Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Sentinel vs Sardine
Sardine
Cybersecurity
Device intelligence and behaviour biometrics for fraud and compliance
- 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; Sardine signal quality depends on the SDK being embedded in your own web and mobile clients, so fraud improvements become dependent on your app release cycle and any coverage gap is a blind spot.
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Sardine covers Device intelligence.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Sentinel and Sardine actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Sentinel | Sardine |
|---|---|---|
| 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
- Incident management
Only in Sardine
- Device intelligence
- Behaviour biometrics
- Scam detection
- Onboarding risk scoring
- AML transaction monitoring
- Dispute and chargeback handling
- Rules editor
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 Sardine
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot Sardine
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot Sardine
Sardine
- A neobank losing money to authorised push payment scams where the customer genuinely approved the transfernot Microsoft Sentinel
- A crypto exchange trying to detect accounts being operated by remote access rather than by their ownernot Microsoft Sentinel
- A fintech seeing synthetic identity signups that pass document verification but share device characteristicsnot Microsoft Sentinel
- A lender wanting first party fraud signals at application time that a credit bureau file does not containnot 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
Sardine
- Signal quality depends on the SDK being embedded in your own web and mobile clients, so fraud improvements become dependent on your app release cycle and any coverage gap is a blind spot.
- Behavioural and device telemetry collection needs a documented lawful basis under GDPR, and EU privacy reviews frequently delay rollouts that were scoped as engineering work.
- Pricing is per session or per active user, so a consumer product with many low value sessions pays in proportion to traffic rather than to fraud exposure.
- As a younger private company it lacks the enforcement-tested audit history that a bank examiner expects, which makes it a harder sell inside a regulated bank than inside a fintech.
- It is strongest on session-time signals and weaker as a system of record for long horizon AML typologies, so larger institutions end up running it alongside a traditional monitoring platform rather than instead of one.
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft Sentinel
Free- Pay-As-You-Go$2.46/day
- Per GB ingested
- 90-day retention
- First 31 days free for new workspaces
- Commitment TiersFree
- 100GB to 50TB tiers
- Up to 65% discount
- Predictable billing
- Microsoft 365 E5Free
- Free data ingestion for M365 logs
- Bundled with E5 license
Sardine
On request- Sardine$undefined/year
- Priced per user session or per monthly active user
- Annual contract with volume commitment
- SDK for web, iOS and Android
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 Sardine if
- You need device intelligence.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want behaviour biometrics.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Sentinel or Sardine better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Sentinel starts at Free and Sardine at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Sentinel or Sardine?
- Microsoft Sentinel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Sentinel and On request for Sardine.
- Does Microsoft Sentinel or Sardine run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api. Sardine 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. Sardine 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 Sardine is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Sentinel do that Sardine cannot?
- Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks. Sardine covers Device intelligence, Behaviour biometrics, Scam detection, Onboarding risk scoring.
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/
SourceSardine: Does Sardine do document verification?
It focuses on device, behavioural and transaction signals, and integrates identity verification providers rather than being one. Treat it as complementary to a KYC vendor.
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/
SourceSardine: What does it need from us to work?
An SDK in your web and mobile applications plus transaction feeds. Without the client side collector you lose the signals that differentiate it.
Sardine: Is pricing published?
No. It is quoted, typically per session or per monthly active user with an annual volume commitment.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Sentinel
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- Sardine vs iDenfy
- Sardine vs Silent Eight
- Sardine vs Quantexa
- Sardine vs TunnelBear
- Sardine vs Vanta
- Sardine vs Acunetix
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