Developer Tools · head to head
Earthly 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 Earthly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Earthly pricing model not published; requires sales contact; 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 Earthly and Microsoft Defender actually diverge.
| Attribute | Earthly | Microsoft Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $12/month |
| Pricing model | No pricing published on website | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, CLI | Web |
| Category | Developer Tools | Cybersecurity |
| Founded | 2020 | Unknown |
Identical on both: 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 Earthly
- Policy as code
- Multi-stage enforcement
- AI agent governance
- Repository-wide policies
- Incident response automation
- Compliance management
- Earthfiles build tool
- Satellites
Only in Microsoft Defender
Nothing recorded that Earthly does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Earthly
- Enforcing engineering standards across AI and human developersnot Microsoft Defender
- Automating incident response procedures across all repositoriesnot Microsoft Defender
- Embedding compliance requirements into development workflowsnot Microsoft Defender
- Standardizing build processes with Earthfilesnot Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender
- Endpoint security and threat protectionnot Earthly
- Identity and access securitynot Earthly
- Email threat protectionnot Earthly
- SaaS application security monitoringnot Earthly
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Earthly
- Pricing model not published; requires sales contact
- Earthly Lunar is a recent launch (2025) with limited track record
- Primarily GitHub-focused; limited integration with other platforms
- No public documentation on pricing or feature tiers
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
Earthly
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Earthly 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 Earthly if
- You need policy as code.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI.
- You also want multi-stage enforcement.
Choose Microsoft Defender if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from Earthly on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Earthly or Microsoft Defender better?
- Neither clearly leads. Earthly 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, Earthly or Microsoft Defender?
- Earthly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Earthly and $12/month for Microsoft Defender.
- Does Earthly or Microsoft Defender run on more platforms?
- Earthly runs on Web, CLI. Microsoft Defender runs on Web.
- Can I use Earthly for free?
- Yes. Earthly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month.
- What is Earthly best used for?
- Earthly is most often used for enforcing engineering standards across ai and human developers, automating incident response procedures across all repositories, embedding compliance requirements into development workflows, standardizing build processes with earthfiles. Of those, enforcing engineering standards across ai and human developers and automating incident response procedures across all repositories are not what Microsoft Defender is typically brought in for.
- What can Earthly do that Microsoft Defender cannot?
- Earthly covers Policy as code, Multi-stage enforcement, AI agent governance, Repository-wide policies.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Earthly: What is the difference between Earthfiles and Earthly Lunar?
Earthfiles is an open-source build tool that reached 12,000 GitHub stars and is used by companies like NVIDIA, Intel, and Databricks. Earthly Lunar is a separate governance platform launched in 2025 for enforcing standards across development workflows.
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.
SourceEarthly: How does Earthly Lunar enforce standards?
Lunar converts engineering standards, compliance requirements, and processes documented in AGENTS.md files, wikis, and incident postmortems into enforceable guardrails that apply consistently across repositories and development stages.
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.
SourceEarthly: What is the pricing for Earthly Lunar?
Pricing is not published on the website. Interested customers should contact Earthly's sales team for current pricing and feature tiers.
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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- Microsoft Defender vs Milestone XProtect
- Microsoft Defender vs Osano
- Microsoft Defender vs Bitdefender VPN