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Microsoft Entra ID Protection vs Varonis Platform comparison

Microsoft and Varonis are both solutions in the Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Varonis is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.0. Microsoft holds a 12.2% mindshare in ITDR, compared to Varonis’s 5.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Varonis users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Entra ID Protection
Read 19 Microsoft Entra ID Protection reviews
  • 3,661 Views
  • 2,746 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Varonis Platform
Read 14 Varonis Platform reviews
  • 9,196 Views
  • 828 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 7, 2025

Microsoft Entra ID Protection and Varonis Platform compete in the realm of data security and identity protection. Microsoft Entra ID Protection appears to have an upper hand due to its seamless integration with Microsoft Defender and strong security features, enhancing its identity protection efficacy.

Features: Microsoft Entra ID Protection offers seamless operation on both on-premises and cloud infrastructures, supporting multifactor authentication, access control, and conditional access policies. Its robust security elements, such as single sign-on and automated remediation, improve operational efficiency. Additionally, the integration with Microsoft Defender heightens security. Varonis Platform provides remarkable data access governance, excellent technical support, and thorough monitoring capabilities without degrading performance, effectively alerting and reporting data activities and threats.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Entra ID Protection requires advancements in identity labeling, password management, and log retention. Centralization of solution models and improved resources for security courses are suggested. Accelerated sync processes and improved hybrid connectivity could benefit users. For Varonis Platform, ongoing cloud transition and interface clarity need attention. Introducing comprehensive Data Loss Prevention capabilities and enhancing licensing cost-effectiveness would address mid-tier company concerns.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Entra ID Protection supports hybrid and public cloud environments, offering versatile integration. However, technical support varies with subscription plans, occasionally resulting in delays and inconsistency. Varonis Platform primarily relies on on-premises deployment, with ongoing shifts to cloud solutions. It generally receives positive feedback for its technical support, though improvements in update communication and managing complex components are necessary.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Entra ID Protection provides a competitive pricing model, though perceived costly by smaller companies. Its integration and single sign-on features deliver significant time savings and strong ROI. Varonis Platform is considered expensive due to multiple modules and licensing demands. It primarily targets large enterprises due to costs, but it is appreciated for its comprehensive security benefits and data management, offering satisfactory ROI for financially equipped companies.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Entra ID Protection vs. Varonis Platform Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Entra ID Protection vs. Varonis Platform
July 2025
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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 Entra ID Protection
Ranking in Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR)
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
Identity Management (IM) (7th), Microsoft Security Suite (9th)
Varonis Platform
Ranking in Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR)
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
Email Security (20th), Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (9th), User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) (6th), Data Governance (4th), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (18th), Threat Intelligence Platforms (12th), SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) (5th), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (3rd), Compliance Management (7th), Ransomware Protection (10th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID Protection is 12.2%, down from 26.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Varonis Platform is 5.7%, up from 5.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Entra ID Protection12.2%
Varonis Platform5.7%
Other82.1%
Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR)
 

Featured Reviews

Ankit Gupta. - PeerSpot reviewer
Comprehensive identity management enhances security and access controls with advanced integration
The monitoring from Microsoft Entra ID Protection provides great visibility at a granular level. It provides all the details, including IP address, username, and permission or error logs. This information is available in both the audit log and regular log. The alert functionality supports general day-to-day monitoring and any violation or trigger for errors. Microsoft Entra ID Protection's features are suitable for all sizes of companies. It's a must-have product because traditionally Active Directory was used for identity and authentication on computers. Now, with hybrid capabilities, every company of any size needs these features and tools. I rate Microsoft Entra ID Protection ten out of ten.
Read full review
Frederic Delos - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers the ability to identify sensitive areas, allowing you to drill down into the sensitive data
The most effective feature for me is its ability to identify sensitive areas, allowing you to drill down into the sensitive data, provided you have access, to determine whether it's a false positive or a true positive. That's the best thing for me, out of all of it. It's got everything, like other ones, but I like to be able to look at something if I'm doing forensics on the alert and say, "Okay, do I really need to do something with this?" For example, we don't want sensitive data in our OneDrive. So it identifies the sensitive data that's possibly in the OneDrive. And what I can do is look at it and identify whether it's actually sensitive data in Datalert or whether it looks like sensitive data, but I know it's a false positive. If it is a false positive, I can basically say ignore this pattern based on X, Y, and Z, you know, whether it's Redjax or keyword proximity. So I like that. With other tools, I gotta go through a whole process because it's a little bit more complex. Here, I can tag it and bag it in one shot. And the next good time I scan, it slips over it. So it helps in that.
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 protections for handling identity threats in Microsoft Entra ID Protection, such as the automated remediation, are working effectively."
"The solution helps us with authentication."
"I recommend this product overall."
"The solution's technical support offers great assistance to users."
"The most valuable features are the API apps, which I use to connect to my cloud Protection."
"The deployment process is straightforward. It takes a few hours to complete."
"As an end-user, I find the experience to be quite seamless. My main advantage is that I only need to manage one login and one two-factor authentication method to access all the necessary tools. I don't have to set up separate logins and authentication for each application."
"We've integrated our other software with Microsoft, and we log into other software using Microsoft. That's very helpful."
More Microsoft Entra ID Protection pros
"The analytics would have to be our most valuable feature."
"The telemetry to capture everything and the reports are very easy to configure without having a developer degree."
"I also appreciate the reporting feature, which allows for the extraction of various reports based on specific needs. These reports can be used for audit purposes, such as tracking changes in file locations or deletions."
"Varonis offers robust data access governance, allowing us to understand which sensitive data exists and who has access to it."
"The 24/7 support is the most valuable feature. They have been able to answer support questions pretty quickly."
"The solution ensures that users have not accidentally shared sensitive information with the wrong people or too many people."
"The most important feature is remediation. In remediation support, there is no group permission. We'll go ahead and remediate the access from the Dell folder to the parent folder."
"The solution's classification engine is highly configurable and efficient."
More Varonis Platform pros
 

