Best EDR Software (2026): 10 Tools Compared

Endpoint detection and response, or EDR, watches what happens on laptops, desktops and servers and helps you act when something looks wrong. The software is only half of it. Someone has to read the alerts, and in most small firms that person doesn't exist yet, which is why so many vendors now sell EDR wrapped in a managed service, usually called MDR.

Below are ten options in no particular order, sorted alphabetically, from open source agents you run yourself to services where a security team watches for you. Each description comes from the vendor's own website, re-checked today. If you're still getting to grips with the threats, my guide to how ransomware gets in and spreads explains the kind of attack this software is meant to catch early.

I've kept this practical for owners and IT leads rather than security specialists. You won't find scare stories here, just the questions that separate a tool you'll use from one that sits quietly in the corner.

EDR options side by side

In the free plan column, Yes means the vendor's site describes a free or open source edition, Trial only means a time-limited trial, and No means the site points you to a demo or a conversation instead.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Bitdefender GravityZone	Business endpoint security	Small businesses wanting managed protection	Trial only
Blackpoint Cyber	Managed detection and response	Managed EDR with 24/7 monitoring	No
CrowdStrike Falcon	Endpoint protection and EDR	Businesses wanting a cloud-native agent	Trial only
Cynet	Unified security platform with EDR	MSPs and SMEs wanting one platform	No
Field Effect	Managed detection and response	Small firms wanting a 24x7 SOC	No
Huntress	Managed EDR with SOC	Small business with no security team	Trial only
Microsoft Defender for Business	Endpoint security for SMBs	Microsoft 365 shops needing EDR	Trial only
OpenEDR	Open source EDR	Teams wanting EDR source code access	Yes
SentinelOne	AI endpoint security platform	Growing teams wanting autonomous response	No
Wazuh	Open source XDR and SIEM	Teams that can run their own stack	Yes

Ten endpoint detection and response options

Bitdefender GravityZone

Best for: Companies with limited IT staff that want endpoint protection and detection from a long-established security vendor, starting with a free trial.

Blackpoint Cyber

Best for: Managed service providers and small teams who want 24/7 monitoring and immediate response on endpoints without staffing their own security operations centre.

CrowdStrike Falcon

Best for: Businesses that want a cloud-delivered agent covering protection and EDR; the 15-day trial is for direct customers, not consultants or partners.

Cynet

Best for: MSPs and smaller enterprises that want endpoint security, detection and response combined in one platform, with 24x7 MDR on top.

Field Effect

Best for: Mid-sized organisations and smaller firms that want a 24x7 security operations team watching endpoints, cloud and network through MDR packages.

Huntress

Best for: Small businesses and MSPs without a security team that want SOC-managed EDR, with a free trial of the full product.

Microsoft Defender for Business

Best for: Already on Microsoft 365? This keeps endpoint protection and detection in the same Microsoft security portal, with a free trial available.

OpenEDR

Best for: IT teams with technical skills who want open source EDR with public source code and no licence charge, rather than a managed service.

SentinelOne

Best for: Growing security teams that want AI-driven endpoint detection and automated response from one platform, bought through a guided demo.

Wazuh

Best for: Technical teams that want open source endpoint monitoring and SIEM they can self-host, or try first as a free cloud trial.

How long your detection data should stay around

Here's the detail that rarely comes up in a sales call. The NCSC, the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, says in its 10 Steps guidance on logging and monitoring that because it can be months before incidents are detected, you should store your most important logs for at least six months.

That matters for EDR because the tool's telemetry is your record of what happened on each machine. If a vendor only keeps it for a few weeks, the evidence may be gone by the time you notice a problem. Ask how long detection data is kept on each plan, whether you can export it, and where it's stored. The guidance is written for UK organisations, but the logic holds wherever you're based.

Run it yourself or have it watched for you

• Self-run EDR: you install the agent, tune the rules and respond to alerts. It works for a team with security skills and time to spare.
• Managed EDR or MDR: a vendor's analysts watch the alerts around the clock and either act for you or tell you exactly what to do.
• Open source: there's no licence charge, but you host, update and monitor it yourself, so the real investment is staff time.
• Bundled with your office suite: handy when you already manage users and devices in the same admin portal.

There's no shame in the managed route. Most small firms don't have a security analyst, and pretending otherwise just means alerts pile up unread.

Questions to ask in an EDR demo

1. Ask who reads the alerts at 3am on a Sunday, and what happens next.
2. Ask how long detection data is kept and whether you can export it.
3. Ask which operating systems the agent covers, including any older machines you still run.
4. Ask for a walkthrough of one realistic alert, from detection to clean-up.
5. Ask how isolation works: can someone cut a laptop off the network remotely?
6. Ask what the agent does to performance on your slowest machine.
7. Run a trial on a handful of devices before rolling it out everywhere.

Mistakes small firms make with endpoint security

• Buying alerts nobody reads. An EDR console that nobody watches makes a very quiet alarm.
• Leaving some devices out. The laptop that never got the agent is the one you'll end up worrying about.
• Skipping the response plan. Decide in advance who you call and who's allowed to switch a machine off.
• Treating EDR as a backup. It helps you spot and stop attacks; it doesn't replace copies of your data.

If your team works from home or on the move, keeping a remote team secure covers the everyday habits that make any endpoint tool work harder.

Do you make endpoint detection and response software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing EDR for a small business

Start with an honest question: who in your business will respond to an alert? If the answer is nobody, look at the managed options first, because detection without response is just a log of bad news. If you've got a capable IT person with time, a self-run or open source agent can work well, and you'll learn a lot about your own network along the way.

Then check two things before anything else: how long the data is kept, and what happens out of hours. Don't sign a long contract before you've trialled the agent on your own machines, and don't let anyone rush you with frightening headlines. Good security is calm, steady and boring, and that's exactly how you want it.

Frequently asked questions

What is EDR software?

It's software that watches activity on laptops, desktops and servers, flags suspicious behaviour and helps you investigate and respond, rather than only blocking threats it already knows.

What's the difference between EDR and MDR?

EDR is the tool. MDR is a service where a vendor's team watches the EDR alerts for you and responds, which helps if you don't have security staff.

Is antivirus enough for a small business?

Antivirus blocks known threats. EDR adds visibility into what happened and tools to respond, which matters when something new gets through.

Is there free EDR software?

Some open source options have no licence charge, but you'll need the skills to install, tune and monitor them yourself.

How long should EDR keep logs?

The NCSC suggests keeping your most important logs for at least six months, because incidents can take months to detect. Ask each vendor what they keep.

Will EDR slow down our computers?

Most agents are designed to be light, but test on your oldest machine during a trial before you roll it out to everyone.