EDR is endpoint detect and response. You manage it. MDR is EDR, but someone else manages it. XDR is EDR, but someone else manages it. And in addition to EDR logs, it correlates the data with other tools like your firewall logs. Answer from ShameNap on reddit.com
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CrowdStrike
crowdstrike.com › en-us › cybersecurity-101 › endpoint-security › edr-vs-mdr-vs-xdr
EDR vs MDR vs XDR: Everything You Need To Know | CrowdStrike
June 26, 2025 - EDR is the baseline monitoring ... on endpoints to capture data, which it sends to a centralized repository for analysis. MDR is essentially EDR purchased as a service....
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SentinelOne
sentinelone.com › cybersecurity-101 › endpoint-security › edr-vs-mdr-vs-xdr
EDR vs. MDR vs. XDR: Choosing the Best Option
October 7, 2025 - MDR provides instant remediation and response to security events within a customer’s network. XDR provides threat detection and response for cloud security tools, services, endpoints, and networks. It is an extension of traditional EDR solutions.
Discussions

EDR, XDR, and MDR for MSPs
Move everyone to cloud. /s More on reddit.com
🌐 r/msp
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November 21, 2021
ELI5: EDR vs MDR vs XDR?
EDR is endpoint detect and response. You manage it. MDR is EDR, but someone else manages it. XDR is EDR, but someone else manages it. And in addition to EDR logs, it correlates the data with other tools like your firewall logs. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/cybersecurity
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February 10, 2022
Endpoint Protection - AV vs EDR vs MDR vs Huntress
Only thing I'd chuck in is that you don't need to be a SOC to get a lot from EDR, single IT staff will find it saves them a lot of work due to how it consolidates a lot of logs if they don't have a SIEM. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/sysadmin
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February 9, 2023
Need opinions and experiences on EDR/XDR platforms
Out top tier will always use Crowdstrike. Yes they messed up, but they are by far the best. Our testing of S1 had stuff blocked that never turns up in their portal so was a straight up fail. Defender is probably the way to go if you're in with M365, but if you have the money and you're serious about security, spend it on Crowdstrike. Edit: ESET is useless. Edit2: Assuming we are taking about full MDR? More on reddit.com
🌐 r/cybersecurity
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November 29, 2024
People also ask

If I already have EDR, do I need MDR or XDR too?
Yes. If your EDR is generating alerts faster than your team can act on them, or if you lack visibility beyond endpoints. MDR adds expertise and 24×7 monitoring. XDR brings in other attack surfaces, cloud, email, network, allowing for smarter, more contextual defence. EDR is essential, but rarely enough on its own.
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cybernx.com
cybernx.com › home › mdr › edr vs xdr vs mdr: know everything about the three detection and response tools
EDR vs XDR vs MDR: Understand the Differences | CyberNX
Can You have XDR and MDR?
The short answer is yes, you can have both XDR and MDR. Falcon Complete XDR expands on CrowdStrike Falcon Complete’s industry-leading MDR service with cross-domain XDR protection, powered by CrowdStrike’s global team of experts, proactive threat hunting, and native threat intelligence for 24/7 managed protection.
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crowdstrike.com
crowdstrike.com › en-us › cybersecurity-101 › endpoint-security › edr-vs-mdr-vs-xdr
EDR vs MDR vs XDR: Everything You Need To Know | CrowdStrike
How do I measure ROI on MDR or XDR?
Start with dwell time, incident response speed and attack containment metrics. For MDR, ROI is seen in fewer breaches, less downtime and reduced incident costs. For XDR, look at reduced alert fatigue, faster investigation cycles and threat detection across blind spots. The cost of an undetected breach almost always dwarfs the cost of proactive detection.
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cybernx.com
cybernx.com › home › mdr › edr vs xdr vs mdr: know everything about the three detection and response tools
EDR vs XDR vs MDR: Understand the Differences | CyberNX
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › eli5: edr vs mdr vs xdr?
r/cybersecurity on Reddit: ELI5: EDR vs MDR vs XDR?
February 10, 2022 -

Looking for a clear cut comparison between three but google inundates me with unhelpful marketing nonsense.

Also what’s a practical reason a business would switch from one *DR to another *DR?

