Arctic Wolf vs Ontinue: MDR Comparison 2026
Arctic Wolf (Pure-play MDR) and Ontinue (Microsoft-ecosystem) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Arctic Wolf works with your existing tools, while Ontinue requires its own security platform. Arctic Wolf targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Ontinue focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Arctic Wolf vs Ontinue: 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
- •Breach warranty matters to you (Arctic Wolf offers one, Ontinue does not)
Choose Ontinue if:
- •Organizations heavily invested in Microsoft E5/Defender ecosystem
- •Teams wanting Microsoft Teams as primary SOC communication channel
- •Mid-market and enterprise needing fast onboarding on Microsoft stack
Bottom line: Ontinue 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 Ontinue?
Arctic Wolf is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Ontinue is a Microsoft-ecosystem that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). SLA commitments differ: Arctic Wolf offers ≤1 hour, Ontinue offers Not disclosed.
How do Arctic Wolf and Ontinue 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. Ontinue supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Arctic Wolf and included with Ontinue.
How does Arctic Wolf pricing compare to Ontinue?
Arctic Wolf pricing: Starting ~$20/user/month; MDR Basic ~$44,000/year for up to 100 users. Enterprise pricing is custom.. Ontinue pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. 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 Ontinue: Requires Microsoft E5 or Defender licenses as prerequisite; Microsoft Sentinel consumption costs are separate.
Should I choose Arctic Wolf or Ontinue?
Choose Arctic Wolf if: mid-market organizations (50-1000 employees) without a dedicated SOC. Choose Ontinue if: organizations heavily invested in Microsoft E5/Defender ecosystem. Arctic Wolf is not ideal for large enterprises requiring deep data access and custom detection engineering. Ontinue is not ideal for organizations using non-Microsoft EDR (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne).