Best EDR Solutions in 2026: Ranked for MSPs and IT teams

Ransomware attacks cost small businesses an average of $8,000 per hour from attack to remediation. The average breach takes 194 days to identify and contain. And, according to the ISC2 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, the global cybersecurity workforce gap has reached 4.8 million unfilled positions. Those three facts explain, better than any feature comparison, why the EDR solution your team uses matters.

Endpoint detection and response has become the foundational security control for endpoints. But the market has expanded well beyond its origins, and the tools available today range from purpose-built MSP platforms to enterprise-grade systems that require dedicated security engineers to operate effectively. Choosing between them is not simply a matter of picking the highest-rated tool on a review site.

This ranked list evaluates EDR solutions on the criteria that matter most for MSPs and IT teams: detection quality, ease of operation, multitenant capability, RMM integration and value at SMB scale. Datto EDR, part of the Kaseya platform, is the lens through which this list is calibrated.

What to look for in an EDR solution

Before diving into the list, a brief note on the criteria used to evaluate each tool. These factors separate solutions that deliver consistent protection from those that look strong on a feature sheet but underperform in practice.

• Detection quality and behavioral analysis: Signature-based detection handles known threats. The real test is how well a platform detects fileless attacks, zero-day exploits, living-off-the-land techniques and behavioral anomalies that only become visible through process-level monitoring. Independent MITRE ATT&CK evaluation results and third-party testing are the most reliable signals here.
• Ease of operation without deep security expertise: Most EDR tools were designed for enterprise security teams with dedicated analysts. For MSPs and lean IT teams, the key question is whether the platform surfaces actionable, context-rich alerts that a technician without a security background can act on. Alert volume, MITRE ATT&CK mapping and built-in response guidance all affect this.
• Multitenant architecture for MSPs: An EDR platform built for a single environment is structurally different from one built to manage security across dozens of client estates simultaneously. Per-client visibility, centralized alert management, cross-client reporting and native PSA and RMM integration are the capabilities that determine whether a tool actually scales to the MSP operating model.
• Response depth and automation: Detection alone is not enough. Evaluate what automated response actions the platform supports: endpoint isolation, process termination, file quarantine and rollback of encrypted files. The speed and granularity of containment directly determines the blast radius of an incident.
• Integration with the wider security stack: Native integration with RMM for deployment and alert management, PSA for ticketing, and SIEM or MDR for cross-surface correlation determines how much of the surrounding operational load gets automated versus handled manually.
• Total cost of ownership: Evaluate not just the license cost but the operational overhead: the analyst time required to manage the platform, the configuration investment required to achieve consistent detection and the support costs when incidents occur.

The top 10 EDR solutions in 2026

Each tool below is evaluated on detection quality, ease of operation, MSP suitability, response capability and value at SMB and mid-market scale.

1. Datto EDR

Best for: MSPs and IT teams that need effective endpoint detection and response without requiring dedicated security analysts, built to operate within the Kaseya platform ecosystem.

Datto EDR was built from the ground up for MSPs and the SMB clients they serve. Where most EDR platforms assume a skilled security operations team on the other side of the console, Datto EDR is explicitly designed to reduce the expertise required to operate it effectively. Every alert is mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework and accompanied by automated mitigation guidance from Kaseya’s security analysts, giving technicians the context they need to respond quickly and correctly without needing to be security specialists.

Detection is built on patented deep memory analysis, which catches fileless malware, ransomware and behavioral anomalies that evade traditional antivirus. Rather than generating a high-alert-volume stream that overwhelms lean teams, the platform focuses on the top 20 critical endpoint behaviors, cutting noise and surfacing the threats that actually matter. Proprietary ransomware detection includes file rollback capability, restoring encrypted files to their pre-attack state when ransomware is caught and contained.

The platform supports over 65 automated response actions, including one-click endpoint isolation, process termination, file quarantine and DNS blocking, all manageable directly from the alert dashboard. Integration with Datto RMM and Kaseya VSA enables one-click deployment across client estates and unified alert management from within the same console MSPs use for all other endpoint management, eliminating context switching and reducing the operational overhead of running EDR as a scalable service.

According to independent testing by Miercom, Datto EDR combined with Datto AV detects and stops 99.62% of all malware.

