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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)
14th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.2
Number of Reviews
2
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 August 2026, in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category, the mindshare of Expel is 2.5%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Field Effect MDR is 1.5%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Field Effect MDR1.5%
Expel2.5%
Other96.0%
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
 

Featured Reviews

Dishan Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Engineer at McKinsey and Company
Centralized monitoring has improved threat detection and response across our cloud environment
Expel has helped us to streamline security operations by providing continuous monitoring, rapid detection, and expert analysis of potential threats. This has helped us to reduce the burden on our internal team by handling alert triage and investigation, allowing us to focus on strategic security initiatives rather than chasing false positives. The best features Expel offers are that it is very intuitive and user-friendly, especially the user interface. I am able to have quick access to insights, and it provides visibility and transparency. Expel has a super easy portal with actionable information.
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."
"Expel has helped us to streamline security operations by providing continuous monitoring, rapid detection, and expert analysis of potential threats, reducing the burden on our internal team by handling alert triage and investigation and allowing us to focus on strategic security initiatives rather than chasing false positives."
"It's running in the background and does a packet-level analysis of everything that comes in. It also has an auto-response feature, so if something gets through and is clicked on, or somehow gets through the network, it gets isolated and quarantined, and we get notified."
"The most valuable feature is the network traffic monitoring function."
"Direct and easy and quick communication to the Field Effect cybersecurity team experts has led to quick resolution of any problems or alerts."
"The most valuable aspects of Covalence for me are the exceptional customer service and the support from the dedicated team."
"The ARO alerts are helpful to use almost daily to get a sense of what actions we need to take to expedite security measures."
"It provides valuable insights into our IT environment, enabling us to improve reselling, upgrades, and customer management."
"Covalence's cloud protection element has been excellent. A lot of organizations are using 365. It's hard to find a secure solution for protecting accounts. We've gone down the path of trying to utilize other security solutions for that particular area. We've been disappointed and always come back to trying to implement Covalence when we can so we know people are safe."
"The automated response feature is incredibly effective."
 

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."
"The tagging of ARO closure has room for improvement."
"I have had a couple of challenges around updates to the agents where it seems it doesn't automatically replace older versions."
"In terms of improvement, there are instances where the ARO responses are slightly slower than preferred."
"Field Effect MDR could broaden its cloud application integrations to integrate better with Office 365, Azure, Salesforce, etc. They integrate about 15 to 20 out of the box. I'd love to see a lot more than that."
"Because this is a security solution, I would recommend that they extend their support hours, and perhaps for emergencies, even to 24/7 or 24/5."
"The cost of the solution has room for improvement."
"I'd love the price to be a little bit less."
"It would be more effective if it could surgically isolate the specific malicious process instead of deleting the entire machine."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"We're currently enrolled in the volume package, which offers tiered pricing based on usage."
"While Field Effect Covalence's pricing seems competitive for the market, the biggest hurdle lies in the lack of dedicated security budgets within many organizations."
"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."
"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."
"The pricing isn't sized, so Field Effect doesn't make it easy for anything under 25 users. I'm not crazy about that."
"Covalence is cost-effective."
"The pricing is fair and reasonable."
"While the contract duration might change, the pricing remains highly attractive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Construction Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Computer Software Company
23%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Construction Company
7%
 

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, SentinelOne, CrowdStrike and others in Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Updated: July 2026.
908,745 professionals have used our research since 2012.