Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Defender vs NEOGOV
Microsoft Defender
Cybersecurity
Always-on protection for you and your family's data and devices
- From
- $12/month
- Free plan
- No
NEOGOV
Government
Public sector HR suite covering civil service recruiting, onboarding, training and policy management
- From
- On request
- Free plan
- No
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Defender defender Suite requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing; NEOGOV each module is shallower than the specialist product it competes with, so agencies buying the full suite for coherence accept weaker performance management and learning than they would get separately.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Defender and NEOGOV actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Defender | NEOGOV |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $12/month | On request |
| Pricing model | subscription | quote |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Category | Cybersecurity | Government |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 NEOGOV does not also cover.
Only in NEOGOV
- Civil service recruiting
- Veterans preference handling
- GovernmentJobs.com posting
- Onboarding workflows
- Learning and training records
- Policy management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Defender
- Endpoint security and threat protectionnot NEOGOV
- Identity and access securitynot NEOGOV
- Email threat protectionnot NEOGOV
- SaaS application security monitoringnot NEOGOV
NEOGOV
- A city or county HR department that must run scored examinations and ranked eligibility listsnot Microsoft Defender
- A public safety agency needing policy acknowledgement records that stand up in litigationnot Microsoft Defender
- An agency replacing a commercial applicant tracking system that cannot handle veterans preferencenot Microsoft Defender
- A school district or university consolidating recruiting, onboarding and mandated training recordsnot 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
NEOGOV
- Each module is shallower than the specialist product it competes with, so agencies buying the full suite for coherence accept weaker performance management and learning than they would get separately.
- Policy management arrived through the PowerDMS acquisition rather than being built in, and the join between it and the rest of the suite still reads as two products.
- Implementation is long and configuration heavy because the civil service rules that make the product valuable have to be encoded for your jurisdiction, and that work is billed.
- Pricing is not published and scales with headcount, so a large agency can pay several times what a comparable one pays without knowing it unless someone reads the public contracts.
- Private equity ownership since the Warburg Pincus investment has coincided with an acquisition led strategy, and buyers should expect further products bolted on rather than deeper integration of the existing ones.
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$2/month
- Vulnerability scanning and management
- One-month free trial available
- Annual commitment required
NEOGOV
On request- NEOGOV Suite$undefined/year
- Quoted per module and scaled by employee headcount
- Implementation and data migration priced separately from the subscription
- Available through cooperative purchasing and state term contracts
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Defender if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from NEOGOV on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose NEOGOV if
- You need civil service recruiting.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want veterans preference handling.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Defender or NEOGOV better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month and NEOGOV at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Defender or NEOGOV?
- Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month and NEOGOV at On request.
- Does Microsoft Defender or NEOGOV run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Defender runs on Web. NEOGOV runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- 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 NEOGOV is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Defender do that NEOGOV cannot?
- NEOGOV covers Civil service recruiting, Veterans preference handling, GovernmentJobs.com posting, Onboarding workflows.
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.
SourceNEOGOV: Why not use a commercial applicant tracking system?
Because civil service rules such as ranked eligibility lists, rule of three certification and veterans preference are not expressible in commercial products, so the statutory steps end up in spreadsheets.
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.
SourceNEOGOV: Can I find out what other agencies pay?
Yes. These are public procurements, so executed contract values appear in council agenda packets and state term contract listings. Read several before negotiating.
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.
SourceNEOGOV: What did NEOGOV acquire?
PowerDMS, a policy management and accreditation product, in 2021, which is now sold as the policy module of the suite.
NEOGOV: Is it only for the United States?
Effectively yes. The value is in encoding US civil service and public safety requirements.
Related pages
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