ConnectWise SIEM vs Microsoft Defender XDR comparison

ConnectWise and Microsoft are both solutions in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category. ConnectWise is ranked #54 with an average rating of 6.0, while Microsoft is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.4. ConnectWise holds a 0.5% mindshare in EDR, compared to Microsoft’s 2.6% mindshare. Additionally, 66% of ConnectWise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

ConnectWise SIEM

Read 3 ConnectWise SIEM reviews

1,661 Views
565 Comparison Views

66% willing to recommend

Microsoft Defender XDR

Read 106 Microsoft Defender XDR reviews

10,352 Views
5,487 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

ConnectWise SIEM

Microsoft Defender XDR

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

ConnectWise SIEM and Microsoft Defender XDR compete in the cybersecurity solutions category. Microsoft Defender XDR seems to have the upper hand due to its broader feature set and advanced capabilities, despite being more expensive.

Features: ConnectWise SIEM provides strong threat detection, robust log management, and effective security incident analysis. Microsoft Defender XDR stands out with its comprehensive integration with other Microsoft products, advanced threat detection algorithms, and seamless automation capabilities.

Room for Improvement: ConnectWise SIEM needs better integration capabilities, improved scalability, and smoother user experience. Microsoft Defender XDR requires better documentation, a more streamlined onboarding process, and simplified configuration options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ConnectWise SIEM is known for straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. Microsoft Defender XDR has more complex deployment due to extensive configuration options but also offers reliable customer service.

Pricing and ROI: ConnectWise SIEM is more affordable with a quicker ROI. Microsoft Defender XDR, although pricier, offers significant value due to its extensive capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed ConnectWise SIEM vs. Microsoft Defender XDR Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ConnectWise SIEM vs. Microsoft Defender XDR

December 2025

Download the complete report

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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

ConnectWise SIEM

Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

54th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (50th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (22nd), Managed Detection and Response (MDR) (25th)

Microsoft Defender XDR

Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

106

Ranking in other categories

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (3rd), Microsoft Security Suite (5th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category, the mindshare of ConnectWise SIEM is 0.5%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender XDR is 2.6%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender XDR	2.6%
ConnectWise SIEM	0.5%
Other	96.9%

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2711757

Cyber Security Software Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Automated alerting and reporting excel while cost and feature limitations remain

I find automation to be one of the best and most valuable features of the product. Machine learning is incorporated into the solution, though AI is a broader term that I wouldn't apply here. I haven't personally explored AI yet, but I will investigate it. Machine learning functions more as automation in my experience, as there's no training involved yet. I want to conduct R&D on another project with Wazuh to determine how to capture usage, for example, tracking user logins and time spent. This is where I need to implement machine learning. Additionally, the extraction of GeoIP adds complexity. The solution is effectively reducing incident response times in operations.

Read full review

Kunle Oluwadiya

House security operator at Cypress Creek Renewables

Advanced threat hunting saves significant time in tracking and responding to incidents

Microsoft Defender XDR could be improved with a lower price. My main suggestion would essentially be what Copilot is providing, which is a single pane of glass, so I don't have to go to different windows. That's just a workflow consideration for me. It would be great to have all the information centralized into one particular data app. If I need to open up extra ones, I can, however, I would appreciate a future where everything I need is right there on one single pane of glass. Beyond that, there's really nothing else I see that I would want Microsoft to improve.

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

"One valuable feature of ConnectWise Fortify is the ability to add other teams and receive notifications when customers make changes or remove multi-factor authentication in Microsoft or SAP environments."

"We have found the solution has great functionality and it is easy to use."

"The integration capabilities of ConnectWise SIEM are off the shelf, making it easy to buy and use; you just unpack it and use it."

"Microsoft Defender XDR is very comprehensive, covering a lot of the services, tools, and applications that we use, so it's very efficient, and it works out of the box."

"Defender XDR can stop advanced attacks, like ransomware or business email compromise."

"Microsoft XDR's system of analysis and investigation is super convenient for our customers. It integrates with other Microsoft solutions like Defender for 365 to protect email traffic from malicious external web links and phishing."

"Another noteworthy feature that I find appealing in Microsoft Defender is the credit-backed simulation. This feature enables organizations to train their users on effectively responding to phishing emails through a simulated training environment."

"The summarization of emails is a valuable feature."

"One of the most valuable features of Microsoft Defender XDR is its ability to provide preemptive reports regarding excessive privileged access."

"The most valuable features are spam filtering, attachment filtering, and antivirus protection."

"It gives a lot of flexibility in terms of configuration and customization as per the business requirements."

More Microsoft Defender XDR pros

Cons

"ConnectWise SIEM is primarily focused on notifications and is limited in that aspect, while Wazuh can automate the elimination process."

"The manage portion of the solution is complicated and should be simplified by having different versions to meet the needs of different size companies."

"ConnectWise Fortify could work on covering more areas, like phishing messages, which have become more complicated to detect."

"Intrusion detection and prevention would be great to have with 365 Defender."

"Some of our older hardware experienced a slight bump in CPU and memory usage. Although I don't have empirical data to back that up, I would suggest possibly more streamlining in the software."

"When we do investigations, it would be better if Microsoft could populate the host dashboard more. When we open any host for investigation, we want the entire timeline of what is happening on the host, including all the users logging in, their hardware, Windows version, etc."

