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Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Rapid7 InsightCloudSec comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

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
5.5
Qualys TotalCloud boosts efficiency, reduces manual effort, decreases risk, and offers significant cost savings with a notable ROI.
Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Defender for Cloud enhances ROI by improving security, productivity, and cost efficiency, despite perceived licensing costs.
Sentiment score
6.0
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec saves costs, reduces risks, automates tasks, and streamlines compliance, enhancing security and operational efficiency.
It has saved about 90% of our time.
Senior Consultant at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
TotalCloud has generated overall savings of 30 to 40 percent across various departments.
Security Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
CallStream helps us integrate and automate tasks.
Senior Security Consultant at CyberNxt Solutions LLP
Defender proactively indexes and analyzes documents, identifying potential threats even when inactive, enhancing preventative security.
Endpoint management at a government with 10,001+ employees
Identifying potential vulnerabilities has helped us avoid costly data losses.
Manager at CBTS
Compared to not having Microsoft Defender for Cloud in place, we definitely saw an advantage by not having downtime due to a security threat.
Principal Microsoft Consultant at MicroAge
By catching issues early, Rapid7 InsightCloudSec helps us prevent costly breaches or regulatory fines; for example, automating patching and misconfiguration audits can save thousands in operational overhead.
Site Reliability Engineer at a comms service provider with 501-1,000 employees
It provides a good security posture and helps handle misconfigurations and day-to-day remediations.
Senior Cloud Security Engineer at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees
I can confirm money and time savings with Rapid7 InsightCloudSec, as we can scan the entire IP range simultaneously instead of manually checking each asset for vulnerabilities.
Junior systems engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.4
Qualys TotalCloud support is praised for efficiency and staff knowledge but criticized for delays and inconsistent quality.
Sentiment score
6.3
Microsoft Defender for Cloud support is knowledgeable with effective documentation, but first-tier delays impact overall satisfaction.
Sentiment score
4.9
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec customer service receives mixed reviews, excelling in responsiveness but needing improvement in communication and local presence.
They are helpful, respond to my queries, and can answer any question.
Developer at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Qualys's tech support is highly responsive, providing multiple ways to interact with them.
Service Manager, Security Operations at CDA IT SOLUTIONS
Qualys' customer service provides quality answers, but the response time is long, even though it is within the SLA.
Works at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Since security is critical, we prefer a quicker response time.
Manager at CBTS
The support team was very responsive to queries.
Programme Manager- Cyber Fusion- Group CISO at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
They understand their product, but much like us, they struggle with the finer details, especially with new features.
Endpoint management at a government with 10,001+ employees
On a scale of 1 to 10, the customer support would be rated a 10, as responses are typically received within about half an hour to an hour when creating a ticket.
Senior Platform Engineer Lead at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
They have excellent support with internal Slack channels and are directly reachable through Teams.
Senior Cloud Security Engineer at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees
I interacted with customer support after an endpoint compromise incident, and they responded quickly and provided clear insights that were essential for resolving the situation.
Platform Engineer at Cedar Gate Technologies, LLC
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Qualys TotalCloud excels in scalability, efficiently supporting diverse environments and business sizes, though it may require skilled management.
Sentiment score
7.5
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is highly scalable, seamlessly integrates across platforms, and efficiently handles growth, with room for feature improvement.
Sentiment score
5.8
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec is a scalable, adaptable SaaS tool providing reliable cloud visibility but may require specific configurations.
We started our organization about nine months back. We started with about 30 users, and we now have more than 100 users.
CIO at a venture capital & private equity firm with 11-50 employees
Our organization currently uses it to manage over 1200 web applications.
Analyst, Information Security at Infosys
It is absolutely scalable, and I would rate its scalability as nine out of ten.
retired at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
As we have reduced our on-premises infrastructure, it is about how we can migrate workloads to the cloud to make it easier, and then having everything fully encompassed and secured within that area makes it much easier for us to scale as needed and grow.
Principal Microsoft Consultant at MicroAge
We are using infrastructure as a code, so we do not have any scalability issues with Microsoft Defender for Cloud implementation because our cloud automatically does it.
Senior Cloud Platform Engineer at Deutsche Börse
It has multiple licenses and features, covering infrastructures from a hundred to five hundred virtual machines, without any issues.
Snr. Infrastructure Architect (Data Centre) at LogicEra
I have not experienced performance issues as I add more assets, and everything operates smoothly within one console.
Junior systems engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.3
Qualys TotalCloud is highly stable with reliable support, 99.9% uptime, minimal bugs, and effective maintenance communication.
Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is stable and reliable, though minor update issues occur with older systems and internet latency.
Sentiment score
8.0
Users are pleased with Rapid7 InsightCloudSec's stability, though some experience slight slowness due to its SaaS platform.
Overall, the support provided has been excellent.
Analyst, Information Security at Infosys
It is a stable solution, which is why we chose it.
CIO at a venture capital & private equity firm with 11-50 employees
Continuous monitoring is crucial to ensure system stability and avoid vulnerabilities or threats.
Developer at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Defender's stability has been flawless for us.
Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
I have not experienced any crashes or downtime.
Head Of IT at Cirrus Response
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is very stable.
Cloud architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec works without any stability issues so far.
Junior Security Analyst at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Users suggest enhancing Qualys TotalCloud with clearer reports, better integration, intuitive UI, AI risk assessments, and improved documentation.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud needs improved customization, automation, UI performance, policy management, integration, AI functions, and reduced licensing complexities.
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec needs UI/UX improvements, better third-party integration, enhanced reporting, and refined risk prioritization and detection capabilities.
Ideally, the scanner should automatically detect and scan all subdomains, even if not explicitly defined, ensuring comprehensive vulnerability assessment.
Analyst, Information Security at Infosys
Ideally, updates should be more immediate, enabling quicker implementation of solutions.
Project Lead at Persistent Systems
Our goal is to integrate all these functions into Qualys, creating a single dashboard for comprehensive security monitoring and management.
Senior Information Security Engineer at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Microsoft, in general, could significantly improve its communication and support.
Endpoint management at a government with 10,001+ employees
It would be beneficial to streamline recommendations to avoid unnecessary alerts and to refine the severity of alerts based on specific environments or environmental attributes.
Works at Coca-Cola HBC
The artificial intelligence features could be expanded to allow the system to autonomously manage security issues without needing intervention from admins.
Cloud Consultant at i-Community AG
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec already provides us real-time feedback loops, but if it also provides real-time feedback to the developers, then it would help the application shift left, meaning the security will shift left as well.
Site Reliability Engineer at a comms service provider with 501-1,000 employees
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec needs improvements such as AI-driven risk prioritization, proactive cloud risk modeling, advanced IAM privilege analysis, multi-cloud attack path mapping, pre-built automated hardening, defining stronger policy as code support, better container and serverless coverage, and cost optimization insight along with safe auto-remediation with rollback improvements.
Cybersecurity analyst at Cornerstone OnDemand
If you can improve the traditional detection rules to reflect current detection rules, it would make it significantly easier for us to manage, as we constantly need to check legacy rules to update or possibly turn them off. Updating the legacy rules should be a priority.
SOC analyst at a media company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Setup Cost

