Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Sentinel vs Ory Kratos
The short version
- 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; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Sentinel and Ory Kratos actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Sentinel | Ory Kratos |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | Open-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted |
| Founded | 1975 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Ory Kratos
- Headless API
- Self-service flows
- Multi-factor authentication
- Pluggable identity schemas
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 Ory Kratos
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot Ory Kratos
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot Ory Kratos
Ory Kratos
- Products needing complete control over the look and flow of authenticationnot Microsoft Sentinel
- Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot Microsoft Sentinel
- Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot 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
Ory Kratos
- Headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
- More moving parts than a monolithic IAM: Kratos handles identity, and OAuth2 needs Ory Hydra alongside
- Documentation assumes real familiarity with identity concepts and is not a gentle introduction
- Self-hosting identity carries the security and availability burden that hosted providers absorb
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
Ory Kratos
Free- Self-hostedFree
- Full identity server
- All flows
- Community support
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 Ory Kratos if
- You need headless api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
- You also want self-service flows.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Sentinel or Ory Kratos better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Sentinel starts at Free and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Sentinel or Ory Kratos?
- Microsoft Sentinel starts at Free and Ory Kratos at Free.
- Does Microsoft Sentinel or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api. Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
- Can I use Microsoft Sentinel for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Sentinel do that Ory Kratos cannot?
- Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.
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/
SourceOry Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?
Yes, open source and free to self-host. Ory Network is a paid managed service.
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/
SourceOry Kratos: What does headless mean here?
Kratos provides identity flows as APIs and no user interface. You build the login, registration and recovery screens yourself.
Ory Kratos: Does Kratos do OAuth2?
No. Kratos handles user identity; OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider functionality is Ory Hydra, a separate component.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Sentinel
Other head to heads
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Norton 360
- Microsoft Sentinel vs 1Password
- Microsoft Sentinel vs LastPass
- Microsoft Sentinel vs LogRhythm SIEM
- Microsoft Sentinel vs IBM QRadar
- Microsoft Sentinel vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Splunk Enterprise Security
- Microsoft Sentinel vs SentinelOne Singularity
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Legit Security
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Sysdig
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Endor Labs
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Proton Mail
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Veriff
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Brave Browser
- Microsoft Sentinel vs March Networks
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Salient CompleteView
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Sumsub
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Logto
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Authelia
- Microsoft Sentinel vs authentik
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Clerk
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Trivy
- Microsoft Sentinel vs HashiCorp Vault
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Bitwarden
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Frontegg
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Infisical
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Semgrep
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Envysion
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Feedzai
- Microsoft Sentinel vs HashiCorp Boundary
- Microsoft Sentinel vs JumpCloud
- Ory Kratos vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Ory Kratos vs Norton 360
- Ory Kratos vs 1Password
- Ory Kratos vs LastPass
- Ory Kratos vs LogRhythm SIEM
- Ory Kratos vs IBM QRadar
- Ory Kratos vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Ory Kratos vs Splunk Enterprise Security
- Ory Kratos vs SentinelOne Singularity
- Ory Kratos vs Legit Security
- Ory Kratos vs Sysdig
- Ory Kratos vs Endor Labs
- Ory Kratos vs Proton Mail
- Ory Kratos vs Veriff
- Ory Kratos vs Brave Browser
- Ory Kratos vs March Networks
- Ory Kratos vs Salient CompleteView
- Ory Kratos vs Sumsub
- Ory Kratos vs Logto
- Ory Kratos vs Authelia
- Ory Kratos vs authentik
- Ory Kratos vs Clerk
- Ory Kratos vs Trivy
- Ory Kratos vs HashiCorp Vault
- Ory Kratos vs Bitwarden
- Ory Kratos vs Frontegg
- Ory Kratos vs Infisical
- Ory Kratos vs Semgrep
- Ory Kratos vs Envysion
- Ory Kratos vs Feedzai
- Ory Kratos vs HashiCorp Boundary
- Ory Kratos vs JumpCloud