Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud comparison

Fortra and Microsoft are both solutions in the Vulnerability Management category. Fortra is ranked #31 with an average rating of 10.0, while Microsoft is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.1. Fortra holds a 0.6% mindshare in VM, compared to Microsoft’s 3.9% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortra users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 19, 2025

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR and Microsoft Defender for Cloud compete in cybersecurity solutions. Microsoft Defender for Cloud seems to hold an advantage due to its comprehensive features and integration within the Azure ecosystem, indicating user sentiment that its investment is worthwhile.

Features: Fortra's Alert Logic MDR provides rapid threat detection, flexible deployment options, and strong support for hybrid environments. Microsoft Defender for Cloud offers seamless integration with Azure, advanced threat analytics, and extensive automation capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Fortra's Alert Logic MDR could enhance its machine learning capabilities, improve incident response times, and expand its integration with third-party tools. Microsoft Defender for Cloud could improve its non-Azure integrations, simplify its interface for beginners, and offer more competitive pricing details for smaller enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Defender for Cloud integrates smoothly into the Azure platform, easing deployment. Fortra's Alert Logic MDR is praised for straightforward deployment across multiple environments and proactive customer service, offering an edge in non-Azure settings.

Pricing and ROI: Fortra's Alert Logic MDR offers competitive pricing and shows strong ROI across varied infrastructures. Microsoft Defender for Cloud often involves higher setup costs but provides significant ROI when fully integrated with Azure products, delivering value mainly within its cloud ecosystem.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud

December 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

Zafran Security

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Vulnerability Management category, the mindshare of Zafran Security is 1.1%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortra's Alert Logic MDR is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 3.9%, down from 5.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Vulnerability Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud	3.9%
Zafran Security	1.1%
Fortra's Alert Logic MDR	0.6%
Other	94.4%

Vulnerability Management

Featured Reviews

Reviewer6233

Works at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Has become an indispensable tool in our cybersecurity arsenal

While Zafran Security is already a powerful tool, there are areas where it could be further improved to provide even greater value. One key area for enhancement is the searching capabilities within its vulnerabilities module. By incorporating the ability to create Boolean searches, users would gain the ability to apply more complex filters and customize their search criteria. This would greatly enhance the precision and efficiency with which security teams can identify and prioritize vulnerabilities. Having such tailored search capabilities would save time and resources by narrowing down vast lists of vulnerabilities to those that meet specific parameters relevant to our unique risk environment. Additionally, integrating more robust reporting and visualization tools would be advantageous. Enhanced dashboards that offer customizable visual representations of risk configurations and threat landscapes would facilitate better communication with stakeholders, making it easier to explain vulnerabilities and the rationale behind certain security measures. This would also aid in demonstrating the improvements and value derived from existing security investments to leadership and non-technical team members.

Read full review

reviewer2191746

President at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

It's a highly mature, competitively priced solution that provides total visibility into your ecosystem. FORTRA's Alert Logic has the only Cybersecurity Platform that integrates XDR+WAF+VM+DLP in one.

Alert Logic offers total visibility into the client's IT ecosystem. The solution's intrusion detection system inspects 100 percent of the network packets and installs universal agents on all physical and virtual servers for log collection. Alert Logic also aggregates logs of the client's various 3rd Party security tools into a single pane of glass. All of the analytics from those data feeds got to a 24/7 SOC with sophisticated resources. Alert Logic has massive threat intelligence resources to provide additional context to the incident response declarations. They do all the heavy lifting for clients who lack the technology and resources to operate their own SOC. The client is solely responsible for the incident response component. The macro analytics resides on Alert Logic's cloud. You have the ECM response and business application team on the client side. Everything works in tandem, which is the only way you can deal with the advanced threats we face today, especially the ransomware families. If you don't respond in minutes, you're in trouble.

