This is the price comparison we wished existed when we started buying security software for clients: Sophos vs SentinelOne vs CrowdStrike vs Microsoft Defender vs Bitdefender for EDR and MDR, Proofpoint vs Mimecast vs Check Point for email security, Acronis vs Veeam vs Datto vs Dropsuite for backup, Cisco Umbrella vs DNSFilter vs Cloudflare for DNS filtering, and Microsoft Sentinel against the rest for SIEM, with the cheapest way to buy each one. ITSecOps partners with every vendor on this page. Because we buy at partner pricing, the same licence costs you less through us than buying direct, and it arrives deployed, tuned and monitored.
Prices updated September 4, 2026. Figures are typical per-unit list-price ranges per month, compiled from public vendor and reseller pricing and from the quotations we issue weekly. They are indicative: vendors change list prices, and the partner price we quote is lower. Request an exact quotation with the Security Stack Recommender.
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Quick answer: the cheapest option in each category
| Category | Cheapest solid option | Best value for most SMBs | Best of breed |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDR (endpoint detection and response) | Microsoft Defender for Business (included in M365 Business Premium) | Sophos Intercept X Advanced with XDR | CrowdStrike Falcon or SentinelOne Singularity Complete |
| MDR (24/7 managed detection and response) | Huntress on Microsoft Defender | Sophos MDR Complete | CrowdStrike Falcon Complete |
| Email security | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 P1 | Proofpoint Essentials | Check Point Harmony Email or Mimecast |
| Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace backup | Dropsuite | Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud | Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 or Datto SaaS Protection |
| Server backup and DR | Acronis (direct to cloud) | Acronis Advanced Backup + DR or Axcient | Veeam Data Platform or Datto SIRIS |
| DNS filtering | DNSFilter | Cisco Umbrella | Cloudflare Zero Trust Gateway |
| SIEM | Microsoft Sentinel (free M365 connectors) | Sentinel with ITSecOps 24/7 SOC | Sentinel commitment tier with dedicated analysts |
| Identity and MFA | Microsoft Entra ID P1 (included in Business Premium) | Entra ID P1 + Conditional Access | Okta Workforce Identity |
| Password manager | Keeper Business | Keeper Business | 1Password Business |
| Security awareness training | Microsoft Attack Simulation (included in E5 / Business Premium) | KnowBe4 | KnowBe4 Diamond or Proofpoint Security Awareness |
EDR price comparison: Sophos vs SentinelOne vs CrowdStrike vs Microsoft Defender vs Bitdefender
| Product | List price per device / month | Includes | Cheapest way to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender for Business | $3 standalone, $0 inside Microsoft 365 Business Premium | NGAV, EDR, attack surface reduction, vulnerability management | Already in your Business Premium licence; do not pay twice |
| Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security | $3 to $5 | NGAV, EDR (Premium tier), risk analytics | Partner pricing, annual term |
| Sophos Intercept X Advanced with XDR | $4 to $7 | NGAV, EDR/XDR, CryptoGuard rollback, firewall sync | Partner pricing, bundled with Sophos Firewall or MDR |
| SentinelOne Singularity Core / Control / Complete | $5 / $6 / $8 to $10 | Autonomous EDR, rollback, device control (Control), full XDR (Complete) | Partner pricing, 3-year term |
| CrowdStrike Falcon Go / Pro / Enterprise | $5 / $8 / $15 | NGAV, EDR (Pro), threat hunting and identity (Enterprise) | Partner pricing; Falcon Go is direct-only for very small businesses |
| ESET Protect Advanced | $4 to $6 | NGAV, EDR-lite, full disk encryption | Partner pricing |
| Webroot Business Endpoint | $2.50 to $4 | NGAV only; no full EDR | Cheapest, but not sufficient for insurance questionnaires asking for EDR |
Cheapest EDR for a small business: if you already pay for Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Defender for Business at zero extra cost. Otherwise Bitdefender or Sophos through a partner. Details on our EDR service page.
MDR price comparison: Sophos MDR vs Huntress vs SentinelOne Vigilance vs CrowdStrike Falcon Complete vs Blackpoint
| Service | List price per device / month | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntress Managed EDR | $6 to $9 | 24/7 SOC on Microsoft Defender or Huntress agent | Cheapest true 24/7 human response; SMB focused |
| Sophos MDR Essentials / Complete | $8 to $12 / $10 to $16 | 24/7 SOC, full response on Complete, includes Intercept X Advanced with XDR | Best value when you want one vendor for endpoint, firewall and MDR |
| Blackpoint Cyber MDR | $8 to $12 | 24/7 SOC on top of Microsoft Defender or other EDR | Popular with MSPs; strong identity response |
| SentinelOne Vigilance Respond / Respond Pro | $12 to $18 | 24/7 MDR on Singularity Complete | Pro adds digital forensics and IR retainer |
| CrowdStrike Falcon Complete | $14 to $22 | Fully managed, breach warranty | Enterprise standard; highest cost |
| ITSecOps MDR (on any of the above) | $8 to $16 | 24/7 SOC in Norway and India, 15-minute triage, compliance evidence packs | Partner pricing on the licence plus our SOC; month-to-month after 3 months |
Cheapest MDR: Huntress or Sophos MDR Essentials on top of a Defender licence you already own. Full breakdown on the MDR service page and in Top MDR providers for SMBs and MSPs.
