Critical Start vs Innofactor MDRaaS
Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Innofactor MDRaaS is a Microsoft-ecosystem that works with your existing tools. Critical Start targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Innofactor MDRaaS serves SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. Critical Start includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 1 for Innofactor MDRaaS (Cloud).
Buyer brief
Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Innofactor MDRaaS is a Microsoft-ecosystem that works with your existing tools. Critical Start targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Innofactor MDRaaS serves SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. Critical Start includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 1 for Innofactor MDRaaS (Cloud).
Critical Start (Pure-play MDR) and Innofactor MDRaaS (Microsoft-ecosystem) 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 Innofactor MDRaaS's innofactor mdraas fits microsoft-heavy nordic buyers that want sentinel-based monitoring while ke....
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack | Nordic buyers already committed to Microsoft Azure and Sentinel |
| Price | Not published | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 6/6 actions · Configurable | 0/6 actions · Approval required |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- Mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack
- Price
- Not published
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- Nordic buyers already committed to Microsoft Azure and Sentinel
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 0/6 actions · Approval required
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
›› Detailed comparison
| FIELD | Critical StartTECH-AGNOSTIC | Innofactor MDRaaSTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| ›› Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Positive | Mixed |
| ›› Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeSentinelOnePalo Alto Cortex Microsoft Defender | Microsoft Defender |
| SIEM integrations | SplunkSumo Logic Microsoft Sentinel | Microsoft Sentinel |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: Optional add-onCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: Optional add-onOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| ›› Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Guided Response |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Approval Required |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks | Alert and notify only |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| ›› Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| ›› More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| Cloud workloads | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Identity | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| SaaS apps | ✓ Included | Not offered |
| Network | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| OT/ICS | + Optional | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | ≤1 hour | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom enterprise pricing (annual subscription, tiered by coverage depth) | Tiered custom quote. Innofactor publishes Basic, Standard and Advanced MDRaaS tiers, each marked ask for pricing. |
| Hidden cost warnings | 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. Full IR/DFIR requires separate CIRT engagement, not included in MDR contract. Annual contract commitment typically required with no published minimum seat count | Tier1 and Tier2 cover regular business hours, not 24/7.. Endpoint and network detection are add-ons, so base SIEM-only scope may be narrower than buyers expect.. Public pages do not publish named response actions or response SLAs.. Customers keep ownership of logs and incidents, so internal responsibility for mitigation should be clear before signing. |
| Data portability | Partial | Full |
| Contract terms | Annual, Multi-year | Tier1 Basic, Tier2 Standard, Tier3 Advanced, Custom |
| Channels | EmailPortalPhone | EmailPhonePortal |
| Data access | Dashboards | Full query access |
| Dedicated analyst | ✓ | – |
| SOC regions | North America | Europe |
| Onboarding | 5-10 business days to first detection value (vendor-stated). 4-6 weeks for full enterprise onboarding. Vendor claims 2.66-day median TTFV for Microsoft Sentinel specifically. | Innofactor says the core infrastructure resides in the customer's Azure cloud environment and needs no on-premises infrastructure. It describes deployment as rapid and light, but does not publish a standard onboarding duration. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesHealthcareManufacturingTechnologyGovernmentProfessional ServicesRetailTransportation | Public SectorFinancial ServicesTechnology |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | 60 minutes or less median time to resolution for ALL alerts regardless of priority | Not published |
| Community view | Gartner Peer Insights 4.8/5 (53 reviews). PeerSpot 9.4/10, skewing large enterprise. Glassdoor 4.3/5 (140 reviews, some concerns about RIFs and turnover). IDC MarketScape Major Player (Emerging MDR, 2024). Praised for TBR noise reduction and SOC analyst accessibility. Criticized for onboarding communication gaps, missing Slack integration and opaque pricing. | Innofactor has limited MDR-specific public review volume. The public buyer case rests on Nordic Microsoft expertise, Sentinel in the customer's Azure environment, tiered service levels and clear customer control of logs and incidents. Buyers should validate response authority, total licensing cost, add-on scope and Tier3 operating model before signing. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001 | ISO 27001ISO 9001ISO 13485AQAP-2110ISO 14001 |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001MISA (Microsoft Intelligent Security Association)Microsoft Solutions Partner for Security | ISO 9001:2015ISO 13485:2016ISO/IEC 27001:2022AQAP-2110ISO 14001:2015Microsoft Solution Partner designationsMicrosoft Advanced Specializations |
| Founded | 2012 | 2000 |
| Data retention | CORR platform provides API access and data export (CSV/XLSX). Specific retention periods not publicly documented. | Not published as a standard MDR retention period. Innofactor says logs and incidents remain in the customer's own Azure environment. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
›› FAQ
What is the main difference between Critical Start and Innofactor MDRaaS?
Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Innofactor MDRaaS is a Microsoft-ecosystem that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Critical Start offers ≤1 hour, Innofactor MDRaaS offers Not disclosed. Critical Start covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 1 for Innofactor MDRaaS.
How do Critical Start and Innofactor MDRaaS differ in response capabilities?
Critical Start supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable. Innofactor MDRaaS supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting.
How does Critical Start pricing compare to Innofactor MDRaaS?
Critical Start pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Innofactor MDRaaS pricing: Not published. 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 Innofactor MDRaaS: Tier1 and Tier2 cover regular business hours, not 24/7.; Endpoint and network detection are add-ons, so base SIEM-only scope may be narrower than buyers expect..
Should I choose Critical Start or Innofactor MDRaaS?
Choose Critical Start if: mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack. Choose Innofactor MDRaaS if: nordic buyers already committed to Microsoft Azure and Sentinel. Critical Start is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious organizations, enterprise-focused pricing not published. Innofactor MDRaaS is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing or response SLAs before sales engagement.
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.