DirectDefense vs eSentire
DirectDefense and eSentire are both Pure-play MDRs that work with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations, while eSentire serves SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 5 for eSentire (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Buyer brief
DirectDefense and eSentire are both Pure-play MDRs that work with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations, while eSentire serves SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 5 for eSentire (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
eSentire offers broader coverage (5 surfaces vs. 2). DirectDefense may suit teams that need depth over breadth.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top | Organizations wanting a provider that publicly reports 15-minute containment with true active remediation |
| Price | Not published | Buyer benchmark: $30-100/endpoint/yr |
| Response authority | 1/6 actions · Approval required | 6/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- Mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top
- Price
- Not published
- Response authority
- 1/6 actions · Approval required
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- Organizations wanting a provider that publicly reports 15-minute containment with true active remediation
- Price
- Buyer benchmark: $30-100/endpoint/yr
- Response authority
- 6/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | DirectDefenseTECH-AGNOSTIC | eSentireTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | SMB, Mid-market | SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Positive |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeHalcyonCylance BlackBerry SentinelOne | CrowdStrike FalconMicrosoft Defender for EndpointVMware Carbon BlackeSentire Atlas Agent (proprietary, optional) SentinelOne |
| SIEM integrations | Rapid7Tenable Microsoft Sentinel | SplunkSumo Logic Microsoft Sentinel |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Custom playbooks | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantineCustom playbooks |
| IR included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Third-party buyer data reports eSentire MDR endpoint-focused pricing around $60-100/endpoint/year for 50-200 endpoints, $40-80/endpoint/year for 200-1,000 endpoints, and $30-60/endpoint/year for 1,000+ endpoints. Older community reports cite $10-25/endpoint/month depending on tier. |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | + Optional | ✓ Included |
| Identity | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| Network | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | + Optional | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | Extra cost | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | ≤30 minutes | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom pricing based on endpoints, coverage scope, and service tier. Three tiers: Security Essentials (SMB vCISO + identity protection bundle), MDR + MSSP CORE (detection + IR retainer), MDR + MSSP MAX (full managed SOC + vulnerability management + email security). | Per-endpoint pricing across three tiers (Essentials up to 500 endpoints, Advanced up to 5,000, Complete up to 5,000) with BYOL or bundled Atlas Agent options |
| Hidden cost warnings | Requires existing SIEM or purchase of SIEM platform (Rapid7, Tenable, Microsoft Sentinel). Technology-agnostic model means you need to own the underlying security tools. OT/ICS coverage requires separate Claroty, Dragos, or SCADAfence licensing. Third-party estimates (Getlatka) suggest ~$55K average deal size, which is mid-market territory, not SMB-friendly except for the Security Essentials tier. No published pricing on the website makes cost comparison difficult before engaging sales. Identity threat protection and vCISO are only in the Security Essentials tier (separate from MDR), not in CORE or MAX | Tier differences are significant. Essentials may lack key response and advisory capabilities available in Advanced/Complete.. BYOL pricing differs from bundled Atlas Agent pricing. Custom pricing for 5,000+ endpoints.. MSP program uses inflexible per-customer purchasing model (criticized by partners) |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual | Annual, Multi-year |
| Channels | EmailPortalPhone | TeamsEmailPortalPhone |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | ✓ |
| SOC regions | North America | North AmericaEurope |
| Onboarding | Customized based on environment complexity. SIEM integration required for CORE and MAX tiers. | Average 14 days deployment |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesInsuranceHealthcareManufacturingEnergy & UtilitiesAerospaceAutomotiveGaming & EntertainmentRetail & HospitalityEducationGovernment | Financial ServicesHealthcareManufacturingTechnologyGovernment |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | 15-minute Mean Time to Contain (vendor-published public metric). 99.3% of threats isolated at first host (vendor-published). 200+ new threat protections added daily. |
| Community view | Almost no public practitioner reviews. No presence on G2, PeerSpot, Gartner Peer Insights, or Reddit as of March 2026. Industry recognition includes MSSP Alert Top 250 (#128, 2024), CRN MSP 500 Security 100 (4th consecutive year), Inc. 5000 (#3924, 2024), and Globee Silver for Best Cybersecurity Service Provider (2025). Awards show vendor credibility but tell you nothing about day-to-day service quality from a buyer's perspective. | G2 4.6/5 (272 reviews). Gartner Peer Insights 4.6/5 (83 reviews). PeerSpot 7.6/10. Forrester Wave Leader (Europe Q3 2025). Praised for public 15-minute containment metrics and true active remediation. Some price sensitivity for SMBs and occasional SOC response delays on non-emergency tickets. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IINIST CSF 2.0HIPAAPCI-DSS | ISO 27001PCI-DSSSOC 2 Type IIHIPAA/HITRUSTGDPRNIST |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II | ISO 15408UK Cyber EssentialsSIG LiteAITECMicrosoft Security Solutions PartnerAWS Partner Network |
| Founded | 2012 | 2001 |
| Data retention | Per-contract basis, varies by SIEM platform and tier | Not publicly disclosed |
| API available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between DirectDefense and eSentire?
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). eSentire is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: DirectDefense offers ≤30 minutes, eSentire offers Not disclosed. DirectDefense covers 2 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for eSentire.
How do DirectDefense and eSentire differ in response capabilities?
DirectDefense supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and requires approval before acting. eSentire supports 6 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable.
How does DirectDefense pricing compare to eSentire?
DirectDefense pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. eSentire pricing: Third-party buyer data reports eSentire MDR endpoint-focused pricing around $60-100/endpoint/year for 50-200 endpoints, $40-80/endpoint/year for 200-1,000 endpoints, and $30-60/endpoint/year for 1,000+ endpoints. Older community reports cite $10-25/endpoint/month depending on tier.. Watch for with DirectDefense: Requires existing SIEM or purchase of SIEM platform (Rapid7, Tenable, Microsoft Sentinel); Technology-agnostic model means you need to own the underlying security tools. Watch for with eSentire: Tier differences are significant. Essentials may lack key response and advisory capabilities available in Advanced/Complete.; BYOL pricing differs from bundled Atlas Agent pricing. Custom pricing for 5,000+ endpoints..
Should I choose DirectDefense or eSentire?
Choose DirectDefense if: mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top. Choose eSentire if: organizations wanting a provider that publicly reports 15-minute containment with true active remediation. DirectDefense is not ideal for organizations wanting turnkey MDR without existing SIEM or security tool investment. eSentire is not ideal for budget-constrained SMBs seeking the lowest-cost MDR option.
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.