Binary Defense vs Fortra: MDR Comparison 2026
Binary Defense (Pure-play MDR) and Fortra (Services firm) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Binary Defense works with your existing tools, while Fortra works with your existing tools. Binary Defense targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Fortra focuses on SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Binary Defense vs Fortra: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Binary Defense if:
- •Mid-market and enterprise organizations wanting technology-agnostic MDR
- •Companies with existing security investments (EDR, SIEM) they want to keep
- •Manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and energy sectors
- •You want direct Slack integration with your SOC
Choose Fortra if:
- •Mid-market organizations needing strong compliance support
- •Healthcare organizations requiring HIPAA compliance MDR
- •Cloud-first companies on AWS, Azure, or hybrid environments
Bottom line: Binary Defense (Pure-play MDR) and Fortra (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize Binary Defense's binary defense stands out for its open xdr approach that works with your existing stack rather th... or Fortra's established mdr with strong cloud/compliance positioning and formalized slas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Binary Defense and Fortra?
Binary Defense is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Fortra is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Binary Defense offers Not disclosed, Fortra offers ≤15 minutes.
How do Binary Defense and Fortra differ in response capabilities?
Binary Defense supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Fortra supports 5 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Binary Defense and included with Fortra.
How does Binary Defense pricing compare to Fortra?
Binary Defense pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Fortra pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Watch for with Binary Defense: MDR Plus features (deception, malware disruption) are add-ons beyond base MDR; Co-Managed SIEM is a separate service. Watch for with Fortra: Managed services being acquired by LevelBlue (announced Jan 2026, deal pending close — no timeline disclosed); Post-transition contract terms, SLAs, and pricing under LevelBlue are unconfirmed.
Should I choose Binary Defense or Fortra?
Choose Binary Defense if: mid-market and enterprise organizations wanting technology-agnostic MDR. Choose Fortra if: mid-market organizations needing strong compliance support. Binary Defense is not ideal for organizations needing included IR in the base MDR package. Fortra is not ideal for organizations wanting long-term vendor stability — managed services transferring to LevelBlue (deal pending, no timeline disclosed).