Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Defender vs Tenable
Microsoft Defender
Cybersecurity
Always-on protection for you and your family's data and devices
- From
- $12/month
- Rated
- -
Tenable
Cybersecurity
AI-powered exposure management platform for unified security visibility
- From
- $3500/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Defender defender Suite requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing; Tenable pricing starts at $3500/year for Tenable One VM, expensive for small organizations
- Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Defender and Tenable actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Defender | Tenable |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $12/month | $3500/year |
| Platforms | Web | Cloud, Web |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Tenable does not also cover.
Only in Tenable
- Unified attack surface mapping
- Exposure intelligence enrichment
- Tenable Hexa AI orchestration
- Cloud Exposure (CNAPP)
- OT Exposure
- Identity Exposure
- Vulnerability Management
- Attack Surface Management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Defender
- Endpoint security and threat protectionnot Tenable
- Identity and access securitynot Tenable
- Email threat protectionnot Tenable
- SaaS application security monitoringnot Tenable
Tenable
- Comprehensive vulnerability scanning for enterprise networksnot Microsoft Defender
- Cloud security monitoring and compliance for AWS, Azure, GCPnot Microsoft Defender
- Identity and access management risk assessmentnot Microsoft Defender
- Operational technology security for industrial systemsnot Microsoft Defender
- Attack surface management for third-party risknot 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
Tenable
- Pricing starts at $3500/year for Tenable One VM, expensive for small organizations
- Many enterprise features require custom quote and sales engagement
- Cloud Exposure, OT Exposure, and other modules have no published pricing
- Multi-year contracts common, limiting flexibility
- Setup and configuration complexity for enterprise deployments
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
Tenable
$3500/year- Tenable One Vulnerability Management$3500/year
- Per 100 assets
- Multi-year discounts available
- Tenable One Web App Scanning$3578/year
- Per 5 FQDNs
- Annual subscription
- Nessus Professional$4790/year
- Vulnerability scanning
- Multi-year discounts available
- Optional advanced support: $400/year
- Nessus Expert$6790/year
- Advanced vulnerability scanning
- Multi-year discounts available
- Optional advanced support: $400/year
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Defender if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from Tenable on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Tenable if
- You need unified attack surface mapping.
- You work on Cloud, Web.
- You also want exposure intelligence enrichment.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Defender or Tenable better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month and Tenable at $3500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Defender or Tenable?
- Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month and Tenable at $3500/year.
- Does Microsoft Defender or Tenable run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Defender runs on Web. Tenable runs on Cloud, Web.
- 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 Tenable is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Defender do that Tenable cannot?
- Tenable covers Unified attack surface mapping, Exposure intelligence enrichment, Tenable Hexa AI orchestration, Cloud Exposure (CNAPP).
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.
SourceTenable: How is Tenable One pricing structured?
Tenable One Vulnerability Management costs $3500/year per 100 assets. Web App Scanning is $3578/year per 5 FQDNs. Multi-year discounts are available.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
SourceTenable: What is the difference between Nessus Professional and Nessus Expert?
Nessus Professional costs $4790/year and provides core vulnerability scanning. Nessus Expert costs $6790/year and offers advanced scanning capabilities.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
SourceTenable: Are custom support and training available for Tenable?
Yes. Optional advanced support is available for $400/year. Training courses range from $275-$385/year.
SourceRelated pages
More on Microsoft Defender
Other head to heads
- Microsoft Defender vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Microsoft Defender vs Norton 360
- Microsoft Defender vs 1Password
- Microsoft Defender vs LastPass
- Microsoft Defender vs McAfee Total Protection
- Microsoft Defender vs Proofpoint
- Microsoft Defender vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Microsoft Defender vs Avast One
- Microsoft Defender vs ESET NOD32 Antivirus
- Microsoft Defender vs Cybereason Defense Platform
- Microsoft Defender vs Fortinet FortiGate
- Microsoft Defender vs VMware Carbon Black
- Microsoft Defender vs Wireshark
- Microsoft Defender vs WorkOS
- Microsoft Defender vs Zscaler Internet Access
- Microsoft Defender vs Milestone XProtect
- Microsoft Defender vs Osano
- Microsoft Defender vs Bitdefender VPN
- Microsoft Defender vs Netwrix
- Microsoft Defender vs Qualys VMDR
- Microsoft Defender vs Aikido
- Microsoft Defender vs Arnica
- Microsoft Defender vs Doppler
- Microsoft Defender vs Chainguard
- Microsoft Defender vs Recorded Future
- Microsoft Defender vs Speakeasy
- Microsoft Defender vs Sysdig
- Microsoft Defender vs Endor Labs
- Microsoft Defender vs Tanium
- Microsoft Defender vs Enpass
- Microsoft Defender vs Entrust Identity as a Service
- Microsoft Defender vs Featurespace ARIC Risk Hub
- Microsoft Defender vs HID Global
- Microsoft Defender vs IBM QRadar
- Tenable vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Tenable vs Norton 360
- Tenable vs 1Password
- Tenable vs LastPass
- Tenable vs McAfee Total Protection
- Tenable vs Proofpoint
- Tenable vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Tenable vs Avast One
- Tenable vs ESET NOD32 Antivirus
- Tenable vs Cybereason Defense Platform
- Tenable vs Fortinet FortiGate
- Tenable vs VMware Carbon Black
- Tenable vs Wireshark
- Tenable vs WorkOS
- Tenable vs Zscaler Internet Access
- Tenable vs Milestone XProtect
- Tenable vs Osano
- Tenable vs Bitdefender VPN
- Tenable vs Netwrix
- Tenable vs Qualys VMDR
- Tenable vs Aikido
- Tenable vs Arnica
- Tenable vs Doppler
- Tenable vs Chainguard
- Tenable vs Recorded Future
- Tenable vs Speakeasy
- Tenable vs Sysdig
- Tenable vs Endor Labs
- Tenable vs Tanium
- Tenable vs Enpass
- Tenable vs Entrust Identity as a Service
- Tenable vs Featurespace ARIC Risk Hub
- Tenable vs HID Global
- Tenable vs IBM QRadar