Huntress vs Ontinue: MDR Comparison 2026
Huntress (MSP-channel) and Ontinue (Microsoft-ecosystem) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Huntress requires its own security platform, while Ontinue requires its own security platform. Huntress targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; Ontinue focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise. Huntress includes 3 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, SaaS, Identity), compared to 5 for Ontinue (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Huntress vs Ontinue: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Huntress if:
- •MSPs wanting a channel-first MDR partner with multi-tenant management and volume pricing
- •SMBs needing affordable, enterprise-grade MDR with minimal overhead (deploys in 30 minutes)
- •Microsoft 365-heavy environments needing integrated identity threat detection (ITDR with 3-min MTTR)
Choose Ontinue if:
- •Organizations heavily invested in Microsoft E5/Defender ecosystem
- •Teams wanting Microsoft Teams as primary SOC communication channel
- •Mid-market and enterprise needing fast onboarding on Microsoft stack
- •You need Cloud and Network coverage included in base pricing
Bottom line: Huntress (MSP-channel) and Ontinue (Microsoft-ecosystem) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize Huntress's the msp community's gold standard for smb-focused mdr or Ontinue's microsoft-native mxdr with 99.5% ai-automated incident resolution rate and unique teams-based col....
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Huntress and Ontinue?
Huntress is a MSP-channel that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Ontinue is a Microsoft-ecosystem that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Huntress covers 3 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for Ontinue.
How do Huntress and Ontinue differ in response capabilities?
Huntress supports 4 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, account disable, file quarantine) and approval is configurable. Ontinue supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Incident response is not included with Huntress and included with Ontinue.
How does Huntress pricing compare to Ontinue?
Huntress pricing: Estimated ~$2.50-$3.50/endpoint/month for EDR (community-reported). Not officially published. Volume discounts decrease price. (50-seat minimum). Ontinue pricing: Custom-quoted pricing. Watch for with Huntress: 50-endpoint minimum for standard plan; under 50 requires sales engagement; Each product (EDR, ITDR, SIEM, SAT) priced separately — full stack costs add up. Watch for with Ontinue: Requires Microsoft E5 or Defender licenses as prerequisite; Microsoft Sentinel consumption costs are separate.
Should I choose Huntress or Ontinue?
Choose Huntress if: mSPs wanting a channel-first MDR partner with multi-tenant management and volume pricing. Choose Ontinue if: organizations heavily invested in Microsoft E5/Defender ecosystem. Huntress is not ideal for enterprise organizations needing deep SIEM integration with existing Splunk/Sentinel/Chronicle. Ontinue is not ideal for organizations using non-Microsoft EDR (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne).