CrowdStrike vs Defender for Cloud: cloud security facts side by side
How do their category maps compare?
CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security
- Described on the vendor's pages we read
- Not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it on the pages we read)
What are the facts, side by side?
| Fact | CrowdStrike | Defender for Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | CrowdStrike's cloud security module, which pairs agentless posture with the same Falcon sensor used on endpoints. | Microsoft's cloud security product: a free posture tier, paid posture and server plans billed per resource, across Azure, AWS and Google Cloud. |
| Agent approach | Agentless parts, agent for depth Agentless CSPM; workload protection is split between agentless scanning and the Falcon sensor. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Agentless parts, agent for depth Agentless VM, secrets and Kubernetes scanning exist, but only in the paid Defender CSPM plan and Defender for Servers Plan 2. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . |
| Runtime sensor | The CrowdStrike Falcon sensor, the same agent used for endpoints. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Defender for Servers Plan 1 and Plan 2 bring Microsoft Defender for Endpoint EDR to servers. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Servers overview, read . |
| Clouds namedDiffers | AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI The Falcon Cloud Security page links to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and OCI pages; Alibaba Cloud is not named. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security (re-read), read . | Azure, AWS, GCP Azure, AWS and Google Cloud, plus on-premises machines through Azure Arc. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Servers overview, read . |
| CNAPP | Described Combines CSPM, workload protection, CIEM, ASPM and AI-SPM under Falcon Cloud Security. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Described Posture (Defender CSPM) and workload protection (Defender for Servers) are separate plans in one product; the full set needs paid plans. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . |
| CSPM | Described Agentless CSPM enriched with adversary intelligence. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Described Foundational CSPM is free; Defender CSPM adds attack path analysis and the cloud security explorer. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . |
| CWPP | Described Cloud workload protection with agent and agentless options. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Described Defender for Servers Plan 1 and Plan 2, with file integrity monitoring and just-in-time access in Plan 2. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Servers overview, read . |
| CIEM | Described CIEM is listed. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Described Defender for Cloud includes native CIEM, supporting Microsoft Entra ID, AWS IAM and Google Cloud IAM. Source: