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Expel vs Field Effect MDR comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Expel
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
15th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
SOC as a Service (4th)
Field Effect MDR
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
5th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category, the mindshare of Expel is 1.9%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Field Effect MDR is 1.6%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Field Effect MDR1.6%
Expel1.9%
Other96.5%
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2578461 - PeerSpot reviewer
MDR Specialist at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Rapid threat management and diverse technology integration for effective monitoring
Expel has made it easier for companies to monitor and manage various log sources. With its vast integration portfolio, customers can efficiently monitor diverse environments. Time to value is quick, as Expel can turn their service up very rapidly. They have both automated active responses and human processes that quicken threat resolution.
reviewer2753850 - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Customer security is enhanced with software and update detection while licensing process needs improvement
A quick specific example of how I use Field Effect MDR to keep my customers secure is that it helps me identify computers that need updates, even when I believe they are already updated. Field Effect MDR finds software and Windows updates that aren't being completed, which I find very valuable.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Their threat hunting protocol and process with AI and machine learning are strong, allowing for active and rapid responses."
"One of the most useful and impressive features of the system is its detailed notification mechanism."
"Hackers are trying to breach a business when they least expect it - that's often at night, weekends, and holidays. Covalence never sleeps or misses a second of monitoring."
"There are user notifications about our cloud solutions and access, meaning authentication and possible breaches. Overall, the notifications and alerts are valuable. There are also new features like the DNS protection, which is quite good."
"The most valuable features are Action Recommendations of Observations, which keep us informed about existing vulnerabilities so we can proactively update our endpoints and those of our customers against potential threats."
"A client of ours with Field Effect MDR is less likely to be a victim of a cyber attack."
"The alerts that we get are valuable. It notifies us if there is any attempted access and if there are any areas where we need to create more security for clients. It is stopping anything from happening before there is even an issue."
"The automated response feature is incredibly effective."
"The most valuable aspect of Field Effect Covalence is its ability to continuously monitor for and identify potential threats."
 

Cons

"The one area where Expel may not measure up is if a customer requires a managed SIEM as part of their overall solution. There's a gap there, and solutions might require third-party assistance for management."
"It would be greatly beneficial to integrate compliance-related reporting directly into the portal."
"Field Effect Covalence could benefit from enhancing its packing slip process."
"It would be more effective if it could surgically isolate the specific malicious process instead of deleting the entire machine."
"In the AROs tab, if we encounter multiple duplicate recommendations, it would be helpful to be able to select and resolve or dismiss them all at once."
"I would like Covalence to implement patch management as well."
"They could use more third-party integrations with other MSP tools."
"I'd suggest that Field Effect focus more on including things like phishing simulation and cybersecurity training."
"I have had a couple of challenges around updates to the agents where it seems it doesn't automatically replace older versions."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"Field Effect Covalence's pricing is just right."
"The pricing is fair and reasonable."
"We're currently enrolled in the volume package, which offers tiered pricing based on usage."
"The pricing isn't sized, so Field Effect doesn't make it easy for anything under 25 users. I'm not crazy about that."
"Field Effect is fairly priced from my perspective. You get a lot of bang for the buck with this and a level of visibility that provides you with greater peace of mind knowing that the system is carefully monitored. You also have automated responses for known malicious behavior at any time of the day. Someone could have their Office 365 mailbox compromised at 2 in the morning on a Saturday when most people are asleep or not paying attention, and the system can prevent an issue in an automated way."
"A top-tier competitor to Field Effect in Magic Quadrant that we had been using until our switch to Field Effect was a great product, but each capability had an additional charge. We had to license modules separately, and each of those add-ons had to be added onto its own consumption and agreement. It was a nightmare from a billing perspective because we had multiple agreements, and each one had a jagged anniversary or a renewal anniversary. It was a nightmare, whereas Field Effect MDR is one product."
"While the contract duration might change, the pricing remains highly attractive."
"We were particularly impressed with their pricing model, which charges per user rather than per system."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
11%
Construction Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
32%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business32
Midsize Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Expel?
Expel's pricing has adapted as the market evolved and has become competitive over the past twelve months.
What needs improvement with Expel?
The one area where Expel may not measure up is if a customer requires a managed SIEM as part of their overall solution. There's a gap there, and solutions might require third-party assistance for m...
What is your primary use case for Expel?
I have experience reselling Expel. Customers often come to me wanting to evaluate multiple providers to make a choice based on their specific use cases, requirements, technology investments, and so...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Field Effect Covalence?
Pricing was initially a concern, but the recent updates have resolved that by offering a more accessible buying cost.
What needs improvement with Field Effect Covalence?
One way Field Effect MDR can be improved is through its licensing process, which is not ideal. The licensing process is difficult because I have to access a separate website to complete it.
What is your primary use case for Field Effect Covalence?
My main use case for Field Effect MDR is keeping my customers secure.
 

Also Known As

Workbench, Expel SOC-as-a-Service
Field Effect Covalence
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Amanda Fennell CSO
Field Effect MDR is widely adopted by managed service providers (MSPs) and organizations with lean IT teams. It is used to monitor, detect, and respond to threats across distributed environments, helping businesses strengthen their cybersecurity posture while maintaining operational efficiency. Organizations rely on Field Effect MDR to protect hybrid infrastructures, secure cloud applications, and defend against modern threats, including increasingly automated and AI-driven attacks, while maintaining compliance and resilience in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
Find out what your peers are saying about Huntress, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne and others in Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Updated: June 2026.
900,051 professionals have used our research since 2012.