Azure Web Application Firewall vs Microsoft Purview Audit comparison

Azure Web Application Firewall and Microsoft Purview Audit are both solutions in the Microsoft Security Suite category. Azure Web Application Firewall is ranked #22 with an average rating of 8.3, while Microsoft Purview Audit is ranked #31 with an average rating of 8.0. Azure Web Application Firewall holds a 1.9% mindshare in Microsoft Security Suite, compared to Microsoft Purview Audit’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Azure Web Application Firewall users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft Purview Audit users who would recommend it.

Azure Web Application Firewall

Read 16 Azure Web Application Firewall reviews

3,286 Views
789 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Microsoft Purview Audit

Read 3 Microsoft Purview Audit reviews

1,007 Views
292 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Azure Web Application Firewall

Microsoft Purview Audit

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Azure Web Application Firewall and Microsoft Purview Audit based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Microsoft Security Suite solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Purview Audit Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Purview Audit

September 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Azure Web Application Firewall

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

22nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Web Application Firewall (WAF) (13th)

Microsoft Purview Audit

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

31st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Log Management (36th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Azure Web Application Firewall is 1.9%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Audit is 1.0%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Microsoft Security Suite Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Azure Web Application Firewall	1.9%
Microsoft Purview Audit	1.0%
Other	97.1%

Microsoft Security Suite

Featured Reviews

Mano Senaratne

Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.

Comprehensive suite simplifies configuration while frequent updates require management

Mainly, it comes with the complete suite of Microsoft services. I can use it in conjunction with the best options and other features that come with it. Configuration is much easier than using different platforms. For example, if I have hosted the application in AWS and am using the Application Firewall from Azure, there are certain additional steps to follow when configuring them. With Microsoft, everything is within a single suite, making it easier to configure and plan. Azure continually upgrades platforms and sends us messages to upgrade to the next version, simplifying the process. Later, it's much easier if I want to upgrade the software platform, scale it, or move it to a different application host as the whole suite comes together. The return on investment is good. If I am doing applications for clients, I can invoice them for better costs. Most applications that I run and use have a better return on investment.

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Matthew Hoerig

President at Trustsec Inc.

Audit function refines log retrieval and drives application assessments with evolving features

From a service assessment and authorization process perspective, when conducting an assessment on an application or system, we use controls essentially equivalent to the NIST 800-53 framework. This includes examining audit logs, data quality, and various KPIs required for log configuration. It factors into our application assessments. When producing documentation packages for application or system authorization, audit logging and monitoring are crucial parts of the assessment process. The evidence we gather includes screenshots and outputs from these tools and capabilities. For Microsoft Purview Audit specifically, we provide examples of audit function configuration and log output details, which are incorporated into our evidence documents.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"We have found the most valuable features to be the web application, minimal skills required for management, control through policies, and automation."

"The most valuable feature of Azure Web Application Firewall is its ability to filter requests and block false positives by using custom rules and the OWASP rule set."

"It has been a stable product in my experience."

"Configuration is much easier than using different platforms."

"It is almost impossible to access these assets from outside, requiring a very skilled attacker to obtain asset tokens of a customer using Azure."

"The Microsoft support and the analytics are what I appreciate about Azure Web Application Firewall; it integrates effectively with things such as Sentinel and Defender for Cloud, so mostly it's the analytics and now the AI capabilities that have been introduced with Co-pilot."

"I can only strongly recommend using the Azure Web Application Firewall."

"The integration it has with GitHub is great."

More Azure Web Application Firewall pros

"We're easily saving at least one hour per day using this solution."

"The overall user experience with Microsoft Purview Audit is of higher quality than when it was branded as Compliance Center, and Microsoft consistently updates and evolves functionalities and the overall experience."

"The platform has significantly enhanced our operational insight into the overall Microsoft 365 environment."

Cons

"Deployment should be simplified so that a non-techie can handle it."

"Some Azure applications, like the web application firewall, require a certain level of SKU for hosting setup. The basic setup does not allow me to use the web application firewall and other additional services."

"The knowledge base could be improved."

"In Brazil, we have some problems with the phone service that affect our connection with the cloud. However, it isn't common."

"I encountered difficulties with certificates for a Linux server when implementing protection. I had to create the entire chain, as I couldn't simply upload the certificate and the chain."

"The documentation needs to be improved."

"I would say that Azure's customer service is not that good...I am not very happy with the support offered."

"Upgrading the platform regularly is necessary for security, however, frequent updates every six months or year from Azure can be a maintenance overhead."

More Azure Web Application Firewall cons

"We are still in the early stages of leveraging Microsoft Purview Audit. Currently, it's primarily used for the audit function."

"Areas for product improvement include enhancing customization options and integrating more comprehensive compliance features."

"We do have a Denial of Access happening."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution depends on your architecture and how you manage it. You can control the cost in Azure quite well. The costs do not directly correlate to expenses in the features we are using."

"The price is reasonable. It is approximately $2,000 US per month."

"We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft and the pricing is good."

"I give the pricing a nine out of ten."

"Azure WAF has price advantages over other WAF solutions. The pricing model is flexible because you pay on a scale based on the level of protection you need."

"The price is for this solution is fair and there is a license needed."

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

14%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Large Enterprise	12

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Web Application Firewall?

The integration it has with GitHub is great.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Web Application Firewall?

I would place Azure Web Application Firewall at an eight on a scale from one to 10, with one being cheap and 10 being expensive.

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What needs improvement with Azure Web Application Firewall?

The pricing needs improvement, and I think for beginners it will be a little bit complicated, so the ease of use could be enhanced. I've worked with Fortinet and Cisco, and I think the UI is a litt...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Purview Audit?

I'm not aware of the pricing of licensing terms.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Purview Audit?

Areas for product improvement include enhancing customization options and integrating more comprehensive compliance features.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Purview Audit?

We utilize Microsoft Purview Audit for monitoring security and compliance aspects.

See all answers

Comparisons

AWS WAF vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 21% of the time

Fortinet FortiWeb vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 13% of the time

Cloudflare Web Application Firewall vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 7% of the time

Azure Front Door vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 7% of the time

Akamai App and API Protector vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 5% of the time

More Azure Web Application Firewall Competitors

SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server vs Microsoft Purview Audit

Compared 9% of the time

Splunk Enterprise Security vs Microsoft Purview Audit

Compared 9% of the time

Sumo Logic Security vs Microsoft Purview Audit

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiAnalyzer vs Microsoft Purview Audit

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Purview eDiscovery vs Microsoft Purview Audit

Compared 8% of the time

More Microsoft Purview Audit Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Web Application Firewall

October 2025

Download Azure Web Application Firewall product report

Buyer's Guide

Log Management

October 2025

Download Microsoft Purview Audit product report

Overview

Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) provides centralized protection of your web applications from common exploits and vulnerabilities. Web applications are increasingly targeted by malicious attacks that exploit commonly known vulnerabilities. SQL injection and cross-site scripting are among the most common attacks.

To learn more about our solution, ask questions, and share feedback, join our Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Community.

Microsoft

The unified auditing functionality in Microsoft 365 provides organizations with visibility into many types of audited activities across many different services in Microsoft 365. Advanced Audit helps organizations to conduct forensic and compliance investigations by increasing audit log retention required to conduct an investigation, providing access to crucial events that help determine scope of compromise, and faster access to Office 365 Management Activity API.

Microsoft

Buyer's Guide

Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Purview Audit

September 2025

Free Report: Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Purview Audit

Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Purview Audit and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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