Microsoft Defender for Business
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- Starting price
- $3/user/mo
- Free trial
- Free trial
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- SMBs already on Microsoft 365 wanting bundled EDR
Microsoft Defender for Business from Microsoft is a endpoint security tool — from $3/user/mo, rated 4.4/5 (~300 G2 reviews). Best for SMBs already on Microsoft 365 wanting bundled EDR.
How Microsoft Defender for Business scores
Six criteria, each 0–10 on the same scale from review data, public pricing and feature coverage. Methodology →
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Microsoft Defender for Business vs the field
| Microsoft Defender for Business | SentinelOne Singularity | CrowdStrike Falcon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $3/user/mo | $69.99/endpoint/yr | $59.99/device/yr |
| Pricing model | per user | per endpoint | per endpoint |
| Free trial / tier | Free trial | Free trial | 15 days |
| Best for | SMBs already on Microsoft 365 wanting bundled EDR | Teams wanting autonomous AI-driven EDR/XDR | Organizations wanting best-in-class cloud-native EDR + threat intel |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud | Cloud |
| G2 rating | 4.4/5 (300) | 4.7/5 (2000) | 4.7/5 (290) |
| Capterra rating | — | — | — |
| Our score | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.3 |
✓ Pros
- Cheap if you have M365
- Solid detection
- Per-user (covers multiple devices)
✕ Cons
- Best within Microsoft ecosystem
- Licensing nuances
- Tuning needed
Key Microsoft Defender for Business features
- EDR for SMB
- Next-gen AV
- Threat & vulnerability mgmt
- Auto-investigation
- M365 integration
Microsoft Defender for Business at a glance
Microsoft Defender for Business from Microsoft is a endpoint security tool — from $3/user/mo, rated 4.4/5 (~300 G2 reviews). Best for SMBs already on Microsoft 365 wanting bundled EDR.
More on Microsoft Defender for Business
Microsoft Defender for Business
Best for: SMBs already committed to Microsoft 365 seeking bundled endpoint detection and response without separate EDR licensing.
Pricing
| Tier | Price | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defender for Business | $3/user/mo | Annual | Standalone or bundled with M365 Business Premium |
Free trial available. No free tier.
What You Get
- Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) for SMB scale
- Next-generation antivirus with behavioral detection
- Threat & vulnerability management across endpoints
- Automated investigation & response to reduce manual toil
- Microsoft 365 integration (Exchange, Teams, SharePoint visibility)
Strengths
- Economical within Microsoft ecosystem. Per-user licensing covers multiple devices, and pricing is aggressive if you’re already paying for M365.
- Solid detection rates backed by Microsoft’s threat intelligence.
- Low friction for Microsoft shops. Native integration means fewer API headaches and faster onboarding.
Weaknesses
- Microsoft ecosystem dependency. Works best when you’re all-in on 365; standalone value diminishes in heterogeneous environments.
- Licensing complexity. Inclusion in M365 Business Premium tiers creates confusion around what’s actually included.
- Requires tuning. Out-of-box false positive rates can be high; expect to invest in alert tuning.
Social Proof
G2: 4.4/5 (300+ reviews)
Our Score: 7.8/10
Bottom Line
Solid, competent SMB EDR that punches above its weight if you’re already in the Microsoft ecosystem. Price-to-value is hard to beat for M365 customers. Skip it if you need platform-agnostic tooling or deep customization.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Microsoft Defender for Business cost?
- Microsoft Defender for Business starts at $3/user/mo. It's priced per user. See the pricing page for every plan and limit.
- Does Microsoft Defender for Business have a free trial or free version?
- Microsoft Defender for Business offers a free trial, but no permanently free tier.
- How is Microsoft Defender for Business deployed?
- Microsoft Defender for Business is available as Cloud.
- Who is Microsoft Defender for Business best for?
- Microsoft Defender for Business is best for SMBs already on Microsoft 365 wanting bundled EDR.
- Is Microsoft Defender for Business any good?
- Microsoft Defender for Business holds 4.4/5 across 300 reviews and scores 7.8/10 on our data-weighted ranking.
- What are the best Microsoft Defender for Business alternatives?
- Top alternatives include SentinelOne Singularity, CrowdStrike Falcon, Bitdefender GravityZone. See the full alternatives list for pricing and scores.
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