Qualys TotalCloud's pricing is high yet justified by comprehensive features and flexibility, benefiting larger enterprises seeking robust security.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud offers flexible pricing but gets complex and costly, requiring careful evaluation, especially for advanced plans.
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec offers competitive, cost-efficient cloud security management with reasonable pricing, seamless licensing, and straightforward setup.
Qualys TotalCloud's pricing is currently acceptable, it is becoming increasingly expensive.
Senior Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Pricing is managed by our finance team; however, Qualys TotalCloud offers cost-effective licensing flexibility.
IT Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Qualys TotalCloud is expensive, but it offers a premier solution with no headaches.
Vice President at Inspira Enterprise
Security has essentially no cost when compared to the cost of a breach.
Director, Cloud and Modern Workplace at Informanix Technology Group
Every time we consider expanding usage, we carefully evaluate the necessity due to cost concerns.
Programme Manager- Cyber Fusion- Group CISO at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
We appreciate the licensing approach based on employee count rather than a big enterprise license.
Manager, Microsoft Technology Alliance at Silverfort
It is cheaper.
Senior Cloud Security Engineer at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees
The more numbers you have, the less costly the product becomes, as licensing operates on volume.
Junior systems engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
While it was not overly expensive, I do wish for more discounts for bulk purchases since we have implemented it widely across our cloud security posture.
Platform Engineer at Cedar Gate Technologies, LLC
 

