DirectDefense vs Help AG
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Help AG is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; Help AG serves Mid-market and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 0 for Help AG ().
Buyer brief
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that works with your existing tools. Help AG is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. DirectDefense targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; Help AG serves Mid-market and Enterprise. DirectDefense includes 2 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Network), compared to 0 for Help AG ().
DirectDefense (Pure-play MDR) and Help AG (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize DirectDefense's technology-agnostic mdr with soar-driven triage, offensive security dna, and ot/ics partnerships ... or Help AG's help ag fits middle east buyers that want sovereign mdr with local soc delivery, automation and d....
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top | Middle East buyers that want MDR delivered from UAE and KSA sovereign SOCs |
| Price | Not published | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 1/6 actions · Approval required | 1/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Dashboards | Reports only |
| 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
- Middle East buyers that want MDR delivered from UAE and KSA sovereign SOCs
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 1/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Reports only
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | DirectDefenseTECH-AGNOSTIC | Help AGTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | SMB, Mid-market | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | CrowdStrikeSentinelOneHalcyonCylance BlackBerry | None listed |
| SIEM integrations | Rapid7TenableMicrosoft Sentinel | None listed |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: Optional add-onIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: LimitedNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Limited |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Custom playbooks | Custom playbooks |
| IR included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Cloud workloads | + Optional | ~ Limited |
| Identity | Not offered | ~ Limited |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | ~ Limited |
| Network | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| OT/ICS | + Optional | ~ Limited |
| 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). | Custom quote. Help AG does not publish MDR package pricing. |
| 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 | Public pages do not publish MDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.. The service is positioned for sovereign UAE and KSA delivery, so buyers outside the region should confirm availability and data-residency architecture.. Response Automation-as-a-Service is named separately, so containment actions, permissions and cost should be written into the quote.. Help AG lists a broad cybersecurity portfolio around MDR, so buyers should separate included MDR scope from SecOps, CTEM, DFIR, advisory and cloud-security projects.. Public pages cite MTTD and MTTR improvement without figures, so buyers should ask for contractual metrics rather than relying on marketing claims. |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Annual | Custom, Managed Detection and Response, Response Automation-as-a-Service, Digital Forensics and Incident Response |
| Channels | EmailPortalPhone | |
| Data access | Dashboards | Reports only |
| Dedicated analyst | – | – |
| SOC regions | North America | Middle East |
| Onboarding | Customized based on environment complexity. SIEM integration required for CORE and MAX tiers. | Not published. Help AG says Unicorn supports rapid deployment of threat detection content and playbooks, but no standard MDR onboarding duration was found. |
| Industry focus | Financial ServicesInsuranceHealthcareManufacturingEnergy & UtilitiesAerospaceAutomotiveGaming & EntertainmentRetail & HospitalityEducationGovernment | GovernmentCritical InfrastructureEnterprise |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | Not published |
| 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. | No meaningful MDR-specific buyer-review signal was found in major English-language review communities during this pass. The public buyer case rests on Help AG's Middle East focus, e& enterprise ownership, sovereign UAE and KSA SOCs, 800+ certified experts, response automation, threat hunting and DFIR integration. Buyers should validate pricing, exact response authority, SLA figures and data-residency terms directly. |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type IINIST CSF 2.0HIPAAPCI-DSS | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000-1ISO 27035-2NCASAMADESC |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II | ISO-certified sovereign SOCsISO 27001:2022ISO 22301:2019ISO 20000-1:2018ISO 27035-2:2023SOC CMM Level 3CREST-certified DFIR |
| Founded | 2012 | 2005 |
| Data retention | Per-contract basis, varies by SIEM platform and tier | Help AG says MDR services are fully delivered within the region and aligned with data-residency and regulatory requirements. No standard public MDR log-retention period was found. |
| API available | ✓ | – |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between DirectDefense and Help AG?
DirectDefense is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Help AG is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: DirectDefense offers ≤30 minutes, Help AG offers Not disclosed. DirectDefense covers 2 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 0 for Help AG.
How do DirectDefense and Help AG differ in response capabilities?
DirectDefense supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and requires approval before acting. Help AG supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does DirectDefense pricing compare to Help AG?
DirectDefense pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Help AG pricing: Not published. 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 Help AG: Public pages do not publish MDR pricing, contract minimums or service-credit language.; The service is positioned for sovereign UAE and KSA delivery, so buyers outside the region should confirm availability and data-residency architecture..
Should I choose DirectDefense or Help AG?
Choose DirectDefense if: mid-market organizations with an existing SIEM (Rapid7, Tenable, Sentinel) wanting managed SOC operations on top. Choose Help AG if: middle East buyers that want MDR delivered from UAE and KSA sovereign SOCs. DirectDefense is not ideal for organizations wanting turnkey MDR without existing SIEM or security tool investment. Help AG is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales.
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.