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Cybersecurity · head to head

Microsoft Defender vs Milestone XProtect

Microsoft Defender logo

Microsoft Defender

Cybersecurity

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

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Milestone XProtect logo

Milestone XProtect

Cybersecurity

Open platform video management software with perpetual per-device licences

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Milestone XProtect has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Defender defender Suite requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing; Milestone XProtect care Plus is presented as optional but is not in practice: without it, perpetual licences stop receiving version upgrades and eventually you cannot add a current camera because your frozen version does not support it.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Defender and Milestone XProtect actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Defender and Milestone XProtect differ
AttributeMicrosoft DefenderMilestone XProtect
Starting price$12/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOne-time purchase per device licence, plus annual Care Plus
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, Web, iOS, Android

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

Nothing recorded that Milestone XProtect does not also cover.

Only in Milestone XProtect

  • Open device support
  • Perpetual device licences
  • Federated architecture
  • Failover recording
  • Evidence export
  • Smart Map
  • Integration platform
  • Video summarisation

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Defender

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

Milestone XProtect

  • A city or transport operator running tens of thousands of cameras across federated sitesnot Microsoft Defender
  • An enterprise with mixed legacy camera brands that refuses to standardise on one manufacturernot Microsoft Defender
  • A critical infrastructure site needing failover recording servers and tamper-evident evidence exportnot Microsoft Defender
  • An integrator building a bespoke security application on top of an open VMS platformnot Microsoft Defender

Where each one falls short

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

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

Milestone XProtect

  • Care Plus is presented as optional but is not in practice: without it, perpetual licences stop receiving version upgrades and eventually you cannot add a current camera because your frozen version does not support it.
  • Per-device licensing means multi-sensor and multi-imager cameras consume several licences each, so a headline camera count badly understates the true licence cost of a modern design.
  • It is Windows only for servers and needs a properly designed server and storage architecture, so the software price is a fraction of a project that also needs recording servers, storage and an integrator.
  • Complexity requires trained staff or a certified integrator; organisations that install it without either end up running a large deployment on default settings and never using the features they paid for.
  • Milestone retired Kite from its portfolio in favour of Arcules from January 2025, which stranded buyers who had standardised on Kite and is a reminder that the cloud side of the portfolio has changed direction more than once.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Milestone XProtect

Free
  • XProtect Essential+Free
    • Free for up to 8 cameras
    • No recording time limit
    • No vendor support included
  • XProtect Express+$109/one-time
    • Perpetual device licence, distributor list price
    • Single site, single server
    • Care Plus purchased separately per device per year
  • XProtect Professional+$177/one-time
    • Perpetual device licence, distributor list price
    • Multiple recording servers
    • Edge storage retrieval
  • XProtect Expert$282/one-time
    • Perpetual device licence, distributor list price
    • Failover recording servers
    • Advanced video wall and evidence handling

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Defender if

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

Microsoft Defender review

Choose Milestone XProtect if

  • You need open device support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want perpetual device licences.
Milestone XProtect review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Defender or Milestone XProtect better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month and Milestone XProtect at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Defender or Milestone XProtect?
Milestone XProtect has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12/month for Microsoft Defender and Free for Milestone XProtect.
Does Microsoft Defender or Milestone XProtect run on more platforms?
Microsoft Defender runs on Web. Milestone XProtect runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Milestone XProtect for free?
Yes. Milestone XProtect has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month.
What is Microsoft Defender best used for?
Microsoft Defender is most often used for endpoint security and threat protection, identity and access security, email threat protection, saas application security monitoring. Of those, endpoint security and threat protection and identity and access security are not what Milestone XProtect is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Defender do that Milestone XProtect cannot?
Milestone XProtect covers Open device support, Perpetual device licences, Federated architecture, Failover recording.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Milestone XProtect: Is XProtect really free for small sites?

Essential+ is free for up to eight cameras with no recording time limit, but it comes with no vendor support and no multi-server capability.

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
Milestone XProtect: Are licences perpetual or annual?

Device licences are perpetual. The annual cost is Care Plus, the support and software update contract, which you need to stay on current versions.

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
Milestone XProtect: What happens if I do not renew Care Plus?

The system keeps recording, but you stop getting version upgrades, and over a few years that blocks you from adding newer cameras.

Milestone XProtect: Who owns Milestone?

Canon. The portfolio also includes BriefCam analytics and Arcules cloud video, with Arcules replacing Milestone Kite from January 2025.

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