Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Sophos Cloud Optix comparison

Microsoft and Sophos are both solutions in the Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) category. Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.1, while Sophos is ranked #29 with an average rating of 8.0. Microsoft holds a 7.6% mindshare in CSPM, compared to Sophos’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Read 87 Microsoft Defender for Cloud reviews

20,963 Views
7,127 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Sophos Cloud Optix

Read 5 Sophos Cloud Optix reviews

693 Views
665 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Sophos Cloud Optix

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Sophos Cloud Optix are strong contenders in cloud security. Microsoft Defender for Cloud's extensive integration with Microsoft products provides an advantage for enterprises within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Features:Microsoft Defender for Cloud provides native Azure integration, seamless threat protection, and security management, supported by AI-based threat intelligence enabling comprehensive security posture improvement. Sophos Cloud Optix offers advanced AI-driven insights, risk mitigation, and multi-cloud compatibility, providing broad deployment versatility and comprehensive security analytics.

Room for Improvement:Microsoft Defender for Cloud could enhance its hybrid environment setup and streamline integration with non-Microsoft platforms. Challenges in navigating complex configuration for hybrid infrastructures could be reduced. Its pricing model could offer more flexibility to cater to diverse needs. Sophos Cloud Optix could improve by expanding its cost optimization tools, enhancing its integration capabilities for more cloud platforms, and simplifying initial setup for users without previous experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:Sophos Cloud Optix's SaaS model simplifies deployment, highlights intuitive setup, and is coupled with excellent support, easing configuration and troubleshooting. Microsoft Defender for Cloud offers straightforward deployment for existing Azure users but requires intricate setup for hybrid environments.

Pricing and ROI:Microsoft Defender for Cloud is cost-effective for Azure-focused firms, offering integrated billing and minimal setup costs. Sophos Cloud Optix, although initially more expensive, can yield greater ROI through enhanced security capabilities suitable for complex environments. Pricing varies based on cloud resource usage.

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

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Sophos Cloud Optix

December 2025

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Helped 881,665 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:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

4th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Vulnerability Management (8th), Container Management (7th), Container Security (7th), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (1st), 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) (2nd)

Sophos Cloud Optix

Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

29th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Cloud is 7.6%, down from 10.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Cloud Optix is 0.7%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud	7.6%
Sophos Cloud Optix	0.7%
Other	91.7%

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

Featured Reviews

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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Tanzeel Iqbal

DevOps Architect at Testware ApS

Cloud posture has improved and security reports drive ongoing compliance and cost control

I really appreciate most aspects of Sophos Cloud Optix, especially that we can set it up on AWS marketplace without needing to host a new machine. We can use their trial version where we can monitor a small number of resources without any additional cost. Setting up Sophos Cloud Optix on AWS is not difficult at all, also because my team has experience with it, making it very easy and quick to set up a trial version that helps us see the initial posture of our security setup as we grow, and then they charge based on the cloud resources. Sophos Cloud Optix impacts us positively in many ways, particularly in security, which is an important part. It is not just about fixing everything without a clear picture of what we have done to improve security, as there must be a portal explaining our progress, which I really appreciate, and it helps us save time and in optimization for performance and cost. While I have not seen much for cost optimization as we have another great tool for it, Sophos Cloud Optix aids us to set up our infrastructure appropriately, making sure databases are in a private network, and if systems are wrongly set up, it helps us quickly mitigate those issues and provides a report indicating the problem. I am really impressed with the way Sophos Cloud Optix provides its features, so I am not sure about any specific improvements needed. I am really satisfied about the reports Sophos Cloud Optix generates, provided in a PDF format which is very useful for our recording purposes.

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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

"The security policy is the most valuable feature for us. We can go into the environment settings and attach any globally recognized framework like ISO or any benchmark."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a valuable tool that integrates seamlessly with Azure Policy and our Security SIEM, simplifying implementation and enhancing security posture."

"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."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud has significantly enhanced our overall security posture by approximately 20 to 25 percent."

"It works seamlessly on the Azure platform because it's a Microsoft app. Its setup is similar, so if you already have a Microsoft account, it just flows into it."

"I would rate Microsoft Defender for Cloud a nine out of 10."

