Table of Contents
The problem
Alternatives at a glance
Alternative 1: enhanced.io
Alternative 2: Huntress
Alternative 3: Blackpoint Cyber
Alternative 4: Todyl
Alternative 5: Arctic Wolf
Alternative 6: Sophos MDR
Alternative 7: ConnectWise SIEM
LevelBlue Alternatives: Feature Comparison
What's the best LevelBlue alternative?
FAQ
TL;DR
• Guardz is a budget SMB security tool that covers email, endpoint, identity and web through the MSP channel. At approximately $5/user/month for the Pro tier, it solves a real problem for MSPs whose smallest clients cannot justify per-surface security tooling.
• Guardz is not suitable for clients with compliance or regulatory requirements. Network, cloud and IoT/OT are not covered. MDR capability is basic compared to dedicated SOC providers.
• As clients grow, their security requirements grow with them. The MSPs who look for Guardz alternatives are typically managing a portfolio where some clients have outgrown basic coverage while others have not.
• enhanced.io is the strongest alternative for clients who have outgrown Guardz. It covers endpoint, network, cloud, identity and IoT/OT through a dedicated 24/7 SOC, with a named Fractional Security Director per MSP partner and no compliance gaps.
• Huntress is the strongest step-up for clients who specifically need better endpoint and identity MDR depth than Guardz provides, without yet needing network or cloud detection.
The problem
Guardz solves a specific and real problem in the MSP market. For very small clients who need basic email, endpoint and identity coverage at a price that fits within a minimal IT budget, the $5/user/month Pro tier provides accessible security without the per-surface complexity of enterprise tooling. MSPs managing a long tail of micro-SMB accounts find genuine value in a tool that is simple to deploy, simple to manage and does not require a conversation about per-endpoint versus per-user pricing.
The boundaries of what Guardz covers are well defined and worth being direct about. Network traffic is not monitored. Cloud security posture is not assessed. IoT and OT devices are not detected. MDR capability is basic compared to providers whose entire operation is built around running a 24/7 SOC. For clients whose environments sit within email, endpoint and web, and whose compliance posture does not require evidence of broader detection, Guardz is fit for purpose.
The challenge for MSPs is that client portfolios rarely stay static. The micro-SMB that ran five Windows laptops three years ago may now have ten staff, a cloud environment, a compliance requirement from a new enterprise customer and a cyber insurance renewal that asks harder questions about detection scope. That client has outgrown Guardz even if their budget instincts have not caught up. Managing that transition, for individual clients within a portfolio that still contains accounts where Guardz is appropriate, is the operational challenge this page is about.
MSPs reading this page are not typically replacing Guardz across their entire book of business. They are looking for what comes next for the clients who have grown beyond it, and they want to understand what the right step-up looks like. enhanced.io is the answer for clients who need dedicated SOC operations across all five surfaces. The alternatives below address the steps between Guardz and a full SOC-as-a-Service for clients at different stages of that journey.
Alternatives at a glance
• enhanced.io (best for clients who have outgrown Guardz entirely: dedicated SOC-as-a-Service covering endpoint, network, cloud, identity and IoT/OT, with a named Fractional Security Director and no compliance gaps)
• Huntress (best step-up for clients who specifically need deeper endpoint and identity MDR without yet needing network or cloud detection)
• Blackpoint Cyber (best step-up for clients who need a 24/7 SOC with autonomous threat response for endpoint and identity)
• Todyl (best for clients who need network and endpoint in one platform as their infrastructure grows beyond endpoint-only coverage)
• Sophos MDR (best for clients already on Sophos endpoints who need to move from basic MDR to an established managed service)
• Arctic Wolf (best for mid-market clients who need multi-surface SOC operations and a named security team, if the direct sales model is acceptable)
• ConnectWise SIEM (best for MSPs deep in the ConnectWise stack who need basic SIEM as an interim step for growing clients)
Alternative 1: enhanced.io
Best for clients who have outgrown Guardz entirely: dedicated SOC-as-a-Service across five surfaces with no compliance gaps and a named security director per MSP partner
What it is
enhanced.io is a SOC-as-a-Service built exclusively for the MSP channel. It runs on an Open XDR platform and ingests independent telemetry from endpoint, network, cloud, identity and IoT/OT as separate data sources, correlating threats across all five surfaces in a single platform. Every MSP partner gets a named Fractional Security Director (FSD). The FSD works directly with the MSP to translate SOC findings into prioritised actions. The MSP acts. End clients never interact with the enhanced.io team.
