HackerOne vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud comparison

HackerOne and Microsoft are both solutions in the Vulnerability Management category. HackerOne is ranked #27 with an average rating of 8.4, while Microsoft is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.1. HackerOne holds a 0.7% mindshare in VM, compared to Microsoft’s 3.9% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of HackerOne users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

HackerOne and Microsoft Defender for Cloud are in the cybersecurity sector. Microsoft Defender for Cloud has the upper hand due to its superior features and integration capabilities.

Features: HackerOne offers vulnerability assessment, a bug bounty program, and connections to ethical hackers for identifying security flaws. Microsoft Defender for Cloud integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Azure, offers hybrid infrastructure security, and provides threat protection across cloud platforms.

Room for Improvement: HackerOne could improve in expanding its features beyond vulnerability handling, better documentation, and enhancing its analytics tools. Microsoft Defender for Cloud could improve in third-party service integration, ease of use for non-Microsoft environments, and pricing transparency.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HackerOne is flexible in deployment with strong community interaction, offering accessible support. Microsoft Defender for Cloud benefits from tight Azure integration, efficient deployment processes, and comprehensive documentation.

Pricing and ROI: HackerOne’s pay-per-vulnerability model is cost-effective with high ROI due to reduced upfront costs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud has higher initial investments but justifies this expense through extensive features and integration benefits, offering solid long-term value.

To learn more, read our detailed HackerOne vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HackerOne vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud

December 2025

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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

Zafran Security

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Vulnerability Management category, the mindshare of Zafran Security is 1.1%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HackerOne is 0.7%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 3.9%, down from 5.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Vulnerability Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud	3.9%
Zafran Security	1.1%
HackerOne	0.7%
Other	94.3%

Vulnerability Management

Featured Reviews

Reviewer6233

Works at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Has become an indispensable tool in our cybersecurity arsenal

While Zafran Security is already a powerful tool, there are areas where it could be further improved to provide even greater value. One key area for enhancement is the searching capabilities within its vulnerabilities module. By incorporating the ability to create Boolean searches, users would gain the ability to apply more complex filters and customize their search criteria. This would greatly enhance the precision and efficiency with which security teams can identify and prioritize vulnerabilities. Having such tailored search capabilities would save time and resources by narrowing down vast lists of vulnerabilities to those that meet specific parameters relevant to our unique risk environment. Additionally, integrating more robust reporting and visualization tools would be advantageous. Enhanced dashboards that offer customizable visual representations of risk configurations and threat landscapes would facilitate better communication with stakeholders, making it easier to explain vulnerabilities and the rationale behind certain security measures. This would also aid in demonstrating the improvements and value derived from existing security investments to leadership and non-technical team members.

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Ruphus Muita

Senior ICT Security Consultant at Applied Principles Limited

Has improved my motivation to submit bugs consistently through fast response and clear filtering

I think HackerOne can be improved by allowing new users to gain access to certain programs that are only open to known, renowned users. Sometimes new users don't receive invites just because they are new, despite potentially being very skilled hackers, so I feel new users should get more chances and opportunities. I am currently satisfied with the rewards, response time, and other aspects of the platform, so I don't have anything else to add about the necessary improvements. I give HackerOne a nine out of ten because if new hackers are given more opportunities, it could be a perfect 10 for me. However, the reason I gave a nine is that I don't have much to complain about; I specifically love the program and don't have many concerns.

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David Birhange

Director, Cloud and Modern Workplace at Informanix Technology Group

Brings together cloud security insights through a unified view and supports agentless protection for virtual machines

Copilot and similar features are already being used, though not necessarily for Microsoft Defender for Cloud specifically. We are trying to get more experience before rolling out most of Microsoft Defender for Cloud's AI capabilities. This is definitely on our to-do list, and the priority is urgent as we seek to learn more about these capabilities. The GenAI threat protection from Microsoft Defender for Cloud has not been enabled yet. There are many unknowns with AI applications. AI agents will operate while you're not present, whether you are sleeping or awake, and it's unclear whether there would be any exfiltration of data or how data is being managed. Microsoft Purview is being used extensively, and there is significant development going on with DSPM that will be rolled out to address security concerns. Data labeling and proper demarcation for sensitivity of data before it is received are being actively pursued.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We are able to see the real risk of a vulnerability on our environment with our security tools."

