MDR vs. EDR: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters to Your Business

For mid-sized businesses facing increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, choosing the right tools and services can make all the difference. Two common solutions in today’s cybersecurity landscape are endpoint detection and response (EDR) and managed detection and response (MDR). While these terms are often used interchangeably, they represent very different approaches to protecting your business.

Understanding the distinction between EDR and MDR is critical to building a security strategy that matches your needs, resources, and risk profile.

What Is EDR?

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is a cybersecurity technology designed to monitor and analyze activity across endpoint devices like laptops, desktops, and servers. EDR tools collect data, flag suspicious behavior, and can often take limited automated actions—like isolating a compromised device or terminating a malicious process.
EDR provides deep visibility into endpoint activity, but it doesn’t act on its own. It still requires human intervention to investigate alerts, identify threats, and decide what to do next. For businesses with in-house security teams, EDR can be a powerful tool. But for organizations without dedicated cybersecurity personnel, managing EDR can quickly become overwhelming.

What Is MDR?

Managed detection and response (MDR) covers a broader security surface than just endpoints, encompassing the entire infrastructure, including networks, servers, and the cloud. Additionally, MDR combines advanced tools with human expertise. With MDR, you’re not just buying software—you’re enlisting a team of cybersecurity professionals to monitor, analyze, and respond to threats on your behalf, 24/7.
An MDR provider like Thrive uses a comprehensive technology stack s as part of a broader service that includes threat hunting, proactive incident investigation, and real-time response. The biggest benefit? You’re no longer responsible for interpreting alerts or acting on them alone. MDR gives you immediate access to expert help the moment something suspicious occurs.

Why This Difference Matters

The key difference between the technology and the managed service comes down to who manages the threat response. Security tools like EDR empower internal teams to do the work—but that assumes you have the time, staff, and expertise to manage it effectively. MDR is less about focusing on a specific technology and more focused on the results and performance. Shifting to security response rather than managing tools is especially valuable for mid-market organizations looking to strengthen their defenses without having to build out a full security operations team.

Thrive’s Approach: MDR and EDR Built for the Mid-Market

At Thrive, we offer both Managed EDR and MDR solutions—giving mid-market organizations the flexibility to choose the right level of protection and support based on their internal capabilities and risk tolerance.
For businesses with dedicated security teams, our Managed EDR offering provides deep visibility into endpoint behavior, advanced detection capabilities, and tools for rapid response. It’s ideal for IT and security teams who want control and insight across their endpoint landscape, but prefer a trusted technology partner to deliver a robust and reliable platform, along with 24×7 security operations.

For businesses looking to offload the day-to-day burden of monitoring and incident response, our MDR service builds on that foundation with around-the-clock threat detection, expert-led analysis, and proactive remediation. With Thrive’s MDR, you’re not just detecting threats—you’re actively defending against them with a team of experienced professionals ready to respond in real time.

Whether you need Managed EDR, infrastructure security monitoring, or a combination of both, Thrive helps you:

• Strengthen endpoint security and threat visibility
• Reduce the time and cost of incident response
• Eliminate alert fatigue and guesswork
• Align with compliance frameworks and cyber insurance requirements

In today’s threat landscape, you can’t afford to go it alone. Thrive’s security offerings are designed to meet you where you are—whether you’re building a security program from the ground up or augmenting an existing team.

Don’t Just Detect. Defend.

Choosing between EDR and MDR isn’t just about picking a tool. It’s about deciding how you want to manage your cybersecurity risk. Thrive’s MDR services provide the expertise, scale, and peace of mind that mid-market organizations need to stay protected in a complex threat landscape. Contact Thrive today to learn more about how our EDR and MDR solutions can help your business.