Binary Defense vs Red Canary: MDR Comparison 2026
Binary Defense and Red Canary are both categorized as Pure-play MDRs, but differ in execution. Binary Defense works with your existing tools and targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations. Red Canary works with your existing tools and focuses on SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Binary Defense vs Red Canary: 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
Choose Red Canary if:
- •Organizations wanting detection-as-code with all detections mapped to MITRE ATT&CK for transparency
- •Linux-heavy environments needing purpose-built Linux EDR (eBPF/Audit) for containers and Kubernetes
- •Security teams wanting Slack-native SOC communication with configurable automated response playbooks
Bottom line: Both providers target similar markets. Compare their specific response actions, communication channels, and pricing structure to find the better fit for your environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Binary Defense and Red Canary?
Binary Defense is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Red Canary is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools).
How do Binary Defense and Red Canary 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. Red Canary supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does Binary Defense pricing compare to Red Canary?
Binary Defense pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Red Canary pricing: Not publicly disclosed. User-reported: ~$100/endpoint/year (2023 PeerSpot data point, may have changed). Available through AWS Marketplace.. 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 Red Canary: Pricing not publicly disclosed — requires sales engagement for any quote; Resource-based pricing (per-endpoint + per-user + per-cloud) can scale unexpectedly.
Should I choose Binary Defense or Red Canary?
Choose Binary Defense if: mid-market and enterprise organizations wanting technology-agnostic MDR. Choose Red Canary if: mid-market organizations wanting vendor-agnostic MDR that works with their existing EDR (CrowdStrike, Microsoft, SentinelOne, Carbon Black, Cortex XDR, Trend Micro, Jamf). Binary Defense is not ideal for organizations needing included IR in the base MDR package. Red Canary is not ideal for global organizations needing follow-the-sun SOC coverage — only Denver SOC confirmed.