Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Defender vs One Identity
Microsoft Defender
Cybersecurity
Always-on protection for you and your family's data and devices
- From
- $12/month
- Rated
- -
One Identity
Cybersecurity
Quest-owned identity governance, PAM and Active Directory management
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Defender defender Suite requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing; One Identity the portfolio is assembled from separate acquisitions, so components are separately licensed, separately administered and do not present one console, which raises operational cost.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Defender and One Identity actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Defender | One Identity |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $12/month | On request |
| Pricing model | subscription | quote |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Windows, Linux |
Identical on both: 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
Nothing recorded that One Identity does not also cover.
Only in One Identity
- Identity Manager
- Safeguard
- Active Roles
- OneLogin
- Password Manager
- syslog-ng
- Starling connectors
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Defender
- Endpoint security and threat protectionnot One Identity
- Identity and access securitynot One Identity
- Email threat protectionnot One Identity
- SaaS application security monitoringnot One Identity
One Identity
- An organisation whose authoritative directory will remain on premises Active Directory and needs delegated administration with attribute-level controlnot Microsoft Defender
- A government or defence environment requiring privileged session management on a hardened physical appliance rather than a cloud servicenot Microsoft Defender
- A manufacturer with SAP and Active Directory needing provisioning governed under one certification processnot Microsoft Defender
- An enterprise consolidating Active Directory after an acquisition and needing automated account lifecycle across both forestsnot 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
One Identity
- The portfolio is assembled from separate acquisitions, so components are separately licensed, separately administered and do not present one console, which raises operational cost.
- Identity Manager implementations are customisation-heavy and commonly run over a year, with the services spend exceeding the licence cost in the first year.
- Quest has changed private equity ownership more than once since the Dell separation, and buyers should ask directly about product investment commitments before signing a multi-year deal.
- Product documentation and support sit behind a customer portal, which makes independent evaluation before purchase harder than with vendors that publish openly.
- The cloud-native and developer experience trails the pure-play identity vendors, so organisations moving decisively to SaaS applications find the on premises heritage becomes a constraint rather than an asset.
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$2/month
- Vulnerability scanning and management
- One-month free trial available
- Annual commitment required
One Identity
On request- Identity Manager$undefined/year
- Priced per managed identity
- On premises or hosted
- Access certification and provisioning
- Safeguard$undefined/year
- Priced per privileged user or per appliance
- Hardened appliance option for session management
- Licensed separately from Identity Manager
- Active Roles$undefined/year
- Priced per managed Active Directory account
- Delegated administration and automated provisioning
- Licensed separately
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Defender if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from One Identity on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose One Identity if
- You need identity manager.
- You work on Web, Windows, Linux.
- You also want safeguard.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Defender or One Identity better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month and One Identity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Defender or One Identity?
- Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month and One Identity at On request.
- Does Microsoft Defender or One Identity run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Defender runs on Web. One Identity runs on Web, Windows, Linux.
- 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 One Identity is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Defender do that One Identity cannot?
- One Identity covers Identity Manager, Safeguard, Active Roles, OneLogin.
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.
SourceOne Identity: Is One Identity the same company as Quest?
Yes. One Identity is Quest Software's identity and access management business unit, not a separate vendor.
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.
SourceOne Identity: Does it include privileged access?
Safeguard provides it, but it is licensed separately from Identity Manager. Neither includes the other.
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.
SourceOne Identity: Why choose this over SailPoint or Saviynt?
Almost always because of Active Directory depth via Active Roles or an appliance requirement for privileged sessions. For cloud-first estates the specialists are the stronger choice.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Defender
More on One Identity
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