Critical Start vs Sygnia: MDR Comparison 2026
Critical Start and Sygnia are both categorized as MDR providers, but differ in execution. Critical Start works with your existing tools and targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations. Sygnia works with your existing tools and focuses on Enterprise. Critical Start includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 6 for Sygnia (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network, OT/ICS).
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Critical Start vs Sygnia: 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 Sygnia if:
- •Enterprises wanting MDR and IR from the same team with no handoff or separate retainer
- •Organizations with heterogeneous security stacks needing a vendor-agnostic overlay
- •Critical infrastructure and OT/ICS environments needing genuine OT monitoring
- •You need OT/ICS coverage included in base pricing
Bottom line: Sygnia offers broader coverage (6 surfaces vs. 5). Critical Start may suit teams that need depth over breadth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Critical Start and Sygnia?
Critical Start is a MDR provider that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Sygnia is a MDR provider that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Critical Start offers ≤15 minutes, Sygnia offers Not disclosed. Critical Start covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 6 for Sygnia.
How do Critical Start and Sygnia 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. Sygnia 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 Sygnia.
How does Critical Start pricing compare to Sygnia?
Critical Start pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Sygnia 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 Sygnia: No published pricing — requires significant sales engagement to get even a ballpark quote; 8 dedicated experts per client implies premium pricing, likely $200K+/year based on comparable staffing models.
Should I choose Critical Start or Sygnia?
Choose Critical Start if: mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack. Choose Sygnia if: enterprises wanting MDR and IR from the same team with no handoff or separate retainer. Critical Start is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious organizations — enterprise-focused pricing not publicly disclosed. Sygnia is not ideal for sMBs or mid-market organizations — enterprise-only pricing, likely $200K+/year.