CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management comparison

CrowdStrike Falcon vs. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

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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

CrowdStrike Falcon

Ranking in Attack Surface Management (ASM)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

132

Ranking in other categories

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (6th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (2nd), Threat Intelligence Platforms (1st), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (1st), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (1st), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (2nd), AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms (1st)

Microsoft Defender External...

Ranking in Attack Surface Management (ASM)

13th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Microsoft Security Suite (33rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Attack Surface Management (ASM) category, the mindshare of CrowdStrike Falcon is 13.9%, down from 27.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management is 3.0%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Attack Surface Management (ASM)

Featured Reviews

Waleed Omar

Information Security Specialist at Arab Open University

Provides effective real-time threat detection with potential for cost optimization

Some features such as device control, firewall management, and file analysis are standalone products that we need to purchase separately. If these features came out of the box within the product, it would be much more beneficial for us. Other providers such as SentinelOne include these features in their base product. We attended a CrowdStrike Falcon event where they discussed some shallow AI features, but we cannot see these in our panel yet. We work with different solutions such as Darktrace and SocRadar, where AI features are automatically displayed in our dashboards after release. However, for CrowdStrike Falcon, we cannot see these features.

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AndyChan3

General manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Enhanced visibility and exposes vulnerabilities but needs more integration

I am currently in the pilot stage of implementing Microsoft External Attack Surface Management (EASM). My organization is transitioning to a comprehensive track of Microsoft solutions, and we will move to full-scale production in another year, maybe Microsoft External Attack Surface Management…

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Because it is security product and acts like an AIML smart product, not merely based on daily/weekly updates and signatures."

"The initial setup was straightforward."

"The detection and response console is the most valuable feature."

"It helps to prevent unauthorized access or identity theft from external sites. If your identity is stolen, you can ban it."

"We are happy with CloudStrike's ease of use and touch notification."

"The ability to remote into other devices for investigation and the way it presents a graphical representation of the detection, like the parent-child process, are valuable features."

"The most valuable aspects of CrowdStrike Falcon for me are its device observability, identification, and software and OS recognition."

"I haven't had any issues with bugs or glitches. I haven't had a problem with stability so far."

More CrowdStrike Falcon pros

"It seems to be better at protecting from cyberattacks."

"Microsoft External Attack Surface Management helps improve the visibility of my exposed vulnerabilities and provides an overview of my security posture across the globe."

Cons

"We have had to open a case with the technical support to get some issues and bugs resolved."

"It would be nice if they did have some sort of Active Directory tie-in, whether that be Azure or on-prem. Sometimes, it is difficult for us to determine if we are missing any endpoints or servers in CrowdStrike. We honestly don't have a great inventory, but it would be nice if CrowdStrike had a way to say this is everything in your environment, Active Directory-wise, and this is what doesn't have sensors. They try to do that now with a function that they have built-in, but I have been unsuccessful in having it help us identify what needs a sensor. So, better visibility of what doesn't have a sensor in our environment would be helpful."

"The content-filtering features for children could be improved. We have young grandchildren aged 12 and 8. My daughter, their mother, wants to keep them from getting in trouble on the net. She looked at all these other solutions from Google, Microsoft, etc., and she couldn't figure out how to make any of those work. I told her that I bet CrowdStrike could handle this. Sure enough, CrowdStrike can do exactly that. It's the same solution that the Defense Department gets. It works, but it's a little complicated to implement. It could be simpler to set the policies."

"CrowdStrike Falcon could improve the logs by making them free to the API."

"The console is a little cluttered and at times, finding what you're looking for is not intuitive."

"The tool is more expensive than other products in the market."

"The solution needs to have integration with on-premises security devices and security facilities. That means all the security products, including the perimeter firewall, the DMZ."

"The solution could improve the policies themselves."

More CrowdStrike Falcon cons

"With Microsoft, support is always crazy, it's not easy to get support."

"Further integration across different Microsoft products would be an improvement."

