Is your business prepared to detect and respond to cyber threats before they cause damage? As attacks become increasingly sophisticated, traditional security tools often fail to keep pace. That’s why solutions like EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) and XDR (Extended Detection and Response) are gaining traction. But how do these two approaches differ, and how do you know which one is right for your organization?
In this article, we’ll break down the differences, benefits, and use cases to help you make an informed decision.
XDR vs EDR: Understanding These Cybersecurity Solutions
To better protect their systems and data, many organizations are adopting tools like EDR and XDR that go beyond traditional security measures. So, what sets EDR and XDR apart? Knowing their core functions can help you determine which is the right fit for your business.
What is Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)?
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a cybersecurity solution designed to monitor, detect, and respond to threats targeting individual devices—also known as endpoints—such as laptops, desktops, and servers. EDR solutions work by continuously collecting data from endpoints and using this data to identify suspicious behavior in real time.
This level of visibility enables IT teams to act quickly when something appears suspicious—whether it’s malware, ransomware, or an unauthorized access attempt. EDR tools don’t just sound the alarm; many also offer response capabilities such as isolating a compromised device or removing malicious files.
If you're wondering what endpoint monitoring is, EDR is a big part of the answer. It plays a critical role in helping organizations proactively manage risk and secure their endpoints, especially in today’s remote and hybrid work environments.
What is Extended Detection and Response (XDR)?
While EDR focuses on individual devices, Extended Detection and Response (XDR) takes a more holistic approach. XDR integrates data from multiple layers of a company’s IT environment—including endpoints, email, servers, cloud services, and network traffic—to provide a wider scope of potential threats.
By bringing together data from these various sources, XDR offers enhanced visibility and context. This means security teams can see how different threats are connected across systems, enabling faster, more accurate responses.
XDR can be seen as the next step beyond EDR, expanding its capabilities by correlating data across multiple sources. This broader perspective helps organizations detect complex, coordinated attacks that might slip through the cracks with endpoint-only monitoring.
The Role of EDR and XDR in Strengthening Cybersecurity
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, cyberattacks are not only more frequent—they’re also more advanced and harder to detect. That’s where EDR and XDR come in. These technologies play a vital role in helping organizations strengthen their cybersecurity posture by detecting threats early and responding swiftly.
EDR solutions focus on what’s happening at the endpoint level. They provide real-time insights into activity on individual devices, enabling security teams to identify and isolate threats before they can spread. This is especially important for companies managing remote teams or using a wide range of devices. EDR acts as a frontline defense, ensuring every endpoint is continuously monitored.
XDR solutions offer a more comprehensive layer of protection. Instead of only focusing on endpoints, XDR connects and analyzes data across multiple systems—like networks, cloud platforms, and email servers. This wider scope allows XDR to spot complex attack patterns and coordinate a unified response across all affected systems.
When comparing XDR vs EDR, the key takeaway is this: EDR provides deep visibility at the device level, while XDR gives you a bird’s-eye view of your entire IT environment. Used together—or as part of a broader strategy—both solutions enhance your ability to detect, investigate, and stop threats before they cause harm.
Ultimately, EDR and XDR don’t compete—they complement each other. For businesses seeking to remain resilient in the face of modern cyber threats, adopting one or both solutions can significantly enhance security readiness.
5 Key Differences Between XDR and EDR
While both EDR and XDR are designed to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats, they differ in scope, functionality, and the level of visibility they provide. Below is a breakdown of five key differences that can help you better understand EDR vs XDR security and decide which is the best fit for your organization.
Feature | EDR | XDR |
|---|---|---|
Scope of Visibility | Focuses only on endpoints like laptops, desktops, and servers | Monitors endpoints, plus networks, email, cloud services, and more |
Data Correlation | Limited to data collected from endpoints | Correlates data across multiple security layers for better context |
Threat Detection | Detects threats on individual devices | Detects broader attack patterns across an organization |
Response Capabilities | Responds to incidents at the endpoint level (e.g. isolate device) | Coordinates response across multiple systems and tools |
Complex Attack Detection | May miss threats that span beyond the endpoint | Designed to detect complex, multi-stage attacks across environments |
EDR offers strong protection at the device level, XDR takes it a step further by connecting data across multiple layers of your IT environment. For organizations seeking a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to threat detection and response, XDR provides a powerful upgrade.
EDR vs XDR Security: Which One Is Right for Your Organization?
Choosing between EDR and XDR depends on your organization’s size, IT complexity, and security priorities. While both solutions are designed to detect and respond to threats, one may be better suited for your needs based on how your systems are set up and what level of visibility and automation you require.
EDR is often a great starting point for small to mid-sized businesses or teams with a simpler IT environment. If your main concern is monitoring individual devices—especially with a growing number of remote workers—EDR provides the tools to detect suspicious behavior, investigate incidents, and take quick action at the endpoint level. It’s a focused solution that enhances endpoint monitoring without the complexity of integrating data from multiple systems.
XDR, on the other hand, is typically a better fit for larger organizations or those managing complex, distributed IT infrastructures. If you’re already using multiple security tools and platforms—like email security, cloud apps, or network firewalls—XDR can help tie everything together. By correlating data from various sources, XDR improves detection accuracy and gives you a fuller picture of threats across your entire environment.
In short:
Choose EDR if your priority is improving endpoint security and you want a focused, device-level solution.
Choose XDR if you need broader visibility across systems, faster threat correlation, and a centralized response strategy.
Understanding what endpoint monitoring is and how these tools fit into your overall security plan can help you build a more resilient defense—whether that starts with EDR or expands into XDR.
Enhance EDR & XDR with Splashtop AEM
Whether you choose EDR, XDR, or a combination of both, the success of your security strategy ultimately depends on how well you manage and protect your endpoints. That’s where Splashtop’s Autonomous Endpoint Management (AEM) add-on comes in.
Built to work seamlessly within the Splashtop console, AEM helps IT teams streamline operations and strengthen both EDR and XDR capabilities through automation, visibility, and real-time control. By adding AEM to your remote support solution, you can automate patch management, monitor endpoint health, and respond to threats—without interrupting the end user.
Key Features of Splashtop Autonomous Endpoint Management
Some of the powerful capabilities of AEM include:
Real-time patching for operating systems and third-party apps, enabling faster protection against zero-day vulnerabilities.
Centralized visibility via a single dashboard to track endpoint security, compliance, and asset inventory.
Proactive alerts and automated remediation, allowing for rapid detection and resolution of issues.
Policy management and automation, letting you apply rules and perform tasks across multiple endpoints simultaneously.
Background actions to access system tools like the task manager or registry editor —without disturbing the end user.
Detailed inventory reporting for improved oversight and easier auditing across all devices.
For businesses managing remote or hybrid teams, AEM enhances endpoint security by reducing manual workload and improving threat response times. It also works alongside tools like Microsoft Intune and other MDMs, filling operational gaps with real-time control and actionable insights.
Try Splashtop AEM for Free
Want to see how Splashtop AEM can help you boost your EDR or XDR strategy? Get started with a free trial of Splashtop Remote Support or Splashtop Enterprise—both include access to the Autonomous Endpoint Management add-on.
Experience faster, smarter, and more secure endpoint management with automated patching, monitoring, and remediation—all from a single, easy-to-use console.
