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Kandji vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

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
6.9
Kandji streamlines IT management, reduces deployment costs, and boosts efficiency, enabling single-person management for hundreds of devices.
Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Defender for Cloud boosts efficiency, cuts remediation time, improves security, and reduces overhead despite varied cost perceptions.
The time saved includes processes such as software installation, as previously we needed to take a user device remotely, but with Kandji, we can initiate software installation from the back end, which is a significant time saver.
Tech Support Engineer at Aleph
We went from one hour for resolution time per device to 15 minutes, allowing us to save more than 50 hours of support time in a year.
IT Corporate Engineer at Shippo
I have seen a return on investment with Kandji, estimating that time saved is at least 20 to 30%, as individuals do not have to figure out which security updates to carry out themselves since the notification is pushed for them to review and install.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Defender proactively indexes and analyzes documents, identifying potential threats even when inactive, enhancing preventative security.
Endpoint management at a government with 10,001+ employees
Identifying potential vulnerabilities has helped us avoid costly data losses.
Manager at CBTS
Compared to not having Microsoft Defender for Cloud in place, we definitely saw an advantage by not having downtime due to a security threat.
Principal Microsoft Consultant at MicroAge
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.9
Kandji's customer service is praised for responsiveness, effective chat support, and quick issue resolution, despite suggestions for call options.
Sentiment score
6.3
Microsoft Defender for Cloud support receives mixed reviews, with praise for documentation but issues with response times and escalation.
The customer support at Kandji is phenomenal and is the best I have experienced from any vendor.
IT Support Technician at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The customer support is the best I have ever seen.
IT Operation Manager at a retailer with 201-500 employees
You just go to the help section and can chat directly to get instant support.
TechOps Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Since security is critical, we prefer a quicker response time.
Manager at CBTS
The support team was very responsive to queries.
Programme Manager- Cyber Fusion- Group CISO at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
They understand their product, but much like us, they struggle with the finer details, especially with new features.
Endpoint management at a government with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.7
Kandji scales well for small to medium businesses, efficiently accommodating growth, but may challenge very large organizations needing flexibility.
Sentiment score
7.5
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is scalable, easily deployable, integrates well, and adapts to growth but may incur higher costs.
Kandji's scalability is quite good, though I do see a concern once organizations start getting really large and need more flexibility.
IT Support Technician at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I think Kandji is a perfect choice for growing small companies that become medium-sized or even bigger.
IT Operation Manager at a retailer with 201-500 employees
Kandji's scalability is perfect, as my organization grew from 180 to almost 300 devices with no bottlenecks.
IT Corporate Engineer at Shippo
As we have reduced our on-premises infrastructure, it is about how we can migrate workloads to the cloud to make it easier, and then having everything fully encompassed and secured within that area makes it much easier for us to scale as needed and grow.
Principal Microsoft Consultant at MicroAge
We are using infrastructure as a code, so we do not have any scalability issues with Microsoft Defender for Cloud implementation because our cloud automatically does it.
Senior Cloud Platform Engineer at Deutsche Börse
It has multiple licenses and features, covering infrastructures from a hundred to five hundred virtual machines, without any issues.
Snr. Infrastructure Architect (Data Centre) at LogicEra
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.9
Kandji is renowned for its unwavering stability, earning high user ratings for dependable performance and minimal maintenance needs.
Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is stable and reliable, with minor issues quickly resolved, earning high user ratings.
Defender's stability has been flawless for us.
Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
I have not experienced any crashes or downtime.
Head Of IT at Cirrus Response
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is very stable.
Cloud architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Kandji users want more customization, improved reliability, better pricing, and enhanced features to match competitors for greater satisfaction.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud needs enhanced customization, integration, automation, scalability, support, pricing, and user experience for better efficiency.
The simplicity and straightforwardness are its strongest attributes.
IT Support Technician at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
However, it often takes more than thirty minutes to execute the command, and sometimes it fails.
TechOps Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
I hope there is an easier way to sandbox people's bring your own device devices because when we're doing SOC 2, it really wants us to sandbox things so that if someone were to take a device that is not ours, we could delete just our data off there and not theirs.
SysAdmin at a recreational facilities/services company with 11-50 employees
Microsoft, in general, could significantly improve its communication and support.
Endpoint management at a government with 10,001+ employees
It would be beneficial to streamline recommendations to avoid unnecessary alerts and to refine the severity of alerts based on specific environments or environmental attributes.
Works at Coca-Cola HBC
The artificial intelligence features could be expanded to allow the system to autonomously manage security issues without needing intervention from admins.
Cloud Consultant at i-Community AG
 

Setup Cost

Kandji's expensive pricing involves a yearly fee, suitable for large organizations, requiring sales engagement for non-disclosed costs.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud pricing varies by workload and region, with some finding value and others noting hidden costs.
It is cheap.
TechOps Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
The pricing is not published publicly, requiring interaction with sales representatives for details.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
While it might be on the expensive side compared to Jamf Pro, it is closer in pricing to other MDMs such as Microsoft Intune, which comes with the EMS E3 license.
Technical Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Security has essentially no cost when compared to the cost of a breach.
Director, Cloud and Modern Workplace at Informanix Technology Group
Every time we consider expanding usage, we carefully evaluate the necessity due to cost concerns.
Programme Manager- Cyber Fusion- Group CISO at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
We appreciate the licensing approach based on employee count rather than a big enterprise license.
Manager, Microsoft Technology Alliance at Silverfort
 

