Critical Start vs Proficio: MDR comparison 2026
Critical Start and Proficio are both Pure-play MDRs that work with your existing tools. Critical Start targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while Proficio serves SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. Critical Start includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 2 for Proficio (Endpoint, Network).
Key differences at a glance
Full comparison
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 through Claroty, Dragos, and Nozomi integrations
- •You need Cloud and SaaS and Identity coverage included in base pricing
Choose Proficio if:
- •Mid-market organizations with existing Splunk, Sentinel, or Elastic wanting managed detection without rip-and-replace
- •Companies needing SOC-as-a-Service with flexible SIEM options (hosted or customer-owned)
- •Budget-conscious teams that want managed detection without the price tag of CrowdStrike or Arctic Wolf
Bottom line: Critical Start offers broader coverage (5 surfaces vs. 2). Proficio may suit teams that need depth over breadth.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Critical Start and Proficio?
Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Proficio is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Critical Start offers ≤15 minutes, Proficio offers Not disclosed. Critical Start covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 2 for Proficio.
How do Critical Start and Proficio 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. Proficio supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does Critical Start pricing compare to Proficio?
Critical Start pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Proficio 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 Proficio: Base ProSOC MDR is monitoring and alerting only. Automated containment (Active Defense) is a separate paid add-on, so budget accordingly.; Log volume directly affects pricing. If your environment grows or you add new log sources, expect cost increases..
Should I choose Critical Start or Proficio?
Choose Critical Start if: mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack. Choose Proficio if: mid-market organizations with existing Splunk, Sentinel, or Elastic wanting managed detection without rip-and-replace. Critical Start is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious organizations, enterprise-focused pricing not published. Proficio is not ideal for organizations expecting automated response in base pricing (Active Defense is a paid add-on).