Cybersecurity · head to head
March Networks vs Microsoft Sentinel
March Networks
Cybersecurity
Banking and retail video with transaction overlay, sold by a Canadian firm that changed from Chinese to Taiwanese ownership
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: March Networks the ownership history is a live compliance question: Chinese-owned via Infinova from 2011, with a PRC government entity as controlling shareholder by January 2020, before the December 2021 sale to Delta Electronics of Taiwan, and any US federal or contractor buyer should expect to document that chain during a procurement review.; 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: March Networks covers Command Enterprise, Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which March Networks and Microsoft Sentinel actually diverge.
| Attribute | March Networks | Microsoft Sentinel |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, Web, iOS, Android | Web, Api |
| Founded | Unknown | 1975 |
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 March Networks
- Command Enterprise
- Searchlight
- Hybrid recording
- X-Series hybrid NVRs
- Health monitoring
- ATM and teller integration
- Retail loss prevention analytics
- Evidence export
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.
March Networks
- A bank investigating a disputed ATM withdrawal who needs the clip for that transaction, not two hours of timelinenot Microsoft Sentinel
- A credit union refreshing 200 branches in phases where analogue and IP cameras must coexist on one recordernot Microsoft Sentinel
- A restaurant chain overlaying till exceptions on video across hundreds of locationsnot Microsoft Sentinel
- A transit operator needing video retrieval from vehicles and stations without shipping terabytes over the networknot Microsoft Sentinel
Microsoft Sentinel
- Cloud-based security information and event management (SIEM)not March Networks
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot March Networks
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot March Networks
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
March Networks
- The ownership history is a live compliance question: Chinese-owned via Infinova from 2011, with a PRC government entity as controlling shareholder by January 2020, before the December 2021 sale to Delta Electronics of Taiwan, and any US federal or contractor buyer should expect to document that chain during a procurement review.
- NDAA compliance is stated at the product level and rests on American system-on-chip processors in the majority of cameras and in specific recorder lines, which means it must be confirmed per model rather than assumed across the catalogue.
- The platform is engineered around banking and retail workflows, so buyers outside those verticals pay for transaction integration they will never use and get a less developed general security experience than from a Genetec or Milestone.
- No pricing is published and everything is quoted through integrators, so a multi-hundred-site estate cannot be budgeted without a design exercise and there is no benchmark against which to test a quote.
- Hybrid recording means a recorder in every branch, which is hardware to install, monitor, service and eventually replace at every location, and that refresh cycle is a recurring capital event that cloud rivals avoid entirely.
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
March Networks
On request- Command Enterprise and Searchlight$undefined/year
- Per-recorder and per-channel licensing quoted through integrators
- Searchlight business intelligence licensed separately
- X-Series hybrid recorders purchased per site
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 March Networks if
- You need command enterprise.
- You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want searchlight.
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 March Networks or Microsoft Sentinel better?
- Neither clearly leads. March Networks starts at On request and Microsoft Sentinel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, March Networks or Microsoft Sentinel?
- Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for March Networks and Free for Microsoft Sentinel.
- Does March Networks or Microsoft Sentinel run on more platforms?
- March Networks runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Microsoft Sentinel for free?
- Yes. Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. March Networks starts at On request.
- What is March Networks best used for?
- March Networks is most often used for a bank investigating a disputed atm withdrawal who needs the clip for that transaction, not two hours of timeline, a credit union refreshing 200 branches in phases where analogue and ip cameras must coexist on one recorder, a restaurant chain overlaying till exceptions on video across hundreds of locations, a transit operator needing video retrieval from vehicles and stations without shipping terabytes over the network. Of those, a bank investigating a disputed atm withdrawal who needs the clip for that transaction, not two hours of timeline and a credit union refreshing 200 branches in phases where analogue and ip cameras must coexist on one recorder are not what Microsoft Sentinel is typically brought in for.
- What can March Networks do that Microsoft Sentinel cannot?
- March Networks covers Command Enterprise, Searchlight, Hybrid recording, X-Series hybrid NVRs. Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
March Networks: Who owns March Networks?
Delta Electronics of Taiwan, which acquired it in December 2021 for 114 million US dollars. Before that it was owned by Chinese manufacturer Infinova, which by January 2020 had a PRC government entity as controlling shareholder.
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/
SourceMarch Networks: Is March Networks NDAA compliant?
The company states it is, citing American system-on-chip processors in the majority of its cameras and in its Command Recording Server bundles and X-Series hybrid NVRs. Verify per model, and expect the ownership history to be raised in a federal procurement review.
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/
SourceMarch Networks: What is Searchlight?
The layer that overlays ATM, teller and point of sale transaction data on video so investigators search by transaction rather than by time.
March Networks: Is video stored in the cloud?
No, it is hybrid. Video is recorded on a recorder at each site and only required clips move centrally, which is why it suits large branch estates on modest connections.
Related pages
More on March Networks
More on Microsoft Sentinel
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