Fortra vs Trustwave: MDR Comparison 2026
Fortra and Trustwave are both categorized as Services firms, but differ in execution. Fortra works with your existing tools and targets SMB, Mid-market, and Enterprise organizations. Trustwave works with your existing tools and focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Fortra vs Trustwave: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Fortra if:
- •Mid-market organizations needing strong compliance support
- •Healthcare organizations requiring HIPAA compliance MDR
- •Cloud-first companies on AWS, Azure, or hybrid environments
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: Both providers target similar markets. Compare their specific response actions, communication channels, and pricing structure to find the better fit for your environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Fortra and Trustwave?
Fortra is a Services firm 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: Fortra offers ≤15 minutes, Trustwave offers ≤30 minutes.
How do Fortra and Trustwave differ in response capabilities?
Fortra supports 5 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, 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 Fortra and not included with Trustwave.
How does Fortra pricing compare to Trustwave?
Fortra pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Trustwave pricing: Starting at ~$43,775/year (SelectHub estimate). Enterprise pricing is custom/quote-based.. Watch for with Fortra: Managed services being acquired by LevelBlue (announced Jan 2026, deal pending close — no timeline disclosed); Post-transition contract terms, SLAs, and pricing under LevelBlue are unconfirmed. 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 Fortra or Trustwave?
Choose Fortra if: mid-market organizations needing strong compliance support. Choose Trustwave if: uS government organizations needing the first FedRAMP-authorized pure-play MDR provider. Fortra is not ideal for organizations wanting long-term vendor stability — managed services transferring to LevelBlue (deal pending, no timeline disclosed). Trustwave is not ideal for organizations concerned about vendor stability — 4 ownership events in 10 years including a failed Cybereason merger.