Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Defender vs Transmit Security
Microsoft Defender
Cybersecurity
Always-on protection for you and your family's data and devices
- From
- $12/month
- Rated
- -
Transmit Security
Cybersecurity
Customer identity platform built around passwordless and fraud signals
- 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; Transmit Security pricing is not published, so it cannot be compared early against competitors that post per monthly active user rates, and the eventual quote often mixes per-user and per-transaction units.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Defender and Transmit Security actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Defender | Transmit Security |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $12/month | On request |
| Pricing model | subscription | quote |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
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 Transmit Security does not also cover.
Only in Transmit Security
- Passwordless authentication
- Detection and response
- Identity verification
- Orchestration
- Account recovery
- Bot and automation detection
- Composable APIs
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Defender
- Endpoint security and threat protectionnot Transmit Security
- Identity and access securitynot Transmit Security
- Email threat protectionnot Transmit Security
- SaaS application security monitoringnot Transmit Security
Transmit Security
- A bank moving a consumer base off passwords to passkeys without losing customers at the migration stepnot Microsoft Defender
- An insurer whose account recovery flow is the main account takeover route and needs risk scoring inside itnot Microsoft Defender
- A retailer that wants bot detection at login rather than only at checkoutnot Microsoft Defender
- An organisation replacing an in-house customer login system that has become an unfunded engineering liabilitynot 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
Transmit Security
- Pricing is not published, so it cannot be compared early against competitors that post per monthly active user rates, and the eventual quote often mixes per-user and per-transaction units.
- Migrating a live consumer identity base is a high risk project, and credential migration constraints mean some users must re-register, which shows up as measurable churn.
- The vendor is smaller than the identity incumbents, so the partner and systems integrator pool is thinner and staffing a large programme is harder.
- Workforce identity is not the focus, so an organisation wanting one vendor for employees and customers will still run two platforms.
- The fraud detection value depends on traffic volume feeding the models, so a smaller deployment gets less benefit from exactly the capability that justified choosing it over a plain identity provider.
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$2/month
- Vulnerability scanning and management
- One-month free trial available
- Annual commitment required
Transmit Security
On request- Transmit Security Platform$undefined/year
- Priced per monthly active user or per transaction by service
- Services licensed individually or as a platform
- Free developer tier for evaluation
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Defender if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from Transmit Security on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Transmit Security if
- You need passwordless authentication.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want detection and response.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Defender or Transmit Security better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month and Transmit Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Defender or Transmit Security?
- Microsoft Defender starts at $12/month and Transmit Security at On request.
- Does Microsoft Defender or Transmit Security run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Defender runs on Web. Transmit Security 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 Transmit Security is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Defender do that Transmit Security cannot?
- Transmit Security covers Passwordless authentication, Detection and response, Identity verification, Orchestration.
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.
SourceTransmit Security: Do we have to replace our existing identity provider?
No. The services are composable, so detection and response or verification can be adopted alongside an existing provider such as Okta or Entra ID.
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.
SourceTransmit Security: Is fraud detection an extra licence?
It is a separate service, but it is designed to run inside the authentication flow rather than as a bolted-on second vendor. Confirm which services are in your quote.
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.
SourceTransmit Security: Is there a way to try it?
Yes, a free developer tier exists for evaluation, though production use is an enterprise agreement.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Defender
More on Transmit Security
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- Transmit Security vs Semgrep
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