Microsoft Defender for Business vs Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager comparison

Microsoft Defender for Business vs. Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

December 2025

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Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

6.1

Microsoft Defender for Business improves security, enhances productivity, and reduces costs but may have delays in financial returns.

Sentiment score

6.4

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager enhances ROI by reducing costs, process times, and improving security with no extra fees.

Using Microsoft Defender for Business results in cost reductions as it consolidates various features under one product, saving around 20% to 30% of the budget.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Consultant at Dell Technologies

The value I see in Microsoft Defender for Business is in its ability to track and respond to application usage and security threats through its CASB and automation features, which are cost-beneficial.

Amit-Granot

Works

The process is reduced from weeks to a day, showcasing a solid nine for return on investment.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

Customer Service

Sentiment score

5.2

Microsoft Defender for Business support is efficient but inconsistent, with variable responsiveness and differing opinions on staff knowledge and resolution times.

Sentiment score

5.0

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager's support needs improvement with slow response times, inconsistent support, and insufficient training resources.

It is rated ten out of ten for its quality and assistance.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

The onboarding support is exceptional, ensuring seamless integration and implementation.

Anat Garty

Chief Cybersecurity Architect at cytek-security

Faster support is needed for endpoint security solutions.

Amit-Granot

Works

Since I approach them with more complicated issues, it takes quite a bit of time to get through those two support tiers.

Tadas Semionovas

Senior security analyst at MB Cybermode

The support staff, who are often outsourced, seem not adequately equipped to handle issues quickly and efficiently.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

The quality of support is affected because most support staff seem focused on obtaining five-star ratings rather than resolving problems thoroughly.

Adeboye Oyemade

System Administrator at Templars

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

Microsoft Defender for Business offers scalable, cloud-driven security for diverse organizations, adaptable to various configurations and endpoint quantities.

Sentiment score

6.8

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager offers scalable compliance management, adaptable to expanding needs, though policy granularity can sometimes be limited.

The cloud-based nature of the solution ensures high scalability.

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

The scalability of Microsoft Defender for Business is rated as ten, indicating it is very scalable.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Consultant at Dell Technologies

In terms of scalability, I would rate Microsoft Defender for Business a ten.

Takayuki-Umehara

Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential

As services increase, eDiscovery capabilities also increase, allowing easy deployment.

Digital Forensic Investigator at Los Angeles Unified School District

It is straightforward since it scans everything, covering all aspects needed in our operations.

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

While the solution is scalable in terms of user numbers, there are limitations when creating more granular level policies.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.2

Microsoft Defender for Business is highly rated for stability, despite minor errors and complexity issues not significantly impacting confidence.

Sentiment score

7.8

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is stable and reliable, though could improve in user-friendliness and competitiveness in eDiscovery tools.

No customer complaints about its functionality or reliability.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

Although it generally works, there are occasional issues and errors that sometimes require a complete system format to rectify.

Amit-Granot

Works

I would rate the stability of Microsoft Defender for Business with a three out of ten, where one is very bad.

Takayuki-Umehara

Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential

Despite stability, it needs to be more user-friendly and competitive compared to other eDiscovery tools.

Digital Forensic Investigator at Los Angeles Unified School District

It is reliable and I can depend on it.

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

In terms of latency, stability is not an issue.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender for Business needs improved reporting, threat protection, support, and integration, with attention to pricing and update communication.

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager requires better integration, automation, accessibility, and expanded functionality; users seek improved interface and budget-friendly licensing.

Microsoft should provide batch management solutions with the application, integrating pass management with roles.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

Features related to Advanced Persistent Threat detection vectors and cyber kill chain integrations are not available out-of-the-box.

KiranKumar17

CISO at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees

There can be improvements in the user interface to make it more intuitive.

Wondimu Almu

Information Technology Security Consultant at Navaio IT Security

Microsoft Copilot Security converts human language to search queries using its AdLM language model.

Digital Forensic Investigator at Los Angeles Unified School District

The speed and accessibility, particularly in the user interface, require significant work.

Tadas Semionovas

Senior security analyst at MB Cybermode

The Purview Compliance Portal's log management could be more user-friendly, making data retrieval, like email logs, challenging.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender for Business offers integrated security in Office 365, with competitive pricing but some note higher costs than competitors.

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is cost-effective, especially for Microsoft 365 E5 users, offering competitive pricing with strong compliance benefits.

Single-year pricing remains good.

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

The pricing is quite affordable at the enterprise level with no extra expenses noted.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Consultant at Dell Technologies

Although the cost can be slightly higher, it expedites deployment, which is beneficial, especially for startups.

