Managed EDR vs MDR vs XDR.
Three services, three layers of detection and response. Here is what each one covers, the stack behind it, and when to pick it.
One paragraph, three services
EDR is the platform that lives on the endpoint; Managed EDR is the service of running just that platform. MDR is one layer broader: it takes the EDR platform, adds identity and Microsoft 365 telemetry, and puts a 24x7 Canadian SOC on top. XDR is broader still: it fuses MDR's signals plus network, multi-cloud, and SaaS telemetry into a single correlation engine so one incident produces one alert instead of four.
What each service actually covers
| Managed EDR | MDR | XDR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | The endpoint platform, run for you. Deployment, tuning, alert response, and rollback. | Managed EDR plus identity telemetry and a 24x7 Canadian SOC triaging every alert. | MDR's signals plus network, multi-cloud, and SaaS telemetry, fused into one correlated queue. |
| Telemetry scope | Endpoints only: Windows, macOS, Linux. | Endpoint plus identity (Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Google Workspace). Network telemetry via firewall forwarding; some cloud telemetry. | Endpoint + identity + network + cloud (AWS / Azure / GCP control planes) + SaaS audit logs. |
| Technology stack | SentinelOne (single platform). | SentinelOne (endpoint) + Huntress (identity / M365) + Canadian SOC. | Logz.io + Huntress (SIEM ingestion) + SentinelOne (endpoint) + Microsoft / Entra ID (identity) + Gurucul (behavioural analytics) + firewalls (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco) + cloud sources. |
| Operational layer | Deployment, policy tuning, agent health, alert response, rollback. No correlation across other domains. | 24x7 analyst triage, containment actions, threat hunting, reporting, defined escalation path. SLAs: critical ack <15 min, contain <30 min. | Same Canadian SOC as MDR, but consuming one correlated triage queue across domains rather than parallel endpoint and identity alerts. |
| Best fit | You need the endpoint platform run well. No 24x7 SOC obligation yet, no identity-aware response required. | Primarily endpoint-led risk profile. You want a 24x7 SOC triaging endpoint and identity alerts together. | SaaS-heavy, multi-cloud, or identity-attack-heavy threat model where unified cross-domain correlation materially improves response time. |
What each service does, defined
The endpoint platform, run for you. Deployment, tuning, alert response, and rollback.
- Scope
- Endpoints only: Windows, macOS, Linux.
- Stack
- SentinelOne (single platform).
- Operational layer
- Deployment, policy tuning, agent health, alert response, rollback. No correlation across other domains.
Managed EDR plus identity telemetry and a 24x7 Canadian SOC triaging every alert.
- Scope
- Endpoint plus identity (Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Google Workspace). Network telemetry via firewall forwarding; some cloud telemetry.
- Stack
- SentinelOne (endpoint) + Huntress (identity / M365) + Canadian SOC.
- Operational layer
- 24x7 analyst triage, containment actions, threat hunting, reporting, defined escalation path. SLAs: critical ack <15 min, contain <30 min.
MDR's signals plus network, multi-cloud, and SaaS telemetry, fused into one correlated queue.
- Scope
- Endpoint + identity + network + cloud (AWS / Azure / GCP control planes) + SaaS audit logs.
- Stack
- Logz.io + Huntress (SIEM ingestion) + SentinelOne (endpoint) + Microsoft / Entra ID (identity) + Gurucul (behavioural analytics) + firewalls (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco) + cloud sources.
- Operational layer
- Same Canadian SOC as MDR, but consuming one correlated triage queue across domains rather than parallel endpoint and identity alerts.
When to pick each
Pick Managed EDR when:
You need the endpoint platform run well. No 24x7 SOC obligation yet, no identity-aware response required.
Pick MDR when:
Primarily endpoint-led risk profile. You want a 24x7 SOC triaging endpoint and identity alerts together.
Pick XDR when:
SaaS-heavy, multi-cloud, or identity-attack-heavy threat model where unified cross-domain correlation materially improves response time.
A practical takeaway: most SMBs start at MDR; SaaS-heavy or multi-cloud businesses go straight to XDR. Managed EDR is the entry tier when 24x7 SOC operations are not required yet.
Common questions on the EDR / MDR / XDR stack
Is EDR the same as Managed EDR?+
No. EDR is the platform that lives on the endpoint (in Uzado's case, SentinelOne). Managed EDR is the service of running that platform: deployment, policy tuning, agent health, alert response, and rollback. Unmanaged EDR is a console that nobody is watching; managed EDR removes that failure mode by making the operations someone else's job.
How does MDR build on Managed EDR?+
MDR sits one layer above Managed EDR. It takes the endpoint platform, adds identity and Microsoft 365 telemetry via Huntress, and puts a 24x7 Canadian SOC on top to triage, contain, and report. The endpoint platform is the same; the operational scope is broader and the SOC obligation is included.
What does XDR add that MDR does not have?+
XDR adds network telemetry (firewall logs), multi-cloud telemetry (AWS CloudTrail and GuardDuty, Azure activity logs, GCP audit logs), and SaaS audit logs, then runs cross-domain correlation across all of it. One incident produces one alert in the SOC queue instead of four parallel alerts that an analyst has to merge by hand.
Where do most SMBs start?+
Most SMBs start at MDR. Managed EDR is the entry tier when 24x7 SOC operations are not required yet. SaaS-heavy and multi-cloud businesses tend to go straight to XDR because the threat model is already broader than endpoint and identity.
Can I move up the stack later?+
Yes. Managed EDR clients commonly add the MDR identity and SOC layer when the threat model expands. MDR clients add XDR's network, cloud, and SaaS telemetry sources as their infrastructure matures. The endpoint platform and SOC stay the same; the telemetry feeding the queue is what changes.
Is the SOC the same across MDR and XDR?+
Yes. The same Canadian SOC operates both services. The difference is the breadth of telemetry feeding the triage queue: MDR consumes endpoint and identity alerts; XDR consumes one correlated queue across endpoint, identity, network, cloud, and SaaS.
Does XDR replace my SIEM?+
Sometimes. XDR can replace a thin SIEM that exists only to ingest endpoint and identity logs. If you have compliance retention requirements or need the SIEM as the system of record for non-security log sources, XDR sits alongside the SIEM and consumes a curated subset.
Not sure which layer you need?
Tell us about your endpoints, identity stack, and where your sensitive data lives. We will scope the right tier and the gaps to close first.