Why it stands out against Guardz
• Guardz covers email, endpoint, identity and web. enhanced.io covers endpoint, network, cloud, identity and IoT/OT as independent telemetry sources with cross-surface correlation and a dedicated 24/7 SOC. That is not a step up in coverage. It is a different category of service entirely.
• Guardz is not suitable for clients with compliance requirements. enhanced.io covers the surfaces and provides the detection depth that regulators and cyber insurers increasingly require across endpoint, network, cloud and identity. For a client whose Guardz coverage was adequate last year and whose compliance posture has now changed, enhanced.io is the answer.
• Guardz MDR capability is basic. enhanced.io runs a dedicated 24/7 SOC with human analysts who investigate and respond to confirmed threats. The MSP team receives prioritised findings rather than raw alerts.
• enhanced.io assigns a named Fractional Security Director to each MSP partner who translates SOC findings into a prioritised action plan and works with the team over time. Guardz has no equivalent security resource per partner.
• enhanced.io connects with 400+ integrations and works across the mixed stacks MSP portfolios contain. enhanced.io is channel-only. No direct sales to end clients, ever.
Strengths
• Endpoint, network, cloud, identity and IoT/OT covered in one platform
• Independent telemetry from each surface with cross-surface threat correlation
• 400+ integrations with the tools MSPs already use
• Named Fractional Security Director per MSP partner
• Channel-only model. No risk of the vendor competing with your clients.
Who it suits
MSPs whose clients have grown beyond what Guardz covers, particularly those with compliance requirements, clients with network or cloud infrastructure in scope or clients whose cyber insurance renewal has prompted harder questions about detection breadth. enhanced.io can sit alongside Guardz in the same MSP portfolio, covering the clients who have outgrown basic coverage while Guardz remains appropriate for those who have not.
Price: Contact for MSP pricing Per-user and per-endpoint options. Structured for channel economics. Pricing verified from public sources, early 2026. Verify directly with enhanced.io.
Alternative 2: Huntress
Best step-up for clients who need deeper endpoint and identity MDR depth than Guardz provides
Huntress is the most natural first step up from Guardz for clients who need better endpoint and identity MDR. Its SOC investigates and confirms threats before alerting MSPs rather than relying on basic automated detection, its ITDR covers Microsoft 365 and Active Directory properly and its per-unit pricing makes the cost conversation with a growing client straightforward. For clients who have outgrown Guardz's basic MDR but are still within Windows and Microsoft 365 environments and do not yet need network or cloud detection, Huntress provides that step up cleanly. For clients who also need network, cloud or IoT/OT covered, enhanced.io covers all five surfaces with a dedicated SOC.
Strengths
• Significantly deeper endpoint MDR than Guardz. SOC investigates before alerting.
• Proper ITDR for Microsoft 365 and Active Directory
• Transparent per-unit pricing that is easy to explain to a growing client
• No minimum commitment. Scale per client as needed.
• Channel-only. No direct sales risk.
Weaknesses
• Network, cloud and IoT/OT are not covered as independent detection surfaces
• Not suitable for clients with compliance requirements that include network or cloud scope
• No named dedicated security resource per MSP partner
Best for
Clients who have outgrown basic Guardz MDR and need proper endpoint and identity detection depth, and whose security requirements do not yet extend to network or cloud monitoring.
Price: $$ ~$8.99/endpoint/month. ~$4.80/identity/month for ITDR. Transparent per-unit. Verify directly with Huntress.
Visit huntress.com
Alternative 3: Blackpoint Cyber
Best step-up for clients who need a 24/7 SOC with autonomous threat response for endpoint and identity
Blackpoint Cyber provides active MDR with a 24/7 SOC that acts autonomously on confirmed threats. For clients who have moved beyond basic Guardz coverage and whose MSP team needs the SOC to contain threats rather than just alert on them, Blackpoint provides that autonomous response at an accessible per-endpoint price. It provides meaningfully deeper SOC operations than Guardz's basic MDR for endpoint and identity. Like Huntress, it does not cover network, cloud or IoT/OT, so for clients whose infrastructure has grown to include those surfaces, enhanced.io is the right answer.
Strengths
• Autonomous SOC response. A significant step up from basic Guardz MDR.
• 24/7 SOC with threat containment, not just alerting
• Patented live network map for lateral movement detection
• No minimum commitment at entry level
• Channel-only commercial model
Weaknesses
• Endpoint and identity focused. Network, cloud and IoT/OT are not covered.
• No named dedicated security resource per MSP partner
• Pricing higher than Guardz. The cost conversation needs to reflect the capability step-up.
