Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Sentinel vs Socket
Socket
Cybersecurity
Supply chain security platform detecting and blocking malicious dependencies
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; Socket team plan requires minimum 5-developer commitment, expensive for small teams
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Socket covers Malware detection.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Sentinel and Socket actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Sentinel | Socket |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | Per-developer monthly subscription with tiered access |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Web, CLI, GitHub |
| Founded | 1975 | 2021 |
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 Socket
- Malware detection
- Automatic blocking
- AI behavior analysis
- Reachability analysis
- Slack integration
- SBOM support
- SAML SSO
- GitHub Actions scanning
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 Socket
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot Socket
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot Socket
Socket
- Blocking zero-day malware attacks in JavaScript dependenciesnot Microsoft Sentinel
- Managing CVE false positives with precomputed reachability analysisnot Microsoft Sentinel
- Securing Python and Go supply chains at scalenot Microsoft Sentinel
- Automating compliance requirements for regulated industriesnot Microsoft Sentinel
- Real-time threat notifications via Slack integrationnot 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
Socket
- Team plan requires minimum 5-developer commitment, expensive for small teams
- Business plan $50/dev/month becomes costly for teams exceeding 20 members
- Enterprise pricing requires custom consultation with no transparent pricing
- Free plan limited to individual developers without team collaboration
- Reachability analysis improvement (90% false positive reduction) only on Enterprise
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
Socket
Free- FreeFree
- For individual developers
- Detects 70+ risk types
- Blocks malicious dependencies automatically
- Team$25/month
- Per developer on minimum 5 developers
- Precomputed reachability analysis cuts 60% false positives
- Slack alerts for threats
- Business$50/month
- Per developer on minimum 20 developers
- All Team features
- Compliance integrations with Vanta
- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- Function-level reachability eliminates up to 90% irrelevant CVEs
- Multi-repository system support
- Named account manager
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 Socket if
- You need malware detection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI, GitHub.
- You also want automatic blocking.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Sentinel or Socket better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Sentinel starts at Free and Socket at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Sentinel or Socket?
- Microsoft Sentinel starts at Free and Socket at Free.
- Does Microsoft Sentinel or Socket run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api. Socket runs on Web, CLI, GitHub.
- 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 Socket is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Sentinel do that Socket cannot?
- Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks. Socket covers Malware detection, Automatic blocking, AI behavior analysis, Reachability analysis.
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/
SourceSocket: How many zero-day attacks does Socket detect?
Socket detects over 100 zero-day attacks weekly across JavaScript, Python, and Go ecosystems.
SourceMicrosoft 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/
SourceSocket: What is precomputed reachability analysis?
Socket's precomputed reachability analysis cuts CVE false positives by 60% automatically on Team plans, and up to 90% on Enterprise plans through function-level analysis.
SourceSocket: Is there a discount for annual billing?
Yes. Socket offers a 20% discount for annual commitments across all subscription tiers.
SourceRelated pages
More on Microsoft Sentinel
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