Introduction
SOAR Playbook Builders are digital workbenches where security teams create “recipes” for how a computer should react to a threat. To understand this, imagine a security team as a group of firefighters. Every time a fire alarm (an alert) goes off, they have to follow a set of steps: put on their gear, drive the truck, find the fire, and put it out. In the digital world, these steps are called a playbook. A SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) Playbook Builder is the tool used to draw these steps out so the computer can follow them automatically, 24 hours a day, without a human having to click every button.
These tools are incredibly important today because the number of digital attacks is growing too fast for humans to keep up. Without automation, security analysts get tired and overwhelmed, which leads to mistakes. By using a playbook builder, a team can take a task that normally takes 30 minutes—like checking if a suspicious email is a scam—and finish it in 30 seconds. This allows humans to focus on the really dangerous, complex problems that require a brain rather than just a checklist.
Common real-world uses for these playbooks include automatically blocking a hacker’s computer after they try to guess a password too many times, or scanning every attachment in an email to see if it contains a virus before an employee opens it. When you are looking for a playbook builder, you should check if it has a “drag-and-drop” screen that is easy to see, how many other tools it can talk to (integrations), and if it has pre-made recipes that you can use right away.
Best for: These tools are a perfect fit for security operations center (SOC) managers, incident responders, and security engineers in medium to large companies. They are essential for industries like banking, healthcare, and retail where thousands of alerts come in every single day and speed is a top priority.
Not ideal for: You likely do not need a full SOAR playbook builder if you are a very small business with only a few computers and no dedicated security staff. In those cases, the built-in security features of your email or antivirus software are usually enough. These tools can also be too complex if you don’t have anyone on your team who understands how a security investigation works.
Top 10 SOAR Playbook Builders Tools
1 — Cortex XSOAR (Palo Alto Networks)
Cortex XSOAR is often seen as the giant in this industry. It is a massive platform that combines automation, a way to track cases, and a system to look for bad actors all in one place. It is built for very large teams that need to handle hundreds of different security problems at the same time.
Key features
- Visual Playbook Editor: A big, easy-to-use screen where you can draw your investigation steps like a flow chart.
- Massive Marketplace: It has thousands of pre-made “apps” that let it talk to almost any other security software.
- War Room: A shared chat space where security experts can talk to each other while the computer is doing the work.
- Machine Learning: The tool learns from how your team works and suggests the best next step to take.
- Dynamic Sections: You can change how a case looks depending on what kind of attack it is (like a virus vs. a stolen password).
- Incident Mirroring: It can copy its notes over to other systems so everyone in the company stays updated.
Pros
- It is the most powerful tool for big companies that have many different security products that need to work together.
- The “War Room” feature makes it much easier for teams to work together during a big emergency.
Cons
- It is very expensive and can be hard to learn because it has so many buttons and settings.
- You often need a dedicated employee whose only job is to keep the tool running and updated.
Security & compliance: It meets all the major safety rules, including SOC 2, ISO, and GDPR. It uses strong encryption and tracks every move your team makes for audit logs.
Support & community: They have a huge community of users who share their own playbooks. Palo Alto provides professional training and very detailed manuals.
2 — Tines
Tines is known as the “gold standard” for teams that want a very clean and flexible way to build playbooks. It is a “no-code” tool, which means you don’t have to be a computer programmer to build very powerful automation.
Key features
- The Canvas: A completely blank digital whiteboard where you can drag and drop actions to build your workflow.
- No-Code Actions: It uses simple building blocks to do complex things like sending emails or searching a database.
- API First: It is built to connect to anything that has a digital “doorway” (API) with almost no effort.
- Version Control: You can save different versions of your playbooks so you can go back if you make a mistake.
- Templates: It comes with hundreds of pre-made stories that help you start your automation in minutes.
- Cloud or Local: You can run it on your own servers or use their online version.
Pros
- It is perhaps the easiest tool for a regular security analyst to pick up and start using immediately.
- It is extremely flexible; you can use it for security, but also for HR tasks or IT help desk work.
Cons
- Because it starts as a “blank canvas,” you have to know what you want to build before you start.