KiranKumar17

CISO at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees

I rate the pricing as a one since it is included in what I am already paying for, as part of the Microsoft 365 E5 licensing.

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is priced at 60% to 70% compared to some competitors.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Information Technology Auditor at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

It was not excessively expensive.

reviewer2797275

Systems Engineer at a leisure / travel company with 201-500 employees

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender for Business provides robust, scalable security with seamless Azure integration and effective threat management at a cost-effective price.

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager streamlines compliance with integrated tools, automation, and dashboards, enhancing security and efficiency across platforms.

The threat detection capabilities are robust, with a dedicated research team and a continuously updated threat feed.

Wondimu Almu

Information Technology Security Consultant at Navaio IT Security

Its vulnerability management is regarded as one of the best in the industry.

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

The most effective features of Microsoft Defender for Business include its threat detection and response capabilities in managing vulnerabilities and ransomware attacks.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender for Business report

Consultant at Dell Technologies

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager's eDiscovery is essential for organizations using Outlook as their email service.

Digital Forensic Investigator at Los Angeles Unified School District

The most valuable feature is data classification retention since I deal with terabytes of data, and managing and monitoring it simplifies the process.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Head of Technology Operations at Pobl Group

The best aspect is that it requires little to no time for implementation if I am using all of Microsoft's tools.

Tadas Semionovas

Senior security analyst at MB Cybermode

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Busi...

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

16th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (18th)

Microsoft Purview Complianc...

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

23rd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Governance (17th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Business is 3.5%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is 1.6%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Microsoft Security Suite Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender for Business	3.5%
Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager	1.6%
Other	94.9%

Microsoft Security Suite

Featured Reviews

Takayuki-Umehara

Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential

Product deployment protects assets but needs improvement in system support

I am doing maintenance for Microsoft Defender for Business, and I'm currently working with it. We don't need to use the latest version of Microsoft Defender for Business. We still use the latest virus definition file that Microsoft Defender for Business has automatically updated. We implement a basic update mechanism. Our compliance division manages how many servers and PCs we have and whether those servers have antivirus solutions. I am not certain about how Microsoft Defender for Business helps with AI-driven security strategies. I just use it normally and don't know if it uses AI technology. I rate Microsoft Defender for Business a six out of ten.

Read full review

Adeboye Oyemade

System Administrator at Templars

Opportunities for improvement overshadow benefits

Microsoft support is great overall. However, their business model of outsourcing to third-party partners, especially in Nigeria with tech experts and other partners, needs improvement. I have raised tickets and worked with these support teams. Microsoft needs to address how partners treat their technical support staff. The quality of support is affected because most support staff seem focused on obtaining five-star ratings rather than resolving problems thoroughly. This appears to be due to the pressure from partners and Microsoft's feedback metrics system. They often rush to close tickets without deeply investigating complaints. From the level of support received, I usually try to resolve issues independently. I rate the engineers favorably understanding their pressures, even when issues remain unresolved. Overall, I would rate Microsoft Support five out of 10.

Read full review

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881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

11%

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

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

Our thoughts on the pricing for Microsoft Defender for Business are that we wish it could be better. If the pricing was a little better, we would definitely increase what we currently have.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Business?

I see room for improvement in Microsoft Defender for Business, particularly regarding the consolidation of all security solutions in one place and the integration of AI and data security into the s...

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Defender for Business?

I would rate this product an eight out of ten.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager?

While not cheap, Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is priced at 60% to 70% compared to some competitors. Additional costs may involve OCR page scanning.

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager?

When I tried to set up Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager for my organization to ensure people are not sending PII documents, especially payment cards, using keywords for flagging, it disrupted o...

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager?

I have limited experience with the templates in Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager. Our organization hasn't fully utilized the solution beyond checking compliance scores and adjusting basic setti...

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Product Reports

Microsoft Defender for Business

January 2026

Download Microsoft Defender for Business product report

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

January 2026

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager report

Download Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager product report

Also Known As

No data available

Microsoft Compliance Manager

Overview

Microsoft Defender for Business is a new endpoint security solution that was designed especially for the small and medium-sized business (up to 300 employees). With this endpoint security solution, your company's devices are better protected from ransomware, malware, phishing, and other threats.

Microsoft

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager is a feature in the Microsoft 365 compliance center that helps you manage your organization’s compliance requirements with greater ease and convenience. Compliance Manager can help you throughout your compliance journey, from taking inventory of your data protection risks to managing the complexities of implementing controls, staying current with regulations and certifications, and reporting to auditors.

To learn more about our solution, ask questions, and share feedback, join our Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Community.

Microsoft