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Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Rubrik Data Security Posture comparison

 

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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Ranking in Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)
5th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (7th), 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), Microsoft Security Suite (7th), Compliance Management (4th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (3rd)
Rubrik Data Security Posture
Ranking in Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)
15th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
2.9
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 7.6%, down from 13.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Rubrik Data Security Posture is 1.8%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud7.6%
Rubrik Data Security Posture1.8%
Other90.6%
Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)
 

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.
Neelash Nair - PeerSpot reviewer
Principle Tech Architect at Unisys
Unified dashboard allows seamless threat detection and management while process for sensitive data needs action capabilities
The features of Rubrik Data Security Posture that I have found most valuable include its better detect function for anomalies and cyber threats, along with immutability by default, operating system hardening, MFA, and all the other ZTNA functions, which align well with our needs. Regarding the anomaly detection feature in Rubrik Data Security Posture, the product has a threat detect function that you can run on-demand or by default to identify anomalies, and allows you to perform deeper analysis using YARA rules or other indicators of compromise to determine if a threat is actual or a false positive. I leverage Rubrik's unified dashboard for proactive threat detection and remediation, which I find absolutely fantastic and unmatched compared to other dashboards, allowing visibility into a hybrid environment on a single pane of glass. The positive impact I've seen from using Rubrik Data Security Posture is its superior detection of threats from primary backups, which is built-in and requires minimal setup compared to other tools that need separate scanning engines.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Our main use cases for Microsoft Defender for Cloud involve scanning PCs."
"The most valuable feature is the recommendations provided on how to improve security. It has made the cloud environment more secure, thanks to all the recommendations we can get."
"The notification process of Microsoft Defender for Cloud has been the most valuable feature. The notification process is effortless, as it can tell me right there and then locate issues pretty fast, saving us a lot of time by not having to dig through all the warnings."
"I appreciate the features of Microsoft Defender for Cloud the most because it incorporates itself into the entire Microsoft platform, and it's a one-stop shop for administration in the web."
"When you have commissioned Defender, you have these things visible already on your dashboard. This gives the efficiency to the people to do their actual work rather than bothering about the email, sorting out the email, or looking at it through an ITSM solution, whey they have to look at the description and use cases. Efficiency increases with this optimized, ready-made solution since you don't need to invest in something externally. You can start using the dashboard and auditing capability provided from day one. Thus, you have fewer costs with a more optimized, easier-to-use solution, providing operational efficiency for your team."
"It takes very little effort to integrate it. It also gives very good visibility into what exactly is happening."
"The most valuable feature is the hunting feature, which integrates well into the entire Microsoft ecosystem."
"Technical support is helpful."
"I leverage Rubrik's unified dashboard for proactive threat detection and remediation, which I find absolutely fantastic and unmatched compared to other dashboards, allowing visibility into a hybrid environment on a single pane of glass."
 

Cons

"The amount billed for the amount of terabytes you're scanning is too high and will lead into security risks if somebody is limiting the amount of data to be scanned based on the cost, so this is something I would prefer to be changed."
"After getting a recommendation, it takes time for the solution to refresh properly to show that the problem has been eliminated."
"Features like code scanning and pipeline scanning are not included in the solution."
"The solution could extend its capabilities to other cloud providers. Right now, if you want to monitor a virtual machine on another cloud, you can do that. However, this cannot be done with other cloud platform services. I hope once that is available then Defender for Cloud will be a unified solution for all cloud platform services."
"Sometimes, it's very difficult to determine when I need Microsoft Defender for Cloud for a special resource group or certain kinds of products. That's not an issue directly with the product, though."
"However, some Copilot features aren't available in the GCP environment. This is something we hope will be addressed in the future."
"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."
"Azure Security Center takes a long time to update, compared to the on-premises version of Microsoft Defender."
"I assess the effectiveness of Rubrik's sensitive data discovery in my data security strategy as functional but limited, as it identifies sensitive data but lacks clarity on what actions to take next."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft's licensing and pricing are sometimes complicated. If someone is new to Microsoft's licensing, they might have difficulty with it."
"We are using the free version of the Azure Security Center."
"Defender's basic version is free, which is good. Many of our teams are evaluating the paid version against third-party products."
"Currently, Microsoft offers only one plan at the enterprise level which is $15 per machine."
"Security Center charges $15 per resource for any workload that you onboard into it. They charge per VM or per data-base server or per application. It's not like Microsoft 365 licensing, where there are levels like E3 and E5. Security Center is pretty straightforward."
"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."
"The cost is fair. There aren't any costs in addition to the standard licensing fee."
"There is a helpful cost-reducing option that allows you to integrate production subscriptions with non-production subscriptions."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
University
22%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise49
No data available
 

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.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Rubrik Data Security Posture?
The pricing and licensing cost of Rubrik Data Security Posture can be tricky, as it depends on the relationship you have with your vendor and whether you're an established company or a startup.
What needs improvement with Rubrik Data Security Posture?
I assess the effectiveness of Rubrik's sensitive data discovery in my data security strategy as functional but limited, as it identifies sensitive data but lacks clarity on what actions to take nex...
What is your primary use case for Rubrik Data Security Posture?
I have been working with Rubrik Data Security Posture since 2016-2017. I have been working with Rubrik Data Security Posture within the last 12 months as well and have about three to four years of ...
 

Also Known As

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

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.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Wiz, Palo Alto Networks, Varonis and others in Data Security Posture Management (DSPM). Updated: February 2026.
884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.