Field Effect vs Palo Alto Networks: MDR Comparison 2026
Field Effect (MDR provider) and Palo Alto Networks (EDR vendor) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Field Effect requires its own security platform, while Palo Alto Networks requires its own security platform. Field Effect targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; Palo Alto Networks focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise. Field Effect includes 5 attack surfaces in base pricing (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network), compared to 6 for Palo Alto Networks (Endpoint, Cloud, SaaS, Identity, Network, OT/ICS).
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Field Effect vs Palo Alto Networks: Which Should You Choose?
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
Choose Palo Alto Networks if:
- •US government and defense organizations needing FedRAMP Moderate, DoD IL5, StateRAMP compliance
- •Large enterprises wanting co-managed SOC with full visibility into their Cortex XDR/XSIAM tenant
- •Organizations wanting breach response guarantee (MSIAM 2.0 — 250 hours IR included)
- •You need OT/ICS coverage included in base pricing
- •Breach warranty matters to you (Palo Alto Networks offers one, Field Effect does not)
Bottom line: Field Effect (MDR provider) and Palo Alto Networks (EDR vendor) serve different buyer profiles. Your decision depends on whether you prioritize Field Effect's mitre-validated detection (11-min mttd, detected every measured step) with vendor-claimed 99.9% n... or Palo Alto Networks's enterprise mdr backed by palo alto networks' threat intelligence infrastructure (500b events/day,....
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Field Effect and Palo Alto Networks?
Field Effect is a MDR provider that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Palo Alto Networks is an EDR vendor that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Field Effect covers 5 attack surfaces in base pricing vs. 6 for Palo Alto Networks.
How do Field Effect and Palo Alto Networks differ in response capabilities?
Field Effect supports 5 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine) and approval is configurable. Palo Alto Networks supports 6 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine, custom playbooks) and approval is configurable.
How does Field Effect pricing compare to Palo Alto Networks?
Field Effect pricing: MDR Core: $99/user/month (ideal for <=25 users). MDR Complete: custom pricing (larger organizations, compliance requirements).. Palo Alto Networks pricing: Cortex XDR Pro: ~$81/endpoint/year starting (platform only). Unit 42 MDR service is additional custom pricing. Total cost depends on endpoints, tier (Pro vs Premium), coverage scope, and contract terms.. 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. Watch for with Palo Alto Networks: Cortex XDR/XSIAM platform license is a significant prerequisite cost on top of MDR service fee; Cortex Data Lake storage costs are separate and scale with data volume.
Should I choose Field Effect or Palo Alto Networks?
Choose Field Effect if: sMBs and MSPs wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy MDR with published per-user pricing. Choose Palo Alto Networks if: enterprise organizations already invested in the Palo Alto ecosystem (NGFW, Prisma, WildFire) wanting native MDR integration. Field Effect is not ideal for organizations with existing CrowdStrike/SentinelOne/Defender deployments — requires proprietary Field Effect agent. Palo Alto Networks is not ideal for sMBs or budget-constrained organizations — significant prerequisite costs (Cortex XDR + Data Lake) plus MDR service fee.