Blumira vs Critical Start: MDR Comparison 2026
Blumira and Critical Start are both categorized as MDR providers, but differ in execution. Blumira requires its own security platform and targets SMB and Mid-market organizations. Critical Start works with your existing tools and focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Blumira vs Critical Start: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Blumira if:
- •SMBs (50-1,000 employees) without dedicated security teams who need SIEM without a SOC
- •IT admins who want actionable security without being security specialists
- •MSPs looking for an affordable, multi-tenant SIEM/XDR to resell with month-to-month billing
Choose Critical Start if:
- •Mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack
- •Organizations suffering from alert fatigue wanting TBR's deterministic auto-resolution to reduce noise
- •Companies needing OT/ICS monitoring alongside IT MDR (Claroty, Dragos, Nozomi integrations)
Bottom line: Blumira is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Critical Start is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Blumira and Critical Start?
Blumira is a MDR provider that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Critical Start is a MDR provider that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Blumira offers Not disclosed, Critical Start offers ≤15 minutes.
How do Blumira and Critical Start differ in response capabilities?
Blumira supports 4 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, network containment, account disable, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Critical Start supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does Blumira pricing compare to Critical Start?
Blumira pricing: Free: $0 (3 cloud integrations, 14-day retention). Detect: $12/employee/month. Respond: $16/employee/month. Automate: $21/employee/month. All paid editions: 1-year retention, unlimited ingestion. Additional agents: $3/agent/month.. Critical Start pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Watch for with Blumira: Free tier limited to 3 cloud integrations and 14-day retention; 24/7 SecOps only on Respond and Automate editions (Detect has business-hours support only). Watch for with Critical Start: No public pricing at all — requires sales call for any ballpark; OT/ICS monitoring and vulnerability management are separate purchases on top of base MDR.
Should I choose Blumira or Critical Start?
Choose Blumira if: sMBs (50-1,000 employees) without dedicated security teams who need SIEM without a SOC. Choose Critical Start if: mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack. Blumira is not ideal for large enterprises needing a fully managed SOC with human-led 24/7 response. Critical Start is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious organizations — enterprise-focused pricing not publicly disclosed.