Cons

"The platform's pricing and scalability need improvement."
"Support or customer service with Microsoft Entra ID Protection can be challenging because you can get lost in the queue. You can open up a case, but sometimes it can be an hour or even a day between communications."
"The pricing could be improved."
"There is a lot of confusion around the user interface."
"There is room for improvement in the ability for Entra ID Protection to inherit roles and configurations from whatever solution I am migrating from, so that these don't have to be built from the ground up during the implementation process."
"I rate the quality of support at four out of ten because of inefficiencies in the ticket handling process. Tickets often bounce from person to person, requiring the sharing of information multiple times."
"Azure AD could improve by enhancing the availability of specialized courses for security, such as NETSCOUT security or other relevant certifications. It would be beneficial to have specific courses for security, to provide in-depth knowledge and skills related to Azure AD. While there are micro-learning resources available for various concepts, many people in the IT industry may not have the time to go through all the courses to properly configure and utilize Azure Active Directory. Simplifying the implementation process and making it easier for individuals to join a company with Azure AD could also be considered areas for improvement."
"Identity protection and trust issues, particularly in hybrid environments, could be addressed better with Microsoft Entra ID Protection. This would aid connectivity concerns."
More Microsoft Entra ID Protection cons
"One area for improvement is the calculation engine. When applying rules in Varonis, especially for large datasets (terabytes of data), the calculations can be slow and require time to process. Speeding up this process would be beneficial."
"Varonis requires more access permissions for its core functions compared to competitors, which can be a concern for companies about data safety."
"The solution's areas of improvement are the interface and the dependency on on-premises deployment for some components."
"I would like it to have cloud integration."
"I'd like to see automatic updates for this solution. Currently, it's a manual process to update all the keywords"
"Varonis requires more access permissions for its core functions compared to competitors, which can be a concern for companies about data safety."
"It is significantly complex."
"The remediation process can be improved. There will be no existing permission group for the McAfee channel domains. We can create a new permissions group for the required folder."
More Varonis Platform cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Azure Active Directory Identity Protection is not very expensive."
"The price of Azure AD is not expensive."
"The product cost is on the expensive side."
"The pricing is competitive in the SMA segment and runs $5-$6 per user."
"From one to ten, if one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool a seven out of ten."
"The platform is expensive. I rate the pricing a nine out of ten."
"I would rate the pricing an eight out of ten, with ten being the most expensive."
"You could do a subscription, where you pay yearly, or you could purchase it outright. The licensing cost is based on the number of users on the system that you are monitoring."
"Varonis Platform wasn't certainly the cheapest solution."
"It's expensive, kind of, really expensive."
"The pricing is good. It neither expensive nor cheap. It is average."
"Licensing is on an annual basis. Maintenance and renewal fees are separate. Varonis Datalert is quite expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Insurance Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise11
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?
I use conditional access most of the time.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?
The pricing for Microsoft Entra ID protection is not expensive. It varies based on the company's size and quality.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?
A potential area of improvement in Microsoft Entra ID Protection could include backup-level capability or snapshot capability. Currently, we are required to use third-party backups for the overall ...
See all answers
What do you like most about Varonis Platform?
The solution has significantly improved data security and compliance posture by allowing us to track and monitor activities. We can see who accesses data and when files are created and understand w...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Varonis Platform?
Varonis started as an on-premises solution and is transitioning to cloud. It hasn't fully moved yet, which is an area for improvement. Varonis requires more access permissions for its core function...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Varonis Platform?
The primary use case for Varonis Platform is data discovery, specifically for discovering sensitive data in our organization to protect it. We are looking for a solution that can scan our repositor...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Microsoft Defender for Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection Logo
Microsoft Defender for Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection
Compared 33% of the time
BloodHound Enterprise vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection Logo
BloodHound Enterprise vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection
Compared 11% of the time
Semperis Directory Services Protector vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection Logo
Semperis Directory Services Protector vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection
Compared 9% of the time
CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection Logo
CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection
Compared 8% of the time
More Microsoft Entra ID Protection Competitors
Microsoft Purview Data Governance vs Varonis Platform Logo
Microsoft Purview Data Governance vs Varonis Platform
Compared 20% of the time
Cyera vs Varonis Platform Logo
Cyera vs Varonis Platform
Compared 11% of the time
BigID vs Varonis Platform Logo
BigID vs Varonis Platform
Compared 8% of the time
Wiz vs Varonis Platform Logo
Wiz vs Varonis Platform
Compared 5% of the time
Microsoft Purview Information Protection vs Varonis Platform Logo
Microsoft Purview Information Protection vs Varonis Platform
Compared 3% of the time
More Varonis Platform Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Entra ID Protection
August 2025
Microsoft Entra ID Protection reportDownload Microsoft Entra ID Protection product report
Buyer's Guide
Varonis Platform
August 2025
Varonis Platform reportDownload Varonis Platform product report
 