Top answer
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EDR is endpoint detect and response. You manage it. MDR is EDR, but someone else manages it. XDR is EDR, but someone else manages it. And in addition to EDR logs, it correlates the data with other tools like your firewall logs.
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I only have about a 3 yr old understanding of the topic and a knack for explaining things to 5yr olds like their 20, but I'll give it my best starting with AV to start somewhere hopefully we are all familiar with. AV - this is your basic anti virus. A program that should scan all files/processes in the system, detect malware, and auto delete/quarantine. EDR - Extended Detection and Response, AV but with much better reporting to allow forensic review of how the malware got on the system, the process chain for execution etc. Also should have additional Response options like being able to isolate a host to clean up etc MDR - Managed Detecting and Response, typically an EDR product though it could be a simple AV with a 24/7 SOC (Security Operations Center) monitoring and responding to any alerts. There are some variations in what "Respond" means. Some MDR services will actually actively clean up an infected endpoint, others will just open a ticket for your internal IT to clean things up. Depends if you want this parties taking scrubs in your environment or just giving guidance and coaching to clean up yourself. XDR - eXtended Detection and Response, this is the newest and most poorly defined term. I don't remember the actual origin story, but my web search reads like the xdr category was invented by an analyst and now everyone marketing department are rushing to justify why the same thing they had last year is now XDR. So what is it.. it's indeed to be a "replacement" or improvement over a SIEM. In short XDR should aggregate events from EDR, spam filter, firewall, possibly auth logs from your cloud services etc etc so you can corelate across multiple platforms and see the full stack from first email phish to credential compromise and on to malware on an endpoint. There are lots of variables here, some "open XDR" offerings that should allow integrations with third party tools, it closed platforms that only integrate one vendors set of tools.
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Red Canary
redcanary.com › cybersecurity 101 › endpoint security › edr vs. mdr vs. xdr: which is right for you?
EDR vs. MDR vs. XDR: Which is right for you? | Red Canary
September 16, 2025 - Endpoint detection and response ... center (SOC) Extended detection and response (XDR) extends threat detection and response beyond the capabilities of traditional tools like EDR and antivirus...
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Sysdig
sysdig.com › learn-cloud-native › edr-vs-xdr-siem-vs-mdr-vs-soar
EDR vs. XDR vs. SIEM vs. MDR vs. SOAR | Sysdig
In summary, SOAR is used to automate and improve the efficiency of security tasks. XDR provides an extended view from what is visible with EDR. EDR's primary focus is endpoint security.
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PurpleSec
purplesec.us › learn › xdr › xdr vs mdr vs edr
XDR Vs MDR Vs EDR: How To Choose The Best Solution
MDR uses cloud agents and integrations ... to threats. Extended Detection And Response: XDR is a unification of the two—MDR and EDR—with advanced features built into it....
Published   July 18, 2025
Find elsewhere
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SentinelOne
sentinelone.com › cybersecurity-101 › endpoint-security › mdr-vs-edr-vs-xdr
MDR vs EDR vs XDR: Key Differences Explained
October 2, 2025 - EDR gives granular control to teams that can oversee their threats, while MDR offers expert-led protection for those needing 24/7 protection. For larger and more complex environments, XDR gives a unified view of threats across multiple environments.
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Balbix
balbix.com › insights › mdr-vs-edr-vs-xdr-whats-the-difference-and-which-do-you-need
MDR vs. EDR vs. XDR: Comparisons and Differences | Balbix
May 15, 2025 - EDR secures endpoints, MDR adds expert monitoring, and XDR unifies detection and response across multiple security layers like endpoint, network, and cloud.
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TierPoint
tierpoint.com › home › blog › edr vs mdr vs xdr: key differences explained
EDR vs MDR vs XDR: Key Differences Explained | TierPoint, LLC
2 weeks ago - EDR provides visibility only to end user and server endpoints, while XDR offers multi-layer visibility across an environment for the full view of an attack path. MDR includes the management resources in addition to what EDR and XDR offers, providing ...
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CyberNX
cybernx.com › home › mdr › edr vs xdr vs mdr: know everything about the three detection and response tools
EDR vs XDR vs MDR: Understand the Differences | CyberNX
