Developer Tools · head to head
Cody vs Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender
Cybersecurity
Always-on protection for you and your family's data and devices
- From
- $12/month
- Free plan
- No
The short version
- Only Cody has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Cody sourcegraph now publishes a single Enterprise plan starting at $16K, with no free or individual Pro tier listed on the pricing page; Microsoft Defender defender Suite requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing
- Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cody and Microsoft Defender actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cody | Microsoft Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $12/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Category | Developer Tools | Cybersecurity |
| Founded | 2013 | Unknown |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cody
- Code completion and intelligent autocomplete in IDEsnot Microsoft Defender
- Developer chat with codebase context awarenessnot Microsoft Defender
- Automated debugging and error identificationnot Microsoft Defender
- Customizable prompts for workflow automationnot Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender
- Endpoint security and threat protectionnot Cody
- Identity and access securitynot Cody
- Email threat protectionnot Cody
- SaaS application security monitoringnot Cody
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Cody
- Sourcegraph now publishes a single Enterprise plan starting at $16K, with no free or individual Pro tier listed on the pricing page
- sourcegraph.com/cody redirects to the documentation rather than a Cody product or pricing page
- AI features are metered as credits included per user, and exceeding the allocation requires buying a higher volume bucket
- Volume credit buckets are sold as an add-on rather than included
- A customer success manager and premium support are optional paid extras on top of the Enterprise plan
- Standard support is 24x5 rather than 24x7, with round-the-clock coverage sold as an upgrade
- The published $16K figure is a starting price that scales with team size, so the actual cost is quoted rather than listed
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
Cody
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cody review.
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 Microsoft Defender if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from Cody on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Cody or Microsoft Defender better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cody starts at Free and Microsoft Defender at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cody or Microsoft Defender?
- Cody has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cody and $12/month for Microsoft Defender.
- Does Cody or Microsoft Defender run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Cody for free?
- Yes. Cody has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month.
- What is Cody best used for?
- Cody is most often used for code completion and intelligent autocomplete in ides, developer chat with codebase context awareness, automated debugging and error identification, customizable prompts for workflow automation. Of those, code completion and intelligent autocomplete in ides and developer chat with codebase context awareness are not what Microsoft Defender is typically brought in for.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Cody: Is Cody free?
Cody offers a free tier for individual developers via VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, and the web app. Unlimited free usage is available for solo developers.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
SourceCody: What does Cody Enterprise cost?
Cody Enterprise pricing is custom and requires contacting Sourcegraph sales. It is available for Sourcegraph Enterprise customers and must be quoted based on your deployment and usage needs.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
SourceCody: What LLMs does Cody use?
Cody uses the latest large language models for code completions, chat, and debugging. It leverages Sourcegraph's advanced Search API to pull codebase context from local and remote repositories.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Microsoft Defender
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