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Microsoft Defender for Identity vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
4.4
Microsoft Defender for Identity is cost-effective and efficient, offering incident prevention and resolution without complex hardware setups.
Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft Purview improves efficiency, security, and compliance, offering significant long-term ROI despite initial setup efforts.
Clients benefit from using a one-stop-shop solution, increasing their visibility across different platforms.
Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.9
Opinions on Microsoft Defender for Identity support vary, highlighting responsiveness, but issues include delays, contact challenges, and false positives.
Sentiment score
5.5
Microsoft Purview's customer service is mixed, with quick, knowledgeable support but delays and insufficient expertise for complex issues.
Generally, the support is more effective than other providers like Oracle.
Owner at Alopex ONE UG
The quality of support is very good, but troubleshooting can take time due to complex setups and the need to provide many logs.
Cloud Security & Governance at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
The people I normally use for support are very knowledgeable, especially when they help remote in and get to where I need to go and show me much faster and help me understand what I should be doing.
Technology Coordinator at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees
Overall, it doesn't meet our expectations.
Manager, Service Delivery & Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
They're skillful people who know what they're doing in their space.
Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
I have a dedicated team as a government agency, and Microsoft assists us promptly.
Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Defender for Identity efficiently integrates and scales globally, supporting diverse organizational needs within Microsoft’s ecosystem effectively.
Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Purview Data Governance offers scalable performance, adaptable for diverse environments, with flexible architecture and ongoing scalability updates.
In a Microsoft-centric organization, especially with Azure infrastructure and Office 365, Microsoft Defender for Identity is scalable.
Cloud Security & Governance at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
With automation, you can label five documents or 50,000 with the same amount of clicks.
Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
It allows for one-to-one connections with different types of servers, either cloud-based like AWS, or physical servers.
Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees
The product is scalable and works across multi-cloud and multi-platform environments.
Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Microsoft Defender for Identity is highly reliable, with minimal incidents, seamless operation, and consistent ratings between seven and nine.
Sentiment score
7.5
Microsoft Purview is highly stable, evolving consistently, with users appreciating its reliability despite occasional bugs and network issues.
Microsoft Defender for Identity is quite robust and built on Azure hyperscale infrastructure, with a 99% availability.
Cloud Security & Governance at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
We do not see any issues with the stability of Microsoft Defender for Identity.
Deputy Manager at Servion Global Solutions
Having recently started using it, reliability is affirmed, but manual investigation is often performed to verify if alerts identified by auto-remediation are accurate.
Instrumentation Engineer at Toyo Engineering Corp
It can take seven days to 24 hours to determine whether a policy is effective.
Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions
Microsoft Purview Data Governance is absolutely fine in terms of stability.
Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender for Identity users seek improved cloud integration, user-friendly features, better support, and streamlined processes for enhanced threat management.
Microsoft Purview struggles with non-Azure data lineage, integration issues, limited macOS features, and requires better support and documentation.
If Microsoft could develop a feature that indicates when impossible travel is caused by VPN connections, it would prevent unnecessary password resets and session disruptions, especially for VIP users in organizations.
CyberSecurity Engineer | Information Security Management at Self Employed
One improvement I would recommend is the integration of an admin application within Teams, allowing easy access to attack information on a mobile platform.
Owner at Alopex ONE UG
Reducing false positives is something we've been working on with Microsoft.
Cloud Security & Governance at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
It's essential to know if a feature isn't working due to missing licenses.
Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions
There are some problems with DLP rules, and it would be great if the security around DLP could be expanded.
Cloud Security Specialist at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
A watermark feature or similar tools to help enhance security for end users could be added.
Manager, Service Delivery & Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender for Identity is cost-effective with E5 licenses despite complex pricing and competitive against other security solutions.
Microsoft Purview Data Governance is generally viewed as reasonably priced but has varied opinions on its cost-effectiveness.
If they can reduce the costs, organizations will be happy, and it will compensate for using the Azure environment, which is more expensive on the infrastructure as a service side.
CyberSecurity Engineer | Information Security Management at Self Employed
Ensuring a fair price according to market standards.
Owner at Alopex ONE UG
From an organization perspective, using E5 licenses is value for money, especially if Azure and Office 365 are already in use.
Cloud Security & Governance at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
The feature might be available in the console, but it won't work without the proper license, creating confusion.
Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions
Microsoft Purview Data Governance is quite affordable compared to other market solutions, which have high initial costs.
Data Governance Advisor at a government with 501-1,000 employees
I'm not exactly sure how much our license costs, but it is very expensive.
Senior IT Security Risk & Compliance Analyst at a government with 501-1,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender for Identity integrates with Azure to offer comprehensive threat detection, identity protection, and advanced real-time security insights.
Microsoft Purview excels in data governance with Azure integration, compliance support, multi-cloud protection, and AI-driven data management.
We receive an advance report of risky users, allowing us to take preemptive action before an attack causes damage to organization details.
Instrumentation Engineer at Toyo Engineering Corp
The most valuable feature is its hybrid artificial intelligence, which gathers forensic data to track and counteract security threats, much like the CSI series in effect.
Owner at Alopex ONE UG
The advanced threat protection is one of the strengths of Microsoft Defender for Identity, as it utilizes user and entity analytics and can detect indicative attacks.
Cloud Security & Governance at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
It provides a comprehensive view of the entire ecosystem's threats and compliance in real time.
Manager, Service Delivery & Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The sensitivity labeling is the most valuable feature because it is the foundation for automating the encryption process and ensuring proper data handling across the organization.
Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Microsoft Purview Data Governance has helped my company by finding insider risks, ensuring data loss prevention, and achieving compliance to make sure everybody is compliant.
Senior IT Security Risk & Compliance Analyst at a government with 501-1,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Iden...
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (8th), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (3rd)
Microsoft Purview Data Gove...
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
8th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Data Governance (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Identity is 6.0%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Data Governance is 4.5%, down from 5.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Microsoft Security Suite Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Defender for Identity6.0%
Microsoft Purview Data Governance4.5%
Other89.5%
Microsoft Security Suite
 

