Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager comparison

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

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Helped 879,310 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

6.9

Microsoft Defender for Cloud boosts security and efficiency, integrates with Azure, reduces costs, prevents breaches, and offers proactive defense.

Sentiment score

7.8

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager reduces costs by 50%, streamlines tasks, and is included in Office 365 E5 licensing.

Defender proactively indexes and analyzes documents, identifying potential threats even when inactive, enhancing preventative security.

Preston Cleary

Endpoint management at a government with 10,001+ employees

Identifying potential vulnerabilities has helped us avoid costly data losses.

SaulPatino

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.

Jason_Lane

Principal Microsoft Consultant at MicroAge

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Cloud report

The process is reduced from weeks to a day, showcasing a solid nine for return on investment.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.3

Microsoft Defender for Cloud support is responsive at higher levels, but experiences vary with mixed satisfaction due to delays.

Sentiment score

4.7

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager support faces mixed reviews, citing long resolution times and outsourced staff inefficiencies.

Since security is critical, we prefer a quicker response time.

SaulPatino

Manager at CBTS

The support team was very responsive to queries.

reviewer2564271

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.

Preston Cleary

Endpoint management at a government with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Cloud report

Since I approach them with more complicated issues, it takes quite a bit of time to get through those two support tiers.

Tadas Semionovas

Senior security analyst at MB Cybermode

The support staff, who are often outsourced, seem not adequately equipped to handle issues quickly and efficiently.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

The quality of support is affected because most support staff seem focused on obtaining five-star ratings rather than resolving problems thoroughly.

Adeboye Oyemade

System Administrator at Templars

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.4

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is scalable, integrating across environments effortlessly, suitable for all enterprise sizes with flexible performance.

Sentiment score

7.7

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager excels in scalable deployment across environments but faces constraints in crafting detailed policies.

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.

Jason_Lane

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.

Vibhor Goel

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.

Syed Abid

Snr. Infrastructure Architect (Data Centre) at LogicEra

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Cloud report

As services increase, eDiscovery capabilities also increase, allowing easy deployment.

Digital Forensic Investigator at Los Angeles Unified School District

It is straightforward since it scans everything, covering all aspects needed in our operations.

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

While the solution is scalable in terms of user numbers, there are limitations when creating more granular level policies.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.5

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is stable and reliable, with minimal issues mainly during updates, ensuring strong user satisfaction.

Sentiment score

7.9

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is reliable but needs improved eDiscovery and search functionality despite regular updates and changes.

Defender's stability has been flawless for us.

reviewer2595948

Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is very stable.

Martin Welen

Cloud architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

Microsoft sometimes changes settings or configurations without transparency.

Vibhor Goel

Senior Cloud Platform Engineer at Deutsche Börse

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Cloud report

Despite stability, it needs to be more user-friendly and competitive compared to other eDiscovery tools.

Digital Forensic Investigator at Los Angeles Unified School District

It is reliable and I can depend on it.

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

In terms of latency, stability is not an issue.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender for Cloud users seek better automation, clarity, integration, AI features, and comprehensive analytics for improved security management.

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager needs integration, UI improvements, cost reduction, and enhanced policy and monitoring features for better usability.

Microsoft, in general, could significantly improve its communication and support.

Preston Cleary

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.

John Tzamtzis

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.

Javier_Rodriguez

Cloud Consultant at i-Community AG

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Cloud report

Microsoft Copilot Security converts human language to search queries using its AdLM language model.

Digital Forensic Investigator at Los Angeles Unified School District

The speed and accessibility, particularly in the user interface, require significant work.

Tadas Semionovas

Senior security analyst at MB Cybermode

The Purview Compliance Portal's log management could be more user-friendly, making data retrieval, like email logs, challenging.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is scalable, offering free and paid versions with costs averaging $15 monthly per server.

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager offers cost-efficient pricing, especially for existing Microsoft users, and is notably cheaper than competitors.

Security has essentially no cost when compared to the cost of a breach.

David Birhange

Director, Cloud and Modern Workplace at Informanix Technology Group

Every time we consider expanding usage, we carefully evaluate the necessity due to cost concerns.

reviewer2564271

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.

Antonio Andres

Manager, Microsoft Technology Alliance at Silverfort

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Cloud report

I rate the pricing as a one since it is included in what I am already paying for, as part of the Microsoft 365 E5 licensing.

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is priced at 60% to 70% compared to some competitors.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender for Cloud enhances security with AI-based threat detection, multi-cloud support, and a unified portal for comprehensive management.

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager streamlines multi-cloud data protection and compliance, enhancing visibility and integrating seamlessly with Microsoft 365.

The most valuable feature for me is the variety of APIs available.

reviewer2564271

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.

Javier_Rodriguez

Cloud Consultant at i-Community AG

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

Martin Welen

Cloud architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Cloud report

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager's eDiscovery is essential for organizations using Outlook as their email service.

Digital Forensic Investigator at Los Angeles Unified School District

The most valuable feature is data classification retention since I deal with terabytes of data, and managing and monitoring it simplifies the process.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

The best aspect is that it requires little to no time for implementation if I am using all of Microsoft's tools.

Tadas Semionovas

Senior security analyst at MB Cybermode

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 Purview Complianc...

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

24th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Governance (14th)

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 5.8%, down from 7.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is 1.5%, up from 1.3% 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	5.8%
Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager	1.5%
Other	92.7%

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.

Read full review

Streamlined data management and improved compliance with efficient document classification

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

The most valuable feature is data classification retention since I deal with terabytes of data, and managing and monitoring it simplifies the process. Additionally, the system provides a dashboard showing our compliance status, which aids in managing compliance tasks. The compliance score feature allows me to assess and compare our compliance across organizations. I've also noticed efficiency gains, especially in handling subject access requests. Previously, these tasks were manual and time-consuming, but now they are streamlined, reducing the process from weeks to just a day.

Read full review

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879,310 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

13%

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager?

While not cheap, Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is priced at 60% to 70% compared to some competitors. Additional costs may involve OCR page scanning.

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager?

When I tried to set up Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager for my organization to ensure people are not sending PII documents, especially payment cards, using keywords for flagging, it disrupted o...

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager?

I have limited experience with the templates in Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager. Our organization hasn't fully utilized the solution beyond checking compliance scores and adjusting basic setti...

AWS GuardDuty vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Comparisons

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Compared 10% 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

Orca Security vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Compared 2% of the time

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Microsoft Defender XDR vs Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

Compared 32% of the time

Vanta vs Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

Compared 16% of the time

OneTrust DataGovernance vs Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

Compared 9% of the time

Microsoft Purview Data Governance vs Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

Compared 7% of the time

Varonis Platform vs Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

Compared 6% of the time

More Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager Competitors

Product Reports

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Download Microsoft Defender for Cloud product report

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

Download Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager product report

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Also Known As

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

Microsoft Compliance Manager

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 Purview Compliance Manager is a feature in the Microsoft 365 compliance center that helps you manage your organization’s compliance requirements with greater ease and convenience. Compliance Manager can help you throughout your compliance journey, from taking inventory of your data protection risks to managing the complexities of implementing controls, staying current with regulations and certifications, and reporting to auditors.

To learn more about our solution, ask questions, and share feedback, join our Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Community.

Sample Customers

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

Information Not Available

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager