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Field Effect MDR vs Sophos MDR comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 3, 2024

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

Field Effect MDR
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
4th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sophos MDR
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category, the mindshare of Field Effect MDR is 3.2%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos MDR is 5.9%, down from 6.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
 

Featured Reviews

Simon Cutler - PeerSpot reviewer
Helps to manage cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and improve our security team's efficiency and security posture
It would be incredibly valuable to have the Field Effect team handle some of the third-party application patching they're currently identifying. While it's fantastic that they're proactive in this area, the time commitment is significant. Integrating patching into their existing service offering would be a game-changer. I'd love to see a tool that aids sales discovery efforts when we engage new clients. Ideally, this internal tool would scan their network environment to identify potential risks and give us a comprehensive picture of their network infrastructure. This would be a huge asset in informing our sales strategies and showcasing our expertise.
Shaun Gordon - PeerSpot reviewer
Extensive data lake, ease of use is great and you can really get started very quickly
Sophos MDR is a service. MDR is managed detection and response. It's a managed security service. So instead of having an anti-malware, which in Sophos' case would be Intercept X, with MDR, they add human-led threat hunting. It's a managed service. So it's not a product that you sell the client per se. You're selling them a service, which is almost like an SLA, and that includes Cloud MDR. MDR is not a product. It's a service. The reality is that when it comes to the likes of SentinelOne, McAfee, CrowdStrike, ESET, and all the other players out there, they're single-product security companies. CrowdStrike is an anti-malware. That's one thing. ESET, same thing. But if you look at the other vendors, within the appliances, you're looking at Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Checkpoint. They only sell firewalls. That's all they do. When you deal with Sophos, they are the entire product suite. They sell firewalls. They sell Intercept X, which is their anti-malware, Intercept X for Server with anti-malware, email protection with ties into Office 365, and Sophos Plus encryption. All of these security products pull telemetry. So every time somebody hits a firewall, it's called, for argument's sake, that goes into their central data lake. All the firewalls around the world add that information to a data lake. Now, when you're dealing with Sophos, because of their exposure, because they've got so many different products, their data lake is a lot more extensive than competing vendors because they're not relying on one threat factor. They're not relying on one area of expertise. They're a global company. So, I can't compare their telemetry, for instance, to the likes of CrowdStrike. If CrowdStrike has probably started doing appliances, then the users will get that benefit as well. Sophos is the only vendor that does do that. It's like hiring a security team. Sophos do things differently in that they've got more telemetry and more insight into a network because they offer a variety of products. The other part about it is Sophos MDR; the service, unlike other vendors like CrowdStrike, is not limited to their products. If you are running CrowdStrike in your company, for instance, you can get their integration packs, in which case Sophos will manage your CrowdStrike system for you. Whereas with CrowdStrike, it's only CrowdStrike. You are locked into that vendor. So Sophos offers that flexibility. It's a multi-vendor service as opposed to SentinelOne or CrowdStrike, which is a single-vendor service. For instance, if I'm running Sophos, I would like to go with CrowdStrike MDR. I would have to remove my entire security investment, in this case, Sophos, and reinstall CrowdStrike in order to use their service. Sophos doesn't have that problem. If you've got CrowdStrike and you've already invested in CrowdStrike, cool. You stay on CrowdStrike. They will still manage it for you.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the most useful and impressive features of the system is its detailed notification mechanism."
"The solution's advanced detection behaviors, automated notifications and responses, and automated remediation behaviors are valuable features."
"Direct and easy and quick communication to the Field Effect cybersecurity team experts has led to quick resolution of any problems or alerts."
"We are getting visibility over the network, not just for those hosts that have a Field Effect EDR agent but also things like the Internet of Things, guest networks, or rogue devices. We definitely have visibility into all network traffic, which is very cool."
"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 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 most valuable aspect of Field Effect Covalence is its ability to continuously monitor for and identify potential threats."
"The feature I've found the move valuable is the 24/7 monitoring."
"It provides reliable protection and clear data on its performance metrics, enabling straightforward communication of its capabilities."
"The most valuable feature is threat hunting."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to integrate multiple functions into a single dashboard regardless of the vendors being integrated."
"The product’s most valuable features are integration and endpoint protection."
"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution."
"The user doesn't need a technician; it offers 24/7 support to identify and manage your infrastructure and take complete care of any technological incidents."
"Sophos MDR has improved the threat detection process by identifying and addressing the issues before they become severe."
"The product gives us good visibility into what is happening inside the company."
 

Cons

"The interface is perhaps the weakest part of the entire platform, and that does not mean that it is deficient. It is just not as optimized and as efficient as other aspects of the platform."
"The cost of the solution has room for improvement."
"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."
"While it's essential to stay informed about potential issues, the recurring notifications about past vulnerabilities can lead to confusion and may detract from our focus on current threats."
"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."
"In terms of improvement, there are instances where the ARO responses are slightly slower than preferred."
"It would be more effective if it could surgically isolate the specific malicious process instead of deleting the entire machine."
"The integration with third-party solutions as an area for slight improvement"
"Sophos MDR lacks integration with MDM solutions."
"Sophos MDR's support and basic training of their devices could be improved."
"The technical team for Sophos MDR is not so good since they take a long time, like a week, to provide a solution to a simple case or problem we face in our company."
"Its technical support could be better."
"There could be improvement in features like more detailed reporting for the end customer."
"The solution's integration should be made easier because it is difficult."
"Multitenancy features of Sophos Managed Threat Response should be improved. You cannot use the solution for multiple clients."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is a little pricey. It is a little on the high end, but we are continuing to use it. We signed the contract and have not canceled, so we find value in having it."
"The licensing model itself is solid, but we're ironing out some inconsistencies in how customer profiles are configured."
"Although Covalence is expensive, it provides good value for the price."
"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."
"We're currently enrolled in the volume package, which offers tiered pricing based on usage."
"While the contract duration might change, the pricing remains highly attractive."
"It is on the high end, but it is worth it for the service that you get from them."
"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."
"I rate Sophos MDR’s pricing a seven or eight out of ten."
"The solution is expensive."
"Sophos MDR could be more affordable."
"It is an expensive platform."
"MDR is a complete enterprise solution, and compared to other OEMs, it is one of the cheapest."
"The product is reasonably priced considering the cybersecurity features."
"The price falls somewhere in the middle range."
"The tool is too expensive for small companies."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
55%
Non Profit
5%
Government
4%
Media Company
3%
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Field Effect Covalence?
It is very user-friendly. We have regular reports to see what is going on.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Field Effect Covalence?
In our evaluation, two years ago, we found the Field Effect Covalence product and service to be the simplest to set up and pricing was lower than the other competitors.
What needs improvement with Field Effect Covalence?
The solution could improved DNS filtering and fuller integration into ConnectWise PSA (I understand both are in the works). The current roaming DNS filter doesn't seem to be too complete and we're ...
What do you like most about Sophos MDR?
The user doesn't need a technician; it offers 24/7 support to identify and manage your infrastructure and take complete care of any technological incidents.
What needs improvement with Sophos MDR?
There could be improvement in features like more detailed reporting for the end customer. For example, reports should be in simple language that is easy to read and understand for management level ...
What advice do you have for others considering Sophos MDR?
I would absolutely recommend Sophos MDR to other organizations. It is rated ten out of ten overall, with a deduction of one point only due to the commercial cost. I'd rate the solution nine out of ...
 

Also Known As

Field Effect Covalence
Sophos Managed Threat Response
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Field Effect MDR vs. Sophos MDR and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.