September 10, 2025 - XDR focuses on automated response playbooks across systems, thus isolating users, disabling access and blocking malicious IPs · EDR demands attention. You must build processes and handle alerts internally · MDR offloads security tasks to a ...
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Ampcus Cyber
ampcuscyber.com › home › blogs › decoding edr vs. mdr vs. xdr: how to choose the right cybersecurity solution
EDR vs MDR vs XDR - Choose the right Cybersecurity Solution
December 26, 2024 - EDR focuses solely on endpoint devices. MDR includes endpoint, network, and cloud monitoring but is managed by external experts. XDR provides an integrated view across endpoints, networks, cloud, and other layers.
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BitLyft Cybersecurity
bitlyft.com › resources › edr-vs-mdr-vs-xdr
EDR vs MDR vs XDR | Choosing the Right Cybersecurity Solution
While XDR can be scaled to protect ... these tools. MDR stands out from both options to provide businesses with a full-service security team that analyzes data and actively responds to future and active threats....
Published   September 22, 2025
Views   80
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Nri-secure
nri-secure.com › blog › compare-cybersecurity-solutions-edr-mdr-xdr
EDR vs MDR vs XDR: Differences, Benefits and Best Choice
Not sure which is right for you, EDR vs MDR vs XDR? EDR detects threats at endpoints, MDR adds expert help, and XDR unifies detection. Learn differences, benefits, & which suits your needs best.
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Chorus
chorus.co.uk › home › edr vs xdr vs mdr vs mxdr: the differences explained
EDR vs XDR vs MDR vs MXDR: The Differences Explained
February 8, 2023 - However, an MDR service using EDR technology are limited in the coverage they can provide i.e. servers and endpoints. Therefore, this can leave other areas of the IT estate vulnerable, requiring additional security products or services to cover ...
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Secureworks
secureworks.com › blog › edr-vs-xdr-vs-mdr-whats-the-difference
Understanding EDR vs MDR vs XDR | Secureworks
September 26, 2022 - So, in the case of Taegis XDR, you can freely choose between Secureworks’ native EDR capabilities, your incumbent EDR, or any other EDR available on the market today or in the future. MDR is a catch-all term that refers to any detection-and-response solution delivered on an “as a service” basis with a packaged offering delivered by a managed security service provider (MSSP) or other security partner.
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Xcitium
xcitium.com › knowledge-base › edr-vs-mdr-vs-xdr
What is EDR vs MDR vs XDR? | EDR vs MDR vs XDR Explained
XDR enhances detection accuracy ... response times. Unlike EDR, which is limited to endpoint data, and MDR, which relies on managed services, XDR automates threat correlation across the entire IT environment....
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Acronis
acronis.com › acronis blog › what is the difference between edr,mdr,xdr?
What is the difference between EDR,MDR,XDR?
January 7, 2024 - General endpoint detection and ... remediation recommendations. MDR provides the same capabilities as EDR but offers 24/7 managed services to monitor endpoints and eliminate and remediate threats....
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StrongDM
strongdm.com › what-is › edr-vs-mdr-vs-xdr
EDR vs MDR vs XDR: What's the Difference? | StrongDM
March 18, 2024 - EDR focuses on detecting and responding to threats on endpoint devices using real-time monitoring and analysis. MDR offers managed security services, including 24/7 monitoring and threat response, beneficial for resource-limited organizations.
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Bluechip-gulf
bluechip-gulf.ae › home › endpoint protection: edr vs mdr vs xdr
Endpoint Protection: EDR VS MDR VS XDR | Bluechip Gulf
February 12, 2025 - MDR expands on EDR’s endpoint-specific real-time monitoring and response capabilities by offering proactive threat detection and response services. On the other side, XDR provides thorough visibility and analysis of security incidents, offering a unified approach to threat detection and response across several security levels.
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Arctic Wolf
arcticwolf.com › home › understanding the lines between edr, ndr, xdr, and mdr
EDR, NDR, XDR, and MDR | Arctic Wolf
September 4, 2025 - Faster alert response: Because there are fewer false positives, and investigation and remediation actions can be conducted through a single interface, security teams utilizing XDR are often able to respond to alerts faster and more thoroughly, which can prevent incidents from escalating into full-scale breaches. MDR is a detection and response solution that combines human effort and expertise with a unified platform.