Key EDR capabilities:

• Patented deep memory analysis for fileless and behavioral threat detection
• Detections focused on the top 20 critical endpoint behaviors to reduce noise
• MITRE ATT&CK-mapped alerts with automated mitigation guidance
• Proprietary ransomware detection with file rollback
• 65+ automated response actions including one-click endpoint isolation
• Windows, macOS and Linux support
• Native integration with Datto RMM and Kaseya VSA for MSP delivery
• Multi-tenant architecture for managing multiple client environments

Limitation to note: Datto EDR is purpose-built for MSP and SMB environments. Organizations with large, dedicated security operations centers requiring deep threat hunting capability or advanced enterprise-scale configuration flexibility may find purpose-built enterprise platforms provide a higher ceiling.

2. CrowdStrike Falcon Insight XDR

Best for: Enterprises with dedicated security teams that need advanced threat hunting, cross-domain telemetry and the backing of one of the most recognized threat intelligence operations in the industry.

CrowdStrike Falcon is consistently recognized as a Gartner Magic Quadrant leader for Endpoint Protection Platforms. Falcon Insight XDR delivers behavioral AI detection, MITRE ATT&CK-mapped investigation and real-time containment on a single lightweight agent. The Threat Graph correlates trillions of security events weekly across CrowdStrike’s global customer base, making its threat intelligence one of the broadest available. The OverWatch managed threat hunting service and Falcon Complete fully managed SOC are available as optional layers for organizations that want human coverage on top.

Key EDR capabilities:

• AI-driven behavioral detection with Threat Graph correlation
• MITRE ATT&CK-mapped alerts and investigation workflow
• Real-time endpoint containment and remediation
• Optional Falcon Complete managed SOC and OverWatch 24/7 threat hunting
• Windows, macOS and Linux support
• Identity and cloud workload protection available as add-ons

Limitation to note: Enterprise pricing and operational complexity make Falcon less suited to SMB environments or lean MSP teams. Policy tuning requires experienced security staff. The July 2024 Falcon sensor update incident, which caused widespread Windows outages across 8.5 million devices, has since been addressed with staged rollout policies.

3. SentinelOne Singularity

Best for: Organizations that want autonomous, AI-driven endpoint protection with automated remediation and rollback, particularly those operating without 24/7 SOC coverage.

SentinelOne Singularity uses behavioral AI to detect and respond to threats across Windows, macOS, Linux and cloud workloads. Its Storyline technology automatically chains related events into a visual attack narrative, and automated remediation with rollback can contain and reverse threats without analyst intervention. In the 2024 MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Evaluation, SentinelOne achieved 100% detection with 88% fewer alerts than the median vendor. Three licensing tiers allow organizations to match capability to budget.

Key EDR capabilities:

• Behavioral AI detection across endpoints, cloud workloads and identities
• Storyline technology for automated attack chain visualization
• Automated remediation and file rollback without analyst intervention
• 100% detection in 2024 MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Evaluation
• WatchTower 24/7 threat hunting service (available as add-on)
• Windows, macOS, Linux and Kubernetes support

Limitation to note: Full EDR functionality requires the higher-tier plans. Autonomous remediation can occasionally take disruptive actions on legitimate files without careful baseline tuning. Enterprise pricing reflects the platform’s positioning above the SMB market.

4. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Best for: Organizations deeply invested in Microsoft 365 and Azure that want native endpoint security tightly integrated with the broader Microsoft security ecosystem.

Defender for Endpoint integrates natively with Azure AD, Microsoft Sentinel, Intune and the broader Defender XDR suite, processing 78 trillion daily security signals across the Microsoft ecosystem. For organizations with E5 licensing, it’s included in the subscription, making the economics difficult to match. Microsoft achieved 96.6% technique-level detection in the 2024 MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Evaluation.

Key EDR capabilities:

• Native integration across Microsoft 365, Azure AD, Intune and Sentinel
• Behavioral analytics and AI-driven threat detection
• Automated investigation and remediation
• Vulnerability management with risk-based prioritization
• Cross-platform support: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android

Limitation to note: Detection quality for macOS and Linux endpoints is generally considered below that of purpose-built EDR tools. Full value requires an existing Microsoft E5 investment.