Valuable Features

Kandji simplifies device management with user-friendly features and automation, enhancing security and efficiency for diverse teams managing devices.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud provides comprehensive security with CSPM and CWPP, enhancing threat detection, compliance, and automation across multi-cloud environments.
Kandji has impacted my organization positively by definitely increasing security because it notifies you when an update is ready to be installed, and if you do not install it within a reasonable time frame, it would automatically install it.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
It is reliable, a modern approach to managing Apple devices, and with features in blueprints, smart apps, and consistently reliable performance, I do not think Jamf really comes close.
IT Support Technician at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The Auto Apps function is brilliant. It takes 20 seconds to push out a new app, and it automatically updates. This function really saves time.
IT Operation Manager at a retailer with 201-500 employees
The most valuable feature for me is the variety of APIs available.
Programme Manager- Cyber Fusion- Group CISO at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
This feature significantly aids in threat detection and enhances the user experience by streamlining security management.
Cloud Consultant at i-Community AG
The most valuable feature is the recommendations provided on how to improve security.
Cloud architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Kandji
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
20th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
Mobile Device Management (MDM) (3rd), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (5th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (13th)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
5th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
Container Management (6th), Container Security (5th), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (1st), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (4th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (4th), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (5th), Microsoft Security Suite (7th), Compliance Management (4th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Vulnerability Management category, the mindshare of Kandji is 0.4%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 3.1%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Vulnerability Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud3.1%
Kandji0.4%
Other96.5%
Vulnerability Management
 

Featured Reviews

CD
SysAdmin at a recreational facilities/services company with 11-50 employees
Strong security structure has supported fast Mac and iOS administration with minimal IT effort
One area for improvement for Kandji would be having a bigger suite of applications. I noticed that some of the niche apps our data software firm needs were not in the regular library. We were able to use the custom app feature to create those apps ourselves, but I would love it if Kandji could expand the library. I also wish Kandji could lock down different ports on MacBooks based on which ones we wanted to shut down, and I hope there is an easier way to sandbox people's bring your own device devices because when we're doing SOC 2, it really wants us to sandbox things so that if someone were to take a device that is not ours, we could delete just our data off there and not theirs. An improvement needed for Kandji would be the ability to remote into devices. I would appreciate something that is really reliable for that without having to buy third-party software.
RW
Head Of IT at Cirrus Response
Cloud security has cut investigation time and now reveals threats faster but needs simpler oversight
When deploying AI applications, my key security concerns with Microsoft Defender for Cloud are data loss, leakage of data, and guardrails around the actual AI, and I am hoping that this is going to help me put those guardrails in place and identify data exfiltration. Microsoft Defender for Cloud has not helped me manage and secure multi-cloud environments, as we are 100 percent Microsoft and have not really got it in any other environment at all. I am not yet using the unified AI-powered security feature offered by Microsoft Defender for Cloud, but that is coming. I am not yet using the integrated XDR feature of Microsoft Defender for Cloud, but that is coming. I am not yet utilizing the GenAI threat protection features of Microsoft Defender for Cloud. That is also coming and a lot of that will come from learning it here. I have enabled the agentless scanning in my cloud environment with Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Assessing the impact on my workload protection without needing to install agents with Microsoft Defender for Cloud makes it a lot easier, but it also identifies a lot more, which puts more load on me sometimes. I would advise another organization considering Microsoft Defender for Cloud that it is the most logical route to follow if their whole ecosystem is Microsoft. It is easy to implement and it is very self-explanatory when doing it, making sense to just follow the steps as it is too simple, really. I would rate this review a 7.5 out of 10.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise49
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Kandji?
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing experience are good. It is cheap, and we do not encounter any hassle during setup. They help us initially, and after that, we make improvements one by one unt...
What needs improvement with Kandji?
In Kandji, I see a drawback related to the remote wipe function. When we need to wipe a MacBook, sometimes the remote wipe command works, and sometimes it does not. This is a drawback because when ...
What is your primary use case for Kandji?
Kandji is used in our organization to manage all of our Mac devices. Kandji is an MDM tool which we use to manage our devices. For example, we set up our devices and directly enroll them in Kandji ...
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 across your ecosystem. It also has great remote workforce capabilities and supports a...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing was that the license cost was the only consideration. Setup and support had no issues.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
To improve Microsoft Defender for Cloud, I think pricing-wise, the license price is a little bit higher from an ingestion cost perspective. Depending on what license you choose, you might have to p...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Microsoft Azure Security Center, Azure Security Center, Microsoft ASC, Azure Defender
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is trusted by companies such as ASOS, Vatenfall, SWC Technology Partners, and more.
Find out what your peers are saying about Kandji vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
894,738 professionals have used our research since 2012.