"The integration is not as seamless compared to competitors like Palo Alto."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost of CrowdStrike Falcon in Latin America seems high relative to the economic conditions in the region."

"The price is too high."

"CrowdStrike Falcon's price is good."

"We are on an annual subscription for the solution. There are not any additional costs."

"The price is high in comparison to similar brands."

"The pricing is definitely high but you get what you pay for, and it's not so high that it prices itself out of the market."

"The price of CrowdStrike Falcon is expensive and should be reduced."

"When comparing to Microsoft, CrowdStrike Falcon is more expensive."

More CrowdStrike Falcon pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

Comparing CrowdStrike Falcon to Cortex XDR (Palo Alto)

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. CrowdStrike Falcon Both Cortex XDR and Crowd Strike Falcon offer cloud-based solutions that are very scalable, secure, and user-friendly. Cortex XDR by Palo Alto offers ...

How does Crowdstrike Falcon compare with Darktrace?

Both of these products perform similarly and have many outstanding attributes. CrowdStrike Falcon offers an amazing user interface that makes setup easy and seamless. CrowdStrike Falcon offers a cl...

How does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint compare with Crowdstrike Falcon?

The CrowdStrike solution delivers a lot of information about incidents. It has a very light sensor that will never push your machine hardware to "test", you don't have the usual "scan now" feature ...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?

I rate the pricing of the solution as eight out of ten.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?

Further integration across different Microsoft products would be an improvement. Introduction of more AI automation into the products would also be beneficial. The integration is not as seamless co...

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs CrowdStrike Falcon

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Product Reports

CrowdStrike Falcon

Download CrowdStrike Falcon product report

Attack Surface Management (ASM)

Download Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management product report

Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management report

Also Known As

CrowdStrike Falcon, CrowdStrike Falcon XDR, CrowdStrike Falcon Threat Intelligence, CrowdStrike Identity Protection, CrowdStrike Falcon Surface

No data available

Overview

CrowdStrike Falcon provides endpoint protection and threat intelligence using a cloud-based platform for real-time detection and response. Its minimal impact on system performance and ease of deployment are key benefits along with advanced logging and reporting for compliance and forensic analysis.

CrowdStrike Falcon is known for its efficacy in identifying malware, ransomware, and sophisticated cyber threats. The platform's cloud-native architecture and advanced AI capabilities ensure comprehensive endpoint visibility and rapid response times. Users appreciate the lightweight agent and seamless deployment process, along with detailed reporting features. Integration with security tools and efficient customer support are essential features.

What are the key features of CrowdStrike Falcon?

Real-time Threat Detection: Provides immediate threat identification and response.
Lightweight Agent: Minimal impact on system performance.
Cloud-native Architecture: Ensures flexibility and scalability.
Advanced AI Capabilities: Enhances threat detection and prevention.
Comprehensive Endpoint Visibility: Complete insight into endpoint activities.
Detailed Reporting: Facilitates compliance and forensic analysis.
Security Tool Integration: Seamless integration with other tools.
Efficient Customer Support: Robust support services.

What are the benefits or ROI of CrowdStrike Falcon?

Improved Threat Detection: Identifies sophisticated threats, reducing risk.
Enhanced System Performance: Lightweight agent ensures minimal disruption.
Faster Response Times: Swift reaction to incidents minimizes damage.
Better Compliance: Detailed logs meet regulatory requirements.
Streamlined Deployment: Easy to implement with minimal downtime.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and retail, CrowdStrike Falcon is often used for critical security due to its robust threat detection capabilities. Financial firms value its rapid response and detailed reporting for compliance, while healthcare providers appreciate the minimal system performance impact. Retailers benefit from its comprehensive endpoint visibility and integration with other security tools.

CrowdStrike

In this era of hybrid work, shadow IT creates an increasingly serious security risk. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management helps cloud security teams see unknown and unmanaged resources outside the firewall.

Microsoft

CrowdStrike Falcon vs. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management