Microsoft Defender XDR vs USM Anywhere comparison

Microsoft and LevelBlue are both solutions in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category. Microsoft is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.4, while LevelBlue is ranked #49 with an average rating of 7.5. Microsoft holds a 2.6% mindshare in EDR, compared to LevelBlue’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of LevelBlue users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Defender XDR

Read 106 Microsoft Defender XDR reviews

10,352 Views
5,487 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

USM Anywhere

Read 115 USM Anywhere reviews

3,154 Views
852 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Microsoft Defender XDR

USM Anywhere

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

USM Anywhere and Microsoft Defender XDR are two prominent security solutions. Microsoft Defender XDR appears to have the upper hand due to its advanced integration capabilities and extensive feature set.

Features: USM Anywhere offers comprehensive threat detection, pre-built compliance templates, and straightforward deployment. Microsoft Defender XDR provides advanced integration with Microsoft products, automated response features, and extensive customer support.

Room for Improvement: USM Anywhere needs improved scalability, more intuitive navigation, and enhanced cross-platform functionalities. Microsoft Defender XDR could benefit from simplifying its setup process, improving cross-platform abilities, and refining user interface design.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: USM Anywhere is noted for its straightforward deployment and reliable customer service. Microsoft Defender XDR’s deployment is more complex but is supported by extensive customer service to help users.

Pricing and ROI: USM Anywhere is praised for competitive setup costs and solid ROI. Microsoft Defender XDR is considered more expensive but worth the investment due to its feature set and integration capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Defender XDR vs. USM Anywhere Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender XDR vs. USM Anywhere

December 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 881,114 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

7.1

Microsoft Defender XDR provides high ROI by consolidating security tools, streamlining operations, and enhancing security, despite licensing costs.

Sentiment score

6.8

USM Anywhere enhances security, saves time and resources, reduces staffing needs, and meets compliance, offering financial and time benefits.

We can quarantine and isolate a device within minutes.

Agustin-Torres

Information Security Analyst at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees

Microsoft Defender XDR has saved me at least 50% of my time.

Kunle Oluwadiya

House security operator at Cypress Creek Renewables

It helped stop multiple intrusion points where we would have had millions in lost revenue if the attackers got in.

Joshua Hart

Network Technician at T. Baker Smith, LLC

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report

Customers see ROI as they save on staff and other resources.

Kris Nawani

Co-Founder/Director at Bangkok MSP Company Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the USM Anywhere report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.1

Microsoft Defender XDR's support is timely and responsive, yet smaller organizations experience slower, less effective assistance than larger ones.

Sentiment score

8.0

USM Anywhere's customer service is generally praised for responsiveness but experiences occasional delays and inconsistent support information.

You get stuck in low-level support for way longer than you should, instead of them escalating the issue up the chain.

Darrell Carr

Enterprise Application Engineer at a legal firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

It's critical to escalate SEV B issues immediately to a domestic engineer.

Ty Ryan

Infrastructure engineer at Cetera Financial Group

Once issues are escalated to the second or third layer, the support is much better.

Ankit-Joshi

Cyber Security Engineer at a financial services firm with 1-10 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the USM Anywhere report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

6.9

Microsoft Defender XDR scales well for various organizations, efficiently supporting growth and flexibility despite some network deployment challenges.

Sentiment score

7.5

USM Anywhere is scalable for small to medium businesses, but enterprise-scale deployments face data volume and speed challenges.

My concern is about the scale of events and alerts being generated, and the product is doing a very good job of only surfacing the important items for us.

reviewer2315544

Vice President, Information Technology at a construction company with 201-500 employees

Microsoft Defender XDR shows tremendous scalability, much more so than on-premises solutions.

Ty Ryan

Infrastructure engineer at Cetera Financial Group

Microsoft Defender XDR scales pretty well.

Agustin-Torres

Information Security Analyst at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report

USM Anywhere faces scalability issues because of a 60 TB limit.

