In one paragraph
Mars Security and Vega both appear in this guide's vendor directory. On the autonomy ladder, Mars Security's own material describes Level 3, Continuous hunting, human review and Vega's describes Level 2, Directed autonomous hunts. Both state 3 of the twelve capabilities in our matrix. Mars Security states hunts start without a per-hunt request, new rules tested on historical data before release, names its intelligence sources and states a security attestation where Vega does not; Vega states detection changes kept in version control, publishes an open framework or specification and states MCP support where Mars Security does not. This guide does not pick a winner; which differences matter depends on your must-haves.
Guide updated September 2026 · Autonomous Threat Hunting editors
Where do Mars Security and Vega differ?
Mars Security states, Vega does not publish
- Hunts start without a per-hunt request: Hunts generated from threat intelligence "run them continuously against the data where it already lives".
- New rules tested on historical data before release: Each rule is backtested against 30 days of the customer's own data before it goes live.
- Names its intelligence sources: Advisories from CISA, Mandiant, Unit 42 and Microsoft Threat Intelligence.
- States a security attestation: SOC 2, per its September 2026 announcement.
Vega states, Mars Security does not publish
- Detection changes kept in version control: "Every change has a diff, an author, and an approver."
- Publishes an open framework or specification: Detection Skills, released 4 August 2026 as an open specification built on the Agent Skills format.
- States MCP support: MCP support.
Both state
Queries data where it already lives, Findings arrive with corroboration or shown working, Maps hunts or detections to MITRE ATT&CK
Neither states
Response actions staged for human approval, Publishes a list price
How do they compare row by row?
| Capability | Mars Security | Vega | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunts start without a per-hunt request | StatedHunts generated from threat intelligence "run them continuously against the data where it already lives". | Not publishedThe hunting page describes a user supplying the hypothesis; whether hunts start without one is not published. | Only Mars Security states it |
| Queries data where it already lives | Stated"Hunt across every log source, cloud, and endpoint without moving a byte." | StatedFederated analytics: "No migration, ingestion, or egress." | Both state it |
| New rules tested on historical data before release | StatedEach rule is backtested against 30 days of the customer's own data before it goes live. | Not publishedPromotion of a hunt to a detection is described; a backtest step is not published. | Only Mars Security states it |
| Detection changes kept in version control | Not publishedNot described on the pages reviewed. | Stated"Every change has a diff, an author, and an approver." | Only Vega states it |
| Findings arrive with corroboration or shown working | StatedHands analysts "a corroborated shortlist rather than a scored queue". | Stated"Every step of the hunt shows its work." | Both state it |
| Response actions staged for human approval | Not publishedResponse actions are not described on the pages reviewed. | Not publishedResponse actions are not described on the pages reviewed. | Neither states it |
| Maps hunts or detections to MITRE ATT&CK | StatedProduces MITRE ATT&CK-mapped rules with a severity rating. | Stated"Promote it to a MITRE-mapped detection on the spot." | Both state it |
| Names its intelligence sources | StatedAdvisories from CISA, Mandiant, Unit 42 and Microsoft Threat Intelligence. | Not publishedIntelligence sources are not named on the pages reviewed. | Only Mars Security states it |
| Publishes an open framework or specification | Not publishedNone found on the pages reviewed. | StatedDetection Skills, released 4 August 2026 as an open specification built on the Agent Skills format. | Only Vega states it |
| States MCP support | Not publishedNot stated on the pages reviewed. | StatedMCP support. | Only Vega states it |
| States a security attestation | StatedSOC 2, per its September 2026 announcement. | Not publishedNot found on the pages reviewed. | Only Mars Security states it |
| Publishes a list price | Not publishedNo list price. Its intel-to-detection feature is available to all customers at no additional cost, per the September 2026 announcement. Listed on AWS Marketplace. | Not publishedNo list price on the pages reviewed. A sandbox is offered at sandbox.vega.io. | Neither states it |
What does each publish about pricing?
| Mars Security | No list price. Its intel-to-detection feature is available to all customers at no additional cost, per the September 2026 announcement. Listed on AWS Marketplace. |
|---|---|
| Vega | No list price on the pages reviewed. A sandbox is offered at sandbox.vega.io. |
Neither vendor publishes a list price on the pages reviewed. Ask each for a written price basis and budget separately for query compute on your data platforms.
Where does each run, and what controls does it describe?
Mars Security
- Queries data in place: "Hunt across every log source, cloud, and endpoint without moving a byte"; no ingestion pipelines; works across existing tools without replacing them.
- Sources named: CrowdStrike Falcon, Wiz, Splunk, firewall logs, Linux Sysmon, identity providers, AWS telemetry, Snowflake and Databricks.
- Site navigation lists Slack and Microsoft Teams apps and a Splunk extension. Available on AWS Marketplace.
- Hands analysts a corroborated shortlist to confirm; rules are backtested before they go live.
- Response actions are not described on the pages reviewed.
Vega
- Federated analytics that queries every source in place: "No migration, ingestion, or egress."
- MCP support. The connectors page does not name individual connectors. A sandbox is offered at sandbox.vega.io.
- "Every step of the hunt shows its work."
- "Detections live in source control, reviewed like any other code change"; "Every change has a diff, an author, and an approver."
Which should you look at first?
Look at Mars Security first if your must-haves include hunts start without a per-hunt request or new rules tested on historical data before release.
Look at Vega first if your must-haves include detection changes kept in version control or publishes an open framework or specification.
Either way, put both through the same trial questions, and try the calculator with your own must-haves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mars Security better than Vega?
Do Mars Security and Vega query data in place?
Do Mars Security and Vega publish pricing?
Mars Security alternatives · Vega alternatives · Open this pair in the side-by-side view · Directory entry for Mars Security · Directory entry for Vega