"Zafran is an excellent tool."

"Zafran has become an indispensable tool in our cybersecurity arsenal."

"Overall, we have seen about eighty-seven percent reduction of the number of vulnerabilities that require urgency to remediate, specifically the number of criticals."

"We saw benefits from Zafran Security almost immediately after deploying it."

"With Zafran Security, it integrates with your security controls, allowing you to take that risk score and reduce it based on the controls in place or increase the risk based on different factors, such as if the issue is internet reachable or if there's an exploit in the wild."

"HackerOne is larger than WebCloud and has a better reputation than BugCloud, which results in a smoother process."

"Apart from getting all the bug bounty opportunities, we also get the chance to practice in a safe environment, like a demo setup. These features are great for beginners who want to explore bug bounties in the future."

"It helps me to get new sales, profits, and other benefits."

"The most valuable feature of HackerOne is its variety of programs. These programs provide depth into various areas, such as mobile, API, and websites."

"The fast verification process impacts my motivation significantly because a quick response keeps me motivated, and if I'm going to try and hunt bugs today, I would appreciate a response within the day or at least within a few days."

"HackerOne is larger than WebCloud and has a better reputation than BugCloud, which results in a smoother process."

"The most valuable features offer the latest threat detection and response capabilities."

"If you are a Microsoft organization and most of your organization uses Microsoft, Microsoft Defender for Cloud will be the best approach as it provides the easiest implementation to the most robust solution for a Microsoft suite."

"The most valuable features of the solution are the insights, meaning the remediation suggestions, as well as the incident alerts."

"The most valuable feature is the regulatory compliance aspect, where we utilize predefined initiatives like NIST."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud helps in improving our overall security posture. We have a nice overview of what is missing where and what can be improved."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud monitors our entire cloud environment. It enables conditional access and incorporates features like number matching and single sign-on for all our cloud apps. It is great for protecting against ransomware and various security threats."

"Threat protection is comprehensive and simple."

"It isn't a highly complex solution. It's something that a lot of analysts can use. Defender gives you a broad overview of what's happening in your environment, and it's a great solution if you're a Microsoft shop."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pros

Cons

"Initially, we were somewhat concerned about the scalability of Zafran due to our large asset count and the substantial amount of information we needed to process."

"I think the ability to have some enhanced reporting capabilities is something they can improve on, as they have good reports but we have asked for some specific reporting enhancements."

"The dashboarding and reporting functionality of Zafran Security is an area that definitely could use some improvements."

"Response time can be improved. The HackerOne Trust team can be slow to respond sometimes. They're not using AI, which could help reduce the number of duplicate reports."

"The ability to view the conversation between the triagers and the programs will be really good."

"One issue I've experienced is traffic. Many people try to participate when an opportunity with a bounty of around 1,000-15,000 dollars comes up. In this case, the first person to report the vulnerability gets the bounty. If a second person reports the same vulnerability, they are marked as duplicated instead of receiving some recognition. The second person also invested time finding the issue, so I think this can be improved."

"Everything has become slower on HackerOne."

"Sometimes new users don't receive invites just because they are new, despite potentially being very skilled hackers, so I feel new users should get more chances and opportunities."

"Everything has become slower on HackerOne. I have noticed that older researchers receive all the private invites while newer ones receive fewer."

"While we are satisfied with Defender for Cloud's features, an AI enhancement could potentially provide better advice and adapt more effectively to our environment."

"Features like code scanning and pipeline scanning are not included in the solution."

"The documentation and implementation guides could be improved."

"Azure is a complex solution. You have so many moving parts."

