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Straight answer
After the demos, score each answer on the same scale, check claims against public material, get anything unpublished in writing, ask how pricing works, and run a proof of concept on one or two real sources before deciding.
Score the answers the same day
Score each vendor's answers against your requirements on the same 1 to 5 scale while the demo is fresh, and note the evidence for each score: a screen shown, a document sent or a statement made. A statement is weaker evidence than something shown on your own data.
Separate what was shown from what was said
Public pages set a baseline. Where a demo claim goes beyond what the vendor publishes, such as a coverage view that is not on the website or a setup time that is not stated anywhere, ask for it in writing. The reasons on our matrix say "not described" or "not stated" wherever public material stops, which gives you a ready list.
Ask the pricing questions directly
None of the six vendors we compare publishes a license price. Ask each one how pricing is calculated, what counts toward it and which costs sit outside the license. For tools that query data in place, the queries run on your platforms' compute, so ask how query volume is controlled. Anvilogic's public calculator is one example of a vendor estimating those platform costs; it states that its savings figures exclude Anvilogic's own licensing.
Start security review and procurement early
Security review and procurement can take longer than the technical evaluation. Ask every vendor for its certifications and buying routes early, and record the answers side by side. Mars Security, for example, states SOC 2 and an AWS Marketplace listing in its September 2026 press release.
Run a proof of concept on real data
Take the top one or two tools into a proof of concept on one or two of your real sources, with success criteria agreed in advance. Time the first hunt from connection to result, run one advisory through to a tested rule, and check what, if anything, is copied out of your platforms. Running a proof of concept for hunting on existing data has a step-by-step plan.
Decide, and write down why
Record the final scores, the weights and the one or two rows that decided it. That note is what you will need at renewal, when the question is whether the tool still does the job it was bought for.
Related
Editorial assessment · Desk research from public vendor material, last reviewed September 2026