Featured Reviews

RK
Cloud Security & Governance at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Protect on-premises and hybrid environments with advanced threat detection and seamless integration
Our Active Directory implementation is a hybrid one. The advanced threat protection is one of the strengths of Microsoft Defender for Identity, as it utilizes user and entity analytics and can detect indicative attacks. It identifies lateral movements, privilege escalations, and alerts on potential attacks. The tool is also used for security posture assessment. The seamless integration with other Microsoft solutions within our Microsoft-centric environment is also a major advantage.
AS
Tech lead at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Automated data discovery has streamlined management while configuration remains complex
Compared to Big-ID, Microsoft Purview Data Governance looks complicated to me. I do not feel it has a good user-level UI. The interface feels a little complicated compared to Big-ID. I did not appreciate the configuration part. It felt complex, whereas when I went for a Big-ID demo, the interface looked better and was easier to understand for any user.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise31
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Identity?
I really would have to sit down to think about how Microsoft Defender for Identity can be improved. I didn't take stock in what needs to be improved because I appreciated having the tools right the...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender for Identity?
My main use cases for Microsoft Defender for Identity include Conditional Access, checking risky users, remediating risky users, and user sign-ins. I can easily remediate or determine what the user...
What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Defender for Identity?
I don't really use Microsoft Defender for Identity a lot because my new role doesn't allow me to take time to do so. I don't really use the threat intelligence feature of Microsoft Defender for Ide...
What do you like most about Microsoft Azure Purview?
It is designed to seamlessly connect to various data sources, which is particularly beneficial for our customers who primarily use Microsoft technologies.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Azure Purview?
Microsoft Purview Data Governance is quite affordable compared to other market solutions, which have high initial costs. It allows for a cost-effective start with negligible initial cost. However, ...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Purview?
Compared to Big-ID, Microsoft Purview Data Governance looks complicated to me. I do not feel it has a good user-level UI. The interface feels a little complicated compared to Big-ID. I did not appr...
 

Also Known As

Azure Advanced Threat Protection, Azure ATP, MS Defender for Identity
Microsoft Purview, MS Azure Purview
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Microsoft Defender for Identity is trusted by companies such as St. Luke’s University Health Network, Ansell, and more.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Identity vs. Microsoft Purview Data Governance and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.