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Microsoft Defender for Business vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
6.1
Microsoft Defender for Business improves security, enhances productivity, and reduces costs but may have delays in financial returns.
Sentiment score
6.6
Microsoft Purview boosted ROI by enhancing data protection, efficiency, and compliance, reducing false positives, and involving external agencies.
Using Microsoft Defender for Business results in cost reductions as it consolidates various features under one product, saving around 20% to 30% of the budget.
Consultant at Dell Technologies
The value I see in Microsoft Defender for Business is in its ability to track and respond to application usage and security threats through its CASB and automation features, which are cost-beneficial.
Purview saved us from potential lawsuits and the loss of confidential information, preventing legal issues.
Manager, Information Technology Security Compliance at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
The one example that I provided was worth significant attention, as the FBI and other organizations became involved, so I am assuming it was really important.
IC Sharepoint Administrator at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.2
Microsoft Defender for Business support is efficient but inconsistent, with variable responsiveness and differing opinions on staff knowledge and resolution times.
Sentiment score
4.8
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management's support varies by tier, with premium support praised and regular service facing challenges.
It is rated ten out of ten for its quality and assistance.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
The onboarding support is exceptional, ensuring seamless integration and implementation.
Chief Cybersecurity Architect at cytek-security
Faster support is needed for endpoint security solutions.
Premium support provides excellent service, but it can be challenging for customers who cannot afford it.
Director at Scybers
Overall, I had a few issues, so I would rate the service a nine for Purview.
Manager, Information Technology Security Compliance at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Defender for Business offers scalable, cloud-driven security for diverse organizations, adaptable to various configurations and endpoint quantities.
Sentiment score
7.7
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is praised for scalability, automation, policy creation, and multi-location efficiency despite alert speed concerns.
The cloud-based nature of the solution ensures high scalability.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
The scalability of Microsoft Defender for Business is rated as ten, indicating it is very scalable.
Consultant at Dell Technologies
In terms of scalability, I would rate Microsoft Defender for Business a ten.
Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential
The capability of creating policies to facilitate detections and responses improved.
Manager, Information Technology Security Compliance at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
I believe Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management scales well with the growing needs of the organization.
IC Sharepoint Administrator at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Defender for Business is highly rated for stability, despite minor errors and complexity issues not significantly impacting confidence.
Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is stable, dependable, and quickly resolves issues, with improved integration over time.
No customer complaints about its functionality or reliability.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
Although it generally works, there are occasional issues and errors that sometimes require a complete system format to rectify.
I would rate the stability of Microsoft Defender for Business with a three out of ten, where one is very bad.
Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential
We have experienced minimal downtime, with Microsoft resolving issues within five to ten minutes maximum.
Director at Scybers
I would assess the stability and reliability of Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management as having improved.
IC Sharepoint Administrator at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender for Business needs improved reporting, threat protection, support, and integration, with attention to pricing and update communication.
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management needs better alert customization, simplified UI, affordable pricing, optimized ML components, and non-Microsoft integration.
Microsoft should provide batch management solutions with the application, integrating pass management with roles.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
Features related to Advanced Persistent Threat detection vectors and cyber kill chain integrations are not available out-of-the-box.
CISO at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
There can be improvements in the user interface to make it more intuitive.
Information Technology Security Consultant at Navaio IT Security
Microsoft's pricing is very expensive.
Director at Scybers
I feel Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management can be improved by being able to identify patterns and practices of users to determine whether or not they fit the normal use case of a developer, an architect, and other roles.
IC Sharepoint Administrator at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees
It could be improved in terms of producing reports to provide information to the C-suite or others.
Manager, Information Technology Security Compliance at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender for Business offers integrated security in Office 365, with competitive pricing but some note higher costs than competitors.
Single-year pricing remains good.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
The pricing is quite affordable at the enterprise level with no extra expenses noted.
Consultant at Dell Technologies
Although the cost can be slightly higher, it expedites deployment, which is beneficial, especially for startups.
CISO at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender for Business provides robust, scalable security with seamless Azure integration and effective threat management at a cost-effective price.
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management enhances threat detection and prevention with advanced analytics, role-based access, and seamless investigations.
The threat detection capabilities are robust, with a dedicated research team and a continuously updated threat feed.
Information Technology Security Consultant at Navaio IT Security
Its vulnerability management is regarded as one of the best in the industry.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
The most effective features of Microsoft Defender for Business include its threat detection and response capabilities in managing vulnerabilities and ransomware attacks.
Consultant at Dell Technologies
It has saved us money on lawsuits and the loss of important confidential information that could lead to legal issues.
Manager, Information Technology Security Compliance at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
The scoring mechanism is exceptional because it eliminates the need to reinvent criteria for identifying risks, misconfigurations, or vulnerabilities.
Director at Scybers
We were able to remediate the fact that we had a North Korean spy working for us.
IC Sharepoint Administrator at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Busi...
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
15th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (14th)
Microsoft Purview Insider R...
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
27th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
Insider Risk Management (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Business is 3.1%, up from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is 2.2%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Microsoft Security Suite Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Business3.1%
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management2.2%
Other94.7%
Microsoft Security Suite
 

Featured Reviews

Takayuki-Umehara - PeerSpot reviewer
Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential
Product deployment protects assets but needs improvement in system support
I am doing maintenance for Microsoft Defender for Business, and I'm currently working with it. We don't need to use the latest version of Microsoft Defender for Business. We still use the latest virus definition file that Microsoft Defender for Business has automatically updated. We implement a basic update mechanism. Our compliance division manages how many servers and PCs we have and whether those servers have antivirus solutions. I am not certain about how Microsoft Defender for Business helps with AI-driven security strategies. I just use it normally and don't know if it uses AI technology. I rate Microsoft Defender for Business a six out of ten.
Karthik Ekambaram - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Scybers
Have consistently built secure internal environments while implementing compliance tools for diverse customer needs
The customizable alerts system needs improvement. The detection rules are not extensive enough. There should be more possibilities for creating alerts based on additional criteria. While rules can be customized, the available criteria for creating detection rules should be expanded. Microsoft's pricing is very expensive. The Business Premium offering should be extended to enterprise customers, as it's currently limited to 300 users. There should be a tier below E5 that includes Microsoft Purview and other features. Currently, E5 licensing costs approximately 6,000 INR per user per month including taxes. Competitive solutions offer similar functionality at about 50% of Microsoft's cost. Email DLP is included in Business Premium or P1 licenses, while P2 licenses cover endpoint DLP and additional channels. Microsoft should introduce an intermediate tier below E5 that covers all P1 licenses, as customers often need coverage across the entire M365 suite.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Media Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise4
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Business?
Our thoughts on the pricing for Microsoft Defender for Business are that we wish it could be better. If the pricing was a little better, we would definitely increase what we currently have.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Business?
I see room for improvement in Microsoft Defender for Business, particularly regarding the consolidation of all security solutions in one place and the integration of AI and data security into the s...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?
I feel Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management can be improved by being able to identify patterns and practices of users to determine whether or not they fit the normal use case of a developer, a...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?
My main use cases involve identifying issues related to problems with the current software deployments and whether or not it is being utilized correctly.
What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?
My advice to another organization that is considering using Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is to make sure they plan out their deployment very carefully because the biggest sticking poin...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Microsoft Insider Risk Management
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Business vs. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
894,738 professionals have used our research since 2012.