Choosing a managed detection and response provider starts with how you want the service delivered. Some vendors sell MDR as a service run by people in a SOC, some sell a platform with services added, and some pitch an AI-led SOC. A few will also run the SIEM you already own. Decide which model suits your team before you compare names.
MDR vendor pages lean hard on the same words: 24/7, SOC, AI. Read them side by side, though, and they're describing different things, from a team of analysts to a platform you can run yourself.
This list covers ten managed detection and response providers, using only what each one's own website says, read on 2 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order. You won't find detection times, customer counts or analyst awards here: it's about how each provider describes the service.
MDR providers and how they deliver
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Arctic Wolf | Managed detection and response with an agentic SOC | Aurora platform and a Concierge Delivery Model |
| Binary Defense | MDR on its own SOC platform | NightBeacon CMD, threat hunting and digital risk protection |
| Blackpoint Cyber | MDR platform with a 24/7 SOC | CompassOne platform and a Security Posture Rating |
| Critical Start | Managed detection and response | Defender XDR checks and an SLA Commitment |
| Deepwatch | AI-native MDR governed by experts | Response across your existing security tools |
| eSentire | MDR with the Atlas platform | Atlas Platform and an Atlas Operations Center |
| Expel | MDR provider with managed SIEM | MDR, managed SIEM, phishing response and threat hunting |
| Field Effect | MDR with a 24x7 SOC | Separate tracks for MSPs and IT teams |
| Rapid7 | MDR on the Command Platform | MDR beside exposure and vulnerability management |
| ReliaQuest | Agentic AI security operations platform | GreyMatter for agentic defense |
Ten managed detection and response providers
Arctic Wolf
Best for: Teams that want managed detection and response from a provider pitching an agentic SOC, with a Concierge Delivery Model for tailored security expertise.
Binary Defense
Best for: Choosing whether to run its NightBeacon CMD platform yourself or have the vendor run it, with threat hunting and digital risk protection as services.
Blackpoint Cyber
Best for: Pairing a 24/7 SOC with the CompassOne platform, which also lists identity threat protection for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Cisco Duo accounts.
Critical Start
Best for: Defender XDR shops that want MDR from a provider that checks Defender XDR and Entra settings and lists an SLA Commitment.
Deepwatch
Best for: Getting AI-native MDR, in the vendor's words, governed by experts who investigate, contain and respond across your existing security environment.
eSentire
Best for: Connecting signals from your current security tools through its Atlas Platform, and seeing what its SOC sees in the Atlas Operations Center.
Expel
Best for: Taking MDR with what it calls 24x7 protection, plus investigation and response for your phishing inbox and threat hunting.
Field Effect
Best for: MSPs and in-house IT teams, each with their own menu, taking MDR with a 24x7 SOC plus incident response and cybersecurity assessments.
Rapid7
Best for: Running MDR services on the Command Platform, which also covers attack surface, exposure and vulnerability management.
ReliaQuest
Best for: Scaling your security team with agentic AI, run on the GreyMatter platform at the centre of its page.
A SOC service, a platform, or an AI-led SOC
Here's the split a buyer wouldn't guess: MDR is sold three ways. Some providers lead with people in a SOC. Field Effect lists a '24x7 SOC', and Blackpoint Cyber pairs a '24/7 SOC combined with contextual intelligence' with its own platform.
Some lead with AI. Deepwatch calls itself 'AI-native MDR' that's 'governed by experts', Arctic Wolf talks about an 'agentic SOC', and ReliaQuest calls GreyMatter 'the agentic AI security operations platform'. Those are the vendors' own words, and it's worth asking each one where the people come in.
And some sell a platform that you or they can run. Binary Defense describes NightBeacon CMD as 'the SOC platform we built to run our own', and adds that now you choose who runs it. Rapid7 sells its MDR services alongside the Command Platform and its exposure management tools.
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- SOC-led services: a team in a 24/7 or 24x7 SOC, in the providers' own wording.
- AI-led SOCs: providers that call their service AI-native or agentic.
- Platform plus services: a platform you can run, with the provider's team on top.
When the provider runs your SIEM too
Some MDR providers will also run tools you already own. Expel sells 'managed SIEM', which it describes as detection engineering for your existing SIEM, beside its MDR, and its page says 'you keep your tools, your visibility, and your control'.
eSentire says its Atlas Platform 'connects to any signal across any vendor stack', and another provider here says it investigates and responds across your existing security environment. Critical Start's page leads with a check of your Defender XDR and Entra settings, so it's one to look at if that's your stack.
Built for small teams and MSPs
Not every provider here is pitched at a large security team. One provider's menu splits into separate tracks for MSPs and for IT teams, and another has a partner login on its menu and an identity threat product for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Cisco Duo accounts.
If you don't have your own SOC, those are the questions to ask first: who's watching, when, and on whose tools. The answers tell you more than the headline on any provider's home page.
Questions for an MDR shortlist
- Do I want a SOC service, a platform with services, or an AI-led SOC?
- Will the provider work with the security tools I already run?
- Do I need the provider to run my SIEM as well?
- Am I an MSP buying for clients, or an IT team buying for one business?
- What does the provider list beside MDR: threat hunting, incident response, phishing or assessments?
- What does the contract say about service levels?
Do you make or run a managed detection and response service? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice for choosing an MDR provider
Decide how you want the service delivered before you compare names. If you want people watching around the clock, shortlist the providers that lead with a 24/7 or 24x7 SOC. If you'd rather keep a platform in-house and bring in help, look at the platform-plus-services vendors. And if you've already invested in a SIEM, ask each provider whether it'll run that for you instead of replacing it.
Before you sign anything, check the basics are in place: here are 4 signs your business takes information security seriously, and my 5 key steps to safeguard your company against phishing attacks.
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Frequently asked questions
What does MDR stand for?
Managed detection and response. The providers on this list use it to describe services that range from a team in a 24/7 SOC to an agentic AI platform for security operations, so check what each one means by it.
Which MDR providers here offer a 24/7 SOC?
Two lead with it in their own words: one lists a 24x7 SOC, and another pairs a 24/7 SOC with contextual intelligence. A third describes 24x7 protection, and a fourth lists 24/7 vigilance under its MDR service.
Which providers describe their service as AI-native or agentic?
Three do on their own pages: one calls itself AI-native MDR governed by experts, one talks about an agentic SOC, and one calls its platform the agentic AI security operations platform. Another describes adaptive AI Operatives on its platform. Those are the vendors' own words.
Can an MDR provider manage my existing SIEM?
One provider here sells managed SIEM, which it describes as detection engineering for your existing SIEM, beside its MDR. Others say they work across the security tools you already have. Ask each provider exactly which tools it supports.
Are there MDR providers for MSPs?
Yes. One provider on this list has separate menus for MSPs and for IT teams, and another has a partner login on its menu. Check how each one works with partners on its own site.
What else do MDR providers offer besides MDR?
On these providers' own pages: threat hunting, digital risk protection, incident response, IR readiness, cybersecurity assessments, phishing investigation, managed SIEM, a security posture rating, and attack surface, exposure and vulnerability management.