- It doesn’t have a built-in “incident manager” like some other tools, so you might need a second piece of software to track your cases.
Security & compliance: Tines is SOC 2 Type II compliant and offers encryption for your data. It is designed to keep your secrets (like passwords) very safe while the automation runs.
Support & community: They are famous for having a very helpful support team and a library of “stories” that any user can download for free.
3 — Splunk SOAR
Splunk SOAR, which used to be called Phantom, is built for companies that already use Splunk to look at their data. It is designed to take an alert and start the investigation immediately without any human help.
Key features
- Visual Playbook Builder: A clean screen that lets you build your investigation steps without writing code.
- Phased Response: It breaks an investigation into parts, like “Search,” “Block,” and “Finish,” to keep you organized.
- Massive App Library: It can connect to over 300 other tools and do over 2,800 different actions.
- Mobile App: You can actually check on your security playbooks and approve actions from your phone.
- Analyst Queues: It organizes all the alerts into lists so your team knows what to work on first.
- Python Support: If you do know how to code, you can write your own custom scripts to do very advanced things.
Pros
- If you already use Splunk, this tool connects perfectly and makes your whole security system much faster.
- The mobile app is a great feature for managers who need to be “on call” away from their desks.
Cons
- The screens can sometimes feel a bit old-fashioned compared to newer, more modern tools.
- It can be difficult to set up if you are not already an expert in the Splunk universe.
Security & compliance: It follows all the standard security rules like SOC 2 and GDPR and provides very detailed records of every action taken.
Support & community: There is a huge group of Splunk fans online who help each other. Splunk also offers professional classes to teach you how to be a master of the tool.
4 — Swimlane Turbine
Swimlane Turbine is a newer version of the Swimlane tool that focuses on “Hyperautomation.” It is built to handle massive amounts of data—millions of actions every day—without slowing down.
Key features
- Low-Code Design: It uses a visual builder that is easy for humans to read but very fast for computers to run.
- AI Case Management: The tool uses artificial intelligence to help you write notes and solve cases faster.
- Remote Agents: You can run automation in many different locations at once, which is great for global companies.
- Custom Dashboards: You can build your own screens to show your boss how much money you are saving.
- Infinite Integrations: They promise to help you build a connection to any tool you own, even if it’s very rare.
- Parallel Execution: It can do many different steps of a playbook at the exact same time to save seconds.
Pros
- It is one of the fastest tools available and can handle more work than almost any other platform.
- The focus on “AI assistance” helps newer security workers act like experts by suggesting the right answers.
Cons
- It has a steep learning curve; you might need a few weeks of training to understand all its features.
- Some users find that the reporting features take a lot of work to set up exactly the way you want.
Security & compliance: They are ISO 42001 certified, which is a very high standard for data privacy. They also meet SOC 2 and GDPR rules.
Support & community: They provide excellent onboarding and have a very active group of users who share best practices.
5 — Torq
Torq is a modern, fast-moving platform that focuses on “speed-to-value.” Their goal is to help you build your first security playbook in just a few minutes, rather than weeks.
Key features
- Browser-First UI: Everything happens in a modern web browser that feels fast and “snappy.”
- Parallel Steps: It can run different parts of your investigation at once to finish the job faster.
- Autocompletion: As you build a playbook, the tool suggests the next step for you based on common sense.
- Cloud Native: You don’t have to install any servers; it is ready to use the second you sign up.
- Event-Driven: It reacts immediately to things like a new user joining or a suspicious login.
- Workflow Testing: You can test your playbooks while you are building them to make sure they don’t break.
Pros
- It is very modern and feels like using a high-quality smartphone app rather than a clunky computer program.
- It is great for teams that want to start small and grow their automation very quickly.
Cons
- Because it is a newer company, it might not have as many “old” integrations for legacy computer systems.
- Some users find that it is so fast that it can be hard for a human to keep up with what is happening.
Security & compliance: Torq is SOC 2 Type II compliant and uses the latest encryption to protect your data while it moves through the cloud.
Support & community: They have a very modern support system with direct chat and a library of “recipes” you can use immediately.
6 — Microsoft Sentinel (Logic Apps)
If your company is “all-in” on Microsoft, this is likely the tool you will use. It uses a technology called Azure Logic Apps to build its playbooks, making it very powerful for cloud-based companies.