Valuable Features

Qualys TotalCloud offers comprehensive vulnerability detection, cloud security management, and automation with insightful dashboards for efficient threat management.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud enhances security and compliance with AI-powered threat intelligence, automation, and multi-cloud integration for improved protection.
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec enhances security with frameworks, threat detection, automation, and AI log searches, boosting efficiency and response speed.
This view of risk helps reduce the work we would have to do to combine multiple sources to prioritize risk.
Works at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
It will help cybersecurity professionals monitor the cloud and find vulnerabilities.
Developer at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
We are enjoying the new feature, FlexScan, which is valuable for Internet-facing VMs.
Senior Consultant at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
The most valuable feature for me is the variety of APIs available.
Programme Manager- Cyber Fusion- Group CISO at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
This feature significantly aids in threat detection and enhances the user experience by streamlining security management.
Cloud Consultant at i-Community AG
The most valuable feature is the recommendations provided on how to improve security.
Cloud architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Using Rapid7 InsightCloudSec alongside our ManageEngine patch management module positively impacts my organization by scanning assets deeply and providing all identified vulnerabilities, from zero-day to any vulnerabilities on an asset, addressing those that ManageEngine might not identify.
Junior systems engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec has helped us save thirty percent time in our log retrievals, and it completely changed log searching, making it really fast when we search for logs, with no prior knowledge required.
Site Reliability Engineer at a comms service provider with 501-1,000 employees
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec positively impacts my organization by integrating tightly with my existing vulnerability management process and workflows, particularly in creating a new project and implementing trigger-based scanning.
Assistant Vice President for Security Operation Center at Sohar International Bank
 

Categories and Ranking

Qualys TotalCloud
Sponsored
Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
8th
Ranking in Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP)
6th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (11th), Container Security (11th), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (8th), SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) (1st)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
4th
Ranking in Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP)
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (5th), Container Management (7th), Container Security (4th), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (1st), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (4th), Microsoft Security Suite (7th), Compliance Management (4th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (3rd)
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec
Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
13th
Ranking in Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP)
10th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Management (12th), AI Observability (8th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) category, the mindshare of Qualys TotalCloud is 1.6%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 6.0%, down from 9.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Rapid7 InsightCloudSec is 1.3%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud6.0%
Qualys TotalCloud1.6%
Rapid7 InsightCloudSec1.3%
Other91.1%
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
 

