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Firebolt vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Firebolt logo

Firebolt

Software

Sub-second analytics at cloud data warehouse scale

From
$1.84/hour
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint logo

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Software

Enterprise endpoint security built into Microsoft 365

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Firebolt compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop; Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales
  • They diverge on capability: Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firebolt and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint actually diverge.

Attributes where Firebolt and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint differ
AttributeFireboltMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Starting price$1.84/hourOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedquote
PlatformsCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, KubernetesWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Founded20191975

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Firebolt

  • Sub-second Queries
  • Sparse Indexes
  • Data Pruning
  • Decoupled Storage/Compute
  • SQL Support
  • Semi-structured Data
  • Workload Isolation
  • Airflow

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.

Firebolt

  • Data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirementsnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
  • Real-time business intelligence platforms requiring ACID transactions and snapshot isolationnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
  • Applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queriesnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

  • Enterprise endpoint security across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS via Plans 1 or 2not Firebolt
  • Small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Defender for Business as alternativenot Firebolt
  • Organisations using Microsoft 365 E5 which includes Defender for Endpoint Plan 2not Firebolt

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Firebolt

  • Compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop
  • Storage pass-through charged at $0.0264/GB monthly on compressed data; uncompressed storage could exceed this
  • Azure deployment currently in Preview status; production recommendations unclear
  • Vector indexes limited to float arrays; other data types require alternative indexing strategies
  • Free tier credits ($200) limited; no perpetual free tier for production use

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

Firebolt

$1.84/hour

No published plan breakdown. See the Firebolt review.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Firebolt if

  • You need sub-second queries.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want sparse indexes.
Firebolt review

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.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review

Questions people ask

Is Firebolt or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint better?
Neither clearly leads. Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour 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, Firebolt or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?
Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint at On request.
Does Firebolt or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint run on more platforms?
Firebolt runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
What is Firebolt best used for?
Firebolt is most often used for data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirements, real-time business intelligence platforms requiring acid transactions and snapshot isolation, applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queries. Of those, data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirements and real-time business intelligence platforms requiring acid transactions and snapshot isolation are not what Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is typically brought in for.
What can Firebolt do that Microsoft Defender for Endpoint cannot?
Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Sparse Indexes, Data Pruning, Decoupled Storage/Compute. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Attack surface reduction, Next-gen protection, EDR.
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