Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Microsoft ATA [EOL] vs Varonis Platform comparison

Microsoft and Varonis are both solutions in the User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) category. Additionally, 50% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Varonis users who would recommend it.
Microsoft ATA [EOL]
Read 3 Microsoft ATA [EOL] reviews
    50% willing to recommend
    Varonis Platform
    Read 14 Varonis Platform reviews
    • 9,196 Views
    • 460 Comparison Views
    92% willing to recommend
     

    Comparison Buyer's Guide

    Download the report
    Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 7, 2025

    Microsoft ATA [EOL] and Varonis Platform are competing products in the security and analysis domain. Varonis Platform seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive features and capabilities, which make it a preferred choice for those prioritizing security and data governance at a premium.

    Features: Microsoft ATA [EOL] focuses on detecting advanced threats, offers a simplified security environment, and integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products. Varonis Platform provides robust data protection, user behavior analytics, and automated threat responses, highlighting a more comprehensive feature set appealing to those in need of extensive data management and security tools.

    Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft ATA [EOL] benefits from straightforward deployment due to integration within the Microsoft ecosystem. Varonis Platform requires a more involved setup process, reflecting its complexity and advanced capabilities. Varonis offers specialized support, which caters well to complex environments.

    Pricing and ROI: Microsoft ATA [EOL] is more cost-effective from a setup perspective and offers a reasonable ROI for smaller-scale security requirements. Varonis Platform, although demanding a higher initial investment, delivers a significant ROI through its advanced feature set and ability to address comprehensive data security needs effectively.

    DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
    To learn more, read our detailed User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) Report (Updated: August 2025).
    Buyer's Guide
    User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)
    August 2025
    Download the complete report
    Helped 867,445 peers since 2012

    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

    Microsoft ATA [EOL]
    Average Rating
    6.6
    Number of Reviews
    3
    Ranking in other categories
    No ranking in other categories
    Varonis Platform
    Average Rating
    8.2
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.4
    Number of Reviews
    14
    Ranking in other categories
    Email Security (20th), Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (9th), User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) (6th), Data Governance (4th), SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) (5th), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (3rd), Compliance Management (7th), Ransomware Protection (10th), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (7th)
     

    Featured Reviews

    it_user1369068 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Good integration, simple to maintain, and very stable
    Scalability shouldn't be a problem, at least for the size of network team that I work with. Right now we have between 400 and 500 users. This is deployed in a network that is actually about 500 users. We don't plan to increase usage. We're already using it as fully as we can and we don't have any more room. We might look at all the Microsoft programs that relate to office 365, like the ATP, because there is a difference between the ATA and the ATP. We are going to look and see whether there's any gaps that we can close. I think if you compare ATA with the actual ATP it's basically the same functionality. One is more on-premises versus the cloud. Since we are progressively in moving to the cloud, we might look at the ATP, which integrates better with the Microsoft cloud.
    Read full review
    Frederic Delos - PeerSpot reviewer
    Offers the ability to identify sensitive areas, allowing you to drill down into the sensitive data
    The most effective feature for me is its ability to identify sensitive areas, allowing you to drill down into the sensitive data, provided you have access, to determine whether it's a false positive or a true positive. That's the best thing for me, out of all of it. It's got everything, like other ones, but I like to be able to look at something if I'm doing forensics on the alert and say, "Okay, do I really need to do something with this?" For example, we don't want sensitive data in our OneDrive. So it identifies the sensitive data that's possibly in the OneDrive. And what I can do is look at it and identify whether it's actually sensitive data in Datalert or whether it looks like sensitive data, but I know it's a false positive. If it is a false positive, I can basically say ignore this pattern based on X, Y, and Z, you know, whether it's Redjax or keyword proximity. So I like that. With other tools, I gotta go through a whole process because it's a little bit more complex. Here, I can tag it and bag it in one shot. And the next good time I scan, it slips over it. So it helps in that.
    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 of the most valuable features is the ability to report on questionable activity."
    "The solution works well when used with other Microsoft solutions."
    "The stability of the solution is very good."
    "That alerting and reporting service is great."
    "The solution's classification engine is highly configurable and efficient."
    "The telemetry to capture everything and the reports are very easy to configure without having a developer degree."
    "The solution has significantly improved data security and compliance posture by allowing us to track and monitor activities. We can see who accesses data and when files are created and understand what's happening in our environment."
    "Technical support from Varonis is rated as nine out of ten."
    "The analytics would have to be our most valuable feature."
    "Varonis Platform is transparent and captures everything in the environment without impacting the performance. The tool helps us unify data feeds into a single reporting system."
    "The solution ensures that users have not accidentally shared sensitive information with the wrong people or too many people."
    More Varonis Platform pros
     

