Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Sophos Cloud Optix comparison

Microsoft and Sophos are both solutions in the Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) category. Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.1, while Sophos is ranked #29 with an average rating of 7.0. Microsoft holds a 8.7% mindshare in CSPM, compared to Sophos’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Read 87 Microsoft Defender for Cloud reviews

19,404 Views
6,985 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Sophos Cloud Optix

Read 4 Sophos Cloud Optix reviews

507 Views
492 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Sophos Cloud Optix

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 19, 2025

Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Sophos Cloud Optix are competitors in the cloud security sector. Microsoft Defender for Cloud has the advantage in ease of deployment and affordability, while Sophos Cloud Optix offers a broader set of features at a higher price point.

Features: Microsoft Defender for Cloud integrates with the Microsoft ecosystem, providing threat protection and compliance management. Its key features include seamless integration, robust compliance management, and strong threat protection. Sophos Cloud Optix delivers extensive cloud monitoring capabilities and offers detailed security insights with granular control over multi-cloud environments. Its key features are comprehensive cloud monitoring, detailed security insights, and multi-cloud management.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Defender for Cloud could enhance its multi-cloud support and broaden its security insights to compete better with more comprehensive monitoring solutions. It also needs improvement in accessibility for non-Microsoft platforms. Sophos Cloud Optix, while feature-rich, could improve by simplifying its deployment process. Reducing its high cost and enhancing usability for newcomers could also be beneficial.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Defender for Cloud is reported to be easier to deploy due to its seamless integration with Microsoft services and has strong customer support. Sophos Cloud Optix offers extensive guidance during its complex deployment process but is known for providing thorough support throughout setup.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Defender for Cloud is competitively priced and offers significant ROI, especially for businesses using Microsoft platforms, thanks to integration efficiencies. Sophos Cloud Optix requires a higher initial investment, but for organizations seeking detailed and versatile security, it delivers substantial ROI due to its extensive feature benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Sophos Cloud Optix Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Sophos Cloud Optix

December 2025

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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:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

4th

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-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (4th), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (5th), Microsoft Security Suite (7th), Compliance Management (4th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (2nd)

Sophos Cloud Optix

Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

29th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 8.7%, down from 11.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Cloud Optix is 0.6%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud	8.7%
Sophos Cloud Optix	0.6%
Other	90.7%

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

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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Suryakumar Selvaraj

Security Consultant at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Unified cloud monitoring elevates asset visibility while AI-driven enhancements needed

Sophos should enhance its AI-driven detection features and anomaly detection. The solution focuses on cloud security posture management. Fortinet, having acquired Lacework, seems to be a step ahead in this regard, emphasizing the need for Sophos to compete with standalone market leaders. Furthermore, integrating automation features like SOAR could significantly improve its functionality.

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

"The most valuable features are the security recommendations provided by Defender for Cloud."

"If you are a Microsoft organization and most of your organization uses Microsoft, Microsoft Defender for Cloud will be the best approach as it provides the easiest implementation to the most robust solution for a Microsoft suite."

"We can create alerts that trigger if there is any malicious activity happening in the workflow and these alerts can be retrieved using the query language."

"The most valuable feature is the comprehensive overview across different workloads. It allows us to see protection not just across one workload, such as virtual machines, containers, infrastructure, or data, but across all our workloads. This overall visibility is really helpful."

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

"I would rate Microsoft Defender for Cloud a ten out of ten."

"Scalability is great, and I would rate it a ten out of ten."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a valuable tool that integrates seamlessly with Azure Policy and our Security SIEM, simplifying implementation and enhancing security posture."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pros

"I find Cloud Optix to be a valuable solution since it provides a single, unified dashboard to monitor cloud assets, such as AWS and Azure."

"The most valuable feature for me would be the solution's endpoint protection."

"The most valuable feature of Sophos Cloud Optix is the simple way to manage my devices on the network. Additionally, it is easy to navigate and has a user-friendly interface."

"I find Cloud Optix to be a valuable solution since it provides a single, unified dashboard to monitor cloud assets, such as AWS and Azure."

"DLP is a valuable feature that we use a lot for info audits."

Cons

"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."

"The user interface of Microsoft Defender for Cloud, like many Microsoft portals, undergoes frequent changes and feature relocation."

"Defender could improve how data is represented. It can be unstructured or slow to load."

"The documentation and implementation guides could be improved."

"From my own perspective, they just need a product that is tailored to micro-segmentation so I can configure rules for multiple systems at once and manage it."

"Features like code scanning and pipeline scanning are not included in the solution."

"The product's advanced analytics and reporting features could be improved."

"The overview provides you with good information, but if you want more details, there is a lot more customization to do, which requires knowledge of the other supporting solutions."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud cons

"Sophos should enhance its AI-driven detection features and anomaly detection."

"There are times when the devices are at maximum capacity, and it takes a while before the device is updated. For example, if the device has a virus, and it's not aligned to connect to the network, even after you've scanned the device, and cleaned out the virus, once the management clears the system to allow it back on the network it takes some time. It can be frustrating when you have your line manager or in management affected trying to access the network."

"The setup was a little bit complex."

"Sophos should enhance its AI-driven detection features and anomaly detection."

"The dashboard and the process for applying policies could be more intuitive. Cloud Optix isn't that difficult once you get the hang of it, but the IT folks managing this want it to be more user-friendly."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"Security Center charges $15 per resource for any workload that you onboard into it. They charge per VM or per data-base server or per application. It's not like Microsoft 365 licensing, where there are levels like E3 and E5. Security Center is pretty straightforward."

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

"The tool is pretty expensive."

"There is a helpful cost-reducing option that allows you to integrate production subscriptions with non-production subscriptions."

"Pricing is difficult because each license has its own metrics and cost."

"Defender for Cloud is pretty costly for a single line. It's incredibly high to pay monthly for security per server. The cost is considerable for an enterprise with 500-plus virtual machines, and the monthly bill can spike."

"This is a worldwide service and depending on the country, there will be different prices."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pricing and cost advice

"Regarding the pricing for Sophos Cloud Optix, I would say that it was a very good price."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

Wholesaler/Distributor

Insurance Company

Media Company

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos Cloud Optix?

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What is your primary use case for Sophos Cloud Optix?

One primary use case for Sophos Cloud Optix is cloud visibility. I use it for compliance requirements and improving end user experience. The solution provides a unified dashboard for multi-cloud en...

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What advice do you have for others considering Sophos Cloud Optix?

I rate Sophos Cloud Optix seven out of ten overall. I recommend it for any size of company, considering their current ecosystem and workload. It's particularly suited for those in a Sophos ecosyste...

See all answers

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Compared 37% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

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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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Check Point CloudGuard CNAPP vs Sophos Cloud Optix

Compared 36% of the time

Wiz vs Sophos Cloud Optix

Compared 20% of the time

AWS Security Hub vs Sophos Cloud Optix

Compared 12% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

December 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

December 2025

Download Sophos Cloud Optix product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

Interactive Demo

Microsoft

Demo not available

Sophos

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

Easily identify cloud resource vulnerabilities, ensure compliance, and respond to threats faster.

Sophos

Sample Customers

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Sophos Cloud Optix

December 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Sophos Cloud Optix

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Sophos Cloud Optix and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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