Arctic Wolf vs CrowdStrike: MDR Comparison 2026
Arctic Wolf (Pure-play MDR) and CrowdStrike (EDR vendor) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Arctic Wolf works with your existing tools, while CrowdStrike requires its own security platform. Arctic Wolf targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; CrowdStrike focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise. Arctic Wolf includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 4 for CrowdStrike (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Network).
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Arctic Wolf vs CrowdStrike: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Arctic Wolf if:
- •Mid-market organizations (50-1000 employees) without a dedicated SOC
- •IT generalists overwhelmed by managing multiple security point solutions
- •Organizations wanting a technology-agnostic MDR that works with existing tools
- •You need Identity coverage included in base pricing
Choose CrowdStrike if:
- •Enterprise organizations (200+ endpoints) wanting MITRE-validated detection speed
- •Teams comfortable with a single-vendor platform approach
- •Organizations that want fully autonomous remediation without approval workflows
Bottom line: CrowdStrike is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Arctic Wolf is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Arctic Wolf and CrowdStrike?
Arctic Wolf is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). CrowdStrike is an EDR vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). SLA commitments differ: Arctic Wolf offers ≤1 hour, CrowdStrike offers Not disclosed. Arctic Wolf covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 4 for CrowdStrike.
How do Arctic Wolf and CrowdStrike differ in response capabilities?
Arctic Wolf supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. CrowdStrike supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and acts without approval. Incident response is not included with Arctic Wolf and included with CrowdStrike.
How does Arctic Wolf pricing compare to CrowdStrike?
Arctic Wolf pricing: Starting ~$20/user/month; MDR Basic ~$44,000/year for up to 100 users. Enterprise pricing is custom.. CrowdStrike pricing: $15-25/endpoint/month (estimates vary by deployment size) (200-seat minimum). Watch for with Arctic Wolf: Incident response and remediation is guided, not performed on your behalf — may need separate IR retainer; Normalized data and active threat feed not directly accessible to customers — security operates as a 'black box' for some. Watch for with CrowdStrike: Minimum 200-500 endpoints required — eliminates most SMBs; Requires CrowdStrike Falcon platform — cannot use with competing EDR.
Should I choose Arctic Wolf or CrowdStrike?
Choose Arctic Wolf if: mid-market organizations (50-1000 employees) without a dedicated SOC. Choose CrowdStrike if: enterprise organizations (200+ endpoints) wanting MITRE-validated detection speed. Arctic Wolf is not ideal for large enterprises requiring deep data access and custom detection engineering. CrowdStrike is not ideal for sMBs with fewer than 200 endpoints (minimum requirement).