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Azure Web Application Firewall vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
3.9
Azure Web Application Firewall offers cost-efficiency through reduced administration, AI enhancements, and competitive pricing compared to leading competitors.
Sentiment score
6.2
Microsoft Purview enhances efficiency, compliance, GDPR alignment, and ROI, supporting data security and long-term organizational growth.
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.
Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.
Clients benefit from using a one-stop-shop solution, increasing their visibility across different platforms.
Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft support is generally satisfactory, with users preferring higher-tier options for faster response and clearer communication.
Sentiment score
5.6
Experiences with Microsoft Purview support differ, with mixed feedback on responsiveness, expertise, documentation, and satisfaction ratings varying widely.
They are good at troubleshooting and configuring things.
Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.
I am very satisfied with the response from Microsoft dedicated architects if it happens that I have to call for their support.
Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology
I reached out to their support, and they helped me resolve the issue effectively.
Owner at ICAL S.A.
Overall, it doesn't meet our expectations.
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.
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.
Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.6
Azure Web Application Firewall offers flexible, highly-rated scalability, easily adapting to traffic changes and various workload needs across subscriptions.
Sentiment score
7.3
Microsoft Purview efficiently scales for large data management, offering seamless integration, high performance, and easy use despite configuration challenges.
Some Azure applications, like the web application firewall, require a certain level of SKU for hosting setup.
Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.
For our company, Azure Web Application Firewall works effectively for scalability.
Global IT Solutions Specialist at RELIEF INTERNATIONAL INC
With automation, you can label five documents or 50,000 with the same amount of clicks.
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.
Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Azure Web Application Firewall is highly stable, with minimal connectivity or performance issues and consistently earns high reliability ratings.
Sentiment score
7.4
Microsoft Purview is stable and reliable, with minor bugs; continuous improvements maintain its data governance functionality effectively.
Very rarely do I see any latency issues.
Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.
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.
Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Azure Web Application Firewall needs better reporting, integration, cost plans, and process streamlining for enhanced management and support.
Microsoft Purview needs better integration, improved documentation, expanded features, enhanced reporting, and an intuitive interface for diverse environments.
Upgrading the platform regularly is necessary for security, however, frequent updates every six months or year from Azure can be a maintenance overhead.
Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.
The pricing needs improvement, and I think for beginners it will be a little bit complicated, so the ease of use could be enhanced.
Global IT Solutions Specialist at RELIEF INTERNATIONAL INC
It's essential to know if a feature isn't working due to missing licenses.
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.
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.
Manager, Service Delivery & Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Setup Cost

Azure Web Application Firewall offers scalable pricing, valued functionality, and favorable terms, appealing compared to AWS and GCP.
Microsoft Purview Data Governance is cost-effective with pay-per-use, benefiting enterprises integrated with Microsoft 365 despite licensing complexity.
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.
Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.
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.
Global IT Solutions Specialist at RELIEF INTERNATIONAL INC
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.
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.
Senior IT Security Risk & Compliance Analyst at a government with 501-1,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Azure Web Application Firewall offers robust security, seamless Azure integration, automatic rule management, and scalable, user-friendly deployment with minimal downtime.
Microsoft Purview provides seamless integration, multi-cloud support, AI-driven data discovery, compliance, and sensitive data management for organizations.
With Microsoft, everything is within a single suite, making it easier to configure and plan.
Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.
It is almost impossible to access these assets from outside, requiring a very skilled attacker to obtain asset tokens of a customer using Azure.
Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology
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.
Global IT Solutions Specialist at RELIEF INTERNATIONAL INC
It provides a comprehensive view of the entire ecosystem's threats and compliance in real time.
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.
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.
Senior IT Security Risk & Compliance Analyst at a government with 501-1,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Azure Web Application Firewall
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
19th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
Web Application Firewall (WAF) (13th)
Microsoft Purview Data Gove...
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
14th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
Data Governance (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Azure Web Application Firewall is 1.9%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Data Governance is 4.7%, up from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Microsoft Security Suite Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Purview Data Governance4.7%
Azure Web Application Firewall1.9%
Other93.4%
Microsoft Security Suite
 

Featured Reviews

RJ
Global IT Solutions Specialist at RELIEF INTERNATIONAL INC
Offers robust analytics and seamless cloud integration with minor room for user interface improvement
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. It helps when looking for threats. It reduces issues significantly because the filtering capabilities are high. Given that it's a cloud solution, we have very minimal downtime, especially because we have Microsoft support. On a scale of one to 10, I would give it an eight.
AS
Tech lead at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Automated data discovery has streamlined management while configuration remains complex
Compared to Big-ID, Microsoft Purview Data Governance looks complicated to me. I do not feel it has a good user-level UI. The interface feels a little complicated compared to Big-ID. I did not appreciate the configuration part. It felt complex, whereas when I went for a Big-ID demo, the interface looked better and was easier to understand for any user.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise33
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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...
What is your primary use case for Azure Web Application Firewall?
Because we mostly operate in the cloud and because we're a Microsoft environment, it was the best option in the scenario. The options were limited in terms of wanting to be an only Microsoft enviro...
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?
The features in the actual data governance could be improved, and I think there is room for improvement in the product. We haven't used role-based access control in a complex way; it's somehow embe...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Azure Purview?
We are currently working with Microsoft Purview Data Governance and other Microsoft products. We are using Microsoft Purview Data Governance.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Microsoft Purview, MS Azure Purview
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Purview Data Governance and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.