Cybersecurity · head to head
Baffle vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Baffle
Cybersecurity
Transparent proxy that encrypts, tokenises and masks database fields without application code changes
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Cybersecurity
Enterprise endpoint security built into Microsoft 365
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Baffle the proxy sits in the production data path, so it becomes a latency contributor and a failure domain, and any deployment needs load and failover testing that customers routinely underestimate.; Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales
- They diverge on capability: Baffle covers Transparent proxy deployment, 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 Baffle and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint actually diverge.
| Attribute | Baffle | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux, Web | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Founded | Unknown | 1975 |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Baffle
- Transparent proxy deployment
- Field-level encryption
- Tokenisation
- Format-preserving de-identification
- Dynamic data masking
- Bring your own key
- Analytics and pipeline support
- AI pipeline protection
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.
Baffle
- A bank with a legacy application it cannot safely refactor that has an audit finding requiring field-level encryption of account datanot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A company wanting to take a reporting database out of PCI scope by tokenising card fields before they landnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A healthcare organisation that must ensure database administrators and cloud operators cannot read patient identifiers in the tables they administernot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A team moving regulated data into a warehouse or an AI retrieval pipeline that needs identifiers de-identified in transit without rewriting the ingest jobsnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Enterprise endpoint security across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS via Plans 1 or 2not Baffle
- Small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Defender for Business as alternativenot Baffle
- Organisations using Microsoft 365 E5 which includes Defender for Endpoint Plan 2not Baffle
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Baffle
- The proxy sits in the production data path, so it becomes a latency contributor and a failure domain, and any deployment needs load and failover testing that customers routinely underestimate.
- What you can still do in SQL depends on the protection mode chosen, and stronger modes restrict comparisons, joins and aggregations on protected columns, which can quietly break existing reports and analytics.
- Database and driver coverage is finite, so an organisation with an unusual engine, an old driver or heavy use of stored procedures may find its most important system is exactly the one not supported.
- Pricing is unpublished and scales with protected data stores, which means an enterprise trying to protect a long tail of small databases pays disproportionately compared with protecting a handful of large ones.
- Key management is your responsibility under bring your own key, and while that is the correct security posture, it moves a real operational burden and a genuine data-loss risk onto the customer.
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
Baffle
On request- Baffle Data Protection Services$undefined/year
- Quoted by protected data stores and deployment scale
- Self-managed and cloud marketplace deployment options
- Annual subscription
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Baffle if
- You need transparent proxy deployment.
- You work on Linux, Web.
- You also want field-level encryption.
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 Baffle or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint better?
- Neither clearly leads. Baffle starts at On request 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, Baffle or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?
- Baffle starts at On request and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint at On request.
- Does Baffle or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint run on more platforms?
- Baffle runs on Linux, Web. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- What is Baffle best used for?
- Baffle is most often used for a bank with a legacy application it cannot safely refactor that has an audit finding requiring field-level encryption of account data, a company wanting to take a reporting database out of pci scope by tokenising card fields before they land, a healthcare organisation that must ensure database administrators and cloud operators cannot read patient identifiers in the tables they administer, a team moving regulated data into a warehouse or an ai retrieval pipeline that needs identifiers de-identified in transit without rewriting the ingest jobs. Of those, a bank with a legacy application it cannot safely refactor that has an audit finding requiring field-level encryption of account data and a company wanting to take a reporting database out of pci scope by tokenising card fields before they land are not what Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is typically brought in for.
- What can Baffle do that Microsoft Defender for Endpoint cannot?
- Baffle covers Transparent proxy deployment, Field-level encryption, Tokenisation, Format-preserving de-identification. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Attack surface reduction, Next-gen protection, EDR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Baffle: Do applications need code changes?
No. That is the central design choice. Baffle intercepts traffic as a proxy rather than requiring an SDK call at every read and write.
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.
SourceBaffle: Can you still query encrypted columns?
Partly, and it depends on the protection mode. Some modes preserve equality matching and format, stronger modes restrict what SQL operations remain possible, so this must be tested against your actual queries.
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.
SourceBaffle: Does it take systems out of PCI scope?
Tokenisation can reduce scope by ensuring card data never lands in the protected system, but scope reduction is an assessor judgement, not a product setting.
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.
SourceBaffle: Who holds the encryption keys?
You do, through your own key management service. Baffle supports bring your own key rather than holding customer keys itself.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
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