Cybersecurity · pricing
Microsoft Defender pricing
Microsoft Defender publishes 3 tiers. Below is each one, what it adds over the tier beneath it, and where the ladder stops being worth climbing for most people.
As of 29 August 2026, Microsoft Defender pricing is $12/month across 3 published tiers. Figures are the vendor's list prices as recorded on this page's last check; the vendor's site is the final word.
- Entry price
- $12/month
- Model
- Subscription
- Tiers
- 3
- Free tier
- Not on record
Microsoft Defender plans, side by side
Every published tier in ascending order of price, with the number of features each one lists. An absence here means the record does not itemise it, not that the tier lacks it.
| Plan | Price | Features listed | Step up from the tier below |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on | $2/month | 3 | Entry tier |
| Microsoft Defender Suite | $12/month | 5 | +$10/month, 5 more features |
| Microsoft 365 E5 with Defender | $60/month | 5 | +$48/month, 5 more features |
What each tier adds
The set difference between each tier's feature list and the one beneath it. Where a tier lists nothing new, the vendor has either stopped repeating the inherited list or the tier raises limits rather than adding capability, the record does not distinguish the two, so this page does not either.
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on
$2/monthThe entry tier. It covers vulnerability scanning and management, one-month free trial available, annual commitment required.
Microsoft Defender Suite
$12/monthOver Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on, this tier adds:
- Endpoint protection
- Identity threat detection
- Email security
- SaaS application monitoring
- Requires Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing
Microsoft 365 E5 with Defender
$60/monthOver Microsoft Defender Suite, this tier adds:
- Includes Defender Suite
- Microsoft Teams included
- Comprehensive security and compliance
- Advanced analytics
- AI capabilities
How that compares in Cybersecurity
Too few cybersecurity tools in this directory publish a starting price to quote a meaningful median, so the table below is a like-for-like list rather than a ranking.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Rated | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender (this page) | $12/month | subscription | - | |
| Hanwha Vision | On request | One-time purchase | - | vs Microsoft Defender |
| BeyondTrust | On request | quote | - | vs Microsoft Defender |
| Feedzai | On request | quote | - | vs Microsoft Defender |
| IDnow | On request | quote | - | vs Microsoft Defender |
| Eagle Eye Networks | On request | Per camera per month | - | vs Microsoft Defender |
| iDenfy | On request | Per verification | - | vs Microsoft Defender |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry, they are not reviews hosted on Softwr. How each figure is used is set out on the Microsoft Defender badges page.
Before you pay for Microsoft Defender
Three things this page cannot tell you, and all three change the bill. The record carries a price and a billing period but not the unit - per-seat and flat-rate pricing are indistinguishable in this data, so a five-person team may be looking at five times the figure above. It carries no annual rate, so any discount for paying yearly is not something this page can quote. And it carries no trial length.
What it can tell you is the shape of the ladder: 3 tiers between $2/month and $60/month, with the jump itemised above. With no free tier on record, the cheapest way to answer the rest is to compare Microsoft Defender against the tools that do have one before committing.
Microsoft Defender runs on not recorded. The full record is on the Microsoft Defender review, and the rest of the category is under best cybersecurity tools.
Microsoft Defender pricing questions
- How much does Microsoft Defender cost?
- Microsoft Defender publishes 3 tiers, from $2/month for Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on up to $60/month for Microsoft 365 E5 with Defender. The cheapest paid tier is $2/month.
- Does Microsoft Defender have a free plan?
- Not on the record we hold: Microsoft Defender is listed as subscription. Whether a free trial is offered is not something this record captures, so check the vendor's site.
- What is the difference between Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on and Microsoft Defender Suite on Microsoft Defender?
- Microsoft Defender Suite costs $12/month against $2/month, and adds endpoint protection, identity threat detection, email security, saas application monitoring.
- Is the Microsoft 365 E5 with Defender plan on Microsoft Defender worth it?
- That depends entirely on whether you need what it adds, which on the published record is includes defender suite, microsoft teams included, comprehensive security and compliance, advanced analytics. It costs $60/month against $2/month for Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on. Softwr has not used either tier, so this page can tell you what changes, not whether it is worth the difference to you.
- Which cybersecurity tools can I use without paying?
- 1 of the 8 cybersecurity tools listed alongside Microsoft Defender have a free tier: Google Authenticator.
- What am I actually paying for with Microsoft Defender?
- The record we hold does not itemise what each tier includes beyond the plan names and prices. The Microsoft Defender review carries whatever feature detail is available.
- Does Microsoft Defender charge per user?
- The record carries a price and a billing period for each of its 3 tiers, but not the unit that price is charged in. Per-seat and flat-rate billing look identical in this data, so check the vendor's page before budgeting for a team.
- Are these Microsoft Defender prices current?
- They are what the catalogue entry holds, refreshed when the entry is. Vendors change pricing without notice and nobody at Softwr re-verifies each tier by hand, so treat this as a structured summary and the vendor's own pricing page as the authority.
- What should I compare Microsoft Defender against before paying?
- The closest cybersecurity tools in this directory are Hanwha Vision, BeyondTrust, Feedzai, IDnow. Each has a side-by-side comparison with Microsoft Defender covering price, platforms and features.