Kris Nawani

Co-Founder/Director at Bangkok MSP Company Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the USM Anywhere report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.1

Microsoft Defender XDR is praised for high stability, reliable performance, minimal issues, frequent updates, and prompt issue resolution.

Sentiment score

7.2

USM Anywhere receives mixed stability reviews, with some users praising its reliability and others reporting issues during updates or large data handling.

The service has remained consistently online, with any issues isolated to specific components, suggesting a well-designed and modular architecture.

reviewer2595618

Senior System Engineer at a sports company with 5,001-10,000 employees

The services within our ecosystem have been reliable, meeting their SLAs.

Ty Ryan

Infrastructure engineer at Cetera Financial Group

It provides high-fidelity signals.

Agustin-Torres

Information Security Analyst at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the USM Anywhere report

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender XDR requires enhancements in speed, integration, automation, AI, ease-of-use, and industry-specific threat intelligence.

USM Anywhere needs improved performance, user interface, integration, and support, with better updates and less disruptive software changes.

The licensing process needs improvement and clarification.

reviewer2595324

Owner at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Improvements are needed in automated response capabilities.

Soumitra_Chakraborty

Security manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

Some inconsistencies exist between blades, which could be improved for a more seamless user and UI experience.

Ty Ryan

Infrastructure engineer at Cetera Financial Group

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report

There are scalability issues due to a 60 TB limit, which restricts its use for large customers like banks.

Kris Nawani

Co-Founder/Director at Bangkok MSP Company Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the USM Anywhere report

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender XDR pricing is seen as complex but fair, with high costs alleviated in bundled Microsoft 365 packages.

USM Anywhere offers scalable, affordable SIEM solutions ideal for SMBs, recommended for budget-conscious enterprises over costly competitors.

There are certainly savings when using Microsoft Defender XDR, which can range from 30%, 40%, and even up to 50%.

Clay Bowlin

Director, Sales at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees

I would rate the pricing as eight out of ten, indicating it is a reasonable cost for the product.

Soumitra_Chakraborty

Security manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

Microsoft purposefully obfuscates this through marketing ploys to hide costs.

reviewer2595618

Senior System Engineer at a sports company with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report

The pricing is amazing and really cheap.

Kris Nawani

Co-Founder/Director at Bangkok MSP Company Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the USM Anywhere report

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender XDR integrates tools for comprehensive security, offering threat detection, automation, identity protection, and enhanced efficiency.

USM Anywhere offers event correlation, vulnerability scanning, and centralized logging with customizable, user-friendly security monitoring for small teams.

With Microsoft threat intelligence information, it detects various types of threats, including insider attacks, malicious content, and data exfiltration.

Soumitra_Chakraborty

Security manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

This allows us to secure our systems in advance and proactively improve security, rather than waiting for incidents to occur.

A Roy

Works at Hometrack

Once we have it on the security dashboard, we can see a real-time storyline.

Agustin-Torres

Information Security Analyst at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report

The 365-day block query is a major feature.

Kris Nawani

Co-Founder/Director at Bangkok MSP Company Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the USM Anywhere report

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender XDR

Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

106

Ranking in other categories

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (3rd), Microsoft Security Suite (5th)

USM Anywhere

Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

49th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

115

Ranking in other categories

Log Management (40th), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (32nd), Compliance Management (15th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender XDR is 2.6%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of USM Anywhere is 0.5%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender XDR	2.6%
USM Anywhere	0.5%
Other	96.9%

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Featured Reviews

Kunle Oluwadiya

House security operator at Cypress Creek Renewables

Advanced threat hunting saves significant time in tracking and responding to incidents

Microsoft Defender XDR could be improved with a lower price. My main suggestion would essentially be what Copilot is providing, which is a single pane of glass, so I don't have to go to different windows. That's just a workflow consideration for me. It would be great to have all the information centralized into one particular data app. If I need to open up extra ones, I can, however, I would appreciate a future where everything I need is right there on one single pane of glass. Beyond that, there's really nothing else I see that I would want Microsoft to improve.

