Software · head to head
CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Sentinel
CrowdStrike Falcon
Software
Stop breaches with AI-native cybersecurity
- From
- $7.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: CrowdStrike Falcon falcon Go tier limited to maximum of 100 devices; Microsoft Sentinel billing is driven by the volume of log data ingested per day, so cost scales with log noise rather than with users or protected assets
- They diverge on capability: CrowdStrike Falcon covers Next-gen antivirus, Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CrowdStrike Falcon and Microsoft Sentinel actually diverge.
| Attribute | CrowdStrike Falcon | Microsoft Sentinel |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $7.99/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2011 | 1975 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 CrowdStrike Falcon
- Next-gen antivirus
- Endpoint detection and response
- IT hygiene
- USB device control
- Firewall management
- Threat graph
- Real-time response
- SIEM platforms
Only in Microsoft Sentinel
- AI-powered analytics
- Fusion detection
- UEBA
- Automated response playbooks
- Hunting queries
- Workbooks
- Incident management
- Microsoft 365
Both cover
- Threat intelligence
- ServiceNow
- AWS
- Google Cloud
- FedRAMP
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CrowdStrike Falcon
- Small endpoint deployments via Falcon Go with per-device pricingnot Microsoft Sentinel
- Mid-market organisations via Falcon Pro or Enterprise with advanced threat detectionnot Microsoft Sentinel
- Organisations requiring custom managed detection and response via Falcon Completenot Microsoft Sentinel
Microsoft Sentinel
- Cloud native SIEM collecting security logs across Azure, Microsoft 365 and third party sourcesnot CrowdStrike Falcon
- Threat detection, hunting and incident investigation over pooled log datanot CrowdStrike Falcon
- Automating incident response with playbooks built on Logic Appsnot CrowdStrike Falcon
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CrowdStrike Falcon
- Falcon Go tier limited to maximum of 100 devices
- Falcon Complete Next-Gen MDR requires custom quote; pricing not published
- Higher tiers (Enterprise and above) feature gatekeeping for threat hunting and identity protection
Microsoft Sentinel
- Billing is driven by the volume of log data ingested per day, so cost scales with log noise rather than with users or protected assets
- Commitment tier discounts require reserving daily ingestion capacity in advance, and a tier cannot be downgraded until 31 days have passed
- Commitment tiers start at 100 GB per day, above what smaller estates ingest
- Charges for Log Analytics, Logic Apps and Machine Learning are billed separately on top of Sentinel itself
- The free allowance is only up to 5 MB per user per day for selected Microsoft 365 security logs
- Promotional commitment pricing is time limited and locks in only until a stated end date
Pricing, plan by plan
CrowdStrike Falcon
$7.99/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the CrowdStrike Falcon review.
Microsoft Sentinel
Free- Pay-As-You-Go$2.46/day
- Per GB ingested
- 90-day retention
- First 31 days free for new workspaces
- Commitment TiersFree
- 100GB to 50TB tiers
- Up to 65% discount
- Predictable billing
- Microsoft 365 E5Free
- Free data ingestion for M365 logs
- Bundled with E5 license
Which should you pick?
Choose CrowdStrike Falcon if
- You need next-gen antivirus.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
- You also want endpoint detection and response.
Choose Microsoft Sentinel if
- You need ai-powered analytics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want fusion detection.
Questions people ask
- Is CrowdStrike Falcon or Microsoft Sentinel better?
- Neither clearly leads. CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $7.99/month and Microsoft Sentinel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CrowdStrike Falcon or Microsoft Sentinel?
- Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7.99/month for CrowdStrike Falcon and Free for Microsoft Sentinel.
- Does CrowdStrike Falcon or Microsoft Sentinel run on more platforms?
- CrowdStrike Falcon runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Microsoft Sentinel for free?
- Yes. Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $7.99/month.
- What is CrowdStrike Falcon best used for?
- CrowdStrike Falcon is most often used for small endpoint deployments via falcon go with per-device pricing, mid-market organisations via falcon pro or enterprise with advanced threat detection, organisations requiring custom managed detection and response via falcon complete. Of those, small endpoint deployments via falcon go with per-device pricing and mid-market organisations via falcon pro or enterprise with advanced threat detection are not what Microsoft Sentinel is typically brought in for.
- What can CrowdStrike Falcon do that Microsoft Sentinel cannot?
- CrowdStrike Falcon covers Next-gen antivirus, Endpoint detection and response, IT hygiene, USB device control. Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks. Both handle Threat intelligence, ServiceNow, AWS, Google Cloud.