Bitdefender MDR vs Expel
Bitdefender MDR is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Expel is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Bitdefender MDR targets SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise organizations; Expel serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Bitdefender MDR includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint), compared to 5 for Expel (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Buyer brief
Bitdefender MDR is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Expel is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Bitdefender MDR targets SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise organizations; Expel serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Bitdefender MDR includes 1 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint), compared to 5 for Expel (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Bitdefender MDR is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Expel is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Organizations already on GravityZone wanting to add managed detection without changing their endpoint stack | Mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR |
| Price | Custom quote | TrustRadius: from $11,640/yr |
| Response authority | 6/6 actions · Configurable | 6/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Requires own platform | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Warranty | $1,000,000 | None listed |
- Best fit
- Organizations already on GravityZone wanting to add managed detection without changing their endpoint stack
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- $1,000,000
- Best fit
- Mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR
- Price
- TrustRadius: from $11,640/yr
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
›› Detailed comparison
| FIELD | Bitdefender MDRPLATFORM | ExpelTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| ›› Fit | ||
| Target size | SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Positive | Very Positive |
| ›› Your stack | ||
| Approach | Requires their platform | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | Bitdefender | CrowdStrikeMicrosoft DefenderSentinelOneCarbon BlackPalo Alto CortexElasticCybereason |
| SIEM integrations | FortiSIEMElasticLogRhythm IBM QRadar, Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, Sumo Logic | Palo Alto Cortex XSIAMGoogle ChronicleExabeamSecuronix Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, Sumo Logic, IBM QRadar |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Optional add-onSaaSSaaS: Optional add-onNetNetwork: Optional add-onOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| ›› Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| ›› Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published. Bitdefender simplified to two tiers (MDR and MDR PLUS) in 2024. MSPs get consumption-based billing. | Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas. |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | $1,000,000 | – |
| ›› More details | ||
| Requires own agent | Yes | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| Identity | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| Network | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | Extra cost |
| Response SLA | ≤30 minutes | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Per-endpoint, per-month | Custom pricing by coverage type: cloud infrastructure (by resources), on-prem (by endpoints), SaaS (by user accounts), phishing (by email count). Three tiers: Starter, Select, Premium. |
| Hidden cost warnings | Requires GravityZone agent. Cannot use third-party EDR for core MDR detection.. XDR sensor licenses (network, identity, cloud, email) are additional cost and can significantly increase total spend. DFIR is not included. Forensic investigation runs through CYPFER at separate cost.. Breach warranty requires 1,000+ endpoints | Threat hunting is NOT included in base MDR, it is a separate add-on. Incident response is NOT included and must be obtained separately. Premium tier required for direct Slack/Teams SOC communication. Pricing scales significantly based on number of integrations and coverage areas |
| Data portability | Partial | Full |
| Contract terms | Annual, Multi-year, Monthly (MSP) | Annual, Multi-year |
| Channels | EmailPortalPhone | SlackTeamsEmailPortal |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Dedicated analyst | ✓ | – |
| SOC regions | North AmericaEuropeAsia-Pacific | North America |
| Onboarding | Quick for existing GravityZone users. New deployments require agent rollout and onboarding configuration. | Hours to days via API integrations. 7-minute initial tool connection demonstrated. |
| Industry focus | HealthcareEducationFinancial ServicesGovernment (Local/State)ManufacturingRetail | Financial ServicesHealthcareTechnologyEducationEnergy |
| MTTD | 24 minutes (MITRE Managed Services Evaluation 2024) | Not separately published |
| MTTR | Not published | 14 minutes for critical/high incidents with auto-remediation. 22 minutes average alert-to-fix for critical alerts. |
| Community view | Gartner Peer Insights 4.8/5 for Endpoint Protection Platforms (223 reviews, Customers' Choice 2026). MITRE ATT&CK evaluations back the detection claims. Note: analyst community ratings are for the GravityZone platform broadly, not the MDR service specifically. | Forrester Wave MDR Leader Q1 2025 (5/5 in 15 of 21 criteria). Gartner Peer Insights 4.6/5 (142 reviews). G2 4.8/5. PeerSpot 9.0/10. Widely praised for transparency, integration breadth, and speed. Primary criticism: threat hunting and incident response are add-ons, not included. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001ISO 27017ISO 27018HIPAAGDPR | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001:2013ISO 27701:2019GDPR |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001ISO 27017ISO 27018 | SOC 2 Type II (annual audit May 1 to April 30)ISO 27001:2013ISO 27701:2019 (processor) |
| Founded | 2001 | 2016 |
| Data retention | Up to 365 days depending on configuration. 1 year included with MDR. | Per-contract basis with automated secure disposal per retention policy |
| API available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
›› FAQ
What is the main difference between Bitdefender MDR and Expel?
Bitdefender MDR is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Expel is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Bitdefender MDR offers ≤30 minutes, Expel offers Not disclosed. Bitdefender MDR covers 1 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for Expel.
How do Bitdefender MDR and Expel differ in response capabilities?
Bitdefender MDR supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable. Expel supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable.
How does Bitdefender MDR pricing compare to Expel?
Bitdefender MDR pricing: Not published. Bitdefender simplified to two tiers (MDR and MDR PLUS) in 2024. MSPs get consumption-based billing.. Expel pricing: Starting at $11,640/year. Custom quotes based on environment size and coverage areas.. Watch for with Bitdefender MDR: Requires GravityZone agent. Cannot use third-party EDR for core MDR detection.; XDR sensor licenses (network, identity, cloud, email) are additional cost and can significantly increase total spend. Watch for with Expel: Threat hunting is NOT included in base MDR, it is a separate add-on; Incident response is NOT included and must be obtained separately.
Should I choose Bitdefender MDR or Expel?
Choose Bitdefender MDR if: organizations already on GravityZone wanting to add managed detection without changing their endpoint stack. Choose Expel if: mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing security tools wanting vendor-agnostic MDR. Bitdefender MDR is not ideal for organizations with existing non-Bitdefender EDR they want to keep (requires GravityZone agent). Expel is not ideal for organizations wanting platform-native MDR from a single vendor (Expel requires existing security tools).
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.