Azure Web Application Firewall vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance comparison

Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Purview Data Governance

April 2025

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Helped 850,236 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

6.0

Azure WAF cuts costs, eliminates third-party needs, improves ROI, meets security requirements, and offers reliable, favorable protection.

Sentiment score

7.6

Microsoft Purview Data Governance offers significant returns with improved data management, cost savings, and enhanced compliance and risk mitigation.

Recently, they have been under serious attack with major exploits, such as Log4j, affecting Fortinet and Palo Alto, and even Cisco and VMware.

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

AI-based recommendations save on time and money.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

Clients benefit from using a one-stop-shop solution, increasing their visibility across different platforms.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

Customer Service

Sentiment score

7.1

Azure Web Application Firewall support varies; premium plans offer better service, while others find self-reliance sufficient.

Sentiment score

5.9

Microsoft Purview Data Governance support is generally positive, but users report varied experiences based on responsiveness, expertise, and resources.

They are good at troubleshooting and configuring things.

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

I am very satisfied with the response from Microsoft dedicated architects if it happens that I have to call for their support.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

Overall, it doesn't meet our expectations.

AmrNaeem

Manager, Service Delivery & Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

They're skillful people who know what they're doing in their space.

reviewer2596413

Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

I have a dedicated team as a government agency, and Microsoft assists us promptly.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

Azure Web Application Firewall offers flexible scaling options, dependent on subscription, with high ratings for managing large deployments.

Sentiment score

7.9

Microsoft Purview Data Governance efficiently handles scalable data sources in Azure, though challenges exist with network load and data ingestion.

Some Azure applications, like the web application firewall, require a certain level of SKU for hosting setup.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

With automation, you can label five documents or 50,000 with the same amount of clicks.

reviewer2596413

Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

It allows for one-to-one connections with different types of servers, either cloud-based like AWS, or physical servers.

Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees

The product is scalable and works across multi-cloud and multi-platform environments.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.0

Azure Web Application Firewall is stable and reliable, with rare performance issues, mainly solved by system restart.

Sentiment score

7.5

Microsoft Purview Data Governance is generally stable and reliable, though minor bugs and occasional lag may occur.

Very rarely do I see any latency issues.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

It can take seven days to 24 hours to determine whether a policy is effective.

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

Microsoft Purview Data Governance is absolutely fine in terms of stability.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees

Room For Improvement

Azure WAF needs improvements in management, deployment simplicity, affordability, IP support, and comprehensive documentation for better user experience.

Microsoft Purview needs better integration, enhanced features, clearer documentation, and improved system configuration for complex environments.

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

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

It's essential to know if a feature isn't working due to missing licenses.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

There are some problems with DLP rules, and it would be great if the security around DLP could be expanded.

reviewer2596326

Cloud Security Specialist at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees

A watermark feature or similar tools to help enhance security for end users could be added.

AmrNaeem

Manager, Service Delivery & Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Setup Cost

Enterprise users find Azure Web Application Firewall cost-effective and straightforward compared to AWS and GCP, especially in Brazil.

Microsoft Purview Data Governance offers competitive pricing and cost control benefits, appealing to enterprises with existing Microsoft licenses.

It is even a lower cost compared to AWS and GCP.

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

Sometimes, when opting for a higher SKU, it's not the WAF itself that's costly but the additional requirements.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

The feature might be available in the console, but it won't work without the proper license, creating confusion.

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

Microsoft Purview Data Governance is quite affordable compared to other market solutions, which have high initial costs.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees

I'm not exactly sure how much our license costs, but it is very expensive.

reviewer2700351

Senior IT Security Risk & Compliance Analyst at a government with 501-1,000 employees

Valuable Features

Azure Web Application Firewall offers scalable, easy-to-configure protection with flexible pricing, enhancing security against DDoS and unauthorized access.

Microsoft Purview ensures data security, compliance, and efficiency with integration, data cataloging, lineage tracking, and multi-platform connectivity.

With Microsoft, everything is within a single suite, making it easier to configure and plan.

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

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

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

It provides a comprehensive view of the entire ecosystem's threats and compliance in real time.

AmrNaeem

Manager, Service Delivery & Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

The sensitivity labeling is the most valuable feature because it is the foundation for automating the encryption process and ensuring proper data handling across the organization.

reviewer2596413

Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

Microsoft Purview Data Governance has helped my company by finding insider risks, ensuring data loss prevention, and achieving compliance to make sure everybody is compliant.

reviewer2700351

Senior IT Security Risk & Compliance Analyst at a government with 501-1,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Categories and Ranking

Azure Web Application Firewall

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

20th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Web Application Firewall (WAF) (14th)

Microsoft Purview Data Gove...

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

8th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Governance (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Azure Web Application Firewall is 1.9%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Data Governance is 4.6%, up from 4.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Microsoft Security Suite

Featured Reviews

Comprehensive suite simplifies configuration while frequent updates require management

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

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.

Read full review

James McDowall

Senior Microsoft Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

The sensitivity and retention options in Purview are excellent

Some of the menu headings may not be easy to understand for some people. For example, when I first used Purview, I noticed that one of the self-compliance centers had changed its name. Microsoft has done a huge amount of updates, and sometimes it's hard to keep track of what Purview can do. We almost constantly have to explore it. Maybe Microsoft could have a 365 roadmap where we can look at upcoming features, or some kind of bulletin announcement for Purview users that explains new features and what they can do in simple terms. We could also look at the menu settings. In my experience of using Purview, we've never used it as an exclusive system for IT professionals or technical staff. We were very keen that other specialists around the business made use of some of these features because we thought that some of what Purview could do was relevant to other departments as well as IT. For example, we have HR managers and financial staff who use it. I think that some of the terminology in Purview is pitched toward IT and tech professionals, and it may not be immediately understood by other specialists. This is something that could be improved.

Read full review

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850,236 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

18%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Web Application Firewall?

The integration it has with GitHub is great.

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

The pricing is okay at the moment. Sometimes, when opting for a higher SKU, it's not the WAF itself that's costly but the additional requirements. A higher SKU application hosting platform adds to ...

What needs improvement with Azure Web Application Firewall?

While using it, I identified certain areas where it would have been good to have additional features. Right now, I can't recall any specific instances. Seamless integration is good, yet having mult...

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure Purview?

It is designed to seamlessly connect to various data sources, which is particularly beneficial for our customers who primarily use Microsoft technologies.

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

Microsoft Purview Data Governance is quite affordable compared to other market solutions, which have high initial costs. It allows for a cost-effective start with negligible initial cost. However, ...

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Purview?

There should be more clarity about the costing, particularly how the cost is calculated, especially when utilizing health reports and quality features. Additionally, adding more tools around data q...

AWS WAF vs Azure Web Application Firewall

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Product Reports

Azure Web Application Firewall

May 2025

Download Azure Web Application Firewall product report

Microsoft Purview Data Governance

April 2025

Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Download Microsoft Purview Data Governance product report

Also Known As

No data available

Microsoft Purview, MS Azure Purview

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 new Microsoft Purview portal offers an enhanced governance experience, serving as a unified platform for managing and governing data across various sources, including Azure, Microsoft 365, on-premises, and multicloud environments. Designed to streamline governance, compliance, risk, and security efforts, the new portal provides a user-friendly interface and unlocks advanced features like live view and preset scans. Existing users of Microsoft Purview can upgrade to this enhanced experience, gaining access to improved user interface, enhanced capabilities, and consolidated management of data assets. Additionally, the upgrade sets the stage for future developments, including account consolidation and fine-grained access control.

Microsoft