Managed EDR Cost: What It Runs Per Device

Managed EDR cost is almost always quoted per endpoint, per month— so the headline number depends on how many devices you're protecting. A self-managed EDRlicence on its own can be a few dollars to low double digits per device. Add the “managed” layer — a team watching and responding around the clock — and managed EDR (often called MDR) typically lands higher, commonly in the rough range of $10–$30 per endpoint per monthdepending on the provider and what's included. Confirm current figures with any vendor; the ranges move.

What the Extra Cost Buys

The jump from a licence to a managed service isn't a software upcharge — it's people. EDR generates alerts; someone has to read them, decide which matter, and act. For a business without a 24/7 security team, an alert that fires on a Saturday night is worthless unless someone is watching. Managed EDR is that someone. You're buying the monitoring, investigation, and response — the part that turns a detection into a contained incident. We unpack the tooling distinction in EDR vs antivirus.

Why Standalone Is Rarely the Cheapest

Managed EDR is essential, but it's one control. A small business also needs MFA, email security, and tested backups — and buying each separately, from separate vendors, usually costs more than a bundled managed plan that includes EDR alongside the rest. Our 24/7-monitored EDR is built into published plans from $375/month, not billed as a per-seat add-on. For the full cheapest-path analysis, see the cheapest MSSP for small business.