How Much Does MDR Cost in 2026?
Updated 26 March 2026
Managed detection and response services range from $15 to $50 per endpoint per month. Compare 6 leading providers, understand what is included, and calculate ROI versus the cost of a breach.
MDR Provider Pricing 2026
Per-endpoint per-month pricing across 6 service tiers. Prices based on 500 endpoint contracts.
| Provider | Tier | Price/ep/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard MDR | SMB | $15 - $22 |
| Shield Ops | Growth | $20 - $28 |
| Apex MDR | Professional | $25 - $33 |
| Cortex Managed | Enterprise | $30 - $38 |
| Pinnacle Guard | Premium | $35 - $44 |
| Fortress MDR | Elite | $42 - $50 |
Prices are representative market ranges. Always request a direct quote based on your specific environment.
MDR Cost Calculator
Estimate managed detection and response spend based on your environment and SLA requirements
Endpoints, cloud, email, network, identity (each adds $2/ep/mo)
Service Add-ons
Monthly Cost Per Endpoint
$28.00
Base price plus SLA and add-on adjustments
Monthly Total
$14,000
For 500 endpoints
Annual Total
$168,000
12-month contract estimate
MDR vs. building a SOC
A true 24x7 in-house SOC requires 5 to 6 analysts, a SIEM, EDR tooling, and ongoing training. Total annual cost: $500,000 to $800,000. MDR for 1,000 endpoints at $25/ep/mo: $300,000 per year. MDR wins on cost at virtually every scale below 5,000 endpoints.
MDR and cyber insurance
Many cyber insurers now offer a 15 to 25% premium reduction for organisations with an active MDR service in place. For companies paying $100,000 or more per year on cyber insurance, this credit can offset a significant portion of MDR cost.
Questions to ask vendors
What containment actions can you take without my approval? What is the average time to detect and contain in your last 12 months? What does escalation to my team look like at 3am? How do you handle false positive fatigue? These questions separate genuine MDR from repackaged monitoring.
MDR Cost FAQ
How much does MDR cost on average?
Managed detection and response services typically cost between $15 and $50 per endpoint per month for a standard environment. Pricing varies significantly based on the number of monitored endpoints, data sources included (endpoint, cloud, email, network), response SLA (8 hours vs. 1 hour), and whether 24x7 analyst coverage is bundled. Mid-market organisations with 500 to 2,000 endpoints typically pay $20,000 to $80,000 per year.
What is included in a typical MDR service?
A standard MDR service includes 24-hour threat monitoring, alert triage and investigation, threat hunting on a scheduled basis, incident response guidance or containment, and a monthly or quarterly reporting cadence. Premium tiers add dedicated customer success managers, faster response SLAs (under 1 hour), proactive threat intelligence briefings, and sometimes on-site incident response days. Always confirm exactly what containment actions the vendor is authorised to take without your approval.
How does MDR pricing compare to hiring an in-house SOC?
Building a minimal 24x7 in-house SOC requires at least 4 to 6 analysts to cover all shifts, at a total annual cost of $400,000 to $700,000 including salaries, benefits, tooling, and training. An MDR service for 500 endpoints costs $90,000 to $150,000 per year. For organisations under 2,000 endpoints, MDR is nearly always more cost-effective than an in-house team of equivalent capability.
What is a typical MDR contract minimum?
Most enterprise MDR providers require a minimum of 100 to 500 endpoints and a 12-month contract. Some vendors have a minimum annual contract value of $30,000 to $50,000 regardless of endpoint count. Smaller providers and SMB-focused MDR services may offer month-to-month contracts starting at 25 endpoints. Ask about contract flexibility before committing, particularly around adding or removing endpoints during the term.
Can MDR replace our EDR software?
MDR services almost always deploy and manage their own EDR agent on your endpoints as part of the service. So yes, an MDR subscription typically replaces a standalone EDR licence. However, some MDR providers will integrate with and monitor your existing EDR tool rather than replacing it, which may suit organisations already locked into a specific EDR vendor.
What factors increase MDR costs above the base price?
Additional costs come from extending coverage beyond endpoints: adding cloud workload monitoring, email security monitoring, identity provider integration, or OT and IoT devices typically each adds $2 to $5 per endpoint equivalent per month. Shorter response SLAs (sub-1 hour) command a 30 to 70% price premium. Incident response retainer hours are often sold separately at $250 to $400 per hour. Factor all these components into your total cost of ownership comparison.