CrowdStrike vs Field Effect: MDR Comparison 2026
CrowdStrike (EDR vendor) and Field Effect (MDR provider) take different approaches to managed detection and response. CrowdStrike requires its own security platform, while Field Effect requires its own security platform. CrowdStrike targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Field Effect focuses on SMB and Mid-market. CrowdStrike includes 4 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Network), compared to 5 for Field Effect (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network).
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
CrowdStrike vs Field Effect: Which Should You Choose?
Choose CrowdStrike if:
- •Enterprise organizations (200+ endpoints) wanting MITRE-validated detection speed
- •Teams comfortable with a single-vendor platform approach
- •Organizations that want fully autonomous remediation without approval workflows
- •Breach warranty matters to you (CrowdStrike offers one, Field Effect does not)
Choose Field Effect if:
- •SMBs and MSPs wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy MDR with published per-user pricing
- •Canadian organizations needing domestic data hosting and PIPEDA compliance
- •Healthcare, government, and defense contractors needing HIPAA/CMMC/NIST compliance support
- •You need Identity coverage included in base pricing
Bottom line: CrowdStrike (EDR vendor) and Field Effect (MDR provider) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize CrowdStrike's top-tier detection speed and active remediation depth backed by mitre-validated metrics, crowdstr... or Field Effect's mitre-validated detection (11-min mttd, detected every measured step) with vendor-claimed 99.9% n....
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between CrowdStrike and Field Effect?
CrowdStrike is an EDR vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Field Effect is a MDR provider that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). CrowdStrike covers 4 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 5 for Field Effect.
How do CrowdStrike and Field Effect differ in response capabilities?
CrowdStrike supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and acts without approval. Field Effect supports 5 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine) and approval is configurable. Incident response is included with CrowdStrike and not included with Field Effect.
How does CrowdStrike pricing compare to Field Effect?
CrowdStrike pricing: $15-25/endpoint/month (estimates vary by deployment size) (200-seat minimum). Field Effect pricing: MDR Core: $99/user/month (ideal for <=25 users). MDR Complete: custom pricing (larger organizations, compliance requirements).. Watch for with CrowdStrike: Minimum 200-500 endpoints required — eliminates most SMBs; Requires CrowdStrike Falcon platform — cannot use with competing EDR. Watch for with Field Effect: MDR Core excludes network monitoring, DNS firewall, and dark web monitoring — significant feature gap vs Complete; $99/user adds up quickly — 50 users = $4,950/month.
Should I choose CrowdStrike or Field Effect?
Choose CrowdStrike if: enterprise organizations (200+ endpoints) wanting MITRE-validated detection speed. Choose Field Effect if: sMBs and MSPs wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy MDR with published per-user pricing. CrowdStrike is not ideal for sMBs with fewer than 200 endpoints (minimum requirement). Field Effect is not ideal for organizations with existing CrowdStrike/SentinelOne/Defender deployments — requires proprietary Field Effect agent.