eSentire vs Trustwave: MDR Comparison 2026
eSentire (Pure-play MDR) and Trustwave (Services firm) take different approaches to managed detection and response. eSentire works with your existing tools, while Trustwave works with your existing tools. eSentire targets SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise organizations; Trustwave focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
eSentire vs Trustwave: Which Should You Choose?
Choose eSentire if:
- •Mid-market and enterprise organizations needing active remediation, not just alerts
- •Critical infrastructure sectors
- •Organizations with complex multi-vendor security stacks requiring 300+ integrations
Choose Trustwave if:
- •US government organizations needing the first FedRAMP-authorized pure-play MDR provider
- •Companies needing both MDR and PCI DSS compliance/assessment from a single provider
- •Mid-market and enterprise organizations wanting a co-managed SOC model alongside internal teams
Bottom line: eSentire (Pure-play MDR) and Trustwave (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize eSentire's esentire excels at active, hands-on response with contractual 15-minute containment guarantees or Trustwave's the most compliance-credentialed mdr provider in the market — fedramp authorized, pci dss qsa, na....
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between eSentire and Trustwave?
eSentire is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Trustwave is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: eSentire offers ≤15 minutes, Trustwave offers ≤30 minutes.
How do eSentire and Trustwave differ in response capabilities?
eSentire supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Trustwave supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is included with eSentire and not included with Trustwave.
How does eSentire pricing compare to Trustwave?
eSentire pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Trustwave pricing: Starting at ~$43,775/year (SelectHub estimate). Enterprise pricing is custom/quote-based.. Watch for with eSentire: Tier differences significant — Essentials may lack key response capabilities; BYOL pricing differs from bundled Atlas Agent pricing. Watch for with Trustwave: Ownership instability — 4 ownership events in 10 years (Singtel → Chertoff/MC2 → failed Cybereason merger → LevelBlue); IR not included in base MDR — separate DFIR retainer required.
Should I choose eSentire or Trustwave?
Choose eSentire if: mid-market and enterprise organizations needing active remediation, not just alerts. Choose Trustwave if: uS government organizations needing the first FedRAMP-authorized pure-play MDR provider. eSentire is not ideal for budget-constrained SMBs seeking the lowest-cost MDR option. Trustwave is not ideal for organizations concerned about vendor stability — 4 ownership events in 10 years including a failed Cybereason merger.