Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Sentinel vs Resolver
Resolver
Cybersecurity
Risk, incident and investigations platform for corporate security and operational risk teams, owned by Kroll
- 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; Resolver kroll ownership since 2022 means the product is sold alongside risk consulting services, so buyers who want software with no services attach should expect that conversation and should price the licence separately in negotiation.
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Resolver covers Investigations.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Sentinel and Resolver actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Sentinel | Resolver |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | usage-based | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Web, iOS, Android |
| 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
- Microsoft 365
Only in Resolver
- Investigations
- Enterprise risk management
- Internal audit
- Compliance and obligations
- Business continuity
- Risk Event Management
- Configurable dashboards
Both cover
- Incident 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 Resolver
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot Resolver
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot Resolver
Resolver
- A national retailer consolidating store incident reporting, loss prevention cases and investigations into one system with defensible evidence handlingnot Microsoft Sentinel
- A bank that needs operational risk events captured against a risk and control register rather than in spreadsheets and emailnot Microsoft Sentinel
- A university security operations centre running dispatch, case management and clery-style reporting from a single recordnot Microsoft Sentinel
- An organisation that already retains Kroll for investigations and wants case intake and vendor handoff in the same platformnot 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
Resolver
- Kroll ownership since 2022 means the product is sold alongside risk consulting services, so buyers who want software with no services attach should expect that conversation and should price the licence separately in negotiation.
- Configuration flexibility comes at the cost of implementation time, with deployments commonly running several months and typically requiring vendor or partner services, so the first-year cost is well above the annual licence.
- Module-based pricing means the platform gets expensive quickly once you add audit, compliance and continuity to a security-led purchase, and modules bought later rarely carry the discount of the original deal.
- The IT and cyber compliance side is thinner than dedicated tools, so organisations chasing SOC 2 or ISO 27001 evidence automation will find it does not replace a Drata or Vanta.
- Reporting is capable but the drag and drop builder has a real learning curve, and organisations that do not train an internal administrator end up raising support tickets for changes that should be self-service.
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft Sentinel
Free- Pay-As-You-Go$2.46/day
- Per GB ingested
- 90-day retention
- First 31 days free for new workspaces
- Commitment TiersFree
- 100GB to 50TB tiers
- Up to 65% discount
- Predictable billing
- Microsoft 365 E5Free
- Free data ingestion for M365 logs
- Bundled with E5 license
Resolver
On request- Resolver Core$undefined/year
- Priced by modules selected and number of users
- Annual or multi-year enterprise agreement
- Implementation and configuration quoted separately
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 Resolver if
- You need investigations.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want enterprise risk management.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Sentinel or Resolver better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Sentinel starts at Free and Resolver at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Sentinel or Resolver?
- Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Sentinel and On request for Resolver.
- Does Microsoft Sentinel or Resolver run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api. Resolver runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Microsoft Sentinel for free?
- Yes. Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Resolver 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 Resolver is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Sentinel do that Resolver cannot?
- Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks. Resolver covers Investigations, Enterprise risk management, Internal audit, Compliance and obligations. Both handle Incident management.
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/
SourceResolver: Who owns Resolver?
Kroll, which acquired it in 2022. It is marketed as a Kroll business and sold alongside Kroll risk and investigations services.
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/
SourceResolver: What does Resolver cost?
Pricing is not published. It is quoted by module and user count on an annual or multi-year enterprise agreement, with implementation charged separately.
Resolver: Is Resolver a SOC 2 compliance tool?
No. It is a risk, incident and investigations platform. Automated evidence collection for security certifications is not its strength.
Resolver: How long does implementation take?
Months rather than weeks for a multi-module deployment, and most customers use vendor or partner services to configure it.
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 LogicManager
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Diligent
- Microsoft Sentinel vs MetricStream
- Microsoft Sentinel vs NICE Actimize
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Omada Identity
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Sardine
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Silent Eight
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Varonis Data Security Platform
- Microsoft Sentinel vs OneTrust
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Rhombus Systems
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Trulioo
- Microsoft Sentinel vs ESET NOD32 Antivirus
- Microsoft Sentinel vs ExpressVPN
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Falco
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Fenergo
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Google Authenticator
- Microsoft Sentinel vs Grype
- Resolver vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Resolver vs Norton 360
- Resolver vs 1Password
- Resolver vs LastPass
- Resolver vs LogRhythm SIEM
- Resolver vs IBM QRadar
- Resolver vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Resolver vs Splunk Enterprise Security
- Resolver vs SentinelOne Singularity
- Resolver vs Legit Security
- Resolver vs Sysdig
- Resolver vs Endor Labs
- Resolver vs Proton Mail
- Resolver vs Veriff
- Resolver vs Brave Browser
- Resolver vs March Networks
- Resolver vs Salient CompleteView
- Resolver vs Sumsub
- Resolver vs LogicManager
- Resolver vs Diligent
- Resolver vs MetricStream
- Resolver vs NICE Actimize
- Resolver vs Omada Identity
- Resolver vs Sardine
- Resolver vs Silent Eight
- Resolver vs Varonis Data Security Platform
- Resolver vs OneTrust
- Resolver vs Rhombus Systems
- Resolver vs Trulioo
- Resolver vs ESET NOD32 Antivirus
- Resolver vs ExpressVPN
- Resolver vs Falco
- Resolver vs Fenergo
- Resolver vs Google Authenticator
- Resolver vs Grype