Cybersecurity · head to head
Grype vs Microsoft Sentinel
Grype
Cybersecurity
Vulnerability scanner for container images and filesystems
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Grype depends on public vulnerability databases, so coverage and false positives vary by ecosystem; 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: Grype covers Image and filesystem scanning, Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Grype and Microsoft Sentinel actually diverge.
| Attribute | Grype | Microsoft Sentinel |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Open source, no licence fee | usage-based |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker | Web, Api |
| Founded | Unknown | 1975 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Grype
- Image and filesystem scanning
- SBOM-driven
- Wide ecosystem coverage
- Pipeline friendly
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.
Grype
- Re-scanning stored SBOMs as new CVEs are published, without rebuilding imagesnot Microsoft Sentinel
- Failing CI when a build introduces a known vulnerabilitynot Microsoft Sentinel
- Auditing what is actually installed inside a third-party imagenot Microsoft Sentinel
Microsoft Sentinel
- Cloud-based security information and event management (SIEM)not Grype
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot Grype
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot Grype
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Grype
- Depends on public vulnerability databases, so coverage and false positives vary by ecosystem
- No triage, exception tracking or reporting UI — that is Anchore’s commercial product
- Overlaps heavily with Trivy, and most teams pick one rather than running both
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
Grype
Free- GrypeFree
- Full functionality
- No usage limits
- Community support
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 Grype if
- You need image and filesystem scanning.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
- You also want sbom-driven.
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 Grype or Microsoft Sentinel better?
- Neither clearly leads. Grype starts at Free and Microsoft Sentinel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Grype or Microsoft Sentinel?
- Grype starts at Free and Microsoft Sentinel at Free.
- Does Grype or Microsoft Sentinel run on more platforms?
- Grype runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker. Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Grype for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Grype best used for?
- Grype is most often used for re-scanning stored sboms as new cves are published, without rebuilding images, failing ci when a build introduces a known vulnerability, auditing what is actually installed inside a third-party image. Of those, re-scanning stored sboms as new cves are published, without rebuilding images and failing ci when a build introduces a known vulnerability are not what Microsoft Sentinel is typically brought in for.
- What can Grype do that Microsoft Sentinel cannot?
- Grype covers Image and filesystem scanning, SBOM-driven, Wide ecosystem coverage, Pipeline friendly. Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Grype: Is Grype free?
Yes, open source from Anchore. Anchore Enterprise is the paid platform around it.
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/
SourceGrype: What is the difference between Grype and Syft?
Syft generates the software bill of materials; Grype matches that inventory against vulnerability data. They are designed to be used together.
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/
SourceGrype: Grype or Trivy?
They cover similar ground. Trivy is broader out of the box, including misconfiguration and secret scanning; Grype pairs more cleanly with an SBOM-first workflow.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Sentinel
Other head to heads
- Grype vs Trivy
- Grype vs Snyk
- Grype vs Semgrep
- Grype vs Chainguard
- Grype vs HashiCorp Vault
- Grype vs Bitwarden
- Grype vs Infisical
- Grype vs Authelia
- Grype vs Ory Kratos
- Grype vs OWASP ZAP
- Grype vs Cosign
- Grype vs authentik
- Grype vs Socket
- Grype vs Socure
- Grype vs SonicWall
- Grype vs Sophos Intercept X
- Grype vs Splunk Enterprise Security
- Grype vs Sticky Password
- Grype vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Grype vs Norton 360
- Grype vs 1Password
- Grype vs LastPass
- Grype vs LogRhythm SIEM
- Grype vs IBM QRadar
- Grype vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Grype vs SentinelOne Singularity
- Grype vs Legit Security
- Grype vs Sysdig
- Grype vs Endor Labs
- Grype vs Proton Mail
- Grype vs Veriff
- Grype vs Brave Browser
- Grype vs March Networks
- Grype vs Salient CompleteView
- Grype vs Sumsub
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Trivy
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Snyk
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Semgrep
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Chainguard
- Microsoft Sentinel vs HashiCorp Vault
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Bitwarden
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Infisical
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Authelia
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Ory Kratos
- Microsoft Sentinel vs OWASP ZAP
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Cosign
- Microsoft Sentinel vs authentik
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Socket
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Socure
- Microsoft Sentinel vs SonicWall
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Sophos Intercept X
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Splunk Enterprise Security
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Sticky Password
- 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 IBM QRadar
- Microsoft Sentinel vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- 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