Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Ory Kratos
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Cybersecurity
Enterprise endpoint security built into Microsoft 365
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Ory Kratos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Ory Kratos actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Ory Kratos |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | Open-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted |
| Founded | 1975 | Unknown |
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 Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Threat & vulnerability management
- Attack surface reduction
- Next-gen protection
- EDR
- Auto investigation
- Microsoft Threat Experts
- Threat analytics
- Secure score
Only in Ory Kratos
- Headless API
- Self-service flows
- Multi-factor authentication
- Pluggable identity schemas
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Enterprise endpoint security across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS via Plans 1 or 2not Ory Kratos
- Small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Defender for Business as alternativenot Ory Kratos
- Organisations using Microsoft 365 E5 which includes Defender for Endpoint Plan 2not Ory Kratos
Ory Kratos
- Products needing complete control over the look and flow of authenticationnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal 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
Ory Kratos
- Headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
- More moving parts than a monolithic IAM: Kratos handles identity, and OAuth2 needs Ory Hydra alongside
- Documentation assumes real familiarity with identity concepts and is not a gentle introduction
- Self-hosting identity carries the security and availability burden that hosted providers absorb
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review.
Ory Kratos
Free- Self-hostedFree
- Full identity server
- All flows
- Community support
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Ory Kratos if
- You need headless api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
- You also want self-service flows.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or Ory Kratos better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint starts at On request and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or Ory Kratos?
- Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Free for Ory Kratos.
- Does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
- Can I use Ory Kratos for free?
- Yes. Ory Kratos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint starts at On request.
- What is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint best used for?
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is most often used for enterprise endpoint security across windows, macos, linux, android, and ios via plans 1 or 2, small and medium-sized businesses using microsoft defender for business as alternative, organisations using microsoft 365 e5 which includes defender for endpoint plan 2. Of those, enterprise endpoint security across windows, macos, linux, android, and ios via plans 1 or 2 and small and medium-sized businesses using microsoft defender for business as alternative are not what Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Defender for Endpoint do that Ory Kratos cannot?
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Attack surface reduction, Next-gen protection, EDR. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Microsoft 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.
SourceOry Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?
Yes, open source and free to self-host. Ory Network is a paid managed service.
Microsoft 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.
SourceOry Kratos: What does headless mean here?
Kratos provides identity flows as APIs and no user interface. You build the login, registration and recovery screens yourself.
Microsoft 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.
SourceOry Kratos: Does Kratos do OAuth2?
No. Kratos handles user identity; OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider functionality is Ory Hydra, a separate component.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Other head to heads
- 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
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Logto
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Authelia
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs authentik
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Clerk
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Trivy
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs HashiCorp Vault
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Bitwarden
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Frontegg
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Infisical
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Semgrep
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs HashiCorp Boundary
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs JumpCloud
- Ory Kratos vs SentinelOne Singularity
- Ory Kratos vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Ory Kratos vs 1Password
- Ory Kratos vs Norton 360
- Ory Kratos vs LastPass
- Ory Kratos vs Cybereason Defense Platform
- Ory Kratos vs VMware Carbon Black
- Ory Kratos vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Ory Kratos vs Sophos Intercept X
- Ory Kratos vs Trend Micro Vision One
- Ory Kratos vs Darktrace
- Ory Kratos vs Akeyless
- Ory Kratos vs DataGrail
- Ory Kratos vs Delinea
- Ory Kratos vs Doppler
- Ory Kratos vs Envysion
- Ory Kratos vs Feedzai
- Ory Kratos vs SentinelOne
- Ory Kratos vs Logto
- Ory Kratos vs Authelia
- Ory Kratos vs authentik
- Ory Kratos vs Clerk
- Ory Kratos vs Trivy
- Ory Kratos vs HashiCorp Vault
- Ory Kratos vs Bitwarden
- Ory Kratos vs Frontegg
- Ory Kratos vs Infisical
- Ory Kratos vs Semgrep
- Ory Kratos vs HashiCorp Boundary
- Ory Kratos vs JumpCloud