Also Known As

Azure Active Directory Identity Protection, Azure AD Identity Protection
SlashNext Complete
 

Overview

Microsoft Entra ID Protection enhances security with advanced identity controls and seamless integration across environments. It ensures robust protection via multifactor authentication and single sign-on capabilities, safeguarding enterprises' sensitive information efficiently.

Microsoft Entra ID Protection offers comprehensive identity management and privileged access management features, making it critical for businesses transitioning to hybrid models or cloud solutions. Utilizing multifactor authentication, single sign-on, and security policy creation, it excels in securing access across both on-premise and cloud platforms. By integrating with Microsoft Defender, it enhances security measures. While it is highly effective, areas for improvement include identity labeling, password management, and more straightforward third-party integrations. Expanding access to Mac devices and simplification of the licensing model are also areas to be addressed for improved scalability.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID Protection?
  • Granular Identity and Access Control: Tailor access permissions to enhance security measures.
  • Robust Authentication: Implement multifactor authentication for superior identity verification.
  • Seamless Management: Manage identities across on-premise and cloud environments effortlessly.
  • Conditional Access Policies: Enforce specific access rules based on predetermined conditions.
Why should users value Microsoft Entra ID Protection in their evaluations?
  • Operational Efficiency: Simplifies identity management with single sign-on.
  • Extensive Security Capabilities: Provides comprehensive protection for sensitive data.
  • Enterprise Focused: Tailored for use in complex organizational structures and transitions.
  • Integration Capability: Works closely with Microsoft Defender to enhance security measures.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, entities leverage Microsoft Entra ID Protection to maintain stringent access controls, optimize privileged access management, and facilitate smooth transitions to cloud environments. They utilize its integration with Azure AD to ensure comprehensive identity protection while aligning to compliance requirements specific to their fields.

Microsoft

Varonis Platform enhances data security and governance with advanced analytics, identifying unusual access patterns and sensitive areas. Its centralized interface manages permissions across systems, offering essential capabilities for alerting and reporting.

Varonis Platform provides continuous data protection and monitoring by identifying and alerting on unauthorized data access. It offers comprehensive insights into file access and user activities, supporting data classification and simplifying compliance with tracking and monitoring capabilities. Integration with storage systems enables users to manage permissions and access effectively. Room for improvement includes cloud integration and simplifying its interface and calculation engine for ease of use. Challenges include on-premises dependency, licensing costs, and a need for enhanced DLP capabilities.

What are the primary features of Varonis Platform?
  • 24/7 Technical Support: Ensures continuous assistance and issue resolution.
  • Advanced Analytics: Identifies unusual data access patterns for increased security.
  • Centralized Permission Management: Manages access permissions across systems.
  • Data Classification: Categorizes data to enhance protection measures.
  • Integration with Storage Systems: Simplifies compliance through tracking and monitoring.
What benefits and ROI should users expect?
  • Increased Security: Protects against unauthorized data access.
  • Compliance Simplification: Offers comprehensive tracking and monitoring to meet compliance standards.
  • Efficient Permission Management: Simplifies access controls across platforms.
  • Enhanced Alerting: Provides timely notifications of potential security breaches.

In finance, Varonis aids in safeguarding sensitive financial data, while in healthcare, it secures patient records. Legal industries utilize it for protecting client information, and retail sectors manage sensitive customer data. These industries benefit from Varonis' ability to prevent unauthorized access and streamline compliance.

Varonis
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Nottingham Building Society
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Entra ID Protection vs. Varonis Platform
July 2025
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