"The most valuable features are the security recommendations provided by Defender for Cloud."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud has benefited my organization by reducing the overall cost of the Azure package and providing greater peace of mind during off-hours to prevent problems."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pros

"Sophos Cloud Optix impacts us positively in many ways, particularly in security, which is an important part, and it helps us save time and in optimization for performance and cost."

"I find Cloud Optix to be a valuable solution since it provides a single, unified dashboard to monitor cloud assets, such as AWS and Azure."

"DLP is a valuable feature that we use a lot for info audits."

"The most valuable feature of Sophos Cloud Optix is the simple way to manage my devices on the network. Additionally, it is easy to navigate and has a user-friendly interface."

"The most valuable feature for me would be the solution's endpoint protection."

Cons

"The product must improve its UI."

"I've heard there might be issues with scalability for larger enterprises."

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

"As an analyst, there is no way to configure or create a playbook to automate the process of flagging suspicious domains."

"It's really hard to get ahold of Microsoft support. When you buy a product, with the M365 portal, you're given the option to chat with somebody, and normally you don't hear back immediately."

"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."

"Customer service and support from Microsoft are very poor. Even for high-severity cases, response or resolution time can extend to three or four weeks."

"I would like to see better automation when it comes to pushing out security features to the recommendations, and better documentation on the step-by-step procedures for enabling certain features."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud cons

"There are times when the devices are at maximum capacity, and it takes a while before the device is updated. For example, if the device has a virus, and it's not aligned to connect to the network, even after you've scanned the device, and cleaned out the virus, once the management clears the system to allow it back on the network it takes some time. It can be frustrating when you have your line manager or in management affected trying to access the network."

"The setup was a little bit complex."

"Sophos should enhance its AI-driven detection features and anomaly detection."

"I have not connected with Sophos Cloud Optix customer support yet, but I had a bad experience when our AWS cloud got compromised, leading to many resources being provisioned, and while Sophos Cloud Optix identified those resources, the resulting bill from AWS was quite high due to the usage charges, which I tried to investigate with the Sophos team, though I am not sure if they assisted with the refund."

"The dashboard and the process for applying policies could be more intuitive. Cloud Optix isn't that difficult once you get the hang of it, but the IT folks managing this want it to be more user-friendly."

"Sophos should enhance its AI-driven detection features and anomaly detection."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"The pricing model for most plans is generally good, but the cost of the new Defender for Storage plan is high and should be revisited, as it could lead to disabling desirable security features due to cost."

"Defender's basic version is free, which is good. Many of our teams are evaluating the paid version against third-party products."

"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."

"I rate Microsoft Defender a three out of ten for affordability. The price could be a little lower."

"The pricing and licensing of Microsoft Defender for Cloud have been good for us. We appreciate the licensing approach based on employee count rather than a big enterprise license."

"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."

"The cost of the license is based on the subscriptions that you have."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud pricing and cost advice

"Regarding the pricing for Sophos Cloud Optix, I would say that it was a very good price."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

Media Company

Insurance Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

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...

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 did have a consultation with a third party to go over different tiers and produ...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos Cloud Optix?

I believe there can be improvements in the logging mechanism, with more detailed information available about systems or network logs being beneficial.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Sophos Cloud Optix?

I use Sophos Cloud Optix most of the time to harden our AWS infrastructure or Azure infrastructure, and sometimes I use it to meet different types of compliance requirements such as SOC 2 and ISO 2...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Sophos Cloud Optix?

I have not integrated Sophos Cloud Optix with other tools, but I believe there are many integration options available. The learning curve for new users on my team with Sophos Cloud Optix is not muc...

See all answers

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Compared 2% of the time

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Compared 2% of the time

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Compared 30% of the time

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Compared 18% of the time

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Compared 14% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

VMware Aria Automation vs Sophos Cloud Optix

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

January 2026

Download Microsoft Defender for Cloud product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos Cloud Optix

January 2026

Download Sophos Cloud Optix product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

Interactive Demo

Microsoft

Demo not available

Sophos

Overview

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

Easily identify cloud resource vulnerabilities, ensure compliance, and respond to threats faster.

Sophos

Sample Customers

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Sophos Cloud Optix

December 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs. Sophos Cloud Optix

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