Best for
Clients who have outgrown Guardz and need a genuine 24/7 SOC with autonomous threat containment for endpoint and identity, within a Windows and Microsoft 365 environment.
Price: $$ ~$8-10/endpoint/month. Volume discounts at 50+ endpoints. Verify directly with Blackpoint Cyber.
Visit blackpointcyber.com
Alternative 4: Arctic Wolf
Best for clients who need network and endpoint in one platform as their infrastructure grows beyond endpoint-only coverage
Todyl combines SASE networking with endpoint security and SIEM in one MSP-native platform. For clients who have grown beyond Guardz coverage to the point where they now have network infrastructure that needs monitoring alongside endpoint detection, Todyl provides both surfaces in one subscription at a predictable per-user price. The per-user pricing model also aligns more naturally with growing client conversations than per-endpoint. The gap compared to enhanced.io is SOC depth, IoT/OT coverage and the absence of a named security director. Todyl is a platform rather than a dedicated SOC-as-a-Service.
Strengths
• Network and endpoint coverage in one platform. A meaningful step up from endpoint-only Guardz.
• Per-user pricing that scales naturally with client growth
• Built for MSP multi-tenant management
• Three-tier packaging: Essentials, Advanced, Complete
Weaknesses
• Managed SOC depth is newer and less established than dedicated SOC providers
• No IoT/OT coverage
• No named dedicated security director per MSP partner
Best for
Clients who have grown beyond Guardz to the point where they have network infrastructure that needs monitoring alongside endpoint detection, and whose security requirements do not yet extend to dedicated SOC operations or IoT/OT.
Price: $$ ~$8-12/user/month depending on tier. Verify directly with Todyl.
Visit todyl.com
Alternative 5: Sophos MDR
Best for clients already on Sophos endpoints who need to move from basic MDR to an established managed service
Sophos MDR covers endpoint, network and email with active managed detection and response. For clients who are already on Sophos endpoints and whose MSP has identified that Guardz basic MDR is no longer sufficient, Sophos MDR is a natural upgrade path for the endpoint and network surfaces without replacing existing tooling. It provides meaningfully stronger SOC operations than Guardz and covers network and email that Guardz does not. The limitations compared to enhanced.io are IoT/OT coverage, the absence of a named security director per MSP partner, the $2,000/month minimum on MSP Elevate and channel conflict risk in certain markets.
Strengths
• Established MDR covering endpoint, network and email. A step up from Guardz basic coverage.
• Natural upgrade path if clients are already on Sophos endpoints
• Active SOC operations rather than basic automated MDR
• MSP Flex billing for flexible per-client pricing
Weaknesses
• Best value if already on Sophos. Weaker as a standalone choice.
• No named security director per MSP partner
• MSP Elevate requires $2,000/month minimum
• Sells direct in some markets. Channel conflict risk in certain regions.
Best for
Clients already on Sophos endpoints who need to graduate from Guardz basic MDR to an established managed service covering endpoint, network and email.
Price: $$-$$$ Custom via MSP Flex. MSP Elevate min $2,000/month. Verify directly with Sophos.
Visit sophos.com
Alternative 6: Arctic Wolf
Best for mid-market clients who need multi-surface SOC operations and a named security team, if the direct sales model is acceptable
Arctic Wolf is the furthest step up from Guardz in this comparison. It covers endpoint, network, cloud and identity with a named Concierge Security Team per account and active SOC operations at mid-market scale. For clients who have grown from Guardz coverage into genuine mid-market territory with compliance requirements, a named security resource and multi-surface detection are both needed, and Arctic Wolf delivers both at a higher price point. The channel conflict caveat applies: Arctic Wolf sells direct to end clients alongside its MSP partner program. enhanced.io delivers the same named security resource model and broader surface coverage including IoT/OT, with a fully channel-only model.
Strengths
• Active SOC operations across endpoint, network, cloud and identity
• Named Concierge Security Team per account
• Strong compliance and audit reporting for mid-market clients
• Represents the full transition from SMB basic coverage to mid-market SOC operations
Weaknesses
• Sells direct to end clients alongside its MSP channel. This is a structural channel conflict risk.
• Pricing and packaging primarily designed for direct enterprise buyers
• Not natively built around MSP multi-tenant operations
• No IoT/OT coverage
Best for
Mid-market clients who have grown well beyond Guardz coverage and need multi-surface SOC operations and a named security resource, and whose MSP has carefully evaluated the channel conflict implications.
