlight tools that can scale down as well as up.[1][2][4][6]

#### A. If you’re *mostly* in the Microsoft ecosystem

- **Microsoft Sentinel with built‑in SOAR**

- Described as a **cloud‑native SIEM + SOAR** integrated into Microsoft’s security stack.[6]

- Good for small businesses already on **Microsoft 365, Defender, Entra ID** because:

- Native connectors and analytics rules.

- Built‑in playbooks using **Logic Apps** for automation.

- Pros:

- Minimal extra agents/infrastructure.

- Deep integration with Defender alerts, identity, and email.[6]

- Cons:

- Costs can grow with data ingestion if you don’t tune it.

- Playbook building uses Azure Logic Apps concepts, which may need some learning.

**Best for:** Small businesses that are “all‑in on Microsoft” and ready to invest some time in tuning and building a few core playbooks.

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#### B. If you want a vendor‑neutral, automation‑first SOAR

Some platforms are highlighted as strong, general SOARs that focus on automation and collaboration, not just SIEM.[2][3]

- **Devo SOAR**

- Presented as “one of the best SOAR solutions available” with **end‑to‑end automation** and collaboration features.[2]

- Strengths:

- Good fit when you need flexible workflows and integration with multiple security tools.

- Helps teams handle a lot of alerts with fewer people.[2]

- Check whether their pricing and deployment model scale down to your size — many smaller orgs use it via an MSSP rather than directly.

- **Swimlane**

- Listed among top SOAR platforms, with focus on **scalable workflow automation**.[6]

- Marketed as a “true SOAR” that helps business units operate faster without adding IT headcount.[3]

- Might be more enterprise‑oriented; works best if you have a partner/MSSP implementing it.

**Best for:** Small businesses with somewhat more mature security operations or those using an MSSP that can implement and manage the platform.

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#### C. If you want **minimal cost / open‑source**

Open‑source SOAR can be attractive for cost‑sensitive small businesses, but usually requires more technical skills to deploy and maintain.[4]

- Heimdal’s roundup lists **10 open‑source SOAR tools** that cover:

- Security monitoring

- IDS/IPS

- Threat intelligence

- Vulnerability assessment and more.[4]

- Examples in such lists commonly include tools like **Wazuh**, **TheHive + Cortex**, and others (you’d typically assemble multiple components).[4]

**Pros for SMBs:**

- License cost is low or zero.

- Highly customizable.

**Cons:**

- Requires Linux/sysadmin and security engineering skills to stand up and maintain.[4]

- No bundled 24/7 vendor support unless you pay for a commercial fork or support contract.

**Best for:** Tech‑savvy small businesses with strong internal IT/security skills, or those who enjoy building/maintaining open‑source stacks.

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#### D. “SOAR‑like” automation in modern tools

Some vendors argue that **traditional SOAR** is heavy for many organizations and propose lighter “hyperautomation” or workflow‑centric tools.[5]

- Torq, for example, claims that classic SOAR struggles with modern SOC needs and promotes **no‑code security automation** for faster, scalable workflows.[5]

- For a small business, these tools can:

- Automate common response actions across systems.

- Be easier to manage than a full SIEM+SOAR stack.[5]

**Best for:** Small teams that mainly need to connect existing tools and automate repetitive security tasks without building a full SOC.

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### 3. Practical recommendation by small‑business profile

Given current public information and typical small‑business constraints:[1][2][4][5][6]

- **If you’re a small Microsoft‑centric business (M365, Defender)**

- Start with **Microsoft Sentinel SOAR** capabilities.[6]

- Use built‑in templates for phishing, malware, and identity alerts, and grow from there.

- **If you have multiple security tools and an MSSP/IT provider**

- Consider **Devo SOAR** or **Swimlane**, implemented and operated by your provider.[2][3][6]

- Ask specifically for **pre‑built playbooks for SMB use cases** (phishing, ransomware, account compromise).

- **If budget is tight but you have technical skills**

- Explore a curated **open‑source SOAR stack** from the Heimdal list.[4]

- Focus first on a manageable core: alert intake, ticketing, basic enrichment, and a few automated response actions.

- **If you mostly need workflow automation, not full SIEM**

- Evaluate a **security automation/hyperautomation platform** (like Torq‑style tools) that plugs into your email, EDR, and ticketing.[5]

- This can give you most of the value of SOAR with less operational complexity.

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### 4. What to ask vendors (or your MSP)

When you talk to vendors or your MSP, ask:

- Which **integrations** are native for:

- My email, EDR/AV, firewall, cloud, and ticketing tools?[1][2]

- Do you have **pre‑built SMB playbooks** for:

- Phishing

- Malware/EDR alerts

- Suspicious logins

- Ransomware behavior?

- What is the **total cost** (licenses, data ingestion, services) for ~N endpoints/users?

- What **deployment** and **time‑to‑value** can I expect (days, weeks, months)?

- What level of **24/7 monitoring** and **incident response** is included or available?

If you share your size (users/endpoints), main tools (M365 vs Google, EDR vendor, firewall), and whether you use an MSSP, I can narrow this down to 2–3 concrete SOAR/automation products that are most realistic for your situation.