Cipher vs CrowdStrike
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. CrowdStrike is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; CrowdStrike serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 4 for CrowdStrike (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Network).
Buyer brief
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. CrowdStrike is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; CrowdStrike serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 4 for CrowdStrike (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Network).
CrowdStrike is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Cipher is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools | Enterprise organizations (200+ endpoints) wanting MITRE-validated detection speed with autonomous remediation |
| Price | Custom quote | Est $15-25/endpoint/mo, 200+ endpoints |
| Response authority | 0/6 actions · Approval required | 6/6 actions · No approval |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Requires own platform |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Warranty | None listed | $2,000,000 |
- Best fit
- Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 0/6 actions · Approval required
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- Enterprise organizations (200+ endpoints) wanting MITRE-validated detection speed with autonomous remediation
- Price
- Est $15-25/endpoint/mo, 200+ endpoints
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · No approval
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- $2,000,000
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | CipherTECH-AGNOSTIC | CrowdStrikePLATFORM |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Positive |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Requires their platform |
| EDR integrations | Customer EDR | CrowdStrike Falcon |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | Falcon Next-Gen SIEM |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: Optional add-onSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Fully Autonomous |
| Response actions | Alert and notify only | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks |
| IR included | Separate | ✓ Included |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Estimated $15-25/endpoint/month (estimates vary by deployment size) |
| Minimum seats | None | 200 |
| Breach warranty | – | $2,000,000 |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | Yes |
| Endpoints | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| Identity | Not offered | + Optional |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| Network | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom quote. Cipher does not publish xMDR package pricing. | Per-endpoint pricing, tiered by endpoint count and coverage scope |
| Hidden cost warnings | Cipher says xMDR works with the existing technology stack, so buyers should confirm which tools are included in the quote and what integration work is extra.. Public pages do not publish response SLAs, contract minimums or service-credit language.. The site names EDR and IPS/IDS integration but does not publish named vendor integrations.. Response wording is broad, so buyers should document pre-approved actions before go-live. | Minimum 200-500 endpoints required, eliminates most SMBs. Requires CrowdStrike Falcon platform, cannot use with competing EDR. Identity and cloud workload coverage are separate add-ons. July 2024 global outage raised reliability concerns |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Custom, xMDR Services, xMDR Platform | Annual, Multi-year |
| Channels | Portal | EmailPortalPhone |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Dedicated analyst | – | ✓ |
| SOC regions | North AmericaEuropeLATAM | North AmericaEuropeAsia-Pacific |
| Onboarding | Cipher advertises 20 days for full service activation, but buyers should confirm scope and contract timing. | minutes to deploy |
| Industry focus | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments | Financial ServicesHealthcareGovernmentRetailTechnology |
| MTTD | Not published | 4 minutes |
| MTTR | Not published | Less than 30 minutes (internal benchmark) |
| Community view | No meaningful MDR-specific buyer-review signal was found in major English-language review communities during this pass. The public buyer case rests on Cipher's Prosegur ownership, xMDR Platform, 24/7 SOC claim, six-SOC footprint, portal access and existing-stack positioning. Buyers should validate pricing, response authority, named integrations and SOC delivery details directly. | Forrester Wave MDR Leader (Q1 2025), IDC MarketScape Leader (2024), Gartner Peer Insights 96% willingness to recommend (117 reviews). MITRE-validated fastest MTTD. Premium pricing and platform lock-in are accepted trade-offs for top-tier detection and response. July 2024 global outage dented trust temporarily. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001:2022FedRAMP HighHIPAAPCI DSSCSA STAR Level 1 & 2 |
| Certifications | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001:2022FedRAMP HighCSA STARNSA NSCAP CIRA |
| Founded | – | 2011 |
| Data retention | Cipher says all platform information is online 24/7 and available from any device. No public standard MDR data-retention period was found. | Not published. Standard Falcon data retention varies by module. |
| API available | – | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Cipher and CrowdStrike?
Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). CrowdStrike is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Cipher covers 0 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 4 for CrowdStrike.
How do Cipher and CrowdStrike differ in response capabilities?
Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting. CrowdStrike supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and acts without approval. Incident response is not included with Cipher and included with CrowdStrike.
How does Cipher pricing compare to CrowdStrike?
Cipher pricing: Not published. CrowdStrike pricing: Estimated $15-25/endpoint/month (estimates vary by deployment size) (200-seat minimum). Watch for with Cipher: Cipher says xMDR works with the existing technology stack, so buyers should confirm which tools are included in the quote and what integration work is extra.; Public pages do not publish response SLAs, contract minimums or service-credit language.. Watch for with CrowdStrike: Minimum 200-500 endpoints required, eliminates most SMBs; Requires CrowdStrike Falcon platform, cannot use with competing EDR.
Should I choose Cipher or CrowdStrike?
Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. Choose CrowdStrike if: enterprise organizations (200+ endpoints) wanting MITRE-validated detection speed with autonomous remediation. Cipher is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales. CrowdStrike is not ideal for sMBs with fewer than 200 endpoints (minimum requirement) or budget-conscious buyers.
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.