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Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Skyhawk Security comparison

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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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Qualys TotalCloud
Sponsored
Ranking in Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP)
8th
Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
46
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (11th), Container Security (11th), SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) (2nd), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (7th)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Ranking in Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP)
1st
Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (6th), Container Management (6th), Container Security (4th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (4th), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (6th), Microsoft Security Suite (7th), Compliance Management (4th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (3rd)
Skyhawk Security
Ranking in Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP)
21st
Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
29th
Average Rating
9.4
Reviews Sentiment
5.7
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) category, the mindshare of Qualys TotalCloud is 1.8%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 10.7%, down from 14.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Skyhawk Security is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud10.7%
Qualys TotalCloud1.8%
Skyhawk Security0.8%
Other86.7%
Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2859021 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr Security Engineer at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
Risk-based triage has transformed container security and now prioritizes high-impact threats
The best features Qualys TotalCloud offers currently include managing cloud infrastructure and container security while facing major challenges such as alert fatigue. Traditional vulnerability scanners flag hundreds of CVEs on short-lived Kubernetes containers, some of which have no internet exposure or are gone before we can even triage them. I leverage Qualys TotalCloud to move beyond static CVSS. I use it to implement runtime exposure, correlation risk reprioritization, and shift-left integration. This notifies developers to fix a base image upstream rather than patching live ephemeral instances. In my work with cloud and container security, the biggest operational hurdle was alert fatigue. I use Qualys to shift left from static CVSS severity to context-aware risk prioritization. I correlated raw vulnerability data with real-time risk factors such as public network exposure, active runtime execution, or overly permissive IAM roles. This allows us to immediately drop the priority of isolated containers and escalate lower-severity CVEs that sit on an exposed, high-risk path. We can map these findings directly back to our CI/CD pipelines so developers can patch the root base images upstream. We have drastically cut down the signal-to-noise ratio, saved a lot of manual hours doing triage work, and ensured engineering effort goes directly towards high-impact risk reduction.
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.
Abhimanyu Das - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at Kyndryl
Cloud threat validation has reduced alert fatigue and now focuses investigations on real attacks
Skyhawk Security is pretty solid overall, but there are a few things I wish were better. One thing would be more native integration with Microsoft security tools such as Sentinel and Defender, since those are what we use daily. Having deeper built-in integration instead of relying on generic SIM connections would save time. The training and documentation could also be more comprehensive, with more real-world use case examples specific to different industries. Additionally, having more general customization for the AI models to adjust what gets flagged as anomalous in our specific environment would help reduce alert noise. These are pretty minor improvements, and most of them are probably already in their roadmap based on their recent updates adding self-AI training and bulk status changes for their customers. I believe a mobile app would benefit SOC analysts who need to respond frequently while on the go, as most of the platform feels focused on desktop use. Having a robust mobile experience for approving automated responses and reviewing critical alerts would be really useful.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The best feature would be the ability to create policies. It is easy to control and update policies as required."
"I appreciate TotalCloud's real-time protection and remediation features. The remediation options include automated one-click remedies and custom changes that help manage vulnerabilities efficiently."
"Qualys TotalCloud is overall the best tool available in the market for scanning purposes."
"We were able to realize its benefits within 24 to 48 hours."
"I would recommend Qualys TotalCloud to other users because it is cost-efficient and has a good return on investment."
"Once it is set up, Qualys has proved to be one of our greatest assets."
"Qualys TotalCloud provides a single, prioritized view based on requirements such as identifying the most vulnerable assets and calculating the average time to remediate vulnerabilities."
"Vulnerability and threat detection and assessment of the criticality of the vulnerabilities exposed are most valuable."
"This is a platform as a service provided by Azure. We don't need to install or maintain Azure Security Center. It is a ready-made service available in Azure. This is one of the main things that we like. If you look at similar tools, we have to install, maintain, and update services. Whereas, Azure Security Center manages what we are using. This is a good feature that has helped us a lot."
"This solution is more cost-effective than some competing products."
"It takes very little effort to integrate it, and it also gives very good visibility into what exactly is happening."
"The most valuable features offer the latest threat detection and response capabilities."
"The dashboard is very good; it gives our clients a lot of information and allows them to have a complete overview of the system, with everything visible in one glance."
"It improves the transparency and visibility of the traffic in and out of the network of each workload on my system."
"The most valuable features are the monitoring of users, endpoint detection and response, and the adaptability of the AI threat intelligence engine, which quickly adapts to customizations."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the vulnerability assessments and the glossary of compliance."
"The initial setup process is easy and intuitive."
"We fell in love at the first sight."
"Skyhawk Security has plenty of products and subscriptions available, and at this moment, Skyhawk Security appears to be the leading company in the cybersecurity area."
"Skyhawk Security has had a really positive impact on our organization, especially in reducing false positives and speeding up incident response times."
"It helps us in reaching the ISO27001 certification."
"Skyhawk Security has positively impacted my organization because we are a small security team, and Skyhawk Security allows us to prioritize our work."
 

