Deepwatch vs Field Effect: MDR Comparison 2026
Deepwatch (Pure-play MDR) and Field Effect (MDR provider) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Deepwatch works with your existing tools, while Field Effect requires its own security platform. Deepwatch targets Mid-market and Enterprise organizations; Field Effect focuses on SMB and Mid-market.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Deepwatch vs Field Effect: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Deepwatch if:
- •Mid-market to enterprise organizations with existing Splunk, Google SecOps, or Microsoft Sentinel SIEM investments
- •Companies wanting a dedicated named team (Squad model) rather than rotating anonymous analysts
- •AWS-heavy environments leveraging Deepwatch's Level 1 MSSP Competency partnership
- •You want direct Slack integration with your SOC
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
Bottom line: Field Effect is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Deepwatch is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Deepwatch and Field Effect?
Deepwatch is a Pure-play MDR that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). Field Effect is a MDR provider that is platform-native (requires their own security stack).
How do Deepwatch and Field Effect differ in response capabilities?
Deepwatch supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable. Field Effect supports 5 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine) and approval is configurable.
How does Deepwatch pricing compare to Field Effect?
Deepwatch pricing: Average ~$220K/year; maximum ~$315K for large deployments (per Vendr data). Field Effect pricing: MDR Core: $99/user/month (ideal for <=25 users). MDR Complete: custom pricing (larger organizations, compliance requirements).. Watch for with Deepwatch: Volume-based pricing means unexpected data growth can cause cost spikes; Three platform tiers (Core, Advanced, Enterprise) — critical response capabilities may be gated behind higher tiers. 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 Deepwatch or Field Effect?
Choose Deepwatch if: mid-market to enterprise organizations with existing Splunk, Google SecOps, or Microsoft Sentinel SIEM investments. Choose Field Effect if: sMBs and MSPs wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy MDR with published per-user pricing. Deepwatch is not ideal for sMBs or budget-constrained organizations — average $220K/year pricing is enterprise-oriented. Field Effect is not ideal for organizations with existing CrowdStrike/SentinelOne/Defender deployments — requires proprietary Field Effect agent.