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Field Effect MDR vs Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting 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

Field Effect MDR
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
3rd
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Defender Experts ...
Ranking in Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
21st
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.2
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category, the mindshare of Field Effect MDR is 3.1%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is 1.5%, down from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
 

Featured Reviews

Anmol Nagpal - PeerSpot reviewer
Effective MDR with great support and an easy setup
The feature I've found the move valuable is the 24/7 monitoring. We are a small organization that supports a LOT of endpoints and clients. Without this tool, it would be impossible for us to confidently tell clients that we are secure. Alongside this, the ability for Field Effect to make decisions on its own based on what it has learned from all the "training data" that we have provided in the past. It will only get better over time. We have had some false positives; for example, using a legitimate networking scanning tool from the terminal has been blocked. However, we were actually impressed when something so simple was caught!
GV
Thorough incident analysis and seamless integration enhance security efforts despite some room for improvement
We tried the proactive threat hunting feature, but it was not a good experience with Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting. It created more trouble than expected with false positives and non-expected answers. We opened a support case with Microsoft and had an engineer work with our customer. They fixed it, but it was definitely not a good experience for the customer. The integration capabilities of Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting with existing security tools are quite easy because it's by design. It's only a button that, if you pay for the feature, you will have the ability. The value of detailed incident reports varies depending on the customers. Some say it helps in investigating, while others find it very interesting for proactive remediation. Potential users should try Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting to form their own view and improve their security posture. It can help address the lack of internal personnel if needed. Overall rating: 8/10

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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 most valuable features are AROs, which provide timely notifications for out-of-compliance or out-of-specification detections."
"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."
"The feature I've found the move valuable is the 24/7 monitoring."
"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."
"The most valuable aspect of Field MDR is the comprehensive visibility the solution offers. Most solutions cover the traditional threat landscape of computers, endpoints, servers, etc. However, there are also things happening within the network environment, such as WiFi, mobile, the Internet of Things, smart TVs, video surveillance systems, etc., that have associated vulnerabilities. Most environments do not manage or protect these assets."
"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 solution helps to detect some suspicious items for us and our clients."
 

Cons

"I have had a couple of challenges around updates to the agents where it seems it doesn't automatically replace older versions."
"I'd suggest that Field Effect focus more on including things like phishing simulation and cybersecurity training."
"It would be greatly beneficial to integrate compliance-related reporting directly into the portal."
"While Covalence addresses our notification and visibility needs, it falls short in keeping information up-to-date, which is where our MSP comes in to supplement its functionality."
"While the reporting is good, I would like more of a white-label option with my company's name at the top and a clean look for the report."
"The cost of the solution has room for improvement."
"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."
"In terms of improvement, there are instances where the ARO responses are slightly slower than preferred."
"The solution’s user interface could be improved."
"We tried the proactive threat hunting feature, but it was not a good experience with Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting. It created more trouble than expected with false positives and non-expected answers."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Although Covalence is expensive, it provides good value for the price."
"The pricing isn't sized, so Field Effect doesn't make it easy for anything under 25 users. I'm not crazy about that."
"It is on the high end, but it is worth it for the service that you get from them."
"We were particularly impressed with their pricing model, which charges per user rather than per system."
"The cost of the solution is high."
"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."
"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."
"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."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
51%
Retailer
5%
Government
4%
Manufacturing Company
3%
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

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?
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?
Some resources lack experience, but issues can be escalated to more knowledgeable contacts. Pricing needed improvement, which was addressed by reducing the buying cost recently. Like any product, s...
What do you like most about Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting?
The solution helps to detect some suspicious items for us and our clients.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting?
The areas of the solution that have room for improvement in Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting include the locking mechanism, which is not tough in terms of the cost. The price of the solution ...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting?
We work on the cybersecurity solutions with Microsoft tools. We work with Azure Sentinel and we work with Defender, specifically focusing on Microsoft cybersecurity tools. For the cybersecurity tea...
 

Also Known As

Field Effect Covalence
No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Field Effect MDR vs. Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,164 professionals have used our research since 2012.