Compare Tools
Side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool for your organisation.
CrowdStrike Falcon
CrowdStrike
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Microsoft
Tagline
AI-native XDR and endpoint protection platform
Enterprise endpoint security included with Microsoft 365
Category
Endpoint Security
Endpoint Security
Importance
★★★★★
★★★★★
UK Pricing
Falcon Go from ~£5/endpoint/mo. Falcon Pro/Enterprise on request. Significant volume discounts available.
Included in M365 Business Premium (~£18.60/user/mo). Standalone Plan 1 from ~£2.30/user/mo, Plan 2 from ~£4.60/user/mo.
Target Size
50+ endpoints. Best value from 200+ seats.
Any size
Pros
- Industry-leading threat detection and response capabilities
- Single lightweight agent — minimal performance impact
- Threat intelligence (Adversary Intelligence) built in
- Excellent MDR/managed detection service option
- Integrates with Intune, Splunk, Sentinel, and more
- Included in M365 Business Premium — excellent value
- Tight integration with Intune, Entra ID, and Sentinel
- Automatic attack disruption (ransomware containment)
- No additional agent required on Windows devices
- Microsoft Secure Score gives actionable security posture metrics
Cons
- Premium pricing compared to Microsoft Defender
- Overblocking can disrupt legitimate processes if tuned poorly
- Console can be overwhelming for small IT teams
- Requires skilled staff to get full value from XDR features
- 2024 outage incident highlighted update risk
- Detection capabilities trail CrowdStrike and SentinelOne for sophisticated threats
- Alert noise can be high without tuning
- Portal (Defender XDR) has a steep learning curve
- macOS/Linux coverage is less mature than Windows
- Requires Plan 2 for full EDR features (often needs E5 licensing)
Cyber Essentials
Malware ProtectionPatch Management
Malware ProtectionPatch ManagementAccess Control
Integrations
Microsoft SentinelSplunkMicrosoft Intune (compliance signals)OktaServiceNow
Microsoft IntuneMicrosoft Entra IDMicrosoft SentinelMicrosoft 365 Defender XDRCrowdStrike (co-existence possible)
Why Use It
CrowdStrike is widely regarded as the gold standard for endpoint security. For UK businesses handling sensitive data, operating in regulated sectors (finance, healthcare), or those facing sophisticated threats, it offers detection capabilities that Defender alone cannot match.
For the majority of UK SMBs already on M365, Defender for Endpoint is the right starting point. It provides solid baseline protection, integrates natively with your existing stack, and adds no incremental cost if you're on Business Premium.