MDR became the default answer for organizations that need 24/7 threat monitoring but can't justify an in-house analyst rotation. The category has matured to the point where vendors differ significantly on response speed, telemetry coverage, and how much of the triage work is actually automated versus done manually by a rotating analyst team.
What MDR Actually Delivers
Managed detection and response combines telemetry collection, 24/7 monitoring, and human-led investigation and response, delivered as a service rather than software the customer operates themselves — the defining difference from a self-managed SIEM or EDR deployment.
MDR Vendor Types Compared
| Vendor type | Response model | Typical SLA | Cost driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional human-analyst MDR | Rotating analyst team | 15-60 min | Analyst headcount |
| Endpoint-vendor bundled MDR | Vendor SOC, endpoint-focused | 30-60 min | Per-endpoint + service fee |
| AI-native SOCaaS (VORXOC) | AI triage + human-reviewed response | Minutes | Flat platform fee |
Questions to Ask Any MDR Vendor
- What's the actual median time from detection to human-validated response, not just the marketed SLA?
- Does coverage span endpoint, network, cloud, and identity, or just one telemetry source?
- How much of triage is automated vs. manual — automation is what makes fast response affordable at scale?
- What's included in the base price vs. billed as an add-on (incident response, threat hunting, reporting)?
- Can you see what the analyst team is actually doing, or is it a black box?
VORXOC delivers MDR-level 24/7 coverage through an AI-native platform rather than a large human analyst bench, which is how it holds pricing flat as you scale. See a full breakdown in our managed SOC pricing guide, or compare against traditional providers in best SOC services for 2026. Start a free 90-day trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an MDR vendor actually provide?
A managed detection and response (MDR) vendor combines endpoint or network telemetry collection with a human analyst team that monitors, investigates, and responds to threats on the customer's behalf — typically 24/7. It differs from a SIEM vendor in that MDR includes the analyst labor, not just the tooling.
How do I compare MDR vendors fairly?
Compare on response SLA (how fast does a human act on a validated threat), telemetry coverage (endpoint-only vs. cross-stack), transparency into what the analyst team is actually doing, and pricing model. Also check whether the vendor's detection is human-only or AI-assisted, since AI-assisted triage generally means faster response at lower per-seat cost.
What's the typical cost of MDR?
Traditional human-analyst MDR typically runs $50,000-150,000+ per year depending on endpoint count and response SLA. AI-native platforms that reduce the analyst labor required, like VORXOC, typically deliver comparable or faster response at a lower total cost since less human labor is priced into the retainer.
Is MDR better than building an in-house SOC?
For most organizations under a few hundred employees, MDR is more cost-effective than hiring a 24/7 in-house analyst rotation, which typically requires 6-8 analysts minimum to cover all shifts. MDR and AI-native SOCaaS platforms both solve this by pooling coverage across a monitoring team rather than requiring dedicated headcount.