Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Sentinel vs Netwrix
Netwrix
Cybersecurity
Data access governance and change auditing across Active Directory, file shares and Microsoft 365
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Sentinel billing is driven by the volume of log data ingested per day, so cost scales with log noise rather than with users or protected assets; Netwrix the portfolio is assembled from acquisitions, so consoles, agents and licensing metrics differ between products and the platform story is ahead of the engineering reality.
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Netwrix covers Change auditing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Sentinel and Netwrix actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Sentinel | Netwrix |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | usage-based | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Windows, Web |
| Founded | 1975 | Unknown |
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 Sentinel
- AI-powered analytics
- Fusion detection
- UEBA
- Automated response playbooks
- Threat intelligence
- Hunting queries
- Workbooks
- Incident management
Only in Netwrix
- Change auditing
- Effective permissions
- Data classification
- Access remediation
- Threat detection
- Group policy management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Sentinel
- Cloud-based security information and event management (SIEM)not Netwrix
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot Netwrix
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot Netwrix
Netwrix
- An organisation that cannot tell an auditor who has access to a sensitive file share and needs an answer with evidencenot Microsoft Sentinel
- A security team reducing ransomware blast radius by removing Everyone and Domain Users permissions from sensitive datanot Microsoft Sentinel
- An IT team investigating an unexplained Active Directory change and needing the exact account, time and previous valuenot Microsoft Sentinel
- A company responding to GDPR data subject access requests that must first locate personal data scattered across legacy sharesnot Microsoft Sentinel
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Microsoft Sentinel
- Billing is driven by the volume of log data ingested per day, so cost scales with log noise rather than with users or protected assets
- Commitment tier discounts require reserving daily ingestion capacity in advance, and a tier cannot be downgraded until 31 days have passed
- Commitment tiers start at 100 GB per day, above what smaller estates ingest
- Charges for Log Analytics, Logic Apps and Machine Learning are billed separately on top of Sentinel itself
- The free allowance is only up to 5 MB per user per day for selected Microsoft 365 security logs
- Promotional commitment pricing is time limited and locks in only until a stated end date
Netwrix
- The portfolio is assembled from acquisitions, so consoles, agents and licensing metrics differ between products and the platform story is ahead of the engineering reality.
- Licensing metrics vary by product, per enabled user for some and per managed asset for others, which makes assembling a multi-product quote unusually difficult to compare against a single-vendor competitor.
- Auditing agents and collectors add load to domain controllers and file servers, and large estates need careful sizing to avoid degrading the systems being monitored.
- It reports and remediates but does not enforce access decisions at request time, so it complements rather than replaces identity governance and buyers still need an IGA tool for certification workflows.
- Coverage is strongest on Microsoft estates; Linux, NAS appliances and non-Microsoft SaaS are supported unevenly and often need additional modules or trail behind on feature parity.
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft Sentinel
Free- Pay-As-You-Go$2.46/day
- Per GB ingested
- 90-day retention
- First 31 days free for new workspaces
- Commitment TiersFree
- 100GB to 50TB tiers
- Up to 65% discount
- Predictable billing
- Microsoft 365 E5Free
- Free data ingestion for M365 logs
- Bundled with E5 license
Netwrix
On request- Netwrix Platform$undefined/year
- Priced per enabled user or per managed asset depending on the product
- Auditing, data classification, privileged access and threat products licensed separately
- Netwrix 1Secure SaaS console with a 14-day free trial
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Sentinel if
- You need ai-powered analytics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want fusion detection.
Choose Netwrix if
- You need change auditing.
- You work on Windows, Web.
- You also want effective permissions.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Sentinel or Netwrix better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Sentinel starts at Free and Netwrix at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Sentinel or Netwrix?
- Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Sentinel and On request for Netwrix.
- Does Microsoft Sentinel or Netwrix run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api. Netwrix runs on Windows, Web.
- Can I use Microsoft Sentinel for free?
- Yes. Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Netwrix starts at On request.
- What is Microsoft Sentinel best used for?
- Microsoft Sentinel is most often used for cloud-based security information and event management (siem), extended detection and response (xdr) across enterprise infrastructure, data ingestion and long-term security analytics. Of those, cloud-based security information and event management (siem) and extended detection and response (xdr) across enterprise infrastructure are not what Netwrix is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Sentinel do that Netwrix cannot?
- Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks. Netwrix covers Change auditing, Effective permissions, Data classification, Access remediation.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Microsoft Sentinel: How is Microsoft Sentinel pricing calculated?
Microsoft Sentinel uses a pay-as-you-go usage-based model where you pay only for data ingested, stored, and consumed. Flexible commitment tiers are available to reduce total cost of ownership, with specific rates not published on the public pricing page. Source: https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/siem-and-xdr/microsoft-sentinel/
SourceNetwrix: Does it replace identity governance?
No. It shows you who has access and lets you fix it, but recertification campaigns and access request workflow are an IGA product.
Microsoft Sentinel: Does Microsoft Sentinel require an Azure subscription?
Yes, Microsoft Sentinel requires a Microsoft Azure subscription to operate. Pricing is handled through Azure and varies based on data consumption and the commitment tier you select. Source: https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/siem-and-xdr/microsoft-sentinel/
SourceNetwrix: Is there a SaaS option?
Netwrix 1Secure is the cloud console covering data and identity visibility, with a 14-day free trial including full access.
Netwrix: How is it priced?
Per enabled user or per managed asset depending on the product, quoted rather than published. Assume separate line items per module.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Sentinel
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- Netwrix vs Chainguard
- Netwrix vs Envysion
- Netwrix vs Feedzai
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