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David Birhange

Director, Cloud and Modern Workplace at Informanix Technology Group

Brings together cloud security insights through a unified view and supports agentless protection for virtual machines

Copilot and similar features are already being used, though not necessarily for Microsoft Defender for Cloud specifically. We are trying to get more experience before rolling out most of Microsoft Defender for Cloud's AI capabilities. This is definitely on our to-do list, and the priority is urgent as we seek to learn more about these capabilities. The GenAI threat protection from Microsoft Defender for Cloud has not been enabled yet. There are many unknowns with AI applications. AI agents will operate while you're not present, whether you are sleeping or awake, and it's unclear whether there would be any exfiltration of data or how data is being managed. Microsoft Purview is being used extensively, and there is significant development going on with DSPM that will be rolled out to address security concerns. Data labeling and proper demarcation for sensitivity of data before it is received are being actively pursued.

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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

"Zafran is an excellent tool."

"We saw benefits from Zafran Security almost immediately after deploying it."

"Zafran has become an indispensable tool in our cybersecurity arsenal."

"Overall, we have seen about eighty-seven percent reduction of the number of vulnerabilities that require urgency to remediate, specifically the number of criticals."

"With Zafran Security, it integrates with your security controls, allowing you to take that risk score and reduce it based on the controls in place or increase the risk based on different factors, such as if the issue is internet reachable or if there's an exploit in the wild."

"We are able to see the real risk of a vulnerability on our environment with our security tools."

"While I still have on-premises appliances, I can remotely monitor everything from the cloud, and Alert Logic's ease-of-access features have helped me streamline my workflow and reduce implementation time."

"It improves our security. Before, we didn't have anything scanning our containers. We had software scanning all the physical servers, but we had nothing to scan our containers. With Alert Logic, we can do that."

"The quicker implementation of changes to our infrastructure from Alert Logic tell us if there are any problems."

"Everything is in one dashboard; I'm notified when there's an incident and advised on what steps to take."

"It has the ability to install agents. It is pretty straightforward. You can automate the process pretty easily."

"Notifications and the detail of notifications are most valuable. It is a user-friendly solution."

"The most valuable aspect of Alert Logic is its technology platform. They have SOCs in the US and Europe, giving them global visibility of the threat landscape. They detect and respond to threats in minutes. Their biggest value is human expertise. You're being attacked by a human, and you cannot respond to it unless you have a human on the other side. They have the human and technological resources to respond."

"We receive infrastructure security warnings from it. So, we know what is going on and what needs to be addressed."

More Fortra's Alert Logic MDR pros

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud has benefited my organization by reducing the overall cost of the Azure package and providing greater peace of mind during off-hours to prevent problems."

"The most valuable feature is the regulatory compliance aspect, where we utilize predefined initiatives like NIST. Alert management is another useful feature. Alerts are directly integrated with our email or DevOps board for easy viewing, allowing us to identify problem areas efficiently."

"My favorite part of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is the compliance features. Defender covers a wide range of workloads, on par with competing products on the market."

"When you have commissioned Defender, you have these things visible already on your dashboard. This gives the efficiency to the people to do their actual work rather than bothering about the email, sorting out the email, or looking at it through an ITSM solution, whey they have to look at the description and use cases. Efficiency increases with this optimized, ready-made solution since you don't need to invest in something externally. You can start using the dashboard and auditing capability provided from day one. Thus, you have fewer costs with a more optimized, easier-to-use solution, providing operational efficiency for your team."

"Defender for Cloud is an improvement over Trend Micro, our previous solution. We like integrating our endpoints and visualizing everything in one place. It provides comprehensive coverage for endpoints, servers, and overall environmental security."

"The most valuable feature is the hunting feature, which integrates well into the entire Microsoft ecosystem."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud can find potential phishing links and malicious code in data at rest."

"The most valuable feature is the recommendations provided on how to improve security."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pros

Cons

"The dashboarding and reporting functionality of Zafran Security is an area that definitely could use some improvements."

"Initially, we were somewhat concerned about the scalability of Zafran due to our large asset count and the substantial amount of information we needed to process."

"I think the ability to have some enhanced reporting capabilities is something they can improve on, as they have good reports but we have asked for some specific reporting enhancements."

"Could be more of an endpoint protector."

"The setup process was complex."

"This product needs to mature more. While it is a good product, there are some areas where it needs work."