Key features
- Native Azure Integration: It connects perfectly to everything Microsoft, like Office 365 and Azure servers.
- Visual Designer: A simple drag-and-drop builder that looks like other Microsoft tools you already know.
- Hundreds of Connectors: It can talk to both Microsoft tools and many other third-party products.
- Pay-As-You-Go: You only pay for the automation you actually use, which can save money for smaller teams.
- ML Triage: It uses Microsoft’s giant brain of security data to help find the real threats.
- Automated Remediation: It can automatically reset a user’s password or block an IP address the second it sees a problem.
Pros
- It is the easiest choice for teams that are already familiar with the Microsoft ecosystem.
- The cost is very flexible; you don’t have to pay a giant upfront fee for a big license.
Cons
- If you have many “non-Microsoft” tools (like Google or Amazon servers), it can be harder to connect them.
- Some of the advanced features require you to know a bit about how the Azure cloud works.
Security & compliance: This is one of the most secure platforms in the world, meeting almost every global standard including FedRAMP, HIPAA, and GDPR.
Support & community: Microsoft provides massive amounts of documentation and has a global network of partners to help you.
7 — Google Security Operations SOAR
This tool used to be called Siemplify. It is known for being very “analyst-friendly,” which means it focuses on making the job easier for the human sitting in front of the screen.
Key features
- Threat Centricity: It organizes alerts into “stories” so you can see the whole attack, not just one small alert.
- Visual Playbook Builder: A clean, easy-to-use editor that doesn’t require any coding.
- Case Prioritization: It tells you which alerts are the most dangerous so you don’t waste time on small stuff.
- Integrated Marketplace: You can easily add new connections to other tools with a few clicks.
- Collaboration Tools: It lets different analysts leave notes and work on the same investigation together.
- Cloud Native: Now part of Google Cloud, it is very fast and easy to access from anywhere.
Pros
- It is very good at reducing “alert fatigue” because it groups related alerts together into one case.
- The interface is very intuitive and doesn’t require a lot of training for new staff.
Cons
- Now that it is part of Google, some users feel that the personal support has changed.
- It might not have as many “heavy” enterprise management features as Cortex XSOAR.
Security & compliance: It meets all major safety standards and is built on Google’s highly secure cloud infrastructure.
Support & community: Google provides professional support and detailed manuals, though some find the community to be smaller than Splunk’s.
8 — Fortinet FortiSOAR
FortiSOAR is part of the Fortinet “Security Fabric.” It is built for companies that use Fortinet firewalls and other products, but it is also a very strong standalone tool.
Key features
- Visual Playbook Designer: Over 3,000 different automated actions you can drag into your workflows.
- Role-Based Incident Management: You can control exactly who sees which part of an investigation.
- War Room: A central hub where your team can collaborate on the biggest and most dangerous alerts.
- Recommendation Engine: It looks at how you solved problems in the past and suggests the same fix again.
- On-Premise or Cloud: You can host it yourself if you have very secret data that can’t be in the cloud.
- Simplified Dashboards: Very informative screens that show exactly how your SOC is performing.
Pros
- It is very affordable compared to the other “giant” platforms on this list.
- It is extremely flexible and can be customized to fit almost any business process.
Cons
- Setting it up can be very complicated and might take more than a month of work.
- Some users find that the technical support can be slow to respond in certain parts of the world.
Security & compliance: It is designed for government and enterprise use, meeting strict rules for data privacy and audit tracking.
Security & compliance: Varies / N/A.
Support & community: They offer very good online resources and documentation, though some users wish for more instructional videos.
9 — IBM Security QRadar SOAR
IBM’s tool is famous for its “Dynamic Playbooks.” Instead of a static list of steps, these playbooks change and adapt as the investigation happens, just like a human would.
Key features
- Dynamic Playbooks: The investigation steps change in real-time as the computer finds new evidence.
- Privacy Regulations: It has over 180 built-in rules for privacy laws, so it knows exactly what to do if personal data is stolen.
- Playbook Designer: A very high-quality interface that was built based on years of analyst feedback.