Get a free audit and an MDR quote at partner pricing
Email security price comparison: Proofpoint vs Mimecast vs Check Point vs Barracuda vs Microsoft
| Product | List price per user / month | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender for Office 365 P1 | $2 (included in Business Premium and E5) | Native, Safe Links and Safe Attachments |
| Proofpoint Essentials Business / Advanced | $2.50 to $4.50 | Gateway, URL and attachment sandboxing, archiving on Advanced |
| Barracuda Email Protection | $3 to $5 | Gateway plus API impersonation protection |
| Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection | $2.50 to $5 | Gateway, backup add-on, EU based |
| Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration | $4 to $7 | API-based, covers Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive |
| Mimecast Email Security | $4 to $8 | Gateway, archiving, awareness training bundles |
| IRONSCALES | $3 to $6 | API-based, crowd-sourced phishing detection |
Backup price comparison: Acronis vs Veeam vs Datto vs Dropsuite vs Axcient
| Product | Microsoft 365 / Google backup per user | Server backup per server | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dropsuite | $2 to $3 | n/a | Cheapest SaaS backup with unlimited retention |
| Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud | $2.50 to $4 | $25 to $60 plus storage | One console for SaaS, servers, endpoints and DR |
| Veeam | $3 to $5 | $40 to $80 plus repository | Enterprise standard, immutable repositories |
| Datto SaaS Protection / SIRIS | $3 to $5 | $60 to $120 (appliance as a service) | Fastest server virtualisation; MSP channel only |
| Axcient x360 | $3 to $4 | $30 to $70 | Direct-to-cloud, MSP channel only |
See the cloud backup and disaster recovery service for what each option includes.
DNS filtering and SIEM price comparison
| Product | List price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DNSFilter Pro | $1 to $2 per user / month | Cheapest DNS filtering with roaming clients |
| Cisco Umbrella DNS Essentials / Advantage | $2 to $4 per user / month | Most widely deployed; SIG tiers add web proxy |
| Cloudflare Zero Trust Gateway | $0 for up to 50 users, then $7 per user / month | DNS plus HTTP filtering; free tier is real |
| Microsoft Sentinel | $2 to $4 per GB ingested; M365 and Entra connectors free | Commitment tiers cut per-GB cost by 15 to 50 percent |
| Sophos XDR data lake | Included with Intercept X Advanced with XDR, 30 to 90 days retention | Cheapest SIEM-like retention for Sophos estates |
| Managed SIEM service (ITSecOps) | $450 to $5,500 per month all-in | See SIEM as a Service pricing |
How to get the cheapest price on any of these
- Buy through a partner, not direct. Vendors sell to end customers at list price and to partners at a discount. ITSecOps partners with every vendor on this page and passes partner pricing on, which is why our quote is lower than the vendor website.
- Do not pay twice for what Microsoft 365 already includes. Business Premium contains Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 P1, Entra ID P1, Intune and Attack Simulation. Many SMBs buy third-party equivalents on top without knowing.
- Bundle. Sophos endpoint plus firewall plus MDR, or Acronis backup plus endpoint, is cheaper than mixing vendors, and simpler to run.
- Commit for 3 years where the product is mature. EDR and backup pricing drops 15 to 30 percent on multi-year terms. Keep MDR month-to-month until you have seen the service.
- Right-size. Count devices, not people. Shared workstations, kiosks and terminals change the number.
- Ask for a comparison quote. We quote two or three vendors side by side for the same requirement so you see the real difference.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest EDR for small business?
Microsoft Defender for Business if you already have Microsoft 365 Business Premium (no extra cost). Otherwise Bitdefender GravityZone or Sophos Intercept X at $3 to $7 per device per month through a partner.
How much does Sophos MDR cost per device?
Sophos MDR Essentials lists at roughly $8 to $12 and MDR Complete at $10 to $16 per device per month, including Intercept X Advanced with XDR. Partner pricing is lower.
How much does CrowdStrike cost for a small business?
Falcon Go starts around $5 per device per month, Falcon Pro around $8, and Falcon Complete (fully managed) $14 to $22. Minimum device counts apply on some tiers.
Is SentinelOne cheaper than CrowdStrike?
At comparable tiers, yes, typically by $1 to $4 per device per month. Singularity Complete with Vigilance MDR is usually cheaper than Falcon Complete.
Where can I buy Sophos, SentinelOne or Acronis cheaper than direct?
Through a partner with vendor accreditation. ITSecOps holds partnerships with every vendor on this page and quotes partner pricing with deployment and monitoring included.
What is the cheapest way to back up Microsoft 365?
Dropsuite through a partner at $2 to $3 per user per month with unlimited retention, or Acronis if you also want server and endpoint backup in one console.
Which is cheaper, a managed SIEM or building our own?
Managed, by a wide margin, below roughly 500 endpoints. A managed SIEM with a 24/7 SOC costs $450 to $5,500 per month; an in-house SIEM costs $20,000 to $60,000 per year in licences plus at least one engineer.
Do you publish exact prices?
Vendors prohibit publishing partner prices, so this page shows list ranges. The quotation you receive from the Security Stack Recommender shows exact partner prices for your device count.