Developer Tools · head to head
Avo vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Avo
Developer Tools
Analytics governance: define a tracking plan, generate typed code from it, and catch drift before release
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Cybersecurity
Enterprise endpoint security built into Microsoft 365
- From
- On request
- Free plan
- No
The short version
- Only Avo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Avo editor seats are the metered unit and only five are included on the Team plan, so a company where many squads define their own events pays 50 dollars per additional editor and the real cost quickly exceeds the headline 250.; Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales
- They diverge on capability: Avo covers Tracking plan, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Avo and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint actually diverge.
| Attribute | Avo | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Per editor seat per month | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Web SDK, API | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Category | Developer Tools | Cybersecurity |
| Founded | Unknown | 1975 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Avo
- Tracking plan
- Code generation
- Inspector
- Branching and approvals
- Schema sync
- Stakeholder access
- Audit trail
- Data design standards
Only in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Threat & vulnerability management
- Attack surface reduction
- Next-gen protection
- EDR
- Auto investigation
- Microsoft Threat Experts
- Threat analytics
- Secure score
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Avo
- A product team whose iOS and Android event names have drifted apart, making cross-platform funnels meaninglessnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- An analytics lead who wants tracking changes to go through review rather than appearing in production unannouncednot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A company migrating between analytics tools that needs a canonical event schema independent of any vendornot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- An engineering organisation that wants event tracking mistakes caught by the compiler rather than by an analyst three months laternot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Enterprise endpoint security across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS via Plans 1 or 2not Avo
- Small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Defender for Business as alternativenot Avo
- Organisations using Microsoft 365 E5 which includes Defender for Endpoint Plan 2not Avo
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Avo
- Editor seats are the metered unit and only five are included on the Team plan, so a company where many squads define their own events pays 50 dollars per additional editor and the real cost quickly exceeds the headline 250.
- Avo governs event definitions but does not fix historic data, so an organisation with years of inconsistent tracking still faces the backfill problem it cannot solve.
- Code generation requires engineering teams to adopt generated modules in their build, and in practice some platform teams resist, leaving parts of the estate ungoverned and the plan only partly enforced.
- Inspector event volume is capped by tier, at 100,000 on free and one million on enterprise, so a high-traffic consumer product samples rather than observes everything and drift can hide in the unobserved portion.
- It is an additional tool in an analytics stack that already costs money, and justifying it requires the organisation to accept that its existing data is unreliable, which is a political argument as much as a budgetary one.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales
- Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 and Plan 2 do not include server licenses; additional licensing required for server protection
- Specific feature differences between Plan 1 and Plan 2 require consulting Microsoft documentation
Pricing, plan by plan
Avo
Free- FreeFree
- 2 editor seats
- Unlimited comment seats
- 100,000 events observed in Inspector
- Team$250/month
- 5 editor seats included
- Additional editors at $50 per month annually
- Approval workflows and branch audits
- Enterprise$undefined/year
- Custom seats and event volume
- 1,000,000 events observed in Inspector
- Enforceable approval and design standards
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Avo if
- You need tracking plan.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Web SDK, API.
- You also want code generation.
Choose Microsoft Defender for Endpoint if
- You need threat & vulnerability management.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- You also want attack surface reduction.
Questions people ask
- Is Avo or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint better?
- Neither clearly leads. Avo starts at Free and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Avo or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?
- Avo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Avo and On request for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
- Does Avo or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint run on more platforms?
- Avo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Web SDK, API. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Avo for free?
- Yes. Avo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint starts at On request.
- What is Avo best used for?
- Avo is most often used for a product team whose ios and android event names have drifted apart, making cross-platform funnels meaningless, an analytics lead who wants tracking changes to go through review rather than appearing in production unannounced, a company migrating between analytics tools that needs a canonical event schema independent of any vendor, an engineering organisation that wants event tracking mistakes caught by the compiler rather than by an analyst three months later. Of those, a product team whose ios and android event names have drifted apart, making cross-platform funnels meaningless and an analytics lead who wants tracking changes to go through review rather than appearing in production unannounced are not what Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is typically brought in for.
- What can Avo do that Microsoft Defender for Endpoint cannot?
- Avo covers Tracking plan, Code generation, Inspector, Branching and approvals. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Attack surface reduction, Next-gen protection, EDR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Avo: Is the free tier usable in production?
Yes. It includes two editors, code generation and 100,000 events observed in Inspector, which is enough for a small team.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: How is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint priced?
Defender for Endpoint is bundled into Microsoft 365 enterprise subscriptions. Plan 1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3, and Plan 2 is included in Microsoft 365 E5. Individual pricing is not published separately.
SourceAvo: What exactly does code generation give me?
Type-safe tracking functions per platform, so a wrong event name or property type fails at compile time rather than in production data.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offer a trial?
Yes. A free trial is available for prospective customers to test the product before committing to a subscription.
SourceAvo: Does Avo replace Amplitude or Mixpanel?
No. It governs the events those tools receive; you still need an analytics product.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: What is the difference between Plan 1 and Plan 2?
Plan 1 (in E3) includes unified security tools, device controls, network protection, firewall, web/URL controls, APIs, SIEM connectors, and app controls. Plan 2 (in E5) adds endpoint detection and response, deception techniques, automatic attack disruption, exposure management, and threat intelligence.
SourceAvo: How much is the Team plan?
250 US dollars a month billed annually for five editors, or 300 billed monthly, with extra editors at 50 dollars.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
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