"Defender could provide more in-depth visibility into vulnerabilities and services. For instance, we wanted to scan Azure NetApp for sensitive data, but they didn't have that feature. It was only for storage accounts. I want Azure Defender features to cover all Azure resources rather than a few."

"The initial setup is not actually so complex but it feels complex because there are many add-ons. There are many options and my team needs to be aware of all of these changes happening on the backend which is a distraction."

"I would like to see more connectors and plugins with other platforms."

"The cost is always a concern, but overall, it's not too bad because it is easy to use and pretty friendly."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The tool is open-source and free for bug bounty hunters."

"The solution is free."

"There are two different plans. We're using the secure basic plan, but we have used the end security plan as well. There are additional costs, but it gives us more functionalities compared to the basic plan."

"The product's pricing policy is generally favorable."

"I am not involved in this area. However, I believe its price is okay because even small customers are using Azure Security Center. I don't think it is very expensive."

"Defender for Cloud is pretty costly for a single line. It's incredibly high to pay monthly for security per server. The cost is considerable for an enterprise with 500-plus virtual machines, and the monthly bill can spike."

"The cost is fair. There aren't any costs in addition to the standard licensing fee."

"Although I am outside of the discussion on budget and costing, I can say that the importance of security provided by this solution is of such importance that whatever the cost is, it is not a factor."

"Understanding the costs of cloud services can be complicated at first. As with a lot of things in the cloud, it can be quite hard to understand the end cost, but it becomes clearer over time. Early on, the lack of transparency is a challenge. Microsoft does not tell you the cost when they launch something. It is clever marketing, and there is room for improvement there. There should be clarity from the start."

"There are improvements that have to be made to the licensing. Currently, for servers, it has to be done by grouping the servers on a single subscription... We don't have an option whereby, if all those resources are in one subscription, we can have each of the individual servers subject to different planning."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	27
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	49

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zafran Security?

Since we stood Zafran Security up in our private cloud, we handle the maintenance on our side. As we opted not to use...

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What needs improvement with Zafran Security?

In terms of areas for improvement, Zafran Security is doing a really great job as a new and emerging company. Oftenti...

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What is your primary use case for Zafran Security?

My use cases for Zafran Security revolve around two primary areas. One is around vulnerability management and priorit...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HackerOne?

I have not experienced any costs since I use HackerOne independently, just logging into the site, hunting bugs, and s...

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What needs improvement with HackerOne?

I think HackerOne can be improved by allowing new users to gain access to certain programs that are only open to know...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for HackerOne?

My main use case for HackerOne is mostly for submitting bugs. I get into the programs listed there, find one that is ...

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How is Prisma Cloud vs Azure Security Center for security?

Azure Security Center is very easy to use, integrates well, and gives very good visibility on what is happening acros...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Cloud?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Defender for Cloud was pretty straightforward. We...

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What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Cloud?

Microsoft Defender for Cloud can be improved. An additional feature that should be included in the next release is Ze...

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Comparisons

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Seemplicity vs Zafran Security

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Bugcrowd vs HackerOne

Compared 40% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

Intigriti vs HackerOne

Compared 10% of the time

YesWeHack vs HackerOne

Compared 7% of the time

Snyk vs HackerOne

Compared 2% of the time

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Compared 36% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Defender XDR vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Compared 3% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Compared 2% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Zafran Security

January 2026

Download Zafran Security product report

Buyer's Guide

HackerOne

January 2026

Download HackerOne product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

January 2026

Download Microsoft Defender for Cloud product report

Also Known As

No data available

HackerOne Assets, HackerOne Pentesting Services, HackerOne Security Assessments, HackerOne Vulnerability Management

Microsoft Azure Security Center, Azure Security Center, Microsoft ASC, Azure Defender

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Zafran Security

Demo not available

HackerOne

Microsoft

Overview

Zafran Security integrates with existing security tools to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities effectively, proving that most critical vulnerabilities are not exploitable, optimizing threat management.

