ReliaQuest vs Trustwave: MDR Comparison 2026
ReliaQuest (Pure-play MDR) and Trustwave (Services firm) take different approaches to managed detection and response. ReliaQuest works with your existing tools, while Trustwave works with your existing tools. ReliaQuest targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Trustwave focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise. ReliaQuest includes 6 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network, OT/ICS), compared to 5 for Trustwave (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
ReliaQuest vs Trustwave: Which Should You Choose?
Choose ReliaQuest if:
- •Large enterprises with complex multi-vendor security stacks
- •Organizations wanting to keep existing SIEM/EDR investments
- •Security teams needing AI-driven automation at scale
- •You need OT/ICS coverage included in base pricing
- •You want direct Slack integration with your SOC
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: ReliaQuest (Pure-play MDR) and Trustwave (Services firm) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize ReliaQuest's strong fit for enterprises wanting to unify and automate across their existing multi-vendor secur... 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 ReliaQuest and Trustwave?
ReliaQuest 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: ReliaQuest offers ≤15 minutes, Trustwave offers ≤30 minutes. ReliaQuest covers 6 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for Trustwave.
How do ReliaQuest and Trustwave differ in response capabilities?
ReliaQuest 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 ReliaQuest and not included with Trustwave.
How does ReliaQuest pricing compare to Trustwave?
ReliaQuest pricing: $172,500 average annual; up to $1,200,000 for large deployments. $5,000 per additional integrated technology.. Trustwave pricing: Starting at ~$43,775/year (SelectHub estimate). Enterprise pricing is custom/quote-based.. Watch for with ReliaQuest: High minimum contract value (enterprise-focused); Additional technology integrations add cost quickly. 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 ReliaQuest or Trustwave?
Choose ReliaQuest if: large enterprises with complex multi-vendor security stacks. Choose Trustwave if: uS government organizations needing the first FedRAMP-authorized pure-play MDR provider. ReliaQuest is not ideal for sMBs with limited security budgets. Trustwave is not ideal for organizations concerned about vendor stability — 4 ownership events in 10 years including a failed Cybereason merger.