AhnLab vs DirectDefense
AhnLab is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. AhnLab targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; DirectDefense serves SMB and Mid-market. AhnLab includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint), compared to 2 for DirectDefense (Endpoint, Network).
Buyer brief
AhnLab is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. AhnLab targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; DirectDefense serves SMB and Mid-market. AhnLab includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint), compared to 2 for DirectDefense (Endpoint, Network).
AhnLab is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. DirectDefense 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 organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top |
| Price | Custom quote | Not published |
| Response authority | 3/6 actions · Configurable | 1/6 actions · Approval required |
| 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 organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top
- Price
- Not published
- Response authority
- 1/6 actions · Approval required
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | AhnLabPLATFORM | DirectDefenseTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-market |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Requires their platform | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | AhnLab EDR | CrowdStrikeSentinelOneHalcyonCylance BlackBerry |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | Rapid7TenableMicrosoft Sentinel |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: Optional add-onOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Guided Response |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Approval Required |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContain | Custom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | ✓ Included |
| 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 | + Optional |
| Identity | Not offered | Not offered |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | Not offered |
| Network | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | + Optional | + Optional |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | Extra cost |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | ≤30 minutes |
| 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 pricing based on endpoints, coverage scope, and service tier. Three tiers: Security Essentials (SMB vCISO + identity protection bundle), MDR + MSSP CORE (detection + IR retainer), MDR + MSSP MAX (full managed SOC + vulnerability management + email security). |
| 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. | Requires existing SIEM or purchase of SIEM platform (Rapid7, Tenable, Microsoft Sentinel). Technology-agnostic model means you need to own the underlying security tools. OT/ICS coverage requires separate Claroty, Dragos, or SCADAfence licensing. Third-party estimates (Getlatka) suggest ~$55K average deal size, which is mid-market territory, not SMB-friendly except for the Security Essentials tier. No published pricing on the website makes cost comparison difficult before engaging sales. Identity threat protection and vCISO are only in the Security Essentials tier (separate from MDR), not in CORE or MAX |
| Data portability | Limited | Partial |
| Contract terms | Per EDR agent, Custom quote, EDR Premium paid tier | Annual |
| 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. | Customized based on environment complexity. SIEM integration required for CORE and MAX tiers. |
| Industry focus | TechnologyFinancial ServicesManufacturingGovernmentHealthcare | Financial ServicesInsuranceHealthcareManufacturingEnergy & UtilitiesAerospaceAutomotiveGaming & EntertainmentRetail & HospitalityEducationGovernment |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | Not published |
| 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. | Almost no public practitioner reviews. No presence on G2, PeerSpot, Gartner Peer Insights, or Reddit as of March 2026. Industry recognition includes MSSP Alert Top 250 (#128, 2024), CRN MSP 500 Security 100 (4th consecutive year), Inc. 5000 (#3924, 2024), and Globee Silver for Best Cybersecurity Service Provider (2025). Awards show vendor credibility but tell you nothing about day-to-day service quality from a buyer's perspective. |
| Compliance | MITRE ATT&CK evaluationsSE Labs Advanced Security Test | SOC 2 Type IINIST CSF 2.0HIPAAPCI-DSS |
| Certifications | SE Labs AAA rating for AhnLab EPP/EDRMITRE ATT&CK Evaluations Round 7 participant | SOC 2 Type II |
| 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. | Per-contract basis, varies by SIEM platform and tier |
| API available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between AhnLab and DirectDefense?
AhnLab is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: AhnLab offers Not disclosed, DirectDefense offers ≤30 minutes. AhnLab covers 1 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 2 for DirectDefense.
How do AhnLab and DirectDefense differ in response capabilities?
AhnLab supports 3 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable. DirectDefense supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and requires approval before acting. Incident response is not included with AhnLab and included with DirectDefense.
How does AhnLab pricing compare to DirectDefense?
AhnLab pricing: Not published. DirectDefense 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 DirectDefense: Requires existing SIEM or purchase of SIEM platform (Rapid7, Tenable, Microsoft Sentinel); Technology-agnostic model means you need to own the underlying security tools.
Should I choose AhnLab or DirectDefense?
Choose AhnLab if: south Korean and APAC organizations that already run AhnLab V3, EPP and EDR. Choose DirectDefense if: mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top. AhnLab is not ideal for buyers that want MDR layered on top of existing CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender, SentinelOne or other endpoint tools. DirectDefense is not ideal for organizations wanting turnkey MDR without existing SIEM or security tool investment.
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.