Critical Start vs WithSecure
Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. WithSecure is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Critical Start targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; WithSecure serves SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. Critical Start includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 1 for WithSecure (Endpoint).
Buyer brief
Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. WithSecure is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Critical Start targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; WithSecure serves SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. Critical Start includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 1 for WithSecure (Endpoint).
WithSecure is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Critical Start is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack | European mid-market organizations prioritizing EU data residency, GDPR, NIS2, and DORA compliance |
| Price | Not published | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 6/6 actions · Configurable | 5/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Requires own platform |
| 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
- European mid-market organizations prioritizing EU data residency, GDPR, NIS2, and DORA compliance
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 5/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | Critical StartTECH-AGNOSTIC | WithSecurePLATFORM |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Positive | Positive |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Requires their platform |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeSentinelOneMicrosoft DefenderPalo Alto Cortex | WithSecure Elements EDR (required for MDR service) |
| SIEM integrations | Microsoft SentinelSplunkSumo Logic | Microsoft Sentinel (native Azure Marketplace connector)Any SIEM via Elements Connector (Syslog forwarding) |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Optional add-onSaaSSaaS: Optional add-onNetNetwork: Optional add-onOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantine |
| IR included | Separate | ✓ Included |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not publicly disclosed. Custom quotes required. Described as 'competitively priced for mid-sized businesses.' ITPro rated pricing 5/5 stars. |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | Yes |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| Identity | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| SaaS apps | ✓ Included | + Optional |
| 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) | Per-endpoint/per-device/per-user subscription. Monthly or annual billing options. |
| 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 | Platform lock-in: requires WithSecure Elements EDR, cannot use competing EDR. Modular pricing: full coverage across identity, cloud, SaaS, and exposure management adds cost beyond base MDR. Ownership transition: being taken private by CVC/Siilasmaa, managed services ARR declined 22% in H1 2025 |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual, Multi-year | Annual, Multi-year |
| Channels | EmailPortalPhone | PortalEmailPhone |
| 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. | Not publicly disclosed. Requires Elements EDR deployment first, then MDR subscription activated in Elements Security Center. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesHealthcareManufacturingTechnologyGovernmentProfessional ServicesRetailTransportation | Financial ServicesManufacturingHealthcareGovernmentEducationTechnology |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | 60 minutes or less median time to resolution for ALL alerts regardless of priority | Not published. Marketing states 'reaction in minutes, containment within hours.' PeerSpot reviewer reported ~4 minute average alert response (anecdotal). |
| 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. | PeerSpot 8.0/10 with 100% recommend rate and growing mindshare (0.3% to 1.0% YoY). Gartner Peer Insights 4.5/5 across 144 reviews (all products). Forrester Strong Performer in MDR Europe Q3 2025. Being taken private by CVC/Siilasmaa (delisting expected H1 2026). Consulting divested to Neqst May 2025. Managed services ARR declined 22% in H1 2025. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001 | ISO 27001ISAE 3000 (SOC 2 Type 2 equivalent)GDPRNIS2DORA |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001MISA (Microsoft Intelligent Security Association)Microsoft Solutions Partner for Security | ISO 27001 (cloud-delivered products and managed security services)ISAE 3000 (assurance-based, SOC 2 Type 2 equivalent)CREST-Accredited CSIR TeamNCSC CIR Level 1 (one of only 9 IR teams globally for Category 1-3 incidents)NCSC CIR Level 2 (via CREST)BSI (German Federal Office for Information Security) Assured IR TeamForrester Strong Performer MDR Europe Q3 2025Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms 2024AV-TEST Approved Advanced EDR 2024MITRE ATT&CK Evaluations Enterprise 2024 Participant |
| Founded | 2012 | 1988 |
| Data retention | CORR platform provides API access and data export (CSV/XLSX). Specific retention periods not publicly documented. | 13-14 months for security events, varying by event severity. |
| API available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Critical Start and WithSecure?
Critical Start is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). WithSecure is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). SLA commitments differ: Critical Start offers ≤1 hour, WithSecure offers Not disclosed. Critical Start covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 1 for WithSecure.
How do Critical Start and WithSecure 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. WithSecure supports 5 autonomous actions (account disable, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Critical Start and included with WithSecure.
How does Critical Start pricing compare to WithSecure?
Critical Start pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. WithSecure pricing: Not publicly disclosed. Custom quotes required. Described as 'competitively priced for mid-sized businesses.' ITPro rated pricing 5/5 stars.. 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 WithSecure: Platform lock-in: requires WithSecure Elements EDR, cannot use competing EDR; Modular pricing: full coverage across identity, cloud, SaaS, and exposure management adds cost beyond base MDR.
Should I choose Critical Start or WithSecure?
Choose Critical Start if: mid-market to large enterprises wanting technology-agnostic MDR that works with their existing security stack. Choose WithSecure if: european mid-market organizations prioritizing EU data residency, GDPR, NIS2, and DORA compliance. Critical Start is not ideal for sMBs or budget-conscious organizations, enterprise-focused pricing not published. WithSecure is not ideal for organizations committed to multi-vendor or BYO-EDR strategies (requires WithSecure agent).
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.