5. Cynet 360

Best for: SMBs and lean security teams that want maximum coverage from a single platform, with EDR, network detection, user behavior analytics, deception technology and 24/7 MDR bundled at a transparent per-endpoint price.

Cynet 360 consolidates EDR, NGAV, network detection and response (NDR), user entity behavior analytics (UEBA), deception technology and SOAR into a single lightweight agent, with the CyOps 24/7 MDR service included at no additional cost. For small teams looking to reduce tool sprawl, the value proposition is clear: one agent, one console, one vendor, and an analyst team monitoring around the clock without a separate MDR contract. Cynet has achieved 100% detection with zero false positives across three consecutive MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Evaluations, an impressive streak that reflects the platform’s detection consistency. Per-endpoint pricing is published publicly, which is uncommon in this category.

Key EDR capabilities:

• EDR, NDR, UEBA, deception technology and SOAR in a single agent
• 100% detection, zero false positives across three consecutive MITRE ATT&CK evaluations
• CyOps 24/7 MDR service included at no additional cost
• Automated investigation and response playbooks
• Transparent published per-endpoint pricing
• Windows, macOS and Linux support

Limitation to note: Cynet requires replacing existing EDR with its own agent, which creates migration friction for organizations already invested in CrowdStrike, SentinelOne or Defender. No RMM integration currently available. Not included in Gartner Magic Quadrant, which can complicate procurement in larger enterprise environments.

6. ESET PROTECT

Best for: SMBs and mid-market organizations that want strong prevention-first endpoint protection with low system impact, bundled encryption and a unified management console across endpoints and cloud workloads.

ESET PROTECT combines next-generation antivirus, EDR, full disk encryption and cloud workload protection in a single console, making it one of the more complete endpoint security platforms at its price point. Its prevention-first approach prioritizes stopping threats before execution, and independent AV-Comparatives testing consistently rates ESET PROTECT Enterprise highly for both protection and performance. In the 2025 MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Evaluation, ESET tied for first place on protection score and delivered the fastest detection times among the nine participating vendors. The ESET PROTECT MDR service adds 24/7 AI-assisted monitoring and human expert response for organizations that want a managed layer on top.

Key EDR capabilities:

• Behavioral detection with machine learning and cloud sandboxing
• Integrated full disk encryption alongside EDR in a single console
• Cloud workload protection for AWS, Azure and GCP (launched RSAC 2026)
• AI Advisor for investigation assistance and automated reporting
• Over 170 built-in compliance reports with custom report builder
• Windows, macOS and Linux support with mobile threat defense
• Optional ESET PROTECT MDR for 24/7 managed detection and response

Limitation to note: ESET’s 2025 MITRE ATT&CK detection score of 66.67% is lower than several competitors on this list, reflecting a prevention-first design philosophy that prioritizes stopping attacks early over maximizing detection telemetry. Full EDR capability requires the Enterprise or Elite tier.

7. Sophos Intercept X

Best for: SMBs and MSPs that want strong deep-learning AI protection and ransomware rollback at a more accessible price point than the enterprise-tier leaders.

Intercept X uses deep learning AI for malware detection alongside CryptoGuard anti-ransomware technology that detects and rolls back malicious file encryption in real time. It integrates with Datto RMM, Kaseya VSA and ConnectWise, and the optional Managed Threat Response (MTR) service adds 24/7 expert-led threat hunting for organizations that want a human SOC layer.

Key EDR capabilities:

• Deep learning AI malware detection without signatures
• CryptoGuard ransomware detection and file rollback
• Active adversary mitigations and anti-exploitation technology
• Optional MTR 24/7 managed threat response
• Integration with Datto RMM, Kaseya VSA and ConnectWise

Limitation to note: Threat hunting depth and automated response are below the enterprise-tier leaders. Advanced features require the higher-tier Intercept X Advanced with XDR plan. Some reviewers note performance impact on older hardware.

8. Cybereason Defense Platform

Best for: Organizations with mature security teams that want an operation-centric investigation model that correlates individual alerts into complete attack narratives.

Cybereason’s MalOp (Malicious Operation) engine correlates related endpoint events into a single, complete attack story showing the full scope, root cause and spread of an intrusion in one view. Rather than generating individual alerts per suspicious event, it reduces triage time by presenting the whole picture immediately. Cybereason achieved 100% detection in the 2024 MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Evaluation.

