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Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs Tenable Vulnerability Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

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
4.9
Determining ROI for Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management is challenging due to service bundling and mixed-use of other products.
Sentiment score
7.0
Tenable Vulnerability Management offers cost-effective vulnerability identification, improving processes, visibility, automation, and IT ecosystems despite financial metric uncertainties.
Organizations typically do not rely solely on Microsoft products to avoid putting all eggs in one basket, which presents a challenge for maximizing ROI.
Cloud Security Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
As a Microsoft partner, we receive significant discounts, making the solution affordable for us.
COO at Floating-Dot Technology LTD
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Microsoft Defender's support is praised for expertise but criticized for communication delays and varying service quality.
Sentiment score
6.1
Tenable Support is responsive and knowledgeable, though response times and escalation process for complex issues can improve.
They are sometimes responsive, however, often issues cannot be reproduced on their end, making it challenging.
Security Specialist at Prudential Systems Japan
The support we receive from Microsoft is declining, and for example, after taking advanced support, we have not received satisfactory answers.
Microsoft Solutions Manager at Self-Employed
They are familiar with Microsoft products but are not direct Microsoft staff, which is an area needing improvement.
Cloud Security Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
It needs improvement in response time and addressing feature requests promptly.
Infrastructure patching Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The technical support of Tenable Vulnerability Management is available 24/7, and whenever we require support, we can get it within five minutes.
Windows Security Patching Operation III (Cyber Operations) at CBTS
We had used Tenable's expert support services in order to make sure that we run Tenable Vulnerability Management on a continuous basis and are able to utilize their services.
Deputy Global Chief Information Security Officer at Nissan Digital
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Defender excels in scalability and integration but faces documentation and on-premise infrastructure challenges across industries.
Sentiment score
7.6
Tenable Vulnerability Management scales effectively for various sectors, leveraging cloud-based infrastructure and lightweight agents for seamless deployment.
The integration is straightforward for those who understand it, though documentation needs improvement.
Cloud Security Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
It is scalable; I evaluated the product and decided to use Defender on over 700 of our company servers.
Security Specialist at Prudential Systems Japan
They can seamlessly scale the number of endpoints from 100 to 1,000,000 in a day.
Infrastructure patching Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Tenable Vulnerability Management is highly scalable.
Windows Security Patching Operation III (Cyber Operations) at CBTS
With the growing needs of our company, Tenable Vulnerability Management is able to safely adapt.
Deputy Global Chief Information Security Officer at Nissan Digital
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
6.6
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management is highly stable and reliable, with minimal downtime, despite minor resource-related and compatibility issues.
Sentiment score
8.1
Tenable Vulnerability Management is praised for its reliable, stable performance, minimal downtime, and longstanding market reputation.
There are compatibility issues occasionally arising with false positives when other security tools are not whitelisted in Microsoft Defender.
information Security and IT Manager at Discover Dollar Technologies Pvt Ltd.
It is very resource-intensive, consuming a lot of memory and CPU.
Security Specialist at Prudential Systems Japan
If Microsoft experiences downtime, this solution goes down as it is a SaaS-based solution where we have no control.
Cloud Security Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
I have faced no stability issues with Tenable.
Infrastructure patching Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The stability is commendable, and I would rate Tenable ten out of ten.
Technical Lead at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
The stability of Tenable Vulnerability Management is highly reliable.
Windows Security Patching Operation III (Cyber Operations) at CBTS
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender needs better false positive reduction, integration, cost management, risk scoring, and documentation for small enterprises.
Users criticize Tenable's interface, customization, pricing, support, setup complexity, and suggest improvements for SMB compatibility and user-friendliness.
This scoring should be for specific industries as well. If I belong to the healthcare industry using Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management, it should provide me with a risk score and show how I fare against the risk score of my industry.
DGM. Technical Security at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
A vulnerability I patch within 15 minutes takes 24 additional hours for an update.
information Security and IT Manager at Discover Dollar Technologies Pvt Ltd.
The product is not stable; it often uses excessive memory and CPU, which makes it slow.
Security Specialist at Prudential Systems Japan
They should also accelerate the process of implementing new features upon request.
Infrastructure patching Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I would suggest HP WebInspect as a better option than Tenable.io.
Technical Lead at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Tenable Vulnerability Management is not very effective for real-time risk prioritization for our organization's security strategy.
Windows Security Patching Operation III (Cyber Operations) at CBTS
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management provides economical tiered pricing with P1 and P2 options, often included in existing bundles.
Tenable Vulnerability Management is costly, with prices from $2,300 to $137,000, suitable for enterprises but pricey for SMBs.
Overall, every organization wishes for cheaper options, but we look at the security side as well, so we are good for now.
Senior Cloud Security Consultant at MetLife
For non-partners, however, the cost could be seen as higher, between seven to ten.
COO at Floating-Dot Technology LTD
The pricing is reasonable, and it's included in the whole Microsoft E5 bundle, so it's all-inclusive.
Corporate Planner at MISC Berhad
Tenable charges around $40 per device, while Rapid7 costs $10 to $15 per device.
Infrastructure patching Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I would not say very expensive for Tenable Vulnerability Management; it is not prohibitive, but at the same time, there are some other tools in the marketplace which are offering the same kind of services that Tenable offers, the same kind of features that Tenable has offered at a lesser cost.
Deputy Global Chief Information Security Officer at Nissan Digital
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender excels in compliance, real-time assessments, risk prioritization, integration, asset discovery, and continuous monitoring for enhanced security management.
Tenable offers seamless interface, robust scanning, and integration, with AI-driven prioritization and continuous updates for effective vulnerability management.
The main advantage of Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management is that it can locate and prevent most threats even when the endpoints are not connected to the corporate network, as long as the internet is available.
DGM. Technical Security at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
The feature for customizing to region-specific and domain-specific requirements in healthcare is particularly beneficial.
Cloud Security Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
The most valuable aspect is the kind of assessment results I get, and the recommendations provided in Microsoft products really help in taking care of the resources.
Senior Cloud Security Consultant at MetLife
Tenable enables vulnerability management through potential AI integration that consolidates efforts and resolves multiple vulnerabilities simultaneously.
Infrastructure patching Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The main benefit of integration with Tenable Vulnerability Management is that there will be no lack of missing vulnerabilities when it comes to the patching environment.
Windows Security Patching Operation III (Cyber Operations) at CBTS
The best features of Tenable Vulnerability Management are flexibility, breadth and scope, and the fact that their current vulnerabilities come out, and they have tests for them within a day or two.
SOC Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender Vulnerab...
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
12th
Ranking in Risk-Based Vulnerability Management
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (18th), Microsoft Security Suite (19th)
Tenable Vulnerability Manag...
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
5th
Ranking in Risk-Based Vulnerability Management
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
45
Ranking in other categories
Patch Management (11th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Vulnerability Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management is 2.3%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable Vulnerability Management is 3.2%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Vulnerability Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Tenable Vulnerability Management3.2%
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management2.3%
Other94.5%
Vulnerability Management
 

