AirMDR vs Armor: MDR comparison 2026
AirMDR is a AI-native MDR that works with your existing tools. Armor is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. AirMDR targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; Armor serves Mid-market and Enterprise. AirMDR includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 3 for Armor (Endpoint, Cloud, Network).
Key differences at a glance
Full comparison
Which should you choose?
Choose AirMDR if:
- •SMBs and mid-market companies (100-1000 employees) priced out of traditional MDR
- •Teams with existing EDR/SIEM tools who want AI-augmented triage without replacing their stack
- •Buyers comfortable betting on a seed-stage vendor in exchange for aggressive pricing and trial terms
- •You need SaaS and Identity coverage included in base pricing
- •You want direct Slack integration with your SOC
Choose Armor if:
- •Healthcare or financial services teams already running Microsoft Sentinel who need compliance consulting baked in
- •Multi-cloud shops on AWS, Azure, or GCP that want a single MDR provider across all three
- •Organizations that value IR and forensics included in base pricing rather than as a retainer add-on
- •Threat hunting included in base pricing (it's an add-on with AirMDR)
Bottom line: Armor is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. AirMDR is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between AirMDR and Armor?
AirMDR is an AI-native MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Armor is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). AirMDR covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 3 for Armor.
How do AirMDR and Armor differ in response capabilities?
AirMDR supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Armor supports 4 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, network containment, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with AirMDR and included with Armor.
How does AirMDR pricing compare to Armor?
AirMDR pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Armor pricing: Starting at ~$4,317/month for XDR+SOC (per SourceForge listing). Watch for with AirMDR: No published pricing. Requires sales contact despite targeting SMBs who typically prefer self-serve.; Annual contract required. No month-to-month option mentioned.. Watch for with Armor: Armor Anywhere agent is built on Trend Micro. Running it alongside CrowdStrike or SentinelOne may cause conflicts, forcing a swap.; Compliance consulting (HIPAA readiness, HITRUST prep) is billed as professional services on top of the MDR subscription..
Should I choose AirMDR or Armor?
Choose AirMDR if: sMBs and mid-market companies (100-1000 employees) priced out of traditional MDR. Choose Armor if: healthcare or financial services teams already running Microsoft Sentinel who need compliance consulting baked in. AirMDR is not ideal for enterprises requiring a proven vendor track record and extensive customer references. Armor is not ideal for teams running macOS or mobile-heavy environments with no agent support for either.