EDRCost.com is an independent pricing guide. We are not affiliated with CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, or any EDR vendor. All pricing is sourced from publicly available documentation and may not reflect current rates. Always verify pricing directly with the vendor.
EDR Cost 2026 - What Endpoint Detection Actually Costs Per Endpoint
Endpoint Detection and Response pricing ranges from $3 to $15 per endpoint per month depending on the vendor, tier, and contract length. That translates to $36 to $180 per endpoint per year before factoring in implementation, training, and the analysts needed to monitor alerts.
Every EDR vendor hides pricing behind "contact sales" forms. Every comparison site has a sponsor. This guide provides real pricing data from public sources, independent analysis, and a free calculator to estimate your actual spend. No vendor affiliation, no sponsored rankings.
EDR Pricing Spectrum - Cost Per Endpoint Per Month
Bitdefender GravityZone, Sophos Intercept X, Microsoft Defender P2. Basic EDR with solid detection for straightforward environments.
CrowdStrike Falcon Go/Pro, SentinelOne Control/Complete, Cortex XDR. Advanced detection, automated response, and threat intelligence.
CrowdStrike Enterprise/Elite, SentinelOne Commercial. Full managed threat hunting, identity protection, cloud workload security.
EDR Vendor Pricing Comparison 2026
The table below compares all six major EDR vendors across pricing tiers, per-endpoint costs, and ideal use cases. Pricing is based on publicly available list prices and may vary with volume discounts, contract length, and regional pricing. All figures were last verified in April 2026.
| Vendor | Available Tiers | Low Price | High Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrowdStrike | Go / Pro / Enterprise / Elite | $59.99/device/yr | $200+/device/yr | Enterprise, regulated industries |
| SentinelOne | Core / Control / Complete / Commercial | $49.99/endpoint/yr | $229.99/endpoint/yr | Automation-focused teams |
| Microsoft Defender | P1 (M365 E3) / P2 standalone | $0*/user/yr | $62.40/user/yr | M365-heavy orgs |
| Cortex XDR | Prevent / Pro | $75/endpoint/yr | $150+/endpoint/yr | Palo Alto ecosystem |
| Sophos | Standard / Advanced / Advanced w/ XDR | $28/endpoint/yr | $45/endpoint/yr | Mid-market, MSPs |
| Bitdefender | Business Security / Advanced / Enterprise | $20/endpoint/yr | $77/endpoint/yr | Budget-conscious SMBs |
* Microsoft Defender P1 included with M365 E3 ($36/user/month). P2 standalone is $5.20/user/month ($62.40/year). Pricing shown is standalone P2.
Annual EDR Cost at Scale
What does EDR actually cost when you multiply per-endpoint pricing across a real environment? The table below shows estimated annual spend using mid-tier pricing for each vendor. Enterprise agreements typically include 10-30% volume discounts not reflected here.
| Endpoints | CrowdStrike | SentinelOne | Defender | Cortex XDR | Sophos | Bitdefender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $9,999 | $7,999 | $624* | $7,500 | $2,800 | $2,000 |
| 500 | $49,995 | $39,995 | $3,120* | $37,500 | $14,000 | $10,000 |
| 1,000 | $99,990 | $79,990 | $6,240* | $75,000 | $28,000 | $20,000 |
Based on mid-tier pricing (CrowdStrike Pro, SentinelOne Control, Defender P2, Cortex XDR Prevent, Sophos Advanced, Bitdefender Business Security). * Defender price assumes standalone P2 licensing.
What Drives EDR Pricing Differences
Detection Depth
Basic EDR detects known malware signatures and common attack patterns. Premium tiers add behavioural analysis, machine learning models, fileless attack detection, and memory-only threat identification. CrowdStrike and SentinelOne invest heavily in AI-driven detection, which partly explains their higher pricing. Bitdefender and Sophos focus on signature-based detection enhanced with heuristics, keeping costs lower while still catching the majority of threats.
