Microsoft Defender for Business Pricing (2026)
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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 pricing starts at $3/user/mo. It uses a per user model, with a free trial. The table below lists every published plan; prices are stamped with the date we last verified them against the vendor's pricing page.
| Plan | Price | Billing | Limits / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defender for Business | $3/user/mo | annual | Standalone; included in M365 Business Premium |
Get Microsoft Defender for Business pricing →
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Compare with SentinelOne Singularity pricing, CrowdStrike Falcon pricing.
Is it worth it?
Microsoft Defender for Business pricing starts at $3/user/mo. It uses a per user model, with a free trial. The table below lists every published plan; prices are stamped with the date we last verified them against the vendor's pricing page.
Pricing notes
Pricing Overview
Microsoft Defender for Business uses a per-user, per-month model starting at $3/user/mo (annual billing). This is the entry-level tier and is intentionally simple—there’s one SKU.
| Tier | Price | Unit | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defender for Business | $3 | user/mo | Annual | Standalone or bundled in M365 Business Premium |
Key Pricing Advantages
- Cheap for Microsoft shops: If you’re already paying for M365, Defender for Business either comes included (Business Premium) or adds minimal cost.
- Per-user covers multiple devices: One license covers laptops, desktops, and mobiles for that user—good value density.
- Free trial available: Test before commit.
Pricing Context vs. Competitors
| Product | Entry Price | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defender for Business | $3/mo | Per-user | Best for M365-aligned SMBs |
| SentinelOne Singularity Core | $69.99/yr | Per-endpoint | EDR requires Complete tier ($179.99/yr) |
| CrowdStrike Falcon Go | $59.99/yr | Per-endpoint | EDR requires Enterprise ($184.99/yr) |
Bottom Line
Defender for Business is the budget play for SMBs already committed to Microsoft 365. At $3/user/mo, it’s 80–90% cheaper than standalone EDR tiers from SentinelOne or CrowdStrike. However, you’re paying for ecosystem lock-in—detection is solid but tuning is required, and you lose flexibility outside the Microsoft stack. If you need serious autonomous EDR, budget $15–18/user/mo equivalent when you account for the Complete tier elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Microsoft Defender for Business cost?
- Microsoft Defender for Business starts at $3/user/mo, billed on a per user basis.
- Does Microsoft Defender for Business have a free trial?
- Yes — a free trial.