"Because of the training model, Defender XDR's automatic response sometimes blocks legitimate users and activities. Also, the UI sometimes responds slowly."

"In the beginning, it's difficult to navigate the system because it is quite large. Just trying to find your way and understand how the system works can be hard. After spending quite a lot of time searching it's a lot easier, but I wish it were a bit more user-friendly when you're trying to find things."

"Automated playbooks and automated dashboards would be preferable to the way the data is currently being presented."

"The automation response being slow is the main concern; when an incident occurs or if I run a remediation, it takes significant time to complete the remediation."

"My client would like the solution to be more customizable without using code. You can only build on the default console, but we're not allowed to change it."

More Microsoft Defender XDR cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive."

"Sometimes 365 Defender is expensive, but it can be moderate, depending on the organization's size and the license type. We're satisfied with the cost because it gives us a product that protects our entire environment with DLP. To compromise some cost, of course, we are to complete the most secure environment."

"The solution is affordable, and we haven't been hit with any hidden costs. The subscription model is straightforward, and it's easy to understand how much additional features cost. If we need to cancel a license or feature, we do that well in advance to avoid being charged for it, but overall, the pricing and licensing are simple and easy."

"The bundling of software makes it easier to manage our setup, but Microsoft purposefully obfuscates this through marketing ploys to hide costs."

"The price could be better. Normally, the costs depend on the country you're located in for the license. When we were in the initial stage, we went with the E5 license they call premium standard. It cost us around $5.20 per month for four users."

"Microsoft Defender XDR is priced high."

"Defender plan 1 is tenant-wise, and Defender plan 2 is per-user, which makes it more expensive. To have certain features, you would need to purchase the E5 license. For all of the capabilities that the tool provides, the price, though it can be high, is fair."

"Its licensing and pricing are handled by someone else. My role is limited to incidents or issues with the portal, but you get what you pay for. It is worth the cost."

"I believe the pricing is fair and acceptable. I consider it to be reasonable and satisfactory."

More Microsoft Defender XDR pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

21%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

University

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	47
Midsize Enterprise	25
Large Enterprise	38

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with ConnectWise Fortify?

I haven't utilized the advanced threat intelligence capabilities with ConnectWise SIEM. Advanced threat intelligence is an option, but I haven't explored this feature yet. The advanced threat intel...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for ConnectWise Fortify?

I do not have experience with ConnectWise SIEM for RMM, as I mostly work on Wazuh, and I have a team that handles ConnectWise SIEM. I'm linking with them, serving as the bridge. I am solely working...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering ConnectWise Fortify?

The review can be made anonymous if just my name and not the company name is used. I would assess the real-time visibility for my organization as somewhat real-time, but it's not fully real-time. T...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft 365 Defender?

Microsoft Defender XDR provides strong identity protection with comprehensive insights into risky user behavior and potential indicators of compromise.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft 365 Defender?

My experience with pricing, setup, costs, and licensing of Microsoft Defender XDR is tied to our E5 subscription, which is very straightforward for us. We also purchase the uplift for our mobile us...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft 365 Defender?

I am not aware of a mobile app that would be available for my team. With a single analyst, if she is ever away, it would be beneficial to have easier access. While she can use the web portal, the e...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 7% of the time

Wazuh vs ConnectWise SIEM

Compared 6% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs ConnectWise SIEM

Compared 6% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs ConnectWise SIEM

Compared 5% of the time

Sumo Logic Security vs ConnectWise SIEM

Compared 5% of the time

More ConnectWise SIEM Competitors

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 12% of the time

Wazuh vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 4% of the time

Microsoft Sentinel vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Defender XDR Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

January 2026

Download ConnectWise SIEM product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender XDR

January 2026

Download Microsoft Defender XDR product report

Also Known As

ConnectWise Security Management, ConnectWise Fortify, Continuum Fortify, ConnectWise SIEM, ConnectWise SASE

Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Threat Protection, MS 365 Defender

Overview

IT solution providers are the first—and often only—line of defense for every kind of business in every part of the world. Whether managing mom-and-pop businesses or high-profile clients, providing preventive security measures is a must-have in today’s cybersecurity landscape. Security information and event management (SIEM) solutions offer an additional layer of security for your clients; however, most SIEM solutions are routinely difficult to manage, expensive to deploy, and require a significant amount of in-house cybersecurity expertise.

ConnectWise SIEM offers a powerful alternative to expand your security perspective to both prevention and detection. The solution includes comprehensive, flexible SIEM software that streamlines safety and security across your network without additional full-time employee costs or complicated implementations.

ConnectWise

Microsoft Defender XDR is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect against threats in the Microsoft 365 environment.

It offers robust security measures, comprehensive threat detection capabilities, and an efficient incident response system. With seamless integration with other Microsoft products and a user-friendly interface, it simplifies security management tasks.

Users have found it effective in detecting and preventing various types of attacks, such as phishing attempts, malware infections, and data breaches.

Watch the Microsoft demo video here: Microsoft Defender XDR demo video.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Techvera, Syrex, Clark Integrated Technologies

Accenture, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, General Electric, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and many others.

Buyer's Guide

ConnectWise SIEM vs. Microsoft Defender XDR

December 2025

Free Report: ConnectWise SIEM vs. Microsoft Defender XDR

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