Cybersecurity · head to head
Akeyless vs Microsoft Sentinel
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Akeyless pricing is usage-based and complex, requires sales consultation; Microsoft Sentinel billing is driven by the volume of log data ingested per day, so cost scales with log noise rather than with users or protected assets
- They diverge on capability: Akeyless covers Secrets management, Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Akeyless and Microsoft Sentinel actually diverge.
| Attribute | Akeyless | Microsoft Sentinel |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Usage-based pricing units that vary by product module | usage-based |
| Platforms | Cloud, Hybrid, On-Premises | Web, Api |
| Founded | Unknown | 1975 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Akeyless
- Secrets management
- Machine identity
- AI agent identity
- Certificate management
- Privileged access management
- Multi-vault governance
- Encryption and KMS
- Password manager
Only in Microsoft Sentinel
- AI-powered analytics
- Fusion detection
- UEBA
- Automated response playbooks
- Threat intelligence
- Hunting queries
- Workbooks
- Incident management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Akeyless
- Securing AI agents with dedicated identity trackingnot Microsoft Sentinel
- Managing machine-to-machine credentials at scalenot Microsoft Sentinel
- Automating PKI and certificate lifecyclenot Microsoft Sentinel
- Implementing just-in-time privileged accessnot Microsoft Sentinel
Microsoft Sentinel
- Cloud-based security information and event management (SIEM)not Akeyless
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot Akeyless
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot Akeyless
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Akeyless
- Pricing is usage-based and complex, requires sales consultation
- Free tier is very limited with restricted access
- No transparent pricing published for enterprise features
- Pricing model varies significantly by product module
Microsoft Sentinel
- Billing is driven by the volume of log data ingested per day, so cost scales with log noise rather than with users or protected assets
- Commitment tier discounts require reserving daily ingestion capacity in advance, and a tier cannot be downgraded until 31 days have passed
- Commitment tiers start at 100 GB per day, above what smaller estates ingest
- Charges for Log Analytics, Logic Apps and Machine Learning are billed separately on top of Sentinel itself
- The free allowance is only up to 5 MB per user per day for selected Microsoft 365 security logs
- Promotional commitment pricing is time limited and locks in only until a stated end date
Pricing, plan by plan
Akeyless
Free- FreeFree
- Limited feature access
- Restricted usage quotas
- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- Custom pricing based on usage
- Unlimited resource quotas
- Full feature access
Microsoft Sentinel
Free- Pay-As-You-Go$2.46/day
- Per GB ingested
- 90-day retention
- First 31 days free for new workspaces
- Commitment TiersFree
- 100GB to 50TB tiers
- Up to 65% discount
- Predictable billing
- Microsoft 365 E5Free
- Free data ingestion for M365 logs
- Bundled with E5 license
Which should you pick?
Choose Akeyless if
- You need secrets management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud, Hybrid, On-Premises.
- You also want machine identity.
Choose Microsoft Sentinel if
- You need ai-powered analytics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want fusion detection.
Questions people ask
- Is Akeyless or Microsoft Sentinel better?
- Neither clearly leads. Akeyless starts at Free and Microsoft Sentinel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Akeyless or Microsoft Sentinel?
- Akeyless starts at Free and Microsoft Sentinel at Free.
- Does Akeyless or Microsoft Sentinel run on more platforms?
- Akeyless runs on Cloud, Hybrid, On-Premises. Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Akeyless for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Akeyless best used for?
- Akeyless is most often used for securing ai agents with dedicated identity tracking, managing machine-to-machine credentials at scale, automating pki and certificate lifecycle, implementing just-in-time privileged access. Of those, securing ai agents with dedicated identity tracking and managing machine-to-machine credentials at scale are not what Microsoft Sentinel is typically brought in for.
- What can Akeyless do that Microsoft Sentinel cannot?
- Akeyless covers Secrets management, Machine identity, AI agent identity, Certificate management. Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Akeyless: What pricing model does Akeyless use?
Akeyless uses usage-based pricing units that vary by product. For example, Secrets Management is priced by clients, Certificate Management by managed certificates, Encryption by transactions, and PAM by users. Contact sales for a custom quote.
SourceMicrosoft Sentinel: How is Microsoft Sentinel pricing calculated?
Microsoft Sentinel uses a pay-as-you-go usage-based model where you pay only for data ingested, stored, and consumed. Flexible commitment tiers are available to reduce total cost of ownership, with specific rates not published on the public pricing page. Source: https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/siem-and-xdr/microsoft-sentinel/
SourceAkeyless: Does Akeyless support hybrid deployment?
Yes, Akeyless offers Pure SaaS cloud-managed deployment and Hybrid SaaS with on-premise gateways and zero-knowledge encryption for sensitive environments.
SourceMicrosoft Sentinel: Does Microsoft Sentinel require an Azure subscription?
Yes, Microsoft Sentinel requires a Microsoft Azure subscription to operate. Pricing is handled through Azure and varies based on data consumption and the commitment tier you select. Source: https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/siem-and-xdr/microsoft-sentinel/
SourceAkeyless: How does Akeyless handle AI agent identities?
Akeyless provides dedicated AI agent identity tracking with runtime access control, allowing organizations to manage AI agent access separately from human and machine identities.
SourceRelated pages
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