AirMDR vs Cipher
AirMDR is a AI-native MDR that works with your existing tools. Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. AirMDR targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; Cipher serves Mid-market and Enterprise. AirMDR includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 0 for Cipher ().
Buyer brief
AirMDR is a AI-native MDR that works with your existing tools. Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. AirMDR targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; Cipher serves Mid-market and Enterprise. AirMDR includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 0 for Cipher ().
AirMDR (AI-native MDR) and Cipher (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize AirMDR's ai-native architecture with 240+ integrations (vendor-claimed) and aggressive trial terms or Cipher's cipher xmdr fits buyers that want a vendor-neutral mdr service backed by prosegur and delivered t....
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | SMBs and mid-market companies (100-1000 employees) priced out of traditional MDR | Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools |
| Price | Not published | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 6/6 actions · Configurable | 0/6 actions · Approval required |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- SMBs and mid-market companies (100-1000 employees) priced out of traditional MDR
- Price
- Not published
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 0/6 actions · Approval required
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | AirMDRTECH-AGNOSTIC | CipherTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | SMB, Mid-market | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeSentinelOneMicrosoft DefenderSophos | Customer EDR |
| SIEM integrations | SplunkElasticMicrosoft SentinelGoogle ChronicleSumo LogicIBM QRadar | None listed |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Guided Response |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Approval Required |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks | Alert and notify only |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Cloud workloads | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Identity | ✓ Included | Not offered |
| SaaS apps | ✓ Included | Not offered |
| Network | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | Extra cost | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Annual contract. AirMDR claims 2-3X lower costs than traditional MDR, but specific per-endpoint pricing is not published. No onboarding fees. | Custom quote. Cipher does not publish xMDR package pricing. |
| Hidden cost warnings | No published pricing. Requires sales contact despite targeting SMBs who typically prefer self-serve.. Annual contract required. No month-to-month option mentioned.. Pricing model unclear. May vary by integration count or alert volume, so get a written breakdown before signing.. Seed-stage company (founded 2023, $15.5M raised). Ask about financial runway and service continuity planning. | Cipher says xMDR works with the existing technology stack, so buyers should confirm which tools are included in the quote and what integration work is extra.. Public pages do not publish response SLAs, contract minimums or service-credit language.. The site names EDR and IPS/IDS integration but does not publish named vendor integrations.. Response wording is broad, so buyers should document pre-approved actions before go-live. |
| Data portability | Limited | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual | Custom, xMDR Services, xMDR Platform |
| Channels | SlackTeamsEmailPortal | Portal |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North America | North AmericaEuropeLATAM |
| Onboarding | 2-4 weeks (initial setup in 2 hours, full deployment within 4 weeks) | Cipher advertises 20 days for full service activation, but buyers should confirm scope and contract timing. |
| Industry focus | TechnologyBusiness ServicesFinancial Services | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Under 5 minutes for 90-95% of investigations (figures vary across vendor pages) | Not published |
| Community view | Very limited community reviews as of March 2026. PeerSpot shows 0.2% mindshare with no collected reviews. No Reddit discussions or G2 reviews found. Omdia published an 'On the Radar' analyst brief covering AirMDR's AI-native approach. Raised $15.5M seed in July 2025 (Race Capital, Foundation Capital, Storm Ventures) and earned Black Hat USA 2025 Startup Spotlight honorable mention. Strong AI automation claims but almost no third-party validation yet. | No meaningful MDR-specific buyer-review signal was found in major English-language review communities during this pass. The public buyer case rests on Cipher's Prosegur ownership, xMDR Platform, 24/7 SOC claim, six-SOC footprint, portal access and existing-stack positioning. Buyers should validate pricing, response authority, named integrations and SOC delivery details directly. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST |
| Certifications | SOC 2 | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 |
| Founded | 2023 | – |
| Data retention | Not published | Cipher says all platform information is online 24/7 and available from any device. No public standard MDR data-retention period was found. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between AirMDR and Cipher?
AirMDR is an AI-native MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). AirMDR covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 0 for Cipher.
How do AirMDR and Cipher differ in response capabilities?
AirMDR supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable. Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting.
How does AirMDR pricing compare to Cipher?
AirMDR pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Cipher pricing: Not published. 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 Cipher: Cipher says xMDR works with the existing technology stack, so buyers should confirm which tools are included in the quote and what integration work is extra.; Public pages do not publish response SLAs, contract minimums or service-credit language..
Should I choose AirMDR or Cipher?
Choose AirMDR if: sMBs and mid-market companies (100-1000 employees) priced out of traditional MDR. Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. AirMDR is not ideal for enterprises requiring a proven vendor track record and extensive customer references. Cipher is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales.
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.