Field Effect vs Trustwave: MDR Comparison 2026
Field Effect (MDR provider) and Trustwave (Services firm) take different approaches to managed detection and response. Field Effect requires its own security platform, while Trustwave works with your existing tools. Field Effect targets SMB and Mid-market organizations; Trustwave focuses on Mid-market and Enterprise.
Key Differences at a Glance
Winner by Category
Field Effect vs Trustwave: 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 Trustwave if:
- •US government organizations needing the first FedRAMP-authorized pure-play MDR provider
- •Companies needing both MDR and PCI DSS compliance/assessment from a single provider
- •Mid-market and enterprise organizations wanting a co-managed SOC model alongside internal teams
Bottom line: Field Effect is the choice if you want a single-vendor stack with deep integration. Trustwave is better if you have existing tools and want flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Field Effect and Trustwave?
Field Effect is a MDR provider that is platform-native (requires their own security stack). Trustwave is a Services firm that is technology-agnostic (works with your existing tools). SLA commitments differ: Field Effect offers Not disclosed, Trustwave offers ≤30 minutes.
How do Field Effect and Trustwave differ in response capabilities?
Field Effect supports 5 autonomous actions (endpoint isolation, process termination, network containment, account disable, file quarantine) and approval is configurable. Trustwave 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 Trustwave?
Field Effect pricing: MDR Core: $99/user/month (ideal for <=25 users). MDR Complete: custom pricing (larger organizations, compliance requirements).. Trustwave pricing: Starting at ~$43,775/year (SelectHub estimate). Enterprise pricing is custom/quote-based.. 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 Trustwave: Ownership instability — 4 ownership events in 10 years (Singtel → Chertoff/MC2 → failed Cybereason merger → LevelBlue); IR not included in base MDR — separate DFIR retainer required.
Should I choose Field Effect or Trustwave?
Choose Field Effect if: sMBs and MSPs wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy MDR with published per-user pricing. Choose Trustwave if: uS government organizations needing the first FedRAMP-authorized pure-play MDR provider. Field Effect is not ideal for organizations with existing CrowdStrike/SentinelOne/Defender deployments — requires proprietary Field Effect agent. Trustwave is not ideal for organizations concerned about vendor stability — 4 ownership events in 10 years including a failed Cybereason merger.