"The product needs to mature. We don't want to be bombarded with unnecessary issues and have the real ones slip through."

"I would like to see it do initial scans and start capturing data, which it will truly analyze, not just be a reporting system saying, "Here is an email. Here is an email. Here is an email.""

"As a user involved with the user interface, I believe there is a need to continue improving it based on feedback from our customers."

"We'd like to have triggered alerts sent to us so we see errors quicker."

"I would like more data on the alert payload. It would be good to have the ability to customize the alert payload to add whatever data that we want on there. Right now, it is a bit limited."

More Fortra's Alert Logic MDR cons

"There needs to be improvement in the security recommendations, particularly in attack path mapping. Sometimes, it misleads users about the real exposure of external-facing assets."

"The product was a bit complex to set up earlier, however, it is a bit streamlined now."

"Microsoft Graph needs improvement."

"There should be an automated mechanism to design Azure policies based on the recommendations, possibly with AI integration. Instead of an engineer having to write a policy to fix security gaps, which is very time-consuming, there should be an inbuilt capability to auto-remediate everything and have proper control in place."

"The documentation could be much clearer."

"If they had an easier way to display all the vulnerabilities of the machines affected and remediation steps on one screen rather than having to dive deep into each of them, that would be a lot easier."

"Pricing could be improved. There are limited options based on pricing for the government."

"The documentation and implementation guides could be improved."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Almost any product that is on the AWS Marketplace is super easy to subscribe to."

"Our ROI would probably be zero. We don't even use it. It sits in there. We get emails and just delete them. Around the world, we don't even use it."

"Price of the solution was very reasonable considering the size of our organization at the time, and so it worked out perfectly."

"Alert Logic has better competitive pricing than some of its competitors."

"Its pricing is very reasonable considering what you get for what you pay. There is quite a good value there. Its licensing is also very logical. They've got the licensing price points at a reasonable level. It is on a monthly license but a yearly contract. There are no additional costs to the standard licensing fees."

"It has global licensing. It comes with multiple licenses since there are around 50,000 people (in our organization) who look at it."

"Security Center charges $15 per resource for any workload that you onboard into it. They charge per VM or per data-base server or per application. It's not like Microsoft 365 licensing, where there are levels like E3 and E5. Security Center is pretty straightforward."

"This is a worldwide service and depending on the country, there will be different prices."

"There are two different plans. We're using the secure basic plan, but we have used the end security plan as well. There are additional costs, but it gives us more functionalities compared to the basic plan."

"This solution is more cost-effective than some competing products. My understanding is that it is based on the number of integrations that you have, so if you have fewer subscriptions then you pay less for the service."

"The pricing and licensing of Microsoft Defender for Cloud have been good for us. We appreciate the licensing approach based on employee count rather than a big enterprise license."

"The licensing is straightforward but can become expensive if you cover everything. You must balance the cost against the importance of what needs covering."

"Currently, Microsoft offers only one plan at the enterprise level which is $15 per machine."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

14%

Performing Arts

Outsourcing Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	27
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	49

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zafran Security?

Since we stood Zafran Security up in our private cloud, we handle the maintenance on our side. As we opted not to use...

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What needs improvement with Zafran Security?

In terms of areas for improvement, Zafran Security is doing a really great job as a new and emerging company. Oftenti...

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What is your primary use case for Zafran Security?

My use cases for Zafran Security revolve around two primary areas. One is around vulnerability management and priorit...

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How is Prisma Cloud vs Azure Security Center for security?

Azure Security Center is very easy to use, integrates well, and gives very good visibility on what is happening acros...

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

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Defender for Cloud was pretty straightforward. We...

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What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Cloud?

Microsoft Defender for Cloud can be improved. An additional feature that should be included in the next release is Ze...

