MDR vs EDR vs MSSP vs SOC-as-a-Service: An Operator's Decision Tree for Small Business
MDR, EDR, MSSP, and SOC-as-a-service compared honestly for small business buyers — what each delivers, what each costs.
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Endpoint & Detection
EDR, MDR, XDR, Huntress, SentinelOne, CrowdStrike, Defender, and practical endpoint detection guidance.
Endpoint security is one of the clearest dividing lines between organizations that can absorb an incident and organizations that get blindsided by one. The challenge is that the market is crowded with overlapping acronyms, aggressive vendor claims, and buying motions that assume a level of in-house maturity many teams do not have.
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Best MDR providers for small businesses (2026)
Compare seven small-business security options by response ownership, published prices, terms, minimums, identity coverage and insurance evidence.
SMB
Read articleWhat managed detection and response costs for a 5, 10, or 25 person business (2026)
MDR costs for 5, 10, 25 and 50 devices: Ridge Watch's $15/device business rate, onboarding, the Huntress seat floor and Ridge Core's identity coverage.
SMB
Read articleHuntress vs ThreatLocker: block everything, or watch everything
ThreatLocker blocks what is not on the list. Huntress watches what gets through. Most businesses comparing them are asking the wrong question.
SMB
Read articleHuntress vs Todyl: are you buying a layer or a whole stack?
Todyl sells a six-module platform including the network layer, channel-only, with no published pricing. Huntress sells a layer and publishes its rates.
SMB
Read articleHuntress vs Blackpoint Cyber: two MDR models, two ways to buy
Both run a 24/7 SOC for small businesses. Huntress publishes its prices and sells direct. Blackpoint publishes none and sells mainly through MSPs.
SMB
Read articleHuntress vs Microsoft Defender for Business: you already own EDR
If you pay for Microsoft 365 Business Premium you already have EDR. The question is who reads the alerts — and Microsoft will not sell you that service.
SMB
Read articleHuntress vs CrowdStrike Falcon Go: the dollar that isn't the difference
Falcon Go is $7.99 per device and contains no EDR. Huntress Managed EDR is $7.99 at 100 endpoints and includes a 24/7 SOC. Price is not the difference.
SMB
Read articleHuntress pricing 2026: buying direct vs buying managed
Huntress publishes its prices and requires a 50-seat minimum to buy direct. Through an MSP there is no minimum. The math, including where direct wins.
SMB
Read articleHuntress vs Arctic Wolf: which MDR model fits a small business
Arctic Wolf integrates the security tools you already own. Huntress brings the detection layer with it.
SMB
Read articleBackups Are Not Recovery: How to Prove You Can Restore Before Ransomware
Prove a backup works by restoring real data and recording who ran it, how long it took and what failed: the evidence an underwriter can ask to see.
SMB
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Common questions about Endpoint & Detection
Who should read this category?
It is primarily for SMB owners, IT leads, and enterprise security teams evaluating endpoint protection, detection, and response strategies.
Will the articles be vendor-neutral?
They will be opinionated and practical. When Obsidian Ridge has direct experience with a platform, that experience will be stated clearly rather than hidden.
Do these posts replace a formal security assessment?
No. They help narrow decisions and frame tradeoffs, but tool selection and rollout still depend on environment, staffing, and risk tolerance.