Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Microsoft Purview Audit comparison

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. Microsoft Purview Audit

September 2025

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Helped 869,202 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 Endp...

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

198

Ranking in other categories

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (2nd), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (3rd), Anti-Malware Tools (1st), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (3rd)

Microsoft Purview Audit

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

31st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Log Management (36th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is 8.6%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Audit is 1.0%, up from 0.3% 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 Endpoint	8.6%
Microsoft Purview Audit	1.0%
Other	90.4%

Microsoft Security Suite

Featured Reviews

NaySan @ Suraj Verma

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

Has effectively blocked sophisticated attacks and malicious activities while providing excellent support

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is very good, but one suggestion is that in some products, we may need to configure security-related settings, whereas Microsoft Defender for Endpoint works completely differently, providing automatic recommendations and actions that we may need to perform ourselves. Regarding the pricing of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, during the last three years, we set up the product and sold it, but we faced difficulties because Microsoft pricing is always the same. For example, whether I purchase Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for one year or for the next three years, the pricing remains constant with no discounts available. In contrast, competing products offer reduced pricing for long-term commitments, which makes it difficult for us in that environment. Microsoft should consider this option to remain competitive, but otherwise, everything else is fine.

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Matthew Hoerig

President at Trustsec Inc.

Audit function refines log retrieval and drives application assessments with evolving features

From a service assessment and authorization process perspective, when conducting an assessment on an application or system, we use controls essentially equivalent to the NIST 800-53 framework. This includes examining audit logs, data quality, and various KPIs required for log configuration. It factors into our application assessments. When producing documentation packages for application or system authorization, audit logging and monitoring are crucial parts of the assessment process. The evidence we gather includes screenshots and outputs from these tools and capabilities. For Microsoft Purview Audit specifically, we provide examples of audit function configuration and log output details, which are incorporated into our evidence documents.

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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

"It is easy to use because it is already pre-installed in Windows 10. We don't have to do anything to configure it. You can also configure the firewall by using a group policy so that it can be easily adopted in an environment."

"It does not make Windows slow, as compared to all of the third part antiviruses."

"It's pretty easy to use, works with compliance issues, and is reliable."

"I like the simplicity of the portal and the integration with Microsoft Intune. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is easy to use and implement."

"Microsoft Defender is always running. It is doing its job, so it is fine. I don't have any issues with the way it was implemented or how we are running it. We have been upgrading IT throughout the years, but there have been no issues."

"The most valuable aspect lies in its automation capabilities, particularly within security automation."

"I find the vulnerability management section of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to be very useful for organizations."

"The biggest benefit to Windows Defender is that it is built-in to the operating system by Microsoft."

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pros

"The overall user experience with Microsoft Purview Audit is of higher quality than when it was branded as Compliance Center, and Microsoft consistently updates and evolves functionalities and the overall experience."

"We're easily saving at least one hour per day using this solution."

"The platform has significantly enhanced our operational insight into the overall Microsoft 365 environment."

Cons

"The product itself does not necessarily need improvement, but the support and implementation of the product are the disaster cases."

"There is no behavior analytics for devices and endpoints. There is no behavior-based protection."

"Lacks some additional integration."

"There's scanning going on that occasionally topples the memory, causing everything to freeze. This should be fixed."

"The reporting in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint should improve. The solution has limited features."

"The solution could be even more secure and provide an even higher level of security."

"The documentation could be better. When they update their manuals, sometimes they refer to products by their old names, so it is a little confusing. For example, the documentation might still say "Advanced Threat Protection" instead of Defender for Endpoint."

"It would be helpful if they offered video tutorial guides."

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint cons

"Areas for product improvement include enhancing customization options and integrating more comprehensive compliance features."

"We are still in the early stages of leveraging Microsoft Purview Audit. Currently, it's primarily used for the audit function."

"We do have a Denial of Access happening."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is higher than others because it is doing more than what the others are doing."

"We have an enterprise agreement so from my perspective, this is a product that ships with Windows and it is not priced standalone."

"If you don't purchase the advanced threat protection then there is no additional charge."

"We have a bundle where the price includes all Microsoft products."

"The solution comes as a part of Windows 10 and it is covered under its license."

"It is affordable and comes in the Office 365 bundle."

"AV solutions are pretty expensive because they are necessary, not just for protection, but many businesses need them to comply with regulatory bodies and receive accreditation. We recently purchased an E5 license, which gives us access to the entire Microsoft suite. I would say the pricing is competitive; most tools of this kind are similarly priced. There are minor differences between the competitors, but they aren't spectacularly different. Defender for Endpoint makes sense because all our solutions are in the same place, paid for with a single license. The subscription price is around £50 per user per month, though it may have increased slightly."

"Licensing fees are paid annually through a partner."

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

14%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	79
Midsize Enterprise	34
Large Enterprise	87

No data available

Questions from the Community

How is Cortex XDR compared with Microsoft Defender?

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security solution. The tool reduces the attack surface, applies behavioral-based endpoint protection and response, and includes risk-ba...

Which offers better endpoint security - Symantec or Microsoft Defender?

We use Symantec because we do not use MS Enterprise products, but in my opinion, Microsoft Defender is a superior solution. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security s...

How does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint compare with Crowdstrike Falcon?

The CrowdStrike solution delivers a lot of information about incidents. It has a very light sensor that will never push your machine hardware to "test", you don't have the usual "scan now" feature ...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Purview Audit?

I'm not aware of the pricing of licensing terms.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Purview Audit?

Areas for product improvement include enhancing customization options and integrating more comprehensive compliance features.

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Purview Audit?

We utilize Microsoft Purview Audit for monitoring security and compliance aspects.

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Product Reports

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

September 2025

Download Microsoft Defender for Endpoint product report

Download Microsoft Purview Audit product report

Log Management

October 2025

Also Known As

Microsoft Defender ATP, Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection, MS Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender Antivirus

No data available

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Overview

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a comprehensive security solution that provides advanced threat protection for organizations. It offers real-time protection against various types of cyber threats, including malware, viruses, ransomware, and phishing attacks.

With its powerful machine-learning capabilities, it can detect and block sophisticated attacks before they can cause any harm. The solution also includes endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities, allowing organizations to quickly investigate and respond to security incidents. It provides detailed insights into the attack timeline, enabling security teams to understand the scope and impact of an incident.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint also offers proactive threat hunting, allowing organizations to proactively search for and identify potential threats within their network. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft security solutions, such as Microsoft Defender XDR, to provide a unified and holistic security approach. With its centralized management console, organizations can easily deploy, configure, and monitor the security solution across their entire network.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a robust and scalable security solution that helps organizations protect their endpoints and data from evolving cyber threats.

The unified auditing functionality in Microsoft 365 provides organizations with visibility into many types of audited activities across many different services in Microsoft 365. Advanced Audit helps organizations to conduct forensic and compliance investigations by increasing audit log retention required to conduct an investigation, providing access to crucial events that help determine scope of compromise, and faster access to Office 365 Management Activity API.

Sample Customers

Petrofrac, Metro CSG, Christus Health

Information Not Available