    Cons

    "Some of the newer features are not completely there yet... For example, there's a tool that allows you to grade your overall internal security and I don't feel that it's completely accurate."
    "There are occasions where it generates some false positives and you have to embark into figuring it out. You need to find out if it was a true alert or a false positive. It's a little bit cumbersome in that area."
    "It would be ideal if the interface allowed for more granular configurations. For example, if I were to set a rule that is a deviation from the pre-defined rules in the Microsoft product, there's conflict."
    "The remediation process can be improved. There will be no existing permission group for the McAfee channel domains. We can create a new permissions group for the required folder."
    "It is significantly complex."
    "I'd like to see automatic updates for this solution. Currently, it's a manual process to update all the keywords"
    "The solution's interface is a little complicated with regard to setting up filters and reports."
    "Varonis requires more access permissions for its core functions compared to competitors, which can be a concern for companies about data safety."
    "Varonis requires more access permissions for its core functions compared to competitors, which can be a concern for companies about data safety."
    "We have Microsoft Office 365. I just saw an article today which says that they're actually getting integrated with Microsoft Office 365, which would be a useful feature. For user-based reports, log on activity, and stuff like that, it doesn't seem to really be present like Log360. That could just be my inexperience with it. I've been dealing with it for only about two and a half months."
    "I would like it to have cloud integration."
    More Varonis Platform cons
     

    Pricing and Cost Advice

    "I believe we are looking into new licenses. They may be called the E5. Honestly, I don't have it on top of my mind, but I think it's around seven to $10 a user per month."
    "Varonis Platform wasn't certainly the cheapest solution."
    "Licensing is on an annual basis. Maintenance and renewal fees are separate. Varonis Datalert is quite expensive."
    "I would rate the pricing an eight out of ten, with ten being the most expensive."
    "The platform is expensive. I rate the pricing a nine out of ten."
    "The pricing is good. It neither expensive nor cheap. It is average."
    "You could do a subscription, where you pay yearly, or you could purchase it outright. The licensing cost is based on the number of users on the system that you are monitoring."
    "It's expensive, kind of, really expensive."
    report
    See which vendors are best for you
    Use our free recommendation engine to learn which User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) solutions are best for your needs.
    See recommendations
    867,445 professionals have used our research since 2012.
     

    Top Industries

    By visitors reading reviews
    No data available
    Financial Services Firm
    15%
    Manufacturing Company
    9%
    Computer Software Company
    9%
    Insurance Company
    8%
     

    Company Size

    By reviewers
    Large Enterprise
    Midsize Enterprise
    Small Business
    No data available
    By reviewers
    Company SizeCount
    Small Business2
    Midsize Enterprise1
    Large Enterprise11
     

    Questions from the Community

    Ask a question
    Earn 20 points
    What do you like most about Varonis Platform?
    The solution has significantly improved data security and compliance posture by allowing us to track and monitor activities. We can see who accesses data and when files are created and understand w...
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Varonis Platform?
    Varonis started as an on-premises solution and is transitioning to cloud. It hasn't fully moved yet, which is an area for improvement. Varonis requires more access permissions for its core function...
    See all answers
    What is your primary use case for Varonis Platform?
    The primary use case for Varonis Platform is data discovery, specifically for discovering sensitive data in our organization to protect it. We are looking for a solution that can scan our repositor...
    See all answers
     

