AhnLab vs Critical Start
AhnLab is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. AhnLab targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Critical Start serves Mid-market and Enterprise. AhnLab includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint), compared to 5 for Critical Start (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Buyer brief
AhnLab is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. AhnLab targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Critical Start serves Mid-market and Enterprise. AhnLab includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint), compared to 5 for Critical Start (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
AhnLab is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Critical Start is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | South Korean and APAC organizations that already run AhnLab V3, EPP and EDR | Mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack |
| Price | Custom quote | Not published |
| Response authority | 3/6 actions · Configurable | 6/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Requires own platform | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- South Korean and APAC organizations that already run AhnLab V3, EPP and EDR
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 3/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- Mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack
- Price
- Not published
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | AhnLabPLATFORM | Critical StartTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Positive |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Requires their platform | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | AhnLab EDR | CrowdStrikeSentinelOneMicrosoft DefenderPalo Alto Cortex |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | Microsoft SentinelSplunkSumo Logic |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: Optional add-onOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContain | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | Yes | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| Identity | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| Network | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | + Optional | + Optional |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | ≤1 hour |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Based on the number of AhnLab EDR agents installed. AhnLab says EDR Premium includes the EDR license fee and that service cost requires a separate inquiry. | Custom enterprise pricing (annual subscription, tiered by coverage depth) |
| Hidden cost warnings | The service is tied to AhnLab's endpoint stack, so buyers with existing CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender or SentinelOne deployments should price migration and overlap.. AhnLab separates basic MDR from paid EDR Premium. Buyers should confirm which response actions are included in each tier.. Public materials do not disclose minimum seats, regional availability, SLA terms or retained-forensics scope.. Fuller cross-domain detection may require AhnLab XDR, TIP, MDS, cloud or CPS products outside endpoint MDR. | No public pricing at all, requires sales call for any ballpark. OT/ICS monitoring and vulnerability management are separate purchases on top of base MDR. Full IR/DFIR requires separate CIRT engagement, not included in MDR contract. Annual contract commitment typically required with no published minimum seat count |
| Data portability | Limited | Partial |
| Contract terms | Per EDR agent, Custom quote, EDR Premium paid tier | Annual, Multi-year |
| Channels | PortalEmailPhone | EmailPortalPhone |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | ✓ |
| SOC regions | APAC | North America |
| Onboarding | Requires AhnLab V3, EPP and EDR plus external transmission of AhnLab EDR detection logs. Public materials do not publish a standard onboarding timeline. | 5-10 business days to first detection value (vendor-stated). 4-6 weeks for full enterprise onboarding. Vendor claims 2.66-day median TTFV for Microsoft Sentinel specifically. |
| Industry focus | TechnologyFinancial ServicesManufacturingGovernmentHealthcare | Financial ServicesHealthcareManufacturingTechnologyGovernmentProfessional ServicesRetailTransportation |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | 60 minutes or less median time to resolution for ALL alerts regardless of priority |
| Community view | AhnLab has stronger public proof around endpoint products than around MDR delivery. English-language MDR-specific buyer reviews are sparse, so buyers should validate analyst quality, escalation process and regional support through references. | Gartner Peer Insights 4.8/5 (53 reviews). PeerSpot 9.4/10, skewing large enterprise. Glassdoor 4.3/5 (140 reviews, some concerns about RIFs and turnover). IDC MarketScape Major Player (Emerging MDR, 2024). Praised for TBR noise reduction and SOC analyst accessibility. Criticized for onboarding communication gaps, missing Slack integration and opaque pricing. |
| Compliance | MITRE ATT&CK evaluationsSE Labs Advanced Security Test | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001 |
| Certifications | SE Labs AAA rating for AhnLab EPP/EDRMITRE ATT&CK Evaluations Round 7 participant | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001MISA (Microsoft Intelligent Security Association)Microsoft Solutions Partner for Security |
| Founded | 1995 | 2012 |
| Data retention | Not published as a standard MDR retention period. AhnLab EDR collects endpoint behavior, file, registry, network, process, system and Windows event-log data for analysis in EDR Analyzer. | CORR platform provides API access and data export (CSV/XLSX). Specific retention periods not publicly documented. |
| API available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between AhnLab and Critical Start?
AhnLab is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: AhnLab offers Not disclosed, Critical Start offers ≤1 hour. AhnLab covers 1 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for Critical Start.
How do AhnLab and Critical Start differ in response capabilities?
AhnLab supports 3 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable. Critical Start supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable.
How does AhnLab pricing compare to Critical Start?
AhnLab pricing: Not published. Critical Start pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Watch for with AhnLab: The service is tied to AhnLab's endpoint stack, so buyers with existing CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender or SentinelOne deployments should price migration and overlap.; AhnLab separates basic MDR from paid EDR Premium. Buyers should confirm which response actions are included in each tier.. Watch for with Critical Start: No public pricing at all, requires sales call for any ballpark; OT/ICS monitoring and vulnerability management are separate purchases on top of base MDR.
Should I choose AhnLab or Critical Start?
Choose AhnLab if: south Korean and APAC organizations that already run AhnLab V3, EPP and EDR. Choose Critical Start if: mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack. AhnLab is not ideal for buyers that want MDR layered on top of existing CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender, SentinelOne or other endpoint tools. Critical Start is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious organizations, enterprise-focused pricing not published.
Daylight Security
AI-native MDR for buyers comparing active remediation across endpoint, cloud, identity, and SaaS. Daylight works with existing EDR/SIEM stacks and uses ChatOps-native collaboration, so it can be a useful third reference point in this comparison.