Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Cloud security service for hybrid and multicloud environments
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Also known as
- microsoft-defender-for-cloud
What is Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
Provides security protection across application development and runtime stages for hybrid and multicloud deployments.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud pricing
We don't have Microsoft Defender for Cloud's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.
What Microsoft Defender for Cloud does
The capabilities that matter for cloud security software, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- CSPM (posture / misconfig)
- ✓
- KSPM (Kubernetes posture)
- -
- CWPP (workload protection)
- -
- CIEM (entitlements)
- -
- DSPM (data posture)
- -
- IaC / pipeline scanning
- ✓
- Agentless scanning
- -
- Runtime protection
- ✓
- Cloud coverage
- Hybrid and multicloud environments
- Compliance frameworks assessed
- -
- Open-core scanner available
- -
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- Web
- Cloud / SaaS
- Hybrid
Microsoft Defender for Cloud FAQ
Common questions about Microsoft Defender for Cloud, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
Provides security protection across application development and runtime stages for hybrid and multicloud deployments. It is indexed under Cloud Security Software.
Source: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account
Is Microsoft Defender for Cloud free?
Microsoft Defender for Cloud offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.
Source: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/defender-for-cloud
What platforms does Microsoft Defender for Cloud support?
We have confirmed browser-based access to Microsoft Defender for Cloud. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.
Can Microsoft Defender for Cloud be self-hosted?
Not fully, on what we have confirmed. Microsoft Defender for Cloud is offered as cloud / SaaS and hybrid, and a hybrid deployment usually means some components can run on your own infrastructure while the rest stays vendor-hosted. We have not confirmed a completely self-hosted option, so check with the vendor if that is a requirement.
What security certifications does Microsoft Defender for Cloud have?
We have independently confirmed GDPR for Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Microsoft Defender for Cloud not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud alternatives
Other cloud security software we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- Wizlow · 49%
- ProwlerOpen-source cloud security platform for automated compliance and security assessmentslow · 30%
- UptycsCloud security monitoring and threat detection from development through production runtimehigh · 75%
- Checkovlow · 47%
- Laceworklow · 27%
- Cloud CustodianA policy-driven rules engine for cloud compliance, security, and cost managementlow · 42%
Compare Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Side by side against other cloud security software, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for Microsoft Defender for Cloud, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliability | 50 | 0.09 | 4.7 | ✓ |
| Price level | 80 | 0.04 | 3.4 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 58 | 0.05 | 3.0 | ✓ |
| Pricing transparency | 25 | 0.05 | 1.3 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 0 | 0.05 | 0.0 | - |
| Security posture | 5 | 0.21 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 5 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 62% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Cspm: Yes · Iac scanning: Yes · Cloud coverage: Hybrid and multicloud environments · Runtime protection: Yes | mediumsource · 2026-09-04 · 60% |
Pricing
Reliability
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Status page | Yes | mediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60% |
Security
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Gdpr | Yes | highsource · 2026-08-05 · 75% |
Is Microsoft Defender for Cloud the right choice for you?
Tell us the job, the constraints and what you weigh most, and we will rank Microsoft Defender for Cloud against the rest of the cloud security software we index, using the same dated evidence weighted your way.
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