Critical Start vs Sophos: MDR Comparison 2026
Critical Start (MDR provider) and Sophos (Services firm) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Critical Start works with your existing tools, while Sophos works with your existing tools. Critical Start targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Sophos focuses on SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Critical Start vs Sophos: 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 Sophos if:
- •SMBs and mid-market organizations seeking an all-in-one MDR with inclusive IR
- •Organizations with diverse, multi-vendor security stacks needing broad integration support
- •Companies wanting straightforward pricing with predictable costs
- •Breach warranty matters to you (Sophos offers one, Critical Start does not)
Bottom line: Critical Start (MDR provider) and Sophos (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 Sophos's 350+ vendor integrations, inclusive full-scale incident response with no caps, $1m breach warrant....
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Critical Start and Sophos?
Critical Start is a MDR provider that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Sophos is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools).
How do Critical Start and Sophos 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. Sophos supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Critical Start and included with Sophos.
How does Critical Start pricing compare to Sophos?
Critical Start pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Sophos pricing: Custom quote required; tiered pricing bands (10-24, 25-49, 50-99, etc.) (10-seat minimum). 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 Sophos: MDR Essentials does NOT include breach warranty or full incident response — those require MDR Complete; Linux server protection requires separate Sophos Workload Protection subscription.
Should I choose Critical Start or Sophos?
Choose Critical Start if: mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack. Choose Sophos if: sMBs and mid-market organizations seeking an all-in-one MDR with inclusive IR. Critical Start is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious organizations — enterprise-focused pricing not publicly disclosed. Sophos is not ideal for large enterprises needing deep, custom detection engineering.