Data Retention
EDR solutions store telemetry data for threat investigation and forensics. Budget tiers typically retain 7-30 days of endpoint data. Enterprise tiers offer 90 days to 1 year of full telemetry retention. Longer retention means larger cloud storage costs for the vendor, which gets passed to you. If your compliance framework requires 90+ days of security data retention, expect to pay for higher tiers or add-on storage.
Operating System Coverage
All vendors support Windows and macOS. Linux support varies significantly - some vendors charge extra for Linux agents or limit Linux features to higher tiers. Mobile device protection (iOS and Android) is typically an add-on. Server protection often costs more than workstation protection. If you run a mixed environment with Linux servers, containers, and cloud workloads, verify coverage before comparing headline prices.
Managed Services Add-ons
The biggest price jump comes when adding managed detection and response (MDR) to your EDR. CrowdStrike Falcon Complete and SentinelOne Vigilance add 24/7 human analysts watching your alerts, which can double or triple the per-endpoint cost. For organizations without a dedicated security team, MDR add-ons may actually save money compared to hiring analysts in-house, where a single security analyst costs $80,000-$150,000 per year.
EDR Volume Discount Guide
Every EDR vendor offers volume discounts, but the thresholds and percentages vary significantly. Understanding these tiers can save your organization thousands per year. Here are the typical discount ranges based on endpoint count and contract commitment.
| Endpoint Count | Typical Discount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1-99 | 0% | List price, self-service purchase available for most vendors |
| 100-499 | 5-15% | Channel partner pricing, may require annual commitment |
| 500-2,499 | 15-25% | Enterprise sales engagement, multi-year discount stacking |
| 2,500-9,999 | 20-35% | Dedicated account manager, custom SLAs, negotiable terms |
| 10,000+ | 30-50% | Enterprise license agreement, significant negotiation leverage |
EDR Buying Guides
EDR Cost Calculator
Estimate your total spend across vendors with our interactive calculator
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Small Business Guide
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EDR vs MDR vs XDR
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Head-to-Head Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions About EDR Costs
How much does EDR cost per endpoint?
EDR costs range from $3 to $15 per endpoint per month, depending on the vendor and tier. Budget options like Bitdefender GravityZone start around $20/endpoint/year. Mid-range solutions like CrowdStrike Falcon Pro cost about $99.99/device/year. Enterprise tiers with advanced threat hunting can exceed $200/endpoint/year.
Which EDR vendor is the cheapest?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is the cheapest option if you already have Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 licenses, as basic EDR is included. For standalone purchases, Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security starts around $20/endpoint/year and Sophos Intercept X starts around $28/endpoint/year. CrowdStrike Falcon Go starts at $59.99/device/year for up to 100 devices.
Is CrowdStrike worth the higher price?
CrowdStrike consistently ranks highest in independent testing (MITRE ATT&CK evaluations) and offers superior threat intelligence. For organizations facing advanced persistent threats or operating in regulated industries, the premium pricing ($99.99-$184.99/device/year) often pays for itself through better detection rates and lower false positives. For small businesses with basic needs, more affordable alternatives may suffice.
What are the hidden costs of EDR?
License fees represent only 40-60% of total EDR spend. Hidden costs include implementation and deployment ($5,000-$50,000), analyst training ($2,000-$5,000 per person), SOC staffing to monitor alerts ($80,000-$150,000 per analyst per year), SIEM integration work, and annual price increases of 5-15%. Many organizations underestimate the staffing requirement - EDR generates alerts that need human investigation.
Do I need EDR for cyber insurance?
Most cyber insurance providers now require EDR as a minimum control for policy approval. Since 2023, insurers like Coalition, Travelers, and Chubb have added EDR to their mandatory requirements. Without EDR, you may face policy denial, higher premiums (20-50% increase), or coverage exclusions for ransomware.
What is the difference between EDR, MDR, and XDR?
EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) monitors endpoints and costs $3-15/endpoint/month. MDR (Managed Detection and Response) adds 24/7 human analysts monitoring your EDR and costs $15-50/endpoint/month. XDR (Extended Detection and Response) extends detection beyond endpoints to network, cloud, and email, costing $8-25/endpoint/month. Choose EDR if you have an internal security team, MDR if you do not, and XDR if you need cross-platform visibility.