Zafran Security introduces an innovative operating model for managing security threats and vulnerabilities. By leveraging the threat exposure management platform, it pinpoints and prioritizes exploitable vulnerabilities, reducing risk through immediate remediation. This platform enhances your hybrid cloud security by normalizing vulnerability signals and integrating specific IT context data, such as CVE runtime presence and internet asset reachability, into its analysis. No longer reliant on patch windows, Zafran Security allows you to manage risks actively.

What are the key features of Zafran Security?

Threat Exposure Management: Utilizes existing tools to prioritize vulnerabilities and manage threats.
Integrative Analysis: Combines security data with IT context for precise vulnerability management.
Real-time Risk Reduction: Enables immediate risk management without waiting for patches.
Hybrid Cloud Compatibility: Functions across diverse cloud environments for comprehensive security.

What benefits can users expect from Zafran Security?

Improved Security: Enhances protection by efficiently identifying and mitigating risks.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces unnecessary patching expenses by confirming non-exploitable vulnerabilities.
Time Savings: Frees developers to focus on root causes by handling immediate threats.
Comprehensive Insight: Offers a holistic view of security threats and vulnerabilities.

In industries where security is paramount, such as finance and healthcare, Zafran Security provides invaluable protection by ensuring that only exploitable vulnerabilities are addressed. It allows entities to maintain robust security measures while allocating resources efficiently, fitting seamlessly into existing security strategies.

Zafran Security

HackerOne leads in offensive security with a platform that expertly identifies and remedies security vulnerabilities using AI and a vast researcher community. Trusted by industry giants, it integrates bug bounties, vulnerability disclosure, and code security in software development.

The HackerOne Platform offers a comprehensive suite of services, combining advanced AI technology with the skills of a global security researcher community to address complex security challenges. It facilitates an understanding of vulnerabilities, promoting better remediation practices across software lifecycles. Notable clients include Anthropic, Crypto.com, General Motors, GitHub, Goldman Sachs, Uber, and U.S. Department of Defense. Recognized for innovation and workplace excellence, HackerOne continues to set standards in security solutions.

What key features does HackerOne offer?

Skilled Hacker Community: Access a large pool of expert security researchers.
Third-Party Integrations: Seamless compatibility with various tools like payment systems and project management applications.
Bug Bounty Programs: Incentivized vulnerability discovery across industries.
Direct Communication: Facilitates dialogue for better understanding of vulnerabilities.
Safe Practice Environments: Supports learning for both beginners and seasoned professionals.

Why is HackerOne beneficial for your needs?

Speed of Delivery: Quickly identifies and resolves security issues.
Responsive Support: Reliable assistance enhances user experience.
Transparency in Communication: Clear reporting processes aid in issue resolution.
Income Opportunities: Bug bounties offer financial incentives.

HackerOne finds significant applications in various sectors with its focus on vulnerability assessment, testing, and responsible disclosure. Organizations utilize it for ethical hacking and efficient vulnerability coordination, making it essential in cybersecurity strategies. The platform's reliability is evident in its ability to identify and document security threats effectively.

HackerOne

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a comprehensive security solution that provides advanced threat protection for cloud workloads. It offers real-time visibility into the security posture of cloud environments, enabling organizations to quickly identify and respond to potential threats. With its advanced machine learning capabilities, Microsoft Defender for Cloud can detect and block sophisticated attacks, including zero-day exploits and fileless malware.

The solution also provides automated remediation capabilities, allowing security teams to quickly and easily respond to security incidents. With Microsoft Defender for Cloud, organizations can ensure the security and compliance of their cloud workloads, while reducing the burden on their security teams.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Anthropic, Crypto.com, General Motors, GitHub, Goldman Sachs, Uber, and the U.S. Department of Defense

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is trusted by companies such as ASOS, Vatenfall, SWC Technology Partners, and more.

Buyer's Guide

HackerOne vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud

December 2025

Free Report: HackerOne vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Find out what your peers are saying about HackerOne vs. Microsoft Defender for Cloud and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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