Government · head to head
CentralSquare Asset Management vs Microsoft Defender
CentralSquare Asset Management
Government
Public sector enterprise asset management, sold for years as Lucity
- From
- On request
- Free plan
- No
Microsoft Defender
Cybersecurity
Always-on protection for you and your family's data and devices
- From
- $12/month
- Free plan
- No
The short version
- Each has a real cost: CentralSquare Asset Management the Lucity name is now only a suffix on a CentralSquare product, so long-standing customers should confirm which capabilities carry forward under the current release rather than assuming continuity from the Lucity they know.; Microsoft Defender defender Suite requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CentralSquare Asset Management and Microsoft Defender actually diverge.
| Attribute | CentralSquare Asset Management | Microsoft Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $12/month |
| Pricing model | quote | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Cloud, On-premise | Web |
| Category | Government | Cybersecurity |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 CentralSquare Asset Management
- Esri ArcGIS integration
- Public works asset breadth
- Citizen request intake
- Condition assessment
- Inspections
- Suite integration
Only in Microsoft Defender
Nothing recorded that CentralSquare Asset Management does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CentralSquare Asset Management
- A city consolidating streets, water, parks and facilities maintenance into one asset register instead of four departmental spreadsheetsnot Microsoft Defender
- A county needing auditable stormwater and backflow inspection records for a regulatory programmenot Microsoft Defender
- A public works department wanting citizen-reported potholes and blocked drains to become work orders without manual re-keyingnot Microsoft Defender
- A municipality already running CentralSquare finance that wants asset and work costs to land in the general ledger without an integration projectnot Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender
- Endpoint security and threat protectionnot CentralSquare Asset Management
- Identity and access securitynot CentralSquare Asset Management
- Email threat protectionnot CentralSquare Asset Management
- SaaS application security monitoringnot CentralSquare Asset Management
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CentralSquare Asset Management
- The Lucity name is now only a suffix on a CentralSquare product, so long-standing customers should confirm which capabilities carry forward under the current release rather than assuming continuity from the Lucity they know.
- CentralSquare is private-equity owned and grew by acquisition, so asset management competes for development attention against public safety and finance products with larger revenue, and its roadmap is not independently controlled.
- Pricing is unpublished and quoted per municipality, and asset management is often presented alongside other suite modules, so a department must work to get a clean, unbundled number it can defend at council.
- Esri ArcGIS is effectively a prerequisite for the spatial capability that makes the product worth buying, and that licence is a separate cost the software quote will not include.
- It is North America focused, aligned to United States municipal practice, funding structures and regulatory programmes, which limits its fit for local authorities elsewhere.
Microsoft Defender
- Defender Suite requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing
- Some Defender products use pay-as-you-go pricing with variable costs
- Prices vary based on Microsoft agreements, requiring sales contact for custom quotes
Pricing, plan by plan
CentralSquare Asset Management
On request- CentralSquare Asset Management$undefined/year
- Subscription or on-premise licensing, quoted per municipality
- Priced on population, module selection and user counts
- Esri ArcGIS licensing purchased separately
Microsoft Defender
$12/month- Microsoft Defender Suite$12/month
- Endpoint protection
- Identity threat detection
- Email security
- Microsoft 365 E5 with Defender$60/month
- Includes Defender Suite
- Microsoft Teams included
- Comprehensive security and compliance
- Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on$2/month
- Vulnerability scanning and management
- One-month free trial available
- Annual commitment required
Which should you pick?
Choose CentralSquare Asset Management if
- You need esri arcgis integration.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud, On-premise.
- You also want public works asset breadth.
Choose Microsoft Defender if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from CentralSquare Asset Management on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is CentralSquare Asset Management or Microsoft Defender better?
- Neither clearly leads. CentralSquare Asset Management starts at On request and Microsoft Defender at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CentralSquare Asset Management or Microsoft Defender?
- CentralSquare Asset Management starts at On request and Microsoft Defender at $12/month.
- Does CentralSquare Asset Management or Microsoft Defender run on more platforms?
- CentralSquare Asset Management runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud, On-premise. Microsoft Defender runs on Web.
- What is CentralSquare Asset Management best used for?
- CentralSquare Asset Management is most often used for a city consolidating streets, water, parks and facilities maintenance into one asset register instead of four departmental spreadsheets, a county needing auditable stormwater and backflow inspection records for a regulatory programme, a public works department wanting citizen-reported potholes and blocked drains to become work orders without manual re-keying, a municipality already running centralsquare finance that wants asset and work costs to land in the general ledger without an integration project. Of those, a city consolidating streets, water, parks and facilities maintenance into one asset register instead of four departmental spreadsheets and a county needing auditable stormwater and backflow inspection records for a regulatory programme are not what Microsoft Defender is typically brought in for.
- What can CentralSquare Asset Management do that Microsoft Defender cannot?
- CentralSquare Asset Management covers Esri ArcGIS integration, Public works asset breadth, Citizen request intake, Condition assessment.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
CentralSquare Asset Management: Can I still buy Lucity?
Not under that name alone. It is sold as CentralSquare Asset Management powered by Lucity, and quotes and contracts will use the CentralSquare name.
Microsoft Defender: How much does Microsoft Defender Suite cost?
Microsoft Defender Suite costs $12/user/month (paid yearly), but requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing. It includes endpoint protection, identity threat detection, email security, and SaaS application monitoring.
SourceCentralSquare Asset Management: Do I need Esri?
In practice yes. The spatial asset handling that distinguishes the product depends on ArcGIS, licensed separately from Esri.
Microsoft Defender: What add-ons are available for Microsoft Defender?
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on costs $2/user/month with annual commitment and includes a one-month free trial. Additional pay-as-you-go products include External Attack Surface Management, Cloud Security Posture Management, and Sentinel.
SourceCentralSquare Asset Management: Is it cloud only?
No. Both hosted subscription and on-premise deployment are available, which matters for municipalities with data residency or network policy constraints.
Microsoft Defender: Is Defender included in Microsoft 365 E5?
Yes, Microsoft Defender Suite is included in Microsoft 365 E5 at $60/user/month (paid yearly with Teams). Prices may vary based on Microsoft agreements, requiring contact with Sales for customized quotes.
SourceCentralSquare Asset Management: Is pricing published?
No. It is quoted per municipality based on population, modules and users, usually through a public procurement process.
Related pages
More on CentralSquare Asset Management
More on Microsoft Defender
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