Cipher vs Field Effect
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Field Effect is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Field Effect serves SMB and Mid-market. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 4 for Field Effect (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity).
Buyer brief
Cipher is a Services firm that works with your existing tools. Field Effect is a Platform vendor that requires its own security platform. Cipher targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Field Effect serves SMB and Mid-market. Cipher includes 0 attack surfaces in base pricing (), compared to 4 for Field Effect (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity).
Field Effect is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Cipher is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
At a glance
| FIELD |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools | SMBs and MSPs wanting affordable MDR with published per-user pricing |
| Price | Custom quote | MDR Core: $3-$20/user/mo |
| Response authority | 0/6 actions · Approval required | 5/6 actions · Configurable |
| Stack | Works with existing stack | Requires own platform |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Warranty | None listed | None listed |
- Best fit
- Mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools
- Price
- Custom quote
- Response authority
- 0/6 actions · Approval required
- Stack
- Works with existing stack
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
- Best fit
- SMBs and MSPs wanting affordable MDR with published per-user pricing
- Price
- MDR Core: $3-$20/user/mo
- Response authority
- 5/6 actions · Configurable
- Stack
- Requires own platform
- Data access
- Dashboards
- Warranty
- None listed
Detailed comparison
| FIELD | CipherTECH-AGNOSTIC | Field EffectPLATFORM |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Target size | Mid-market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-market |
| Sentiment | Mixed | Positive |
| Your stack | ||
| Approach | Works with your tools | Requires their platform |
| EDR integrations | Customer EDR | Field Effect Agent (proprietary, required)Carbon Black (enrichment)Palo Alto Cortex XDR (enrichment)Cisco Meraki (enrichment)Zscaler (enrichment)Thinkst Canary (enrichment) |
| SIEM integrations | None listed | Syslog ingestion supported |
| Coverage | EPEndpoint: LimitedCloudCloud: LimitedIDIdentity: Not coveredSaaSSaaS: Not coveredNetNetwork: LimitedOTOT/IoT: Not covered | EPEndpoint: CoveredCloudCloud: CoveredIDIdentity: CoveredSaaSSaaS: CoveredNetNetwork: Optional add-onOTOT/IoT: Not covered |
| Response | ||
| Response type | Guided Response | Active Remediation |
| Approval policy | Approval Required | Configurable |
| Response actions | Alert and notify only | IsolateKill processContainDisable accountsQuarantine |
| IR included | Separate | Separate |
| Cost | ||
| Price range | Not published | MDR Core: $3-$20/user/month (volume discounts apply). MDR Complete: custom pricing. |
| Minimum seats | None | None |
| Breach warranty | – | – |
| More details | ||
| Requires own agent | No | Yes |
| Endpoints | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| Cloud workloads | ~ Limited | ✓ Included |
| Identity | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| SaaS apps | Not offered | ✓ Included |
| Network | ~ Limited | + Optional |
| OT/ICS | Not offered | Not offered |
| Threat hunting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Response SLA | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Custom quote. Cipher does not publish xMDR package pricing. | Per-user, per-month |
| Hidden cost warnings | Cipher says xMDR works with the existing technology stack, so buyers should confirm which tools are included in the quote and what integration work is extra.. Public pages do not publish response SLAs, contract minimums or service-credit language.. The site names EDR and IPS/IDS integration but does not publish named vendor integrations.. Response wording is broad, so buyers should document pre-approved actions before go-live. | MDR Core excludes network monitoring, DNS firewall, and dark web monitoring. Exact MDR Core price depends on volume and discounting within the published range. Requires proprietary Field Effect agent, cannot use existing EDR |
| Data portability | Partial | Partial |
| Contract terms | Custom, xMDR Services, xMDR Platform | Annual |
| Channels | Portal | EmailPortalPhoneTeams |
| Data access | Dashboards | Dashboards |
| Dedicated analyst | – | ✓ |
| SOC regions | North AmericaEuropeLATAM | North America |
| Onboarding | Cipher advertises 20 days for full service activation, but buyers should confirm scope and contract timing. | Hours to days for most customers |
| Industry focus | HealthcareProfessional ServicesPayments | HealthcareFinancial ServicesGovernmentDefense ContractorsMSP/MSSP Channel |
| MTTD | Not published | 11 minutes overall MTTD, first detection in 2 minutes (MITRE Engenuity ATT&CK Managed Services Round 2, 2024) |
| MTTR | Not published | Not published |
| Community view | No meaningful MDR-specific buyer-review signal was found in major English-language review communities during this pass. The public buyer case rests on Cipher's Prosegur ownership, xMDR Platform, 24/7 SOC claim, six-SOC footprint, portal access and existing-stack positioning. Buyers should validate pricing, response authority, named integrations and SOC delivery details directly. | PeerSpot 9.2/10 (Jan 2026). SoftwareReviews 9.5/10 composite (423 verified reviews, +98 Net Emotional Footprint, Data Quadrant Leader four consecutive years 2022-2025). G2 Highest ROI in MDR, Winter 2026. Praised for easy setup, noise reduction, and MSP value. Main criticisms: limited third-party integrations and no raw log visibility. |
| Compliance | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC 1SOC 2PCI DSSCREST | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001PIPEDA |
| Certifications | ISO 27001ISO 22301ISO 20000ISO 9001SOC ISOC IIPCI QSAPCI ASVCRESTTF-CSIRTCIPHER-CSIRT RFC2350 | SOC 2 Type IIISO 27001Microsoft Virus Initiative (MVI) |
| Founded | – | 2016 |
| Data retention | Cipher says all platform information is online 24/7 and available from any device. No public standard MDR data-retention period was found. | 90 days included, extended options available as upgrade |
| API available | – | ✓ |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
FAQ
What is the main difference between Cipher and Field Effect?
Cipher is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Field Effect is a Platform vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Cipher covers 0 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 4 for Field Effect.
How do Cipher and Field Effect differ in response capabilities?
Cipher supports 0 autonomous actions (none) and requires approval before acting. Field Effect supports 5 autonomous actions (account disable, endpoint isolation, file quarantine, network containment, process termination) and approval is configurable.
How does Cipher pricing compare to Field Effect?
Cipher pricing: Not published. Field Effect pricing: MDR Core: $3-$20/user/month (volume discounts apply). MDR Complete: custom pricing.. Watch for with Cipher: Cipher says xMDR works with the existing technology stack, so buyers should confirm which tools are included in the quote and what integration work is extra.; Public pages do not publish response SLAs, contract minimums or service-credit language.. Watch for with Field Effect: MDR Core excludes network monitoring, DNS firewall, and dark web monitoring; Exact MDR Core price depends on volume and discounting within the published range.
Should I choose Cipher or Field Effect?
Choose Cipher if: mid-market and enterprise buyers that want a managed service layered over existing security tools. Choose Field Effect if: sMBs and MSPs wanting affordable MDR with published per-user pricing. Cipher is not ideal for buyers that need public MDR pricing before sales. Field Effect is not ideal for organizations with existing CrowdStrike/SentinelOne/Defender deployments (requires proprietary agent).
Daylight Security
AI-native MDR for buyers comparing active remediation across endpoint, cloud, identity, and SaaS. Daylight works with existing EDR/SIEM stacks and uses ChatOps-native collaboration, so it can be a useful third reference point in this comparison.