Developer Tools · head to head
Earthly vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Cybersecurity
Enterprise endpoint security built into Microsoft 365
- From
- On request
- 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 for Endpoint pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales
- They diverge on capability: Earthly covers Policy as code, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Earthly and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint actually diverge.
| Attribute | Earthly | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | No pricing published on website | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, CLI | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Category | Developer Tools | Cybersecurity |
| Founded | 2020 | 1975 |
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 for Endpoint
- Threat & vulnerability management
- Attack surface reduction
- Next-gen protection
- EDR
- Auto investigation
- Microsoft Threat Experts
- Threat analytics
- Secure score
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 for Endpoint
- Automating incident response procedures across all repositoriesnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Embedding compliance requirements into development workflowsnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Standardizing build processes with Earthfilesnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Enterprise endpoint security across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS via Plans 1 or 2not Earthly
- Small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Defender for Business as alternativenot Earthly
- Organisations using Microsoft 365 E5 which includes Defender for Endpoint Plan 2not 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 for Endpoint
- Pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales
- Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 and Plan 2 do not include server licenses; additional licensing required for server protection
- Specific feature differences between Plan 1 and Plan 2 require consulting Microsoft documentation
Pricing, plan by plan
Earthly
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Earthly review.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review.
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 for Endpoint if
- You need threat & vulnerability management.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- You also want attack surface reduction.
Questions people ask
- Is Earthly or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint better?
- Neither clearly leads. Earthly starts at Free and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Earthly or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?
- Earthly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Earthly and On request for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
- Does Earthly or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint run on more platforms?
- Earthly runs on Web, CLI. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Earthly for free?
- Yes. Earthly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint starts at On request.
- 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 for Endpoint is typically brought in for.
- What can Earthly do that Microsoft Defender for Endpoint cannot?
- Earthly covers Policy as code, Multi-stage enforcement, AI agent governance, Repository-wide policies. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Attack surface reduction, Next-gen protection, EDR.
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 for Endpoint: How is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint priced?
Defender for Endpoint is bundled into Microsoft 365 enterprise subscriptions. Plan 1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3, and Plan 2 is included in Microsoft 365 E5. Individual pricing is not published separately.
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 for Endpoint: Does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offer a trial?
Yes. A free trial is available for prospective customers to test the product before committing to a subscription.
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 for Endpoint: What is the difference between Plan 1 and Plan 2?
Plan 1 (in E3) includes unified security tools, device controls, network protection, firewall, web/URL controls, APIs, SIEM connectors, and app controls. Plan 2 (in E5) adds endpoint detection and response, deception techniques, automatic attack disruption, exposure management, and threat intelligence.
SourceRelated pages
More on Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
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- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs ConfigCat
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- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Deno
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs SentinelOne Singularity
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs 1Password
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Norton 360
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs LastPass
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Cybereason Defense Platform
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs VMware Carbon Black
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Sophos Intercept X
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Trend Micro Vision One
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Darktrace
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Akeyless
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs DataGrail
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Delinea
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Doppler
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Envysion
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Feedzai
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs SentinelOne