- Integrated Case Management: It keeps a perfect record of every investigation for your legal team.
- Threat Intelligence: It automatically checks every alert against a massive list of known bad guys.
- Orchestration Hub: It acts as the “central brain” for all your other security tools.
Pros
- It is perhaps the best tool for companies in highly regulated industries like banking or healthcare.
- The “Dynamic” nature of the playbooks makes them much more useful for complex attacks.
Cons
- It can be quite expensive and requires a lot of computer power to run smoothly.
- Learning how to build the “Dynamic” playbooks can take a significant amount of training.
Security & compliance: This is an enterprise leader in compliance, meeting SOC 1/2/3, GDPR, and HIPAA standards.
Support & community: IBM provides world-class support and has a massive community of experts around the globe.
10 — Rapid7 InsightConnect
Rapid7 InsightConnect is designed to be a “bridge” between your security team and your IT team. It is built to make automation simple and helpful for everyone.
Key features
- Visual Workflow Builder: A very modern and easy-to-use editor that focuses on clarity.
- 300+ Plugins: It can connect to almost any tool you use to manage your network or your security.
- Vulnerability Orchestration: It is very good at finding a security hole and automatically telling the right person to fix it.
- Human-in-the-Loop: It makes it easy for the computer to stop and ask a human for permission before it does something big.
- Integration with InsightIDR: It works perfectly with Rapid7’s other security monitoring tools.
- Simplified Logic: It avoids complex computer code so any security analyst can understand how it works.
Pros
- It is excellent for “Vulnerability Management”—finding and fixing security holes before a hacker finds them.
- The tool is very fast and doesn’t feel clunky or slow.
Cons
- It is not as deep as Cortex XSOAR when it comes to managing massive incidents with many people.
- Some users find that the reporting features are a bit limited compared to other tools.
Security & compliance: It meets SOC 2 standards and uses high-quality encryption to keep your company’s information private.
Support & community: They provide very good documentation and have a responsive support team that is known for being friendly.
Comparison Table
| Tool Name | Best For | Platform(s) Supported | Standout Feature | Rating |
| Cortex XSOAR | Complex Enterprise SOCs | Cloud / On-Prem | Integrated “War Room” | 4.8 / 5 |
| Tines | No-Code Flexibility | Cloud / SaaS | Pure Blank Canvas Builder | 4.7 / 5 |
| Splunk SOAR | Splunk Users | Cloud / On-Prem | Mobile App Approvals | 4.6 / 5 |
| Swimlane Turbine | High-Scale Automation | Cloud / On-Prem | 25M+ Daily Actions Scale | 4.8 / 5 |
| Torq | Fast Deployment | Cloud Native | Parallel Action Execution | 4.6 / 5 |
| Microsoft Sentinel | Microsoft Ecosystem | Cloud (Azure) | Pay-As-You-Go Pricing | 4.5 / 5 |
| Google SecOps | Analyst Efficiency | Cloud (GCP) | Alert Grouping into Stories | 4.5 / 5 |
| FortiSOAR | Fortinet Fabric Users | Cloud / On-Prem | 3,000+ Pre-built Actions | 4.4 / 5 |
| IBM QRadar SOAR | Regulated Industries | Cloud / On-Prem | Dynamic Adapting Playbooks | 4.4 / 5 |
| Rapid7 InsightConnect | Vulnerability Fixing | Cloud / SaaS | Simple Human-in-the-Loop | 4.3 / 5 |
Evaluation & Scoring of SOAR Playbook Builders
When we judge these tools, we look at what really matters to a security team on a daily basis. Here is how we break down the scoring.
| Evaluation Category | Weight | What We Look For |
| Core Features | 25% | Can it build playbooks easily? Does it have a visual screen? |
| Ease of Use | 15% | Is the interface clean? Can a regular analyst learn it in a week? |
| Integrations | 15% | Does it talk to EDR, SIEM, Firewalls, and Email tools? |
| Security & Compliance | 10% | Does it have SOC 2? Is the data encrypted and safe? |
| Performance | 10% | Does the software load fast? Can it handle many alerts at once? |
| Support & Community | 10% | Is there a manual? Can you call a real person for help? |
| Price / Value | 15% | Is it worth the money? Does it save more time than it costs? |
Which SOAR Playbook Builder Is Right for You?