Cons

"I think Qualys TotalCloud needs to improve its handling of zero-day vulnerabilities and supply chain management because modern ransomware attacks not only target prime critical infrastructures but also the supply chain system."
"I chose a rating of nine out of ten because there is a complex interface that sometimes overwhelms new engineers."
"Customer support with Qualys TotalCloud needs a little improvement with the response times."
"Although TotalCloud is a helpful tool, some of its advanced features are still under development."
"An area for improvement would be to focus on risks related to AI, such as large language models and potential data leakage."
"I sometimes have difficulty detecting or uninstalling certain versions of applications, which I have to do manually."
"Qualys TotalCloud needs to enhance its scanning capabilities in the IP domain, as it currently lacks the functionality to resolve IPs to their corresponding domain names."
"In terms of improvement, remediation still belongs to the cloud team, which is one of the issues we faced with Qualys TotalCloud."
"Another thing is that Defender for Cloud uses more resources than CrowdStrike, which my current company uses. Defender for Cloud has two or three processes running simultaneously that consume memory and processor time. I had the chance to compare that with CrowdStrike a few days ago, which was significantly less. It would be nice if Defender were a little lighter. It's a relatively large installation that consumes more resources than competitors do."
"The product must improve its UI."
"Microsoft Defender could be more centralized. For example, I still need to go to another console to do policy management."
"The range of workloads is broad, but we'd love to add more workloads and make it a single security solution that covers all those workloads. Covering more would allow us to see and protect more workloads from a single pane of glass. Additional features should include protection for more AI workloads as it currently focuses primarily on OpenAI."
"The solution could improve by being more intuitive and easier to use requiring less technical knowledge."
"If they had an easier way to display all the vulnerabilities of the machines affected and remediation steps on one screen rather than having to dive deep into each of them, that would be a lot easier."
"Defender for Cloud is pretty costly for a single line. It's incredibly high to pay monthly for security per server."
"Pricing could be improved. There are limited options based on pricing for the government."
"The platform’s interface needs enhancement."
"Skyhawk Security can be improved mainly by improving the UI so it is a little bit easier to use, and the speed that it takes pages to load are the main downfalls."
"I wish there was more transparent self-service pricing information available instead of having to go through sales to get the details."
"The solution needs automatic testing."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Although Qualys TotalCloud is relatively expensive due to its unique automation features, its cost-effectiveness is rated an eight out of ten, with ten being the most costly."
"Qualys TotalCloud is expensive, but it offers a premier solution with no headaches."
"Qualys TotalCloud offers competitive pricing given its comprehensive suite of features, including integration, assessment, remediation, and detection capabilities, all within a single platform."
"Qualys TotalCloud offers good pricing that is affordable and competitive with the market. Our partnership also provides us with additional benefits."
"The pricing is comparable. It is built into our other product, so I cannot piecemeal it. It is a part of our subscription."
"Qualys TotalCloud is expensive."
"Its price seems higher compared to other tools, but it is worth it. If they could adjust the pricing and make it comparable with other tools, that would be great."
"Qualys TotalCloud is cost-efficient and was selected for its value compared to other products."
"Our clients complain about the cost of Microsoft Defender for Cloud."
"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 price of the solution is good for the features we receive and there is an additional cost for Microsoft premier support. However, some of my potential customers have found it to be expensive and have gone on to choose another solution."
"I rate Microsoft Defender a three out of ten for affordability. The price could be a little lower."
"The cost of the license is based on the subscriptions that you have."
"It has global licensing. It comes with multiple licenses since there are around 50,000 people (in our organization) who look at it."
"There are improvements that have to be made to the licensing. Currently, for servers, it has to be done by grouping the servers on a single subscription... We don't have an option whereby, if all those resources are in one subscription, we can have each of the individual servers subject to different planning."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
16%
Outsourcing Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise34
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise49
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Qualys TotalCloud?
In terms of improvement, remediation still belongs to the cloud team, which is one of the issues we faced with Qualys...
What is your primary use case for Qualys TotalCloud?
My main use case for Qualys TotalCloud is regarding the cloud visibility that we were not having previously. Previous...
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 acros...
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 an...
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 inges...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Radware Cloud Native Protector?
I do not have access to specific pricing details and licensing costs as that is managed by our management team, but I...
What needs improvement with Radware Cloud Native Protector?
Skyhawk Security is pretty solid overall, but there are a few things I wish were better. One thing would be more nati...
What is your primary use case for Radware Cloud Native Protector?
My main use case of Skyhawk Security is cutting through the massive volume of alerts I deal with daily in my SOC oper...
 

Also Known As

Qualys TotalCloud with FlexScan
Microsoft Azure Security Center, Azure Security Center, Microsoft ASC, Azure Defender
Radware Cloud Native Protector
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
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.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Skyhawk Security and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
913,806 professionals have used our research since 2012.