Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Logto vs Microsoft Defender

Logto logo

Logto

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity and authentication infrastructure for apps and APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Defender logo

Microsoft Defender

Cybersecurity

Always-on protection for you and your family's data and devices

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Logto has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Logto advanced features like RBAC, organizations, MFA, and enterprise SSO are billed as separate paid add-ons rather than included in Pro.; 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 Logto and Microsoft Defender actually diverge.

Attributes where Logto and Microsoft Defender differ
AttributeLogtoMicrosoft Defender
Starting priceFree$12/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, apiWeb

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 Logto

  • Prebuilt sign-in UI
  • Social connectors
  • Role-based access control
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Machine-to-machine apps
  • Audit logs

Only in Microsoft Defender

Nothing recorded that Logto does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Logto

  • Adding sign-in to a new SaaS productnot Microsoft Defender
  • Implementing SSO for B2B customersnot Microsoft Defender
  • Securing internal APIs with M2M tokensnot Microsoft Defender
  • Adding RBAC and organizations to a multi-tenant appnot Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Defender

  • Endpoint security and threat protectionnot Logto
  • Identity and access securitynot Logto
  • Email threat protectionnot Logto
  • SaaS application security monitoringnot Logto

Where each one falls short

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

Logto

  • Advanced features like RBAC, organizations, MFA, and enterprise SSO are billed as separate paid add-ons rather than included in Pro.
  • Enterprise pricing is not published and requires contacting sales.
  • Token-based billing can make cost forecasting harder than flat per-MAU pricing for high-traffic apps.

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

Logto

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 50,000 MAU
    • 50K tokens included
    • 3 applications
  • Pro$24/month
    • Unlimited MAU and applications
    • 3 included API resources
    • Passkey sign-in

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 Logto if

  • You need prebuilt sign-in ui.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want social connectors.
Logto review

Choose Microsoft Defender if

Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from Logto on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Microsoft Defender review

Questions people ask

Is Logto or Microsoft Defender better?
Neither clearly leads. Logto 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, Logto or Microsoft Defender?
Logto has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Logto and $12/month for Microsoft Defender.
Does Logto or Microsoft Defender run on more platforms?
Logto runs on web, api. Microsoft Defender runs on Web.
Can I use Logto for free?
Yes. Logto has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month.
What is Logto best used for?
Logto is most often used for adding sign-in to a new saas product, implementing sso for b2b customers, securing internal apis with m2m tokens, adding rbac and organizations to a multi-tenant app. Of those, adding sign-in to a new saas product and implementing sso for b2b customers are not what Microsoft Defender is typically brought in for.
What can Logto do that Microsoft Defender cannot?
Logto covers Prebuilt sign-in UI, Social connectors, Role-based access control, Multi-factor authentication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Logto: What does Logto cost?

Logto offers a Free plan at $0/month, a Pro plan starting at $24/month with 50K free tokens included, and a custom-priced Enterprise plan. Extra add-ons like RBAC or MFA are billed separately on Pro.

Source
Microsoft 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.

Source
Logto: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes. The Free plan supports up to 50,000 monthly active users, 3 total applications, 1 machine-to-machine app, 3 social connectors, 1 webhook, and 3-day audit log retention.

Source
Microsoft 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.

Source
Logto: How is usage metered?

Logto uses token-based billing: only access tokens issued for authentication and authorization activity are counted, rather than charging purely per MAU.

Source
Microsoft 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.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Logto

More on Microsoft Defender

Keep looking

Other head to heads