Cybersecurity · head to head
Diligent vs Microsoft Sentinel
Diligent
Cybersecurity
Board management and enterprise GRC platform assembled from Galvanize, Steele and Diligent Boards
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Diligent the platform is an assembly of acquisitions, with the analytics engine from ACL, risk from Rsam, ethics and third-party diligence from Steele and the board portal from Diligent itself, so cross-module reporting and consistent user experience should be tested in a proof of concept rather than assumed.; 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: Diligent covers Diligent Boards, Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Diligent and Microsoft Sentinel actually diverge.
| Attribute | Diligent | Microsoft Sentinel |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Windows | Web, Api |
| Founded | Unknown | 1975 |
Identical on both: 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 Diligent
- Diligent Boards
- Entity management
- Audit and analytics
- Risk management
- Third-party risk
- Ethics and compliance
- ESG and sustainability
- Market intelligence
Only in Microsoft Sentinel
- AI-powered analytics
- Fusion detection
- UEBA
- Automated response playbooks
- Threat intelligence
- Hunting queries
- Workbooks
- Incident management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Diligent
- A listed company that wants board papers, entity records and the audit committee reporting pack produced from one governance systemnot Microsoft Sentinel
- An internal audit function moving from sampling to full-population transaction testing using the ACL heritage analytics enginenot Microsoft Sentinel
- A regulated firm consolidating a whistleblower hotline, third-party due diligence and policy attestation after an enforcement findingnot Microsoft Sentinel
- A group needing sustainability disclosure data collected with the same audit trail and controls as financial reportingnot Microsoft Sentinel
Microsoft Sentinel
- Cloud-based security information and event management (SIEM)not Diligent
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot Diligent
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot Diligent
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Diligent
- The platform is an assembly of acquisitions, with the analytics engine from ACL, risk from Rsam, ethics and third-party diligence from Steele and the board portal from Diligent itself, so cross-module reporting and consistent user experience should be tested in a proof of concept rather than assumed.
- Pricing is unpublished and consistently at the top of the market, and organisations that need only one capability, a board portal or an audit analytics tool, generally pay less and get more from a specialist.
- Renewal leverage is weak once the board portal is embedded, because directors are the least willing user group to be migrated and that dependency is well understood by the vendor at renewal time.
- The analytics engine expects real data skills, and audit teams without an analytics-capable member typically use a fraction of what they licensed while paying for all of it.
- Module-by-module implementation means the promised single view of governance and risk usually arrives years after the first purchase, if the later modules are ever funded.
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
Diligent
On request- Diligent One Platform$undefined/year
- Quoted by module and user count
- Board portal seats priced separately from GRC modules
- Annual subscription, commonly multi-year
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 Diligent if
- You need diligent boards.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
- You also want entity management.
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 Diligent or Microsoft Sentinel better?
- Neither clearly leads. Diligent starts at On request and Microsoft Sentinel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Diligent or Microsoft Sentinel?
- Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Diligent and Free for Microsoft Sentinel.
- Does Diligent or Microsoft Sentinel run on more platforms?
- Diligent runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. 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. Diligent starts at On request.
- What is Diligent best used for?
- Diligent is most often used for a listed company that wants board papers, entity records and the audit committee reporting pack produced from one governance system, an internal audit function moving from sampling to full-population transaction testing using the acl heritage analytics engine, a regulated firm consolidating a whistleblower hotline, third-party due diligence and policy attestation after an enforcement finding, a group needing sustainability disclosure data collected with the same audit trail and controls as financial reporting. Of those, a listed company that wants board papers, entity records and the audit committee reporting pack produced from one governance system and an internal audit function moving from sampling to full-population transaction testing using the acl heritage analytics engine are not what Microsoft Sentinel is typically brought in for.
- What can Diligent do that Microsoft Sentinel cannot?
- Diligent covers Diligent Boards, Entity management, Audit and analytics, Risk management. Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Diligent: Is Diligent One the same product as Galvanize?
It contains it. Diligent bought Galvanize, the ACL and Rsam merger, for around one billion dollars in April 2021, and its audit analytics and risk modules are that heritage rebranded into Diligent One.
Microsoft Sentinel: How is Microsoft Sentinel pricing calculated?
Microsoft Sentinel uses a pay-as-you-go usage-based model where you pay only for data ingested, stored, and consumed. Flexible commitment tiers are available to reduce total cost of ownership, with specific rates not published on the public pricing page. Source: https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/siem-and-xdr/microsoft-sentinel/
SourceDiligent: What does Diligent cost?
Not published. It is quoted by module and user, and board portal seats are priced differently from GRC seats. Expect an annual or multi-year enterprise agreement.
Microsoft Sentinel: Does Microsoft Sentinel require an Azure subscription?
Yes, Microsoft Sentinel requires a Microsoft Azure subscription to operate. Pricing is handled through Azure and varies based on data consumption and the commitment tier you select. Source: https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/siem-and-xdr/microsoft-sentinel/
SourceDiligent: Can you buy just the board portal?
Yes, Diligent Boards is sold on its own and is the most common entry point. The GRC modules are separate purchases.
Diligent: Does it replace a SOC 2 automation tool?
No. Diligent is aimed at enterprise audit, risk and governance, not at automated evidence collection for security certifications.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Sentinel
Other head to heads
- Diligent vs LogicManager
- Diligent vs Resolver
- Diligent vs MetricStream
- Diligent vs Varonis Data Security Platform
- Diligent vs Transcend
- Diligent vs OneTrust
- Diligent vs Milestone XProtect
- Diligent vs Camio
- Diligent vs Delinea
- Diligent vs Dahua Technology
- Diligent vs Featurespace ARIC Risk Hub
- Diligent vs IBM QRadar
- Diligent vs Trivy
- Diligent vs Trulioo
- Diligent vs Unit21
- Diligent vs Veracode
- Diligent vs Very Good Security
- Diligent vs VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
- Diligent vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Diligent vs Norton 360
- Diligent vs 1Password
- Diligent vs LastPass
- Diligent vs LogRhythm SIEM
- Diligent vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Diligent vs Splunk Enterprise Security
- Diligent vs SentinelOne Singularity
- Diligent vs Legit Security
- Diligent vs Sysdig
- Diligent vs Endor Labs
- Diligent vs Proton Mail
- Diligent vs Veriff
- Diligent vs Brave Browser
- Diligent vs March Networks
- Diligent vs Salient CompleteView
- Diligent vs Sumsub
- Microsoft Sentinel vs LogicManager
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Resolver
- Microsoft Sentinel vs MetricStream
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Varonis Data Security Platform
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Transcend
- Microsoft Sentinel vs OneTrust
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Milestone XProtect
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Camio
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Delinea
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Dahua Technology
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Featurespace ARIC Risk Hub
- Microsoft Sentinel vs IBM QRadar
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Trivy
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Trulioo
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Unit21
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Veracode
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Very Good Security
- Microsoft Sentinel vs VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Norton 360
- Microsoft Sentinel vs 1Password
- Microsoft Sentinel vs LastPass
- Microsoft Sentinel vs LogRhythm SIEM
- Microsoft Sentinel vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Splunk Enterprise Security
- Microsoft Sentinel vs SentinelOne Singularity
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Legit Security
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Sysdig
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Endor Labs
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Proton Mail
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Veriff
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Brave Browser
- Microsoft Sentinel vs March Networks
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Salient CompleteView
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Sumsub