In short: Acronis EDR adds behavioural detection, AI-generated incident interpretations and single-click response to Acronis Cyber Platform endpoints. Acronis XDR extends detection and response to email, Entra ID identity and Microsoft 365 apps, so you can delete malicious mail, end sessions or suspend accounts too. Both are separate licences, billed monthly on usage.
What Acronis EDR and XDR are
Standard protection in Acronis Cyber Platform (formerly Cyber Protect Cloud) stops known malware and ransomware. Attackers increasingly use legitimate tools and stolen credentials that antivirus will not flag, so Acronis EDR records endpoint activity, spots suspicious behaviour and lets you investigate and respond. Acronis XDR takes the same approach beyond the endpoint, to email, identity and Microsoft 365.
What makes Acronis different from most EDR vendors is that the agent also does backup. When an incident is contained, you can roll back attack-specific changes or restore from a clean backup in the same console, rather than handing over to a separate recovery tool.
EDR and XDR compared
| Capability | Acronis EDR | Acronis XDR |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioural detection and endpoint telemetry | Yes | Yes |
| Prioritised incidents with AI-generated interpretations and MITRE ATT&CK context | Yes | Yes |
| Response: isolate workloads, stop or quarantine processes, roll back attack-specific changes | Yes | Yes |
| No-code response playbooks, threat hunting and indicator of compromise searches | Yes | Yes |
| Email: delete malicious attachments or links, search mailboxes, block senders | No | Yes |
| Identity (Entra ID): end all sessions, force a password reset, suspend accounts | No | Yes |
| Microsoft 365 apps: SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams and Outlook signals | No | Yes |
XDR also integrates with Fortinet FortiMail and FortiGate, and connects to SIEM, RMM and PSA tools. Acronis EDR can also sit alongside Microsoft Defender to centralise incident visibility, depending on plan and operating system.
How it is licensed
EDR and XDR are separate Acronis licences on Acronis Cyber Platform, billed monthly on usage according to the workloads you protect:
| Option | Notes |
|---|---|
| Acronis EDR | Detection and response for endpoints, on top of the platform's standard protection |
| Acronis XDR | Adds email, identity and Microsoft 365 coverage and response |
| Solution-based bundles | Security combined with other services such as RMM for each workload |
IT departments buying directly get EDR in the annual Acronis Cyber Protect Advanced edition; through Forever Systems you get the monthly service provider version instead. If you want people watching alerts for you, add Acronis MDR, which requires EDR or XDR. Ask us for a quote and we will tell you whether EDR or XDR suits your estate.
Requirements and deployment
EDR uses the existing Acronis agent on supported Windows, macOS, Linux and ARM-based systems; there is nothing extra to install. Capabilities vary by operating system, so we check coverage for your mix of devices. XDR's Microsoft 365 and Entra ID coverage connects through Microsoft's APIs and needs administrator consent once.
Rolling out EDR is mostly tuning: we enable it in observation, review the first incidents, add exclusions for legitimate admin tools, then set the response playbooks you are comfortable automating.
Who it suits
EDR suits organisations that already use or are moving to Acronis for backup and want detection and response without a second agent. XDR suits Microsoft 365 organisations where most attacks start with a phishing email or a compromised account. Both help with cyber insurance questionnaires that ask about EDR. Compare alternatives in EDR, XDR and MDR.
How we help
We deploy and tune EDR or XDR, write playbooks with you, and explain incidents in plain English. If you need round-the-clock cover, we can add MDR.
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Acronis EDR and XDR?
EDR covers endpoints. XDR adds email, Entra ID identity and Microsoft 365 apps, so it can delete malicious attachments or links, end user sessions and suspend compromised accounts as well as isolating devices.
Do I need a separate agent for Acronis EDR?
No. EDR runs on the same Acronis agent used for backup and standard protection.
Can Acronis EDR recover from ransomware?
Yes. After containment you can roll back attack-specific changes, where supported and configured, or restore from a clean backup in the same console.
Does Acronis MDR need EDR?
Yes. Acronis MDR needs Acronis EDR or XDR on the workloads it monitors.