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Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Rapid7 InsightVM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
7.0
Microsoft Defender for Cloud boosts security and efficiency, integrates with Azure, reduces costs, prevents breaches, and offers proactive defense.
Sentiment score
6.5
Rapid7 InsightVM reduces cyber risks and incidents, enhancing security and cost-efficiency, with positive financial and risk reduction outcomes.
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
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.2
Microsoft Defender for Cloud support is responsive at higher levels, but experiences vary with mixed satisfaction due to delays.
Sentiment score
6.9
Rapid7 InsightVM's customer service is praised for professionalism, though some experience delays; dedicated managers are preferred by some.
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
Support is not available promptly, especially when issues are escalated to another region.
Head Of Cyber Security at Super Secure
Sometimes support requests coincide with holidays in their support region, causing slight delays.
Professional services team lead at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I cannot comment specifically regarding the support part because I have never needed Rapid7 support for the InsightVM solution as it is very stable.
Senior Manager - Pre-Sales at Trillium Information Security Systems
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is scalable, integrating across environments effortlessly, suitable for all enterprise sizes with flexible performance.
Sentiment score
7.5
Rapid7 InsightVM is highly scalable, flexible, and well-suited for varied environments, accommodating growth without performance issues.
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
Scalability in the Rapid7 InsightVM solution is straightforward.
Senior Manager - Pre-Sales at Trillium Information Security Systems
Rapid7 InsightVM is recommended for large-scale companies with more than 30,000 users.
Enterprise Security Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
According to the environment requirements, we can scale the solution as needed.
Professional services team lead at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is stable and reliable, with minimal issues mainly during updates, ensuring strong user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
8.1
Rapid7 InsightVM is reliable and stable, despite occasional communication issues, scoring highly in user satisfaction ratings.
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
We have not faced any issues with stability, and I would rate it a nine out of ten.
Professional services team lead at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The stability of Rapid7 InsightVM is excellent.
0 at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
There have been some challenges, especially with support response times, which affect stability.
Head Of Cyber Security at Super Secure
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender for Cloud users seek better automation, clarity, integration, AI features, and comprehensive analytics for improved security management.
Rapid7 InsightVM users seek improved integration, reporting, and usability with better support, automation, cloud features, and secure ticketing.
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
Having the ability to build our own audit file, similar to a feature in Tenable, would be beneficial.
Professional services team lead at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The major improvement needed is prompt support.
Head Of Cyber Security at Super Secure
The current process requires manually telling IT teams to remediate vulnerabilities, and then they update the status of these vulnerabilities in the platform.
Senior Manager - Pre-Sales at Trillium Information Security Systems
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is scalable, offering free and paid versions with costs averaging $15 monthly per server.
Rapid7 InsightVM's pricing is asset-based and flexible, with costs often high but valued for simplicity and included support.
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
Rapid7 InsightVM is expensive, possibly one of the highest in pricing among similar products.
0 at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
Pricing is reasonable and competitive compared to other solutions in the market.
Head Of Cyber Security at Super Secure
I would rate the pricing for Rapid7 InsightVM as eight out of ten.
Enterprise Security Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender for Cloud enhances security with AI-based threat detection, multi-cloud support, and a unified portal for comprehensive management.
Rapid7 InsightVM offers versatile modes, seamless integrations, user-friendly interface, effective scanning, and customizable dashboards for efficient vulnerability management.
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
It's based on the CVSS risk scoring system, which is well-recognized and effective.
Professional services team lead at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The dashboard is excellent as it helps in visualizing our vulnerability management data.
Manager at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
We have integrated our SIEM solutions and antivirus with each other through Rapid7.
0 at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
Container Management (8th), Container Security (7th), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (1st), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (4th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (4th), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (5th), Microsoft Security Suite (7th), Compliance Management (4th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (3rd)
Rapid7 InsightVM
Ranking in Vulnerability Management
9th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
66
Ranking in other categories
Risk-Based Vulnerability Management (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Vulnerability Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 3.5%, down from 4.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Rapid7 InsightVM is 2.7%, down from 5.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Vulnerability Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud3.5%
Rapid7 InsightVM2.7%
Other93.8%
Vulnerability Management
 

Featured Reviews

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.
FL
Senior Manager - Pre-Sales at Trillium Information Security Systems
Offers robust compliance features but needs improved automation in remediation
The automation capability remediation needs improvement. The current process requires manually telling IT teams to remediate vulnerabilities, and then they update the status of these vulnerabilities in the platform. This basic feature that Rapid7 calls an automated remediation process is actually manual. We can update the status of vulnerabilities in the Rapid7 InsightVM platform and collectively see how many vulnerabilities we have identified and how many are remediated by our IT team. More automation in the remediation feature is a basic demand from many customers. The remediation part and vulnerability identification of network devices or rigid devices are not currently supported by Rapid7 InsightVM. More integration and automation are the two areas Rapid7 needs to improve in their product.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise49
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

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 across your ecosystem. It also has great remote workforce capabilities and supports a...
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 did have a consultation with a third party to go over different tiers and produ...
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 Zero Trust, similar to ThreatLocker software.
How would you choose between Rapid7 InsightVM and Tenable Nessus?
You have full visibility across cloud, network, virtual, and containerized infrastructures with Rapid7 Insight VM. You can easily prioritize vulnerabilities using attacker analytics. Overall, Rapid...
What do you like most about Rapid7 InsightVM?
The product's initial setup phase was very easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Rapid7 InsightVM?
My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that both the setup cost and licensing are great.
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Azure Security Center, Azure Security Center, Microsoft ASC, Azure Defender
InsightVM, NeXpose
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is trusted by companies such as ASOS, Vatenfall, SWC Technology Partners, and more.
ACS, Acosta, AllianceData, amazon.com, biogen idec, CBRE, CATERPILLAR, Deloitte, COACH, GameStop, IBM
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Rapid7 InsightVM and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
885,264 professionals have used our research since 2012.