Cybersecurity · head to head
BigID vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
BigID
Cybersecurity
Data discovery and classification across cloud, on-premise and unstructured stores
- 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: BigID pricing scales with data sources and volume, so the cost rises exactly as the estate you need to scan grows, and the modules shown in a demo, including AI security posture and headless deployment, are frequently separate licences that appear only in the final quote.; Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales
- They diverge on capability: BigID covers Structured and unstructured scanning, 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 BigID and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint actually diverge.
| Attribute | BigID | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, API, Self-hosted | 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 BigID
- Structured and unstructured scanning
- Identity correlation
- Data security posture management
- Access intelligence
- Privacy request support
- Retention and minimisation
- AI data controls
- Policy and remediation workflow
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.
BigID
- A bank that has to prove which of thirty year old file shares contain customer identifiers before a data centre migrationnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A privacy team that cannot fulfil deletion requests because nobody knows which unstructured stores hold a given customer’s recordsnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A security team wanting to find sensitive data sitting in publicly readable object storage buckets before an attacker doesnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A company building retrieval augmented AI that must exclude regulated personal data from the index it feeds to a modelnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Enterprise endpoint security across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS via Plans 1 or 2not BigID
- Small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Defender for Business as alternativenot BigID
- Organisations using Microsoft 365 E5 which includes Defender for Endpoint Plan 2not BigID
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
BigID
- Pricing scales with data sources and volume, so the cost rises exactly as the estate you need to scan grows, and the modules shown in a demo, including AI security posture and headless deployment, are frequently separate licences that appear only in the final quote.
- Scanning large unstructured estates is slow and computationally expensive, so most organisations sample rather than scan everything, which reintroduces uncertainty into the very question they bought the tool to settle.
- Classification accuracy on messy unstructured content requires tuning, and out of the box false positives on things like reference numbers create a large triage backlog that a small governance team cannot clear.
- It discovers and reports but does not remediate, so realising value requires a separate process and often separate tooling to actually delete, restrict or move the data it flags.
- It is built for large enterprises and both the price and the administrative overhead are disproportionate below a few thousand employees, where a lighter DSPM tool covers the security use case for far less.
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
BigID
On request- BigID Platform$undefined/year
- Priced by number of data sources and data volume
- Discovery and classification core
- Optional DSPM, access intelligence and AI security modules licensed separately
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review.
Which should you pick?
Choose BigID if
- You need structured and unstructured scanning.
- You work on Web, API, Self-hosted.
- You also want identity correlation.
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 BigID or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint better?
- Neither clearly leads. BigID 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, BigID or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?
- BigID starts at On request and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint at On request.
- Does BigID or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint run on more platforms?
- BigID runs on Web, API, Self-hosted. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- What is BigID best used for?
- BigID is most often used for a bank that has to prove which of thirty year old file shares contain customer identifiers before a data centre migration, a privacy team that cannot fulfil deletion requests because nobody knows which unstructured stores hold a given customer’s records, a security team wanting to find sensitive data sitting in publicly readable object storage buckets before an attacker does, a company building retrieval augmented ai that must exclude regulated personal data from the index it feeds to a model. Of those, a bank that has to prove which of thirty year old file shares contain customer identifiers before a data centre migration and a privacy team that cannot fulfil deletion requests because nobody knows which unstructured stores hold a given customer’s records are not what Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is typically brought in for.
- What can BigID do that Microsoft Defender for Endpoint cannot?
- BigID covers Structured and unstructured scanning, Identity correlation, Data security posture management, Access intelligence. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Attack surface reduction, Next-gen protection, EDR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
BigID: What does BigID cost?
It is quoted by data source count and volume. Reported contracts run from roughly 15,000 to 175,000 US dollars a year, and add-on modules such as AI security posture are licensed on top.
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.
SourceBigID: Does it handle unstructured data?
Yes, and that is its main advantage. It classifies data in files and shares and correlates findings back to individuals, not just to data types.
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.
SourceBigID: Will it delete the data it finds?
Not by itself in most deployments. It identifies and routes findings; deletion and remediation happen through your own processes or connected systems.
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.
SourceBigID: Is it a privacy tool or a security tool?
Both are sold from the same discovery core. Buyers increasingly come from security wanting data security posture management rather than from legal wanting privacy.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
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