Critical Start vs Fortra: MDR Comparison 2026
Critical Start (MDR provider) and Fortra (Services firm) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Critical Start works with your existing tools, while Fortra works with your existing tools. Critical Start targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Fortra focuses on SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Critical Start vs Fortra: Which Should You Choose?
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)
Choose Fortra if:
- •Mid-market organizations needing strong compliance support
- •Healthcare organizations requiring HIPAA compliance MDR
- •Cloud-first companies on AWS, Azure, or hybrid environments
Bottom line: Critical Start (MDR provider) and Fortra (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize Critical Start's technology-agnostic mdr with tbr deterministic alert auto-resolution, 100+ integrations, ot/ics s... or Fortra's established mdr with strong cloud/compliance positioning and formalized slas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Critical Start and Fortra?
Critical Start is a MDR provider that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Fortra is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools).
How do Critical Start and Fortra differ in response capabilities?
Critical Start supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Fortra supports 5 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Critical Start and included with Fortra.
How does Critical Start pricing compare to Fortra?
Critical Start pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Fortra pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. 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. Watch for with Fortra: Managed services being acquired by LevelBlue (announced Jan 2026, deal pending close — no timeline disclosed); Post-transition contract terms, SLAs, and pricing under LevelBlue are unconfirmed.
Should I choose Critical Start or Fortra?
Choose Critical Start if: mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack. Choose Fortra if: mid-market organizations needing strong compliance support. Critical Start is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious organizations — enterprise-focused pricing not publicly disclosed. Fortra is not ideal for organizations wanting long-term vendor stability — managed services transferring to LevelBlue (deal pending, no timeline disclosed).