Help AG vs Optiv
Help AG and Optiv are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Help AG targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while Optiv serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Help AG includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 5 for Optiv (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Buyer brief
Help AG and Optiv are both Services firms that work with your existing tools. Help AG targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations, while Optiv serves Mid-market and Enterprise. Help AG includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 5 for Optiv (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Optiv offers broader coverage (5 surfaces vs. 0). Help AG may suit teams that need depth over breadth.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Middle East buyers that want MDR delivered from UAE and KSA sovereign SOCs | Enterprises with a multi-vendor security stack that want a managed layer without replacing core tools |
| Price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Response authority | 1/6 actions · Configurable | 4/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Works with existing stack |
| Data access | Reports only | Full query access |
| Warranty | None listed | 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
- Best fit
- Enterprises with a multi-vendor security stack that want a managed layer without replacing core tools
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 4/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Full query access
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | Help AGTECH-AGNOSTIC | OptivTECH-AGNOSTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Mixed |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Works with your tools |
| EDR integrations | None listed | Multi-vendor EDRMicrosoft DefenderCrowdStrikeSentinelOne |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | Google Security Operations |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: LimitedSaaSSaaS: LimitedNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Limited | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: CoveredOTOT/IoT: Optional add-on |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Active Remediation | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Configurable | Configurable |
| Response actions | Custom playbooks | IsolateContainDisable accountsCustom playbooks |
| IR included | ✓ Included | Separate |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | No |
| Endpoints | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| Identity | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| Network | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| OT/ICS | ~ Limited | + Optional |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom quote. Help AG does not publish MDR package pricing. | Custom enterprise pricing, with analyst coverage, Google Security Operations data processing, log management, data retention, active-defense hours and optional TAM/manual hunting scoped by environment. Optiv/KuppingerCole materials describe a data-processed pricing model. |
| Hidden cost warnings | 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. | Optiv MDR is built for complex environments; buyers should model Google Security Operations ingestion and retention volume before comparing it with per-endpoint MDR quotes.. The service can manage many existing tools, but those EDR, identity, cloud and network tools remain separate licensing costs.. Active defense is described as 40 hours per year. Clarify the hourly rate and escalation path once that allocation is consumed.. TAM and custom manual threat hunting are optional components, not baseline inclusions.. No public price floor, public SLA or breach warranty was found. |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Custom, Managed Detection and Response, Response Automation-as-a-Service, Digital Forensics and Incident Response | Annual, Multi-year, Custom |
| Channels | PortalEmailPhone | |
| Data access | Reports only | Full query access |
| Dedicated analyst | – | ✓ |
| SOC regions | Middle East | North America |
| Onboarding | Not published. Help AG says Unicorn supports rapid deployment of threat detection content and playbooks, but no standard MDR onboarding duration was found. | Not published. Scope depends on data sources, Google Security Operations setup, detection content and SOAR playbook integration. |
| Industry focus | GovernmentCritical InfrastructureEnterprise | Financial ServicesHealthcareManufacturingRetailTechnologyPublic Sector |
| MTTD | Not published | Not published |
| MTTR | Not published | Not published |
| Community view | 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. | Optiv has strong brand recognition as a large cyber advisory and technology-services firm, but MDR-specific peer review volume is thinner than for MDR-first vendors. Gartner Peer Insights lists Optiv reviews in managed security services rather than a separate high-volume MDR product page. Reddit discussion is mostly about Optiv as a reseller and services firm, not day-to-day MDR operations. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000-1ISO 27035-2NCASAMADESC | SOC 2ISO 27001PCI DSSHIPAAHITRUSTNIST CSFCMMC |
| Certifications | ISO-certified sovereign SOCsISO 27001:2022ISO 22301:2019ISO 20000-1:2018ISO 27035-2:2023SOC CMM Level 3CREST-certified DFIR | Optiv publishes support for compliance programs including SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, HITRUST, NIST CSF and CMMC. Specific MDR service audit-scope documents require buyer validation. |
| Founded | 2005 | 2015 |
| Data retention | 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. | Optiv states 12 months of hot storage is available for on-demand access. Longer retention terms are not publicly described. |
| API available | – | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Help AG and Optiv?
Help AG is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Optiv is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Help AG covers 0 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for Optiv.
How do Help AG and Optiv differ in response capabilities?
Help AG supports 1 autonomous actions (custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Optiv supports 4 autonomous actions (account disable, custom playbooks, endpoint isolation, network containment) and approval is configurable. Incident response is included with Help AG and not included with Optiv.
How does Help AG pricing compare to Optiv?
Help AG pricing: Not published. Optiv pricing: Not published. 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.. Watch for with Optiv: Optiv MDR is built for complex environments; buyers should model Google Security Operations ingestion and retention volume before comparing it with per-endpoint MDR quotes.; The service can manage many existing tools, but those EDR, identity, cloud and network tools remain separate licensing costs..
Should I choose Help AG or Optiv?
Choose Help AG if: middle East buyers that want MDR delivered from UAE and KSA sovereign SOCs. Choose Optiv if: enterprises with a multi-vendor security stack that want a managed layer without replacing core tools. Help AG is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales. Optiv is not ideal for sMBs wanting simple per-endpoint MDR pricing.
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.