Government · head to head
CivicPlus Asset Management vs Microsoft Defender
CivicPlus Asset Management
Government
Local government asset and work order software, the former Beehive Industries platform
- 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: CivicPlus Asset Management the product changed owner and name in January 2025, so references, documentation and community knowledge are split between Beehive Industries and CivicPlus Asset Management.; 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 CivicPlus Asset Management and Microsoft Defender actually diverge.
| Attribute | CivicPlus Asset Management | Microsoft Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $12/month |
| Pricing model | quote | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | 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 CivicPlus Asset Management
- Asset register
- Work order management
- Preventive maintenance
- Esri ArcGIS integration
- SeeClickFix integration
- Inventory and stores
- Service request tracking
- Utility billing link
Only in Microsoft Defender
Nothing recorded that CivicPlus Asset Management does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CivicPlus Asset Management
- A town of fifteen thousand that already runs its website and 311 line on CivicPlus and wants work orders in the same vendor relationshipnot Microsoft Defender
- A rural utility district needing asset records and utility billing from one supplier with one support contactnot Microsoft Defender
- A public works department converting citizen-reported potholes directly into scheduled work without an integration projectnot Microsoft Defender
- A county replacing spreadsheets and paper work orders with a system its staff can learn in days rather than weeksnot Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender
- Endpoint security and threat protectionnot CivicPlus Asset Management
- Identity and access securitynot CivicPlus Asset Management
- Email threat protectionnot CivicPlus Asset Management
- SaaS application security monitoringnot CivicPlus Asset Management
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CivicPlus Asset Management
- The product changed owner and name in January 2025, so references, documentation and community knowledge are split between Beehive Industries and CivicPlus Asset Management.
- Existing Beehive customers face a migration to CivicPlus Asset Management 2.0 that involves data mapping and retraining, not a routine upgrade, and the timing is set by the vendor rather than the customer.
- It is designed for small and mid-sized municipalities, and larger utilities with complex linear assets or regulatory reporting will find the asset model too shallow.
- CivicPlus is a private-equity-backed consolidator with many acquired products, so investment in any single acquired line depends on portfolio decisions the customer has no visibility into.
- No pricing is published and it is frequently sold as part of a wider CivicPlus bundle, which makes a like-for-like comparison against a standalone CMMS difficult.
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
CivicPlus Asset Management
On request- CivicPlus Asset Management$undefined/year
- Annual subscription sized by population served and module selection
- Bundled pricing available alongside other CivicPlus municipal products
- Implementation, data migration and training quoted 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 CivicPlus Asset Management if
- You need asset register.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want work order management.
Choose Microsoft Defender if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from CivicPlus Asset Management on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is CivicPlus Asset Management or Microsoft Defender better?
- Neither clearly leads. CivicPlus 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, CivicPlus Asset Management or Microsoft Defender?
- CivicPlus Asset Management starts at On request and Microsoft Defender at $12/month.
- Does CivicPlus Asset Management or Microsoft Defender run on more platforms?
- CivicPlus Asset Management runs on Web, iOS, Android. Microsoft Defender runs on Web.
- What is CivicPlus Asset Management best used for?
- CivicPlus Asset Management is most often used for a town of fifteen thousand that already runs its website and 311 line on civicplus and wants work orders in the same vendor relationship, a rural utility district needing asset records and utility billing from one supplier with one support contact, a public works department converting citizen-reported potholes directly into scheduled work without an integration project, a county replacing spreadsheets and paper work orders with a system its staff can learn in days rather than weeks. Of those, a town of fifteen thousand that already runs its website and 311 line on civicplus and wants work orders in the same vendor relationship and a rural utility district needing asset records and utility billing from one supplier with one support contact are not what Microsoft Defender is typically brought in for.
- What can CivicPlus Asset Management do that Microsoft Defender cannot?
- CivicPlus Asset Management covers Asset register, Work order management, Preventive maintenance, Esri ArcGIS integration.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
CivicPlus Asset Management: Is Beehive Industries software still sold under that name?
No. CivicPlus acquired the asset management and utility billing products in January 2025 and sells them under the CivicPlus 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.
SourceCivicPlus Asset Management: Do I have to migrate from the legacy Beehive platform?
Yes. CivicPlus is transitioning customers to CivicPlus Asset Management 2.0, which requires data migration and retraining.
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.
SourceCivicPlus Asset Management: Does it need Esri ArcGIS?
No, it integrates with ArcGIS but does not depend on it the way a GIS-centric product does.
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.
SourceCivicPlus Asset Management: Is utility billing included?
No, that is a separate product from the same acquisition and is licensed separately.
Related pages
More on CivicPlus Asset Management
More on Microsoft Defender
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