CrowdStrike vs Microsoft
Updated onCompare CrowdStrike and Microsoft side-by-side. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and target market.
CrowdStrike
Cloud-native cybersecurity company providing Falcon — an AI-driven endpoint protection, threat intelligence, and managed detection and response platform.
vs
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a multinational technology company that develops, licenses, and supports software, services, devices, and cloud-based platforms for consumers and enterprises.
Which should you choose?
CrowdStrike
You want a cloud‑delivered, single‑agent platform with top‑tier 24/7 managed detection and response and a large third‑party marketplace/ecosystem to extend capabilities.
Microsoft
You’re heavily invested in Microsoft 365/Azure and prefer Windows‑built‑in sensors managed from a unified Defender XDR portal, with endpoint security bundled under Microsoft 365 E5 licensing.
Key differences
| Category | CrowdStrike | Microsoft | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feature Depth | Defender for Endpoint is part of Microsoft Defender XDR and a unified SecOps platform that combines XDR and SIEM with native cross‑domain signals. | ||
| Implementation Time | Built‑in Windows sensors and a unified Defender XDR portal can streamline rollout in Microsoft‑centric fleets, whereas CrowdStrike deploys via a single lightweight agent. | ||
| Integrations | CrowdStrike’s Marketplace offers a broad third‑party ecosystem (SIEM, SOAR, NDR, identity, etc.), while Microsoft’s strength is deep first‑party integration across its own stack. | ||
| Pricing | Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 is bundled in Microsoft 365 E5, often lowering marginal cost if you already own E5; CrowdStrike is typically licensed per Falcon modules. | ||
| Support | Falcon Complete provides 24/7 MDR with end‑to‑end remediation and is recognized as a leader in Forrester’s 2025 MDR Wave. |
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