Featured Reviews

OB
Microsoft Solutions Manager at Self-Employed
Ensures strong threat and vulnerability management with continuous risk assessment
The major priority is identity, which is crucial; we have lots of companies in manufacturing, energy, or various sectors, and it varies from one to another. I assess Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management as very effective in continuously assessing vulnerabilities without requiring scans. We use automatic investigation and remediation features, safe attachments, safe links, and real-time reports, which are also very effective. For Active Directory, Defender has threat intelligence, and we are using that. The risk-based prioritization within Vulnerability Management affects my ability to manage vulnerabilities, particularly in relation to the Zero Trust Model utilized by our customers. The end-users often do as they please in their systems.
Chethan Gowda - PeerSpot reviewer
Windows Security Patching Operation III (Cyber Operations) at CBTS
Have maintained accurate vulnerability scans and gained actionable remediation insights across thousands of servers
Tenable Vulnerability Management agents are very lightweight, and the results we get are very accurate. The solutions they provide to us, assuming if one vulnerability exists, there will be a solution. The resolution they give us in wording will be the best solution. The exploit rates and the reports we get provide a lot of information, making it very easy for us to verify.The main benefit of integration with Tenable Vulnerability Management is that there will be no lack of missing vulnerabilities when it comes to the patching environment. That is one of the key aspects of why we have integrated Tenable to our patching tools. It has a vast capacity of pushing the data to our tools due to its capability and compatibility. That is also one of the reasons why we are using Tenable Vulnerability Management.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise21
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management?
The documentation from Microsoft needs significant improvement. The documents are disorganized, with one document linking to another, making the steps unclear and difficult to follow. Regarding upd...
What's the difference between Tenable Nessus and Tenable.io Vulnerability Management?
Tenable Nessus is a vulnerability assessment solution that is both easy to deploy and easy to manage. The design of the program is such that if a company should desire to handle the installation t...
What needs improvement with Tenable.io Vulnerability Management?
I don't think that there is any very specific area where enhancements need to happen in Tenable Vulnerability Management's feature sets. The only area which possibly is not a part of the feature, b...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Tenable.io
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Global Payments AU/NZ
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs. Tenable Vulnerability Management and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.
881,515 professionals have used our research since 2012.