Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Microsoft Entra Workload ID comparison

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Microsoft Entra Workload ID

December 2025

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Helped 881,114 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 Defender for Cloud

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

7th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Vulnerability Management (6th), Container Management (7th), Container Security (7th), 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), Compliance Management (4th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (2nd)

Microsoft Entra Workload ID

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

30th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

4.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (21st)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 5.5%, down from 7.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra Workload ID is 0.4%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Microsoft Security Suite Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud	5.5%
Microsoft Entra Workload ID	0.4%
Other	94.1%

Microsoft Security Suite

Featured Reviews

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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reviewer2772159

Postdoctoral Researcher at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Have experienced ongoing challenges integrating with existing workflows despite strong foundational capabilities

I don't know how I would assess the impact of AI-powered threat detection for us. It has helped with security operations in general; I'm being very cagey here, Damian. You can understand why. Where I work, there is a directory services team. There is a security team. The security team may have several different departments in there. I think they are behind the times. That's about as far as what I would say. We may have the modern firewalls and detections and all the rest of it, but I think from a modern way of working, which the identity is a user which is any device, any place, anywhere, from anything, okay, securely, they're not quite up with that concept, in my opinion. The review rating is 8.

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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

"Defender for Cloud provides a complete DevOps security package for cloud services."

"It's got a lot of great features."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is its ability to assess an environment and give us a clear idea of what security components are lacking and which are not."

"We saw improvement from a regulatory compliance perspective due to having a single dashboard."

"The tool's most valuable feature is its support for cloud-native services like Kubernetes, containers, managed storage, and databases. Protecting these without Microsoft Defender for Cloud would be extremely challenging. For threat protection specifically, I find the signature-based detection and heuristic detection features very effective."

"It takes very little effort to integrate it. It also gives very good visibility into what exactly is happening."

"Our main use cases for Microsoft Defender for Cloud involve scanning PCs."

"It works seamlessly on the Azure platform because it's a Microsoft app. Its setup is similar, so if you already have a Microsoft account, it just flows into it."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pros

"I would evaluate the customer service or technical support with Microsoft for Entra products as well; we are a strategic partner, so we're one of 500 companies that can talk to them directly."

"We have various options available with Microsoft Entra, such as B2B cross-tenant guest member accesses, and we can invite users and perform activities from that area, while we are also dealing with Azure IaaS, infrastructure as a service, which has different IAM platforms existing with resources or subscriptions."

"I would evaluate the customer service or technical support with Microsoft for Entra products as well; we are a strategic partner, so we're one of 500 companies that can talk to them directly."

"The product enables organizations to synchronize users to Microsoft 365 products."

"I would evaluate the customer service or technical support with Microsoft for Entra products as well; we are a strategic partner, so we're one of 500 companies that can talk to them directly."

Cons

"I've heard there might be issues with scalability for larger enterprises."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud is not compatible with Linux machines."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud can be improved because many of the functions involve multiple places to accomplish the same task, which can make it convoluted."

"The pricing could be better."

"I recommend that they extend the scope for legacy infra assets."

"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."

"It's hard to reach someone who understands my problems. I haven't had many issues, so I haven't called them."

"I recommend that they extend the scope for legacy infra assets."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud cons

"Integration with other products must be made easier."

"Integration with existing IAM solutions has not helped our identity management processes; it's all of the things that are in front of Directory and Entra, such as SalePoint and other toolsets, give us one of the worst identity experiences I think I've ever come across, which is why I'm trying to change it."

"In my opinion, Microsoft Entra Workload ID can be improved in several ways."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"I am not involved in this area. However, I believe its price is okay because even small customers are using Azure Security Center. I don't think it is very expensive."

"The solution is expensive, and I rate it a five to six out of ten."

"The pricing model for most plans is generally good, but the cost of the new Defender for Storage plan is high and should be revisited, as it could lead to disabling desirable security features due to cost."

"The tool is pretty expensive."

"The licensing cost per server is $15 per month."

"We are using the free version of the Azure Security Center."

"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."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

No data available

Questions from the Community

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 cost, and licensing for Microsoft Defender for Cloud was pretty straightforward. We did have a consultation with a third party to go over different tiers and produ...

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 Zero Trust, similar to ThreatLocker software.

What do you like most about Microsoft Entra Workload ID?

The product enables organizations to synchronize users to Microsoft 365 products.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Entra Workload ID?

I rate the pricing a six out of ten.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Entra Workload ID?

In my opinion, Microsoft Entra Workload ID can be improved in several ways.Particularly about Microsoft Entra Workload ID, I think they still could improve categorization, which still has some room...

AWS GuardDuty vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Comparisons

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Wiz vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Compared 8% of the time

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Defender XDR vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Compared 3% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Compared 2% of the time

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud Competitors

Microsoft Entra ID vs Microsoft Entra Workload ID

Compared 61% of the time

Google Titan Security Key vs Microsoft Entra Workload ID

Compared 39% of the time

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Product Reports

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

January 2026

Download Microsoft Defender for Cloud product report

Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

January 2026

Download Microsoft Entra Workload ID product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Overview

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 Entra Workload ID enhances identity management by providing secure and efficient access control for applications and workloads. It is designed to streamline processes and strengthen security measures, catering to complex IT environments.

Microsoft Entra Workload ID delivers a unified and secure method for managing workload identities across cloud environments. It addresses key challenges in handling access control, ensuring that applications have appropriate permissions without compromising security. Known for its reliability, it assists enterprises in minimizing risks associated with identity mismanagement.

What are the most valuable features of Microsoft Entra Workload ID?

Identity Management: Centralizes control of application identities to simplify monitoring and adjustments.
Access Control: Offers robust access permissions tailored to workload-specific needs, enhancing security.
Policy Enforcement: Ensures consistent application of security policies across multiple environments.

What benefits or ROI can users expect?

Improved Security: Reduces risks associated with identity theft and unauthorized access.
Efficiency Gains: Streamlines identity management tasks, leading to resource optimization.
Scalability: Supports growing needs without compromising performance or security.

Industries such as finance and healthcare have implemented Microsoft Entra Workload ID to strengthen compliance and security in cloud operations. Its features are tailored to meet regulatory standards and protect sensitive data, making it a suitable choice for sectors requiring stringent identity management protocols.

Sample Customers

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

Information Not Available