Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Unit21
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Cybersecurity
Enterprise endpoint security built into Microsoft 365
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Unit21
Cybersecurity
No-code fraud and AML risk operations platform for fintechs and neobanks
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales; Unit21 it is built for fintech scale rather than card issuer scale, so organisations reaching very high transaction volumes generally re-evaluate against heavier platforms and face a migration.
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Unit21 covers No-code rule builder.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Unit21 actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Unit21 |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Web |
| Founded | 1975 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Unit21
- No-code rule builder
- Case management
- SAR filing
- Backtesting
- Identity and device signals
- Data ingestion API
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 Unit21
- Small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Defender for Business as alternativenot Unit21
- Organisations using Microsoft 365 E5 which includes Defender for Endpoint Plan 2not Unit21
Unit21
- A neobank whose sponsor bank requires a documented monitoring programme before it will keep the BIN sponsorshipnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A crypto exchange needing SAR filing and case management without building an internal compliance engineering teamnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A payments startup where the fraud lead needs to ship a new rule the same day a new attack pattern appearsnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- A lender consolidating fraud alerts from three point tools into one investigator queue with a single audit trailnot 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
Unit21
- It is built for fintech scale rather than card issuer scale, so organisations reaching very high transaction volumes generally re-evaluate against heavier platforms and face a migration.
- No-code rule authoring shifts power to the risk team, which is the point, but without governance it produces rule sprawl that nobody can explain to an examiner two years later.
- Detection quality depends on the signals you feed it, so a thin integration produces thin results and the platform cannot compensate with proprietary consortium data the way larger vendors do.
- Pricing is quoted by volume with an annual commitment, so a fintech whose growth stalls pays for headroom it did not use.
- SAR filing coverage is oriented to United States FinCEN reporting, so firms filing in the United Kingdom, European Union or Asia handle those submissions outside the tool.
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review.
Unit21
On request- Unit21 Platform$undefined/year
- Priced by monitored volume and modules, annual contract
- Fraud, AML and case management packaged separately
- Implementation and historical data backfill quoted with the subscription
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or Unit21 better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint starts at On request and Unit21 at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or Unit21?
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint starts at On request and Unit21 at On request.
- Does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or Unit21 run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Unit21 runs on Web.
- 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 Unit21 is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Defender for Endpoint do that Unit21 cannot?
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Attack surface reduction, Next-gen protection, EDR. Unit21 covers No-code rule builder, Case management, SAR filing, Backtesting.
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.
SourceUnit21: Do we need engineers to run it?
Only for the initial data integration. After that the design intent is that risk and compliance staff author and deploy rules themselves.
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.
SourceUnit21: Does it file SARs?
Yes, it generates and electronically files suspicious activity reports to FinCEN. Non-US regimes are not covered to the same depth.
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.
SourceUnit21: Can we test a rule before it goes live?
Yes. Backtesting against historical data to see projected alert volume is one of the more useful parts of the product, because alert volume is the real cost.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
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