Cybersecurity · head to head
Microsoft Sentinel vs Termly
Termly
Cybersecurity
Legal policy generator and cookie consent banner for small websites
- 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; Termly a standard plan licenses one website, so an agency or a business with several brand domains multiplies the headline price by the number of sites and the cheap option stops being cheap at four or five domains.
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Termly covers Policy generator.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Sentinel and Termly actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Sentinel | Termly |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | Per website per month |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Web |
| 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 Termly
- Policy generator
- Automatic policy updates
- Consent banner
- Script auto blocker
- Cookie scanner
- Consent log
- WordPress plugin
- Do not sell handling
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 Termly
- Extended detection and response (XDR) across enterprise infrastructurenot Termly
- Data ingestion and long-term security analyticsnot Termly
Termly
- A small e-commerce shop that needs a privacy policy, terms and a compliant cookie banner before launch without engaging a solicitornot Microsoft Sentinel
- A freelance web developer standardising the legal and consent layer across client sites, buying a licence per site or an agency arrangementnot Microsoft Sentinel
- A WordPress site owner who needs scripts blocked before consent and does not have a tag manager set upnot Microsoft Sentinel
- A US small business newly in scope for a state privacy law that needs a do not sell opt-out on the site quicklynot 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
Termly
- A standard plan licenses one website, so an agency or a business with several brand domains multiplies the headline price by the number of sites and the cheap option stops being cheap at four or five domains.
- Generated policies are templates conditioned on questionnaire answers, so they describe the data practices you claimed rather than the ones your code performs, and a regulator comparing the policy to actual tracking finds the gap not the vendor.
- Banner view limits apply on the lower tiers, and a site that spikes in traffic can exhaust its allowance mid month, which is the worst possible moment for consent handling to degrade.
- It covers websites well but has little for mobile apps, so a company with an iOS and Android app alongside its site needs a second consent mechanism and a second consent record.
- There is no data mapping, subject rights automation or vendor inventory, so any company that grows into real privacy programme obligations outgrows Termly entirely rather than upgrading within it.
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
Termly
Free- FreeFree
- 1 basic legal policy
- 10,000 monthly banner views
- Cookie consent banner
- Starter$10/month
- 2 legal policies
- 10 policy edits
- 50,000 monthly banner views
- Pro Plus$15/month
- Unlimited banner views
- Additional legal policies
- Multilingual banners
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 Termly if
- You need policy generator.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want automatic policy updates.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Sentinel or Termly better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Sentinel starts at Free and Termly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Sentinel or Termly?
- Microsoft Sentinel starts at Free and Termly at Free.
- Does Microsoft Sentinel or Termly run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Sentinel runs on Web, Api. Termly runs on Web.
- 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 Termly is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Sentinel do that Termly cannot?
- Microsoft Sentinel covers AI-powered analytics, Fusion detection, UEBA, Automated response playbooks. Termly covers Policy generator, Automatic policy updates, Consent banner, Script auto blocker.
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/
SourceTermly: Does one Termly plan cover all my websites?
No. A standard plan licenses one website. Multiple domains need multiple licences or an agency arrangement, and this is the single most common surprise on the bill.
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/
SourceTermly: Are the generated policies legally sufficient?
They are templates conditioned on your answers and are not legal advice. They are proportionate for a simple site and inadequate where actual data flows are complex or regulated.
Termly: Is there a genuinely free plan?
Yes, one basic policy, one site, 10,000 monthly banner views and quarterly cookie scans, with no card required.
Termly: Does it handle US state privacy opt-outs?
Yes, including a do not sell or share mechanism and regional rule sets, alongside GDPR consent for EU visitors.
Related pages
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