ESET vs Truesec: MDR Comparison 2026

ESET (EDR vendor) and Truesec (MDR provider) take different approaches to managed detection and response. ESET requires its own security platform, while Truesec works with your existing tools. ESET targets SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise organizations; Truesec focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise.

Key Differences at a Glance

Business Model

ESET: EDR vendor

Truesec: MDR provider

Approach

ESET: Requires their platform

Truesec: Works with your tools

Autonomous Actions

ESET: 6/6 (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment...)

Truesec: 5/6 (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment...)

SLA

ESET: ≤15 minutes

Truesec: Not disclosed

Attack Surfaces Included

ESET: 5/6 (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network)

Truesec: 5/6 (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network)

Pricing

ESET: Custom-quoted based on environment and device count; volume discounts available (25-seat minimum)

Truesec: Custom-quoted pricing

Vendor Lock-in

ESET: Requires own agent

Truesec: No proprietary agent

Winner by Category

Response Level

Tie

Same level

SLA Speed

ESET

Faster response time

Coverage Breadth

Tie

Same coverage

Integrations

Tie

Similar breadth

Criteria

ESET

Strong SMB-focused MDR built on 30+ years of threat research, with fast 20-minute response times and accessible 25-device minimum. Best for organizations already in or willing to adopt the ESET ecosystem.

Truesec

Premier Nordic MDR with the largest Scandinavian SOC and deep IR background (120,000+ hours, vendor-stated). Unique MDR Black tier covers IR costs for breaches on monitored devices. Strong fit for Nordic enterprises wanting local expertise. Limited US presence and zero independent reviews make it hard to evaluate for North American buyers.

Provider Model

Requires their platform

Works with your tools

Requires Own Agent

Yes — platform-native

No — works with your EDR

Response Type

Active Remediation

Approval Policy

Configurable

Auto-Isolate

✓

Kill Process

✓

IR Included

✓ Included

Separate

Response SLA

≤15 minutes

Not disclosed

24/7 Coverage

✓ Yes

Channels

EmailPortalPhone

PortalEmailPhoneTeamsSlack

Data Access

Dashboards

Model

Per-seat/device, custom-quoted; available as add-on to ESET PROTECT Enterprise or Elite tiers. MSP pricing with daily billing or monthly invoicing.

Fixed fee per endpoint. No log volume or retention surcharges. No public pricing.

Price Range

Custom-quoted based on environment and device count; volume discounts available

Not published

Minimum Seats

None

Threat Hunting

✓ Included

Overall

Positive

Mixed

Summary

Recognized as Market Leader and Product Leader in MDR by KuppingerCole 2024. Praised for fast 20-minute response times, strong threat intelligence from 30+ years of research, and good SMB accessibility. Criticized for UI/UX issues and the ESET console interface being unintuitive for US users.

Effectively unrateable. No public reviews on G2, PeerSpot, or Gartner Peer Insights. Not in Forrester Wave or Gartner MQ for MDR. No Reddit mentions on r/msp or r/cybersecurity. Strong Nordic reputation based on vendor claims and partner references (EY, Microsoft MISA), but impossible to validate through independent peer feedback.

ESET vs Truesec: Which Should You Choose?

Choose ESET if:

•SMBs with 25-500 devices needing enterprise-grade MDR
•Organizations already using ESET endpoint protection
•Companies needing multi-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android)

Choose Truesec if:

•Companies wanting IR costs covered for breaches on monitored devices (MDR Black tier) — unique offering in market
•Mid-market organizations wanting 72-hour rapid onboarding (MDR Core) vs. typical 2-4 week industry average
•Critical infrastructure organizations needing OT/ICS MDR via Nozomi Networks partnership (announced Nov 2025)
•You want direct Slack integration with your SOC

Bottom line: ESET is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Truesec is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between ESET and Truesec?

ESET is an EDR vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Truesec is a MDR provider that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: ESET offers ≤15 minutes, Truesec offers Not disclosed.

How do ESET and Truesec differ in response capabilities?

ESET supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Truesec supports 5 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is included with ESET and not included with Truesec.

How does ESET pricing compare to Truesec?

ESET pricing: Custom-quoted based on environment and device count; volume discounts available (25-seat minimum). Truesec pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Watch for with ESET: Requires ESET PROTECT Enterprise or Elite subscription as base; MDR Ultimate is a significant step up in price from standard MDR. Watch for with Truesec: No public pricing for any tier — requires sales engagement to get any estimate; IR is a separate retainer on Core and Enterprise tiers — only Black includes it.

Should I choose ESET or Truesec?

Choose ESET if: sMBs with 25-500 devices needing enterprise-grade MDR. Choose Truesec if: nordic enterprises (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland) wanting the largest regional SOC with local language support (Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, English). ESET is not ideal for enterprises requiring vendor-agnostic SIEM/EDR integration. Truesec is not ideal for uS-based organizations wanting a fully staffed local SOC (bulk of 330+ specialists in Europe, Stockholm SOC is primary monitoring center).

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