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Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Zafran Security

December 2025

Download Zafran Security product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR

January 2026

Download Fortra's Alert Logic MDR product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

January 2026

Download Microsoft Defender for Cloud product report

Also Known As

No data available

Alert Logic MDR, Alert Logic Managed Detection and ResponseAlert Logic Threat Manager, Alert Logic Cloud Defender, Critical Watch FusionVM

Microsoft Azure Security Center, Azure Security Center, Microsoft ASC, Azure Defender

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Zafran Security

Demo not available

Fortra

Microsoft

Overview

Zafran Security integrates with existing security tools to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities effectively, proving that most critical vulnerabilities are not exploitable, optimizing threat management.

Zafran Security introduces an innovative operating model for managing security threats and vulnerabilities. By leveraging the threat exposure management platform, it pinpoints and prioritizes exploitable vulnerabilities, reducing risk through immediate remediation. This platform enhances your hybrid cloud security by normalizing vulnerability signals and integrating specific IT context data, such as CVE runtime presence and internet asset reachability, into its analysis. No longer reliant on patch windows, Zafran Security allows you to manage risks actively.

What are the key features of Zafran Security?

Threat Exposure Management: Utilizes existing tools to prioritize vulnerabilities and manage threats.
Integrative Analysis: Combines security data with IT context for precise vulnerability management.
Real-time Risk Reduction: Enables immediate risk management without waiting for patches.
Hybrid Cloud Compatibility: Functions across diverse cloud environments for comprehensive security.

What benefits can users expect from Zafran Security?

Improved Security: Enhances protection by efficiently identifying and mitigating risks.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces unnecessary patching expenses by confirming non-exploitable vulnerabilities.
Time Savings: Frees developers to focus on root causes by handling immediate threats.
Comprehensive Insight: Offers a holistic view of security threats and vulnerabilities.

In industries where security is paramount, such as finance and healthcare, Zafran Security provides invaluable protection by ensuring that only exploitable vulnerabilities are addressed. It allows entities to maintain robust security measures while allocating resources efficiently, fitting seamlessly into existing security strategies.

Zafran Security

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR specializes in threat detection and response with features like log access and user-friendly notifications. It is used primarily in extensive e-commerce deployments for network protection.

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR provides a unified interface with comprehensive search capabilities, immediate log access, and efficient reporting tools. Users benefit from accurate scanning, automated security warnings, and rapid response times, supported by SOCs for global visibility. The technology employs human expertise for enhanced threat detection and prevention, with a hardware setup designed to avoid virtual environment issues. However, there's a need for improved error tracing, intuitive navigation, and stronger analytical automation within the platform. Enhancements in setup documentation and user interfaces are desired, alongside demands for a built-in EDR and better alert management systems.

What are the key features of Fortra's Alert Logic MDR?

Comprehensive Searching: Enables detailed investigations.
Immediate Log Access: Provides quick insight into system activities.
User-Friendly Notifications: Enhances alert effectiveness.
Automated Security Warnings: Offers proactive security measures.
Optimized Platform: Delivers efficient functionality across services.
Heuristic Monitoring: Guards against complex threats.

What benefits and ROI should users seek in reviews?

Quick Response Times: Minimizes downtime and improves efficiency.
Global Visibility: Extends threat management reach through SOCs.
Human Expertise: Enhances detection and intervention accuracy.
Streamlined Deployment: Facilitates smoother hardware integration.

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR is widely implemented across public and private sectors for robust network protection. It supports large-scale e-commerce operations, offering advanced detection capabilities with AI and machine learning. Security scanning, intrusion detection, and vulnerability analysis in Kubernetes are key applications.

Fortra

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a comprehensive security solution that provides advanced threat protection for cloud workloads. It offers real-time visibility into the security posture of cloud environments, enabling organizations to quickly identify and respond to potential threats. With its advanced machine learning capabilities, Microsoft Defender for Cloud can detect and block sophisticated attacks, including zero-day exploits and fileless malware.

The solution also provides automated remediation capabilities, allowing security teams to quickly and easily respond to security incidents. With Microsoft Defender for Cloud, organizations can ensure the security and compliance of their cloud workloads, while reducing the burden on their security teams.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is trusted by companies such as ASOS, Vatenfall, SWC Technology Partners, and more.

Buyer's Guide

Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud

December 2025

Free Report: Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortra's Alert Logic MDR vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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