Featured Reviews

RO
IT Security Expert at Alior Bank S.A.
Unified risk scoring has improved our cloud visibility and simplifies remediation priorities
Qualys TotalCloud provides unified vulnerability and threat assessment across both IAS and SaaS. This solution provides a single prioritized view of risk, which helps reduce the work I would have to do. We are no longer based on CVSS; we are based on Qualys risk scoring, which is based on CVSS plus internal findings made by Qualys, and then assigns its own score. The TruRisk insight feature has found a small number of assets with high vulnerability scores, though I am cautious since some information is classified. Qualys TotalCloud has positively impacted our bank's performance, and we have definitely seen benefits after implementing this solution.
RW
Head Of IT at Cirrus Response
Cloud security has cut investigation time and now reveals threats faster but needs simpler oversight
When deploying AI applications, my key security concerns with Microsoft Defender for Cloud are data loss, leakage of data, and guardrails around the actual AI, and I am hoping that this is going to help me put those guardrails in place and identify data exfiltration. Microsoft Defender for Cloud has not helped me manage and secure multi-cloud environments, as we are 100 percent Microsoft and have not really got it in any other environment at all. I am not yet using the unified AI-powered security feature offered by Microsoft Defender for Cloud, but that is coming. I am not yet using the integrated XDR feature of Microsoft Defender for Cloud, but that is coming. I am not yet utilizing the GenAI threat protection features of Microsoft Defender for Cloud. That is also coming and a lot of that will come from learning it here. I have enabled the agentless scanning in my cloud environment with Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Assessing the impact on my workload protection without needing to install agents with Microsoft Defender for Cloud makes it a lot easier, but it also identifies a lot more, which puts more load on me sometimes. I would advise another organization considering Microsoft Defender for Cloud that it is the most logical route to follow if their whole ecosystem is Microsoft. It is easy to implement and it is very self-explanatory when doing it, making sense to just follow the steps as it is too simple, really. I would rate this review a 7.5 out of 10.
Arun Babu - PeerSpot reviewer
SOC analyst at a media company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Daily endpoint monitoring has improved investigations and saved time but detection rules still need tuning
It is important to note that Rapid7 InsightCloudSec's features are not 100% precise, but I find about 70% of the time it is satisfactory. I would like to suggest that you improve it to be more precise, ideally making it 100% if possible. Some cases in Rapid7 InsightCloudSec indicate that the log is not enough, as they mostly just generate alerts, and the synchronization between data connectors is often problematic, particularly in terms of not being in sync always, especially between the AD and Rapid7 alerts, which generates numerous false positives. Additionally, the traditional rules should be updated, as this is a main point worth mentioning since we spend a lot of time fine-tuning these traditional rules. I suggest improving the legacy detection rules. If there are any authentication cases, such as impossible travel activity where a user has their SharePoint hosted in a different location, Rapid7 can often trigger alerts, creating confusion as we cannot fine-tune it properly. Another issue is with honeypot access. We sometimes lack necessary logs because Defender's advanced threat protection scanning gets detected as honeypot activity by Rapid7, leading to annoying and noisy alerts that we need to constantly close. If you can improve the traditional detection rules to reflect current detection rules, it would make it significantly easier for us to manage, as we constantly need to check legacy rules to update or possibly turn them off. Updating the legacy rules should be a priority.
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900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Construction Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Insurance Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise29
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise49
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise8
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Qualys TotalCloud?
Areas that need improvement in every solution include the remediation part. The remediation steps should be simple en...
What is your primary use case for Qualys TotalCloud?
Our use case involves the assets that we have under cloud, the assets exposed to the internet, and the internal appli...
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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing was that the license cost was the only consideration. Setup an...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
To improve Microsoft Defender for Cloud, I think pricing-wise, the license price is a little bit higher from an inges...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Rapid7 InsightCloudSec?
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Rapid7 InsightCloudSec are reasonable, and since our organization is growi...
What needs improvement with Rapid7 InsightCloudSec?
I would say that because Rapid7 InsightCloudSec does not have automatic patching capabilities, it provides recommenda...
What is your primary use case for Rapid7 InsightCloudSec?
In my role, my main use case for Rapid7 InsightCloudSec is for vulnerability management, where I scan my machines to ...
 

Also Known As

Qualys TotalCloud with FlexScan
Microsoft Azure Security Center, Azure Security Center, Microsoft ASC, Azure Defender
DivvyCloud
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is trusted by companies such as ASOS, Vatenfall, SWC Technology Partners, and more.
Fannie Mae, 3M, PizzaHut, Spotify, Autodesk, Discovery
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Rapid7 InsightCloudSec and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.