Price: $$$ Custom quote. AWS Marketplace MDR Basic from $44,000/year (direct, up to 100 users). MSP pricing via partner program. Verify directly with Arctic Wolf.
Visit arcticwolf.com
Alternative 7: ConnectWise SIEM
Best for MSPs deep in the ConnectWise stack who need basic SIEM as an interim step for growing clients
ConnectWise SIEM provides network and endpoint monitoring integrated with ConnectWise PSA and RMM. For MSPs on ConnectWise whose growing clients need something more than Guardz but for whom a full MDR upgrade is not yet the right conversation, ConnectWise SIEM provides basic monitoring within a familiar workflow. It is worth being honest about the trade-off: ConnectWise SIEM monitors and alerts but does not actively respond to threats, detection depth is above Guardz but below dedicated MDR providers and the per-user pricing has increased substantially. It is an interim step, not an endpoint.
Strengths
• Integrated with ConnectWise PSA and RMM stack
• Adds network monitoring that Guardz does not provide
• Community threat intelligence sharing between ConnectWise MSPs
• Familiar operational workflow for ConnectWise MSPs
Weaknesses
• SIEM only. Not a full MDR or SOC-as-a-Service.
• No autonomous threat response
• Pricing has increased substantially and is reviewed as expensive for what it delivers
• An interim step, not a long-term answer for clients whose security requirements are growing
Best for
MSPs on ConnectWise whose clients need more than Guardz but for whom a full MDR conversation is not yet timely, and who want to add basic network monitoring within a familiar operational workflow.
Price: $$$ Custom quote. Per-user pricing model. Has increased substantially in recent years. Verify directly with ConnectWise.
Visit connectwise.com
Guardz Alternatives:
Feature Comparison
| enhanced.io | Huntress | Blackpoint | Todyl | Sophos MDR | Arctic Wolf | ConnectWise SIEM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endpoint detection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Identity / ITDR | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Network monitoring | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud security | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| IoT / OT coverage | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Cross-surface correlation | Yes | No | No | No | No | Partial | No |
| Named security director | Yes (FSD) | No | No | No | No | Yes (CST) | No |
| Channel-only, no direct sales | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | Yes |
| 24/7 SOC | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Co-managed |
| Multi-tenant MSP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Indicative price | Contact | $$ | $$ | $$ | $$-$$$ | $$$ | $$$ |
What's the best Guardz alternative?
enhanced.io is the strongest Guardz alternative for clients who have outgrown basic SMB coverage. It covers endpoint, network, cloud, identity and IoT/OT through a dedicated 24/7 SOC, assigns a named Fractional Security Director to each MSP partner and closes every compliance gap that Guardz leaves open. For a client whose security requirements have changed because of growth, a new enterprise customer relationship or a tougher cyber insurance renewal, enhanced.io is the answer. It can sit alongside Guardz in the same MSP portfolio, used for the clients who need it while Guardz remains appropriate for those who do not.
For clients who specifically need deeper endpoint and identity MDR as a first step up from Guardz, Huntress is the most natural transition. It provides proper SOC investigation and confirmed-threat alerting at a per-unit price that is easy to explain to a growing client. Blackpoint adds autonomous threat containment for clients whose MSP team needs the SOC to act rather than just alert. Todyl adds network coverage alongside endpoint for clients whose infrastructure has grown beyond Windows endpoints.
The MSP challenge with Guardz is not that the product is bad for what it does. It is that client portfolios grow. The client that Guardz was right for at ten users may not be the client that Guardz is right for at thirty users with a compliance requirement, a cloud environment and a cyber insurer asking harder questions. Managing that transition well, with the right tool for each client at each stage, is what separates an MSP that grows its security revenue from one that loses clients to providers who can handle what they need next.
FAQ:
Why do MSPs look for Guardz alternatives?
MSPs look for Guardz alternatives when clients grow beyond what basic SMB security coverage can support. The most common triggers are compliance requirements from new enterprise customer relationships, cyber insurance renewals that require evidence of network and cloud detection and client infrastructure that has grown to include network environments, cloud workloads or IoT devices that Guardz does not monitor. Guardz remains appropriate for the smallest accounts. The alternatives conversation starts when specific clients outgrow it.
What does Guardz not cover for MSPs?
Which Guardz alternative covers network, cloud and IoT for growing MSP clients?
What is the best Guardz alternative for MSPs whose clients now face compliance requirements?
Can enhanced.io and Guardz be used in the same MSP portfolio for different clients?
Does enhanced.io compete with MSPs by selling direct to their clients?