Read full review

Kris Nawani

Co-Founder/Director at Bangkok MSP Company Limited

Offers complete coverage without the need to install additional software

USM Anywhere is used for threat detection and investigation. It provides a solution with built-in threat intelligence and various other investigation tools The solution offers complete coverage without the need to install additional software, as it is maintained by the vendor. It helps in saving…

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Performing Arts

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	47
Midsize Enterprise	25
Large Enterprise	38

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	64
Midsize Enterprise	29
Large Enterprise	25

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft 365 Defender?

Microsoft Defender XDR provides strong identity protection with comprehensive insights into risky user behavior and potential indicators of compromise.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft 365 Defender?

My experience with pricing, setup, costs, and licensing of Microsoft Defender XDR is tied to our E5 subscription, which is very straightforward for us. We also purchase the uplift for our mobile us...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft 365 Defender?

I am not aware of a mobile app that would be available for my team. With a single analyst, if she is ever away, it would be beneficial to have easier access. While she can use the web portal, the e...

See all answers

What do you like most about AT&T AlienVault USM?

The most valuable feature of the solution is the ease of deployment that it provides to users. The integrations that the product has with third-party applications are useful.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AT&T AlienVault USM?

The pricing is amazing and really cheap.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AT&T AlienVault USM?

There are scalability issues due to a 60 TB limit, which restricts its use for large customers like banks. It is also limited when used with bigger products and has complex password requirements.

See all answers

Comparisons

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 12% of the time

Wazuh vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 4% of the time

Microsoft Sentinel vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Defender XDR Competitors

LogRhythm SIEM vs USM Anywhere

Compared 11% of the time

AlienVault OSSIM vs USM Anywhere

Compared 11% of the time

Splunk Enterprise Security vs USM Anywhere

Compared 7% of the time

IBM Security QRadar vs USM Anywhere

Compared 6% of the time

OpenText Enterprise Security Manager vs USM Anywhere

Compared 5% of the time

More USM Anywhere Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender XDR

January 2026

Download Microsoft Defender XDR product report

Buyer's Guide

USM Anywhere

January 2026

Download USM Anywhere product report

Also Known As

Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Threat Protection, MS 365 Defender

AT&T AlienVault USM, AlienVault, AlienVault USM, Alienvault Cybersecurity

Overview

Microsoft Defender XDR is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect against threats in the Microsoft 365 environment.

It offers robust security measures, comprehensive threat detection capabilities, and an efficient incident response system. With seamless integration with other Microsoft products and a user-friendly interface, it simplifies security management tasks.

Users have found it effective in detecting and preventing various types of attacks, such as phishing attempts, malware infections, and data breaches.

Watch the Microsoft demo video here: Microsoft Defender XDR demo video.

Microsoft

USM Anywhere centralizes security monitoring of networks and devices in the cloud, on premises, and in remote locations, helping you to detect threats virtually anywhere.

Discover

Network asset discovery
Software & services discovery
AWS asset discovery
Azure asset discovery
Google Cloud Platform asset discovery

Analyze

SIEM event correlation, auto-prioritized alarms
User activity monitoring
Up to 90-days of online, searchable events

Detect

Cloud intrusion detection (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Network intrusion detection (NIDS)
Host intrusion detection (HIDS)
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Respond

Forensics querying
Automate & orchestrate response
Notifications and ticketing

Assess

Vulnerability scanning
Cloud infrastructure assessment
User & asset configuration
Dark web monitoring

Report

Pre-built compliance reporting templates
Pre-built event reporting templates
Customizable views and dashboards
Log storage

LevelBlue

Sample Customers

Accenture, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, General Electric, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and many others.

Abel & Cole, Bank of Ireland, Bluegrass Cellular, CareerBuilder, Claire's, Hays Medical Center, Hope International, McCurrach, McKinsey & Company, Party Delights, Pepco Holdings, Richland School District, Ricoh, SaveMart, Shake Shack, Steelcase, TaxAct, Taylor Morrison, Vonage and Zoom

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender XDR vs. USM Anywhere

December 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Defender XDR vs. USM Anywhere

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