Quick Answer
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IBM QRadar pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $5K to $250K per annual enterprise in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available
  • Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
  • Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training

IBM QRadar offers 4 pricing tiers: Events per Second (EPS) Model, Flows per Minute (FPM) Model, Managed Virtual Servers (MVS), Enterprise Deployment. The Flows per Minute (FPM) Model plan is organizations focused on network security and traffic analysis.

Compared to other siem software, IBM QRadar is positioned at the premium price point.

Last verified: January 2026 | Sources: 4 pricing pages and reviews

IBM QRadar is an enterprise-grade SIEM platform trusted by government agencies and Fortune 500 companies for advanced threat detection and compliance. With over 20 years of development, QRadar offers deep analytics, extensive integrations, and proven reliability for complex security operations in regulated industries.

IBM QRadar pricing is custom and quote-based, typically ranging from $15,000-$250,000+ annually depending on licensing model (EPS, FPM, or MVS), deployment size, and features. Implementation costs often equal or exceed first-year licensing fees, with total first-year costs frequently exceeding $100,000 for mid-sized deployments.

All IBM QRadar Plans & Pricing

Plan Monthly Annual Best For
Events per Second (EPS) Model Contact Contact Organizations with high security event volumes from many sources
Flows per Minute (FPM) Model Contact Contact Organizations focused on network security and traffic analysis
Managed Virtual Servers (MVS) Contact Contact Large enterprises needing unlimited data ingestion and server monitoring
Enterprise Deployment Contact Contact Global enterprises with complex multi-site security operations
View all features by plan

Events per Second (EPS) Model

  • Event-based licensing
  • Suitable for high event volumes
  • Real-time security intelligence
  • Log management and forensics
  • Offense management
  • Vulnerability assessment integration

Flows per Minute (FPM) Model

  • Network flow analysis
  • Behavioral threat detection
  • Network visibility
  • Anomaly detection
  • Threat intelligence integration
  • Advanced analytics

Managed Virtual Servers (MVS)

  • Unlimited log ingestion
  • Physical and virtual server monitoring
  • Cloud workload coverage
  • Advanced threat detection
  • SOAR integration (Resilient)
  • Custom use cases and rules

Enterprise Deployment

  • All licensing models available
  • Distributed architecture support
  • High availability and disaster recovery
  • Dedicated technical account manager
  • Professional services included
  • Premium 24/7 support
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Hidden Costs to Budget For

Watch for 8 hidden costs
  • Implementation and professional services: $50,000-$200,000+
  • Hardware appliances (if not using SaaS): $20,000-$100,000+ per appliance
  • Annual maintenance (perpetual licenses): 15-22% of license cost
  • Data retention and archive storage infrastructure
  • Training and certification programs: $2,000-$5,000 per analyst
  • Premium support contracts: $10,000-$50,000/year
  • App extensions and third-party integrations
  • Bandwidth and network infrastructure for distributed deployments
Tip

Ask your IBM QRadar sales rep about these costs upfront. Getting them in writing before signing can save you from surprise charges later.

Full hidden costs breakdown →

Frequently Asked Questions

01 How much does IBM QRadar cost?

IBM QRadar pricing varies by licensing model and typically ranges from $15,000-$250,000+ annually for enterprise deployments. Pricing is based on Events per Second (EPS), Flows per Minute (FPM), or Managed Virtual Servers (MVS). Contact IBM sales for custom enterprise quotes as pricing is not publicly listed.

02 Does IBM QRadar have a free trial?

IBM offers QRadar Community Edition free for up to 50 events per second with limited features. It's designed for learning and small-scale deployments. For production environments, IBM provides evaluation licenses and proof-of-concept engagements through their sales team.

03 What are the hidden costs of IBM QRadar?

Hidden costs include implementation services ($50K-$200K+), hardware appliances ($20K-$100K+ if not SaaS), annual maintenance (15-22% of license cost), training ($2K-$5K per analyst), premium support ($10K-$50K/year), and infrastructure for high availability.

04 What's the difference between QRadar pricing models?

EPS (Events per Second) charges based on log events ingested, suitable for log-heavy environments. FPM (Flows per Minute) charges for network flow analysis. MVS (Managed Virtual Servers) offers unlimited log ingestion based on server count. Choose EPS for diverse log sources, FPM for network focus, MVS for high-volume enterprises.

05 Can I negotiate IBM QRadar pricing?

Yes, QRadar pricing is highly negotiable. Multi-year agreements, end-of-quarter timing, competitive bids from Splunk or Microsoft Sentinel, and bundling with other IBM Security products can unlock 25-40% discounts. Enterprise agreements provide the best per-unit pricing.

06 Is QRadar SaaS cheaper than on-premises?

QRadar SaaS eliminates upfront hardware costs ($20K-$100K+) and reduces maintenance overhead but has higher ongoing subscription fees. For deployments under 3 years, SaaS is typically cheaper. For 5+ year deployments, on-premises with perpetual licensing may be more cost-effective despite higher initial investment.