    Comparisons

    No data available
    Microsoft Purview Data Governance vs Varonis Platform Logo
    Microsoft Purview Data Governance vs Varonis Platform
    Compared 20% of the time
    Cyera vs Varonis Platform Logo
    Cyera vs Varonis Platform
    Compared 11% of the time
    BigID vs Varonis Platform Logo
    BigID vs Varonis Platform
    Compared 8% of the time
    Wiz vs Varonis Platform Logo
    Wiz vs Varonis Platform
    Compared 5% of the time
    Microsoft Purview Information Protection vs Varonis Platform Logo
    Microsoft Purview Information Protection vs Varonis Platform
    Compared 3% of the time
    More Varonis Platform Competitors
     

    Product Reports

    Buyer's Guide
    User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)
    August 2025
    Microsoft ATA [EOL] reportDownload Microsoft ATA [EOL] product report
    Buyer's Guide
    Varonis Platform
    August 2025
    Varonis Platform reportDownload Varonis Platform product report
     

    Also Known As

    Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics, MS ATA [EOL]
    SlashNext Complete
     

    Overview

    Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics (ATA) provides a simple and fast way to understand what is happening within your network by identifying suspicious user and device activity with built-in intelligence and providing clear and relevant threat information on a simple attack timeline. Microsoft ATA is an on-premises platform to help you protect your enterprise from advanced targeted attacks by automatically analyzing, learning, and identifying normal and abnormal entity (user, devices, and resources) behavior. It detects suspicious activities and malicious attacks with behavioral analytics, adapts to the changing nature of cyber-security threats, focuses on what is important with a simple attack timeline and reduces false positive fatigue.
    Microsoft

    Varonis Platform enhances data security and governance with advanced analytics, identifying unusual access patterns and sensitive areas. Its centralized interface manages permissions across systems, offering essential capabilities for alerting and reporting.

    Varonis Platform provides continuous data protection and monitoring by identifying and alerting on unauthorized data access. It offers comprehensive insights into file access and user activities, supporting data classification and simplifying compliance with tracking and monitoring capabilities. Integration with storage systems enables users to manage permissions and access effectively. Room for improvement includes cloud integration and simplifying its interface and calculation engine for ease of use. Challenges include on-premises dependency, licensing costs, and a need for enhanced DLP capabilities.

    What are the primary features of Varonis Platform?

    • 24/7 Technical Support: Ensures continuous assistance and issue resolution.
    • Advanced Analytics: Identifies unusual data access patterns for increased security.
    • Centralized Permission Management: Manages access permissions across systems.
    • Data Classification: Categorizes data to enhance protection measures.
    • Integration with Storage Systems: Simplifies compliance through tracking and monitoring.

    What benefits and ROI should users expect?

    • Increased Security: Protects against unauthorized data access.
    • Compliance Simplification: Offers comprehensive tracking and monitoring to meet compliance standards.
    • Efficient Permission Management: Simplifies access controls across platforms.
    • Enhanced Alerting: Provides timely notifications of potential security breaches.

    In finance, Varonis aids in safeguarding sensitive financial data, while in healthcare, it secures patient records. Legal industries utilize it for protecting client information, and retail sectors manage sensitive customer data. These industries benefit from Varonis' ability to prevent unauthorized access and streamline compliance.

    Varonis
     

    Sample Customers

    Turkish Airlines, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Empa, The Alberta Teachers' Association
    Nottingham Building Society
    Buyer's Guide
    User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)
    August 2025
    Download Free Report
    Find out what your peers are saying about IBM, Exabeam, Cynet and others in User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA). Updated: August 2025.
    DOWNLOAD NOW
    867,445 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    See our list of best User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) vendors.

    We monitor all User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.