Bitdefender MDR vs Red Canary: MDR Comparison 2026
Bitdefender MDR (EDR vendor) and Red Canary (Pure-play MDR) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Bitdefender MDR requires its own security platform, while Red Canary works with your existing tools. Bitdefender MDR targets SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise organizations; Red Canary focuses on SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Bitdefender MDR vs Red Canary: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Bitdefender MDR if:
- •Mid-market organizations (50-200+ endpoints) wanting single-vendor MDR + EPP/EDR/XDR
- •Organizations already using or willing to adopt GravityZone
- •MSPs looking for affordable, multi-tenant MDR with consumption billing
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
- •You want direct Slack integration with your SOC
Bottom line: Bitdefender MDR is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Red Canary is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Bitdefender MDR and Red Canary?
Bitdefender MDR is an EDR vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Red Canary is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Bitdefender MDR offers ≤30 minutes, Red Canary offers Not disclosed.
How do Bitdefender MDR and Red Canary differ in response capabilities?
Bitdefender MDR 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. Incident response is included with Bitdefender MDR and not included with Red Canary.
How does Bitdefender MDR pricing compare to Red Canary?
Bitdefender MDR pricing: MDR Core ~$6.99/endpoint/month, MDR Advanced ~$10.49/endpoint/month, MDR Enterprise ~$14.99/endpoint/month. MDR Foundations and MDR PLUS pricing not publicly disclosed.. 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 Bitdefender MDR: Requires GravityZone agent — cannot use third-party EDR for core MDR detection; XDR sensor licenses (network, identity, cloud, email) are additional cost. 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 Bitdefender MDR or Red Canary?
Choose Bitdefender MDR if: mid-market organizations (50-200+ endpoints) wanting single-vendor MDR + EPP/EDR/XDR. 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). Bitdefender MDR is not ideal for organizations with an existing non-Bitdefender EDR they want to keep (requires GravityZone agent). Red Canary is not ideal for global organizations needing follow-the-sun SOC coverage — only Denver SOC confirmed.