Key EDR capabilities:

• MalOp engine correlating individual events into complete attack narratives
• 100% detection in 2024 MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Evaluation
• Guided and automated response options
• Proactive threat hunting with deep endpoint telemetry
• Cloud integrations: AWS, Azure and Google Cloud

Limitation to note: Positioned for enterprise environments with mature security teams. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly listed. Some users report friction in UI navigation and support responsiveness.

9. Bitdefender GravityZone EDR

Best for: Organizations that want consistently strong independent testing results and low system impact at competitive per-endpoint pricing.

GravityZone earned the AV-TEST Best Detection and Best Performance awards in 2024 and was named AV-Comparatives Product of the Year for 2024. The EDR capability sits alongside NGAV, risk analytics and patch management in a single console. An adaptive scanning engine reduces false positives, and the platform integrates with Datto RMM and Kaseya VSA for MSP deployment.

Key EDR capabilities:

• AV-TEST Best Detection and Best Performance award winner (2024)
• AV-Comparatives Product of the Year (2024)
• Adaptive scanning for reduced false positives
• Integrated NGAV, EDR, risk analytics and patch management
• Windows, macOS and Linux support
• Integration with Datto RMM, Kaseya VSA and ConnectWise

Limitation to note: Full EDR features require the Enterprise tier, with pricing available on request. Brand recognition in enterprise security evaluation processes lags behind the category leaders.

10. Huntress Managed EDR

Best for: SMBs and MSPs that want human-verified, SOC-backed endpoint security without the cost and complexity of enterprise-tier platforms.

Huntress provides a fully managed threat detection and response service where human analysts handle triage, investigation and response 24/7. Their SOC focuses on the persistent footholds and post-exploitation behaviors that automated detection alone frequently misses. Ransomware canaries provide early warning for file encryption activity, and Microsoft 365 threat monitoring extends coverage beyond the endpoint. Per-seat pricing is published publicly, which is uncommon in this category.

Key EDR capabilities:

• Fully managed SOC with 24/7 human analyst triage and response
• Persistent foothold detection targeting post-exploitation attacker behavior
• Ransomware canaries for early warning detection
• Microsoft 365 and identity threat monitoring
• Transparent, publicly listed per-seat pricing

Limitation to note: Huntress is a managed service, not a self-service platform. Organizations that want direct control over detection rules and response tooling will find the managed-only model limiting.

Choosing the best EDR solution for your endpoint security

The right EDR isn’t the one with the longest feature list or the highest enterprise analyst score. It’s the one your team will actually operate well.

That’s the lens this list is calibrated for. Most businesses evaluating EDR don’t have a dedicated SOC. They have IT teams, or MSPs managing a stack of tools, trying to stay ahead of threats without adding operational complexity. For that environment, Datto EDR is built from the ground up: patented deep memory analysis for strong behavioral detection, noise reduction focused on the top 20 critical behaviors, MITRE ATT&CK-mapped alerts with automated mitigation guidance and native RMM integration that makes deployment and management part of the workflow you already use. Independent testing by Miercom puts the combined Datto EDR and Datto AV malware detection rate at 99.62%.

If you’re running a large security operation with dedicated analysts, CrowdStrike and SentinelOne are where to look. Both consistently lead in MITRE ATT&CK evaluations, both carry deep threat intelligence operations and both scale to environments far more complex than most MSPs will encounter. The tradeoff is cost and the operational overhead to match.

For organizations already deep in the Microsoft ecosystem, Defender for Endpoint is the practical choice, especially with E5 licensing. The integration economics are hard to beat when the infrastructure is already there.

For SMBs and lean teams looking to consolidate their security stack into as few tools as possible, Cynet 360’s all-in-one model, with EDR, network detection, behavior analytics and 24/7 MDR bundled at a single transparent price, is worth a close look. ESET PROTECT and Sophos Intercept X both offer strong prevention-first protection at accessible price points with MSP delivery programs in place. Bitdefender GravityZone and Huntress round out the SMB end of the market with strong independent testing results and a managed service model respectively.

The real question before committing to any of these is not which tool has the best specification sheet. It’s whether your team has the capacity to get value out of it. An enterprise platform deployed without the analysts to run it provides less real protection than a simpler tool used consistently and well.