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CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 11, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

CrowdStrike Falcon
Ranking in Attack Surface Management (ASM)
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
140
Ranking in other categories
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (5th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (1st), Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP) (2nd), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (1st), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (1st), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (1st), AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms (2nd)
Microsoft Defender External...
Ranking in Attack Surface Management (ASM)
10th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Microsoft Security Suite (33rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Attack Surface Management (ASM) category, the mindshare of CrowdStrike Falcon is 6.0%, down from 15.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management is 3.2%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Attack Surface Management (ASM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
CrowdStrike Falcon6.0%
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management3.2%
Other90.8%
Attack Surface Management (ASM)
 

Featured Reviews

Chetan Bhati - PeerSpot reviewer
Human Toxicology Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt Ltd
Cloud-native security has improved real-time threat detection and streamlined daily operations
While CrowdStrike Falcon is strong overall, there are a few areas where it could be improved. First, the user interface can be a bit complex for new users. Sometimes, navigating through different sections and understanding detailed alerts takes time, especially for teams without deep security expertise. The cost is also something to consider, as the features and additional modules can increase pricing, which may be a challenge for smaller teams. Additionally, some integrations with simpler reporting would be helpful. The onboarding process for new users is a bit challenging for beginners to understand all features and workflows in the product. More simplified documentation, step-by-step guides, and real-world examples could help new users get comfortable faster. A structured onboarding or basic training module would be very useful for teams who are new to endpoint security tools. In addition, having more in-product guidance and tooltips within the dashboard could make navigation easier and reduce the learning curve. Overall, improving training resources and onboarding support would make the platform more user-friendly, especially for new users.
AndyChan3 - PeerSpot reviewer
General manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Enhanced visibility and exposes vulnerabilities but needs more integration
I am currently in the pilot stage of implementing Microsoft External Attack Surface Management (EASM). My organization is transitioning to a comprehensive track of Microsoft solutions, and we will move to full-scale production in another year, maybe Microsoft External Attack Surface Management…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Using this solution has reduced my need for imaging. We can mitigate the issue and address it immediately, for people both on and off of the network."
"Knock on wood, between our management of the platform and having subscribed to Falcon Overwatch, the managed threat hunting service, I haven't had a concern in six years."
"The solution offers great stability."
"The features we showcase to potential customers are prevention, malware protection, zero-day protection, and application scripting, and vulnerability assessment is another valuable feature."
"CrowdStrike Falcon is a very light solution. It does not use too much processor or RAM."
"I like its detection capabilities, number one."
"Everything is automatic. I install the sensor and renew the service. Periodically, I get a notice that they've shut something down."
"The most useful feature is that we do not need to install or keep signature files. Regular scanning that consumes a lot of computer resources is not needed."
"Microsoft External Attack Surface Management helps improve the visibility of my exposed vulnerabilities and provides an overview of my security posture across the globe."
"It seems to be better at protecting from cyberattacks."
 

Cons

"They respond quickly on the weekdays, but the weekend response times are slower."
"It would be nice if they did have some sort of Active Directory tie-in, whether that be Azure or on-prem. Sometimes, it is difficult for us to determine if we are missing any endpoints or servers in CrowdStrike. We honestly don't have a great inventory, but it would be nice if CrowdStrike had a way to say this is everything in your environment, Active Directory-wise, and this is what doesn't have sensors. They try to do that now with a function that they have built-in, but I have been unsuccessful in having it help us identify what needs a sensor. So, better visibility of what doesn't have a sensor in our environment would be helpful."
"Falcon could be improved with more function on the mobile end of things and better optimization with mobile devices."
"CrowdStrike Falcon needs to improve their host management system."
"One thing that is not yet available is attack simulation."
"There are a lot of open integrations, but they are external factors that cause dependencies on the integrator, not really on CrowdStrike, so it's a bit of a challenge as there is no comprehensive solution."
"The overall cost of CrowdStrike Falcon could be reduced."
"I would rate it an eight out of ten. It does what it needs to do but there's always room for improvement."
"With Microsoft, support is always crazy, it's not easy to get support."
"Further integration across different Microsoft products would be an improvement."
"The integration is not as seamless compared to competitors like Palo Alto."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are three to four licensing models available to choose from for CrowdStrike Falcon. The price of CrowdStrike Falcon depends on the distributor and the reseller partner. The price we received was good."
"The cost of CrowdStrike Falcon could be reduced. It is quite expensive if you compare it to other solutions, such as Blue Coat, Symantec, McAfee, or Kaspersky."
"Our licensing fees were between $50,000 and $60,000 per year, which was pretty expensive for a small business."
"The pricing is definitely high but you get what you pay for, and it's not so high that it prices itself out of the market."
"All I can say about the licensing cost is that it's negotiable."
"Years ago, when we bought CrowdStrike, you got everything it had. I was a little concerned when they broke this out into a la carte modules where you can buy EDR, Spotlight, etc., picking and choosing off the menu. I was a little worried that the solution would get watered down. However, I realized in my previous organization when we had the full suite that there were a bunch of features in it that we didn't have time to operationalize. So, I warmed up to it. I get the whole, "Look, you can pick and choose. Okay, everybody buys a steak, but do you want mashed potatoes, or do you want lobster mac and cheese?" So, you can pick the sides that you want, so you can buy the solution that you want and operationalize versus paying a lot of money and getting a bunch of things, but not using 60 percent of the tools in the box."
"When comparing to Microsoft, CrowdStrike Falcon is more expensive."
"The pricing and licensing are fairly good. It is definitely not a cheap product, but I have felt that it is worth the money that we spent. So, we have discussed it in the past, and were like, "Yes, it is probably pricier than some other solutions, but we also feel they really are the leader. We are very comfortable with their level of expertise. So, it's kind of worth the price that we pay.""
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
5%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business55
Midsize Enterprise33
Large Enterprise63
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Comparing CrowdStrike Falcon to Cortex XDR (Palo Alto)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. CrowdStrike Falcon Both Cortex XDR and Crowd Strike Falcon offer cloud-based solutions that are very scalable, secure, and user-friendly. Cortex XDR by Palo Alto offers ...
How does Crowdstrike Falcon compare with Darktrace?
Both of these products perform similarly and have many outstanding attributes. CrowdStrike Falcon offers an amazing user interface that makes setup easy and seamless. CrowdStrike Falcon offers a cl...
How does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint compare with Crowdstrike Falcon?
The CrowdStrike solution delivers a lot of information about incidents. It has a very light sensor that will never push your machine hardware to "test", you don't have the usual "scan now" feature ...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?
Further integration across different Microsoft products would be an improvement. Introduction of more AI automation into the products would also be beneficial. The integration is not as seamless co...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?
I am currently in the pilot stage of implementing Microsoft External Attack Surface Management (EASM). My organization is transitioning to a comprehensive track of Microsoft solutions, and we will ...
 

Also Known As

CrowdStrike Falcon XDR, CrowdStrike Falcon Threat Intelligence, CrowdStrike Identity Protection, CrowdStrike Falcon Surface, CrowdStrike Falcon Platform
No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about CrowdStrike Falcon vs. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.