Armor vs Cipher
Armor is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Armor targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Cipher serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Armor includes 3 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, Network), compared to 0 for Cipher ().
Buyer brief
Armor is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Armor targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Cipher serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Armor includes 3 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, Network), compared to 0 for Cipher ().
Armor is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Cipher is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Healthcare or financial services teams already running Microsoft Sentinel who need compliance consulting baked in | Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools |
| Price | XDR+SOC estimate: from ~$4,317/mo | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 4/6 actions · Configurable | 0/6 actions · Approval required |
| Stack | Requires own platform | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- Healthcare or financial services teams already running Microsoft Sentinel who need compliance consulting baked in
- Price
- XDR+SOC estimate: from ~$4,317/mo
- Response authority
- 4/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- 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 | ArmorPLATFORM | CipherTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Requires their platform | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | Armor Anywhere Agent (Trend Micro)Microsoft Defender | Customer EDR |
| SIEM integrations | Microsoft Sentinel | None listed |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: Optional add-onSaaSSaaS: Optional add-onNetNetwork: 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 | IsolateContainQuarantineCustom playbooks | Alert and notify only |
| IR included | ✓ Included | Separate |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Starting at ~$4,317/month for XDR+SOC (per SourceForge listing) | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | Yes | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Cloud workloads | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Identity | + Optional | Not offered |
| SaaS apps | + Optional | Not offered |
| Network | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom pricing, platform subscription model | Custom quote. Cipher does not publish xMDR package pricing. |
| Hidden cost warnings | 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.. Full coverage assumes Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR are already licensed. Those Microsoft costs are yours.. No macOS or mobile agent support. If you have Apple endpoints, you need a separate tool. | 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 | EmailPortalPhone | Portal |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | ✓ | – |
| SOC regions | North AmericaAsia-Pacific | North AmericaEuropeLATAM |
| Onboarding | Not publicly disclosed | Cipher advertises 20 days for full service activation, but buyers should confirm scope and contract timing. |
| Industry focus | HealthcareFinancial ServicesRetailInsuranceUtilitiesSaaS/Technology | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | Not published |
| Community view | Almost no public review footprint. G2 shows 4.8/5 but from only 12 reviews, and Gartner Peer Insights has none. Employee reviews on Indeed raise leadership and strategy concerns. Frost & Sullivan included Armor in their 2025 Top 20 MDR list, but that is analyst recognition, not customer validation. | 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 | PCI DSSHIPAAHITRUSTISO 27001ISO 27018ISO 27701GDPRFedRAMPNISTSEC | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST |
| Certifications | ISO 27001ISO 27018ISO 27701MISA Member (Microsoft)Microsoft Advanced Specialization: Threat ProtectionMicrosoft Advanced Specialization: Cloud Security | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 |
| Founded | 2009 | – |
| Data retention | Not publicly disclosed | 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 Armor and Cipher?
Armor is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Armor covers 3 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 0 for Cipher.
How do Armor and Cipher differ in response capabilities?
Armor supports 4 autonomous actions (custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment) and approval is configurable. Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting. Incident response is included with Armor and not included with Cipher.
How does Armor pricing compare to Cipher?
Armor pricing: Starting at ~$4,317/month for XDR+SOC (per SourceForge listing). Cipher pricing: Not published. 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.. 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 Armor or Cipher?
Choose Armor if: healthcare or financial services teams already running Microsoft Sentinel who need compliance consulting baked in. Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. Armor is not ideal for teams running macOS or mobile-heavy environments with no agent support for either. 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.