Choosing the right tool is a big decision that depends on who your team is and what tools you already have.
By Team Type and Size
- Small Teams or Solo Users: If you are a very small team, look for a no-code tool like Tines or a pay-as-you-go tool like Microsoft Sentinel. These let you start small without spending a million dollars on a big contract.
- Medium-Sized SOCs: Google Security Operations SOAR or Torq are excellent here. They are easy to use and focus on helping your team solve alerts faster without needing a PhD in computer science.
- Large Enterprise SOCs: If you have 50 or more analysts, you need the power of Cortex XSOAR or Swimlane Turbine. These tools are built to manage massive amounts of chaos and many people working together.
Based on Your Budget
- Budget-Conscious: If you need to keep costs low, look at FortiSOAR or Microsoft Sentinel. They often provide the best “bang for your buck” and have flexible pricing.
- Premium Solutions: If money is not an issue and you want the absolute best of the best, Cortex XSOAR and IBM QRadar SOAR are the top choices. You are paying for years of research and high-quality support.
Feature Depth vs. Ease of Use
If you want a tool that your team can learn in one day, Tines or Torq are the clear winners. However, if you want a tool that can do absolutely anything—even if it’s hard to learn—Cortex XSOAR and IBM QRadar SOAR are much more powerful for experts.
Security and Infrastructure Needs
If your company is very traditional and doesn’t want your security data in the cloud, you MUST pick a tool that can be hosted on-premise, like Swimlane, FortiSOAR, or IBM QRadar SOAR. If you are a modern company that loves the cloud, Torq or Microsoft Sentinel will fit your lifestyle better.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a SOAR playbook?
It is a set of digital instructions that tell a computer how to respond to a specific security alert, like a suspicious login or a possible virus.
2. Do I need to know how to code to build playbooks?
No. Most modern tools are “no-code” or “low-code,” which means you can build them by dragging and dropping icons on a screen.
3. Is SOAR the same as a SIEM?
No. A SIEM (like Splunk or QRadar) finds the problem and creates an alert. A SOAR takes that alert and does something about it (like blocking the hacker).
4. Can SOAR playbooks replace security analysts?
No. They are meant to help analysts by doing the boring, repetitive work. Humans are still needed for big decisions and creative problem solving.
5. How long does it take to build a playbook?
A simple playbook (like checking an IP address) can be built in an hour. A complex playbook (like a full ransomware investigation) can take several days or weeks.
6. Will a SOAR tool save me money?
Yes, usually. By automating repetitive tasks, you can do more work with fewer people and respond to attacks faster, which prevents expensive data breaches.
7. Can I share playbooks with other companies?
Yes, many tools have marketplaces where you can download playbooks made by other people or share your own with the community.
8. What happens if a playbook makes a mistake?
That’s why most tools have “Human-in-the-Loop” features. You can tell the computer to stop and ask a human for permission before it does something serious, like deleting a user’s account.
9. Do I need many integrations for SOAR to work?
Yes. A SOAR tool is only as good as the other tools it can talk to. If it can’t talk to your firewall or your email, it can’t automate your response.
10. Is SOAR only for large companies?
It used to be, but now there are affordable and easy-to-use versions (like Tines or Torq) that are great for smaller teams.
Conclusion
Choosing the right SOAR playbook builder is the best way to turn a stressed, overworked security team into a fast and efficient investigation machine. As we have seen, there is no one “perfect” tool. The best one for you depends on whether you are a small startup looking for the simplicity of Tines, or a global bank that needs the massive power of Cortex XSOAR.
When you make your choice, remember to focus on the analyst experience. A tool is only useful if your team actually enjoys using it every day. Look for a tool that makes their lives easier, not more complicated. Think about your budget, the tools you already own, and how much automation you really need today.
In the end, automation is a journey. Start with one simple playbook—like investigating a phishing email—and grow from there. By picking the right partner today, you are building a safer and more successful future for your entire company. We recommend trying a demo of two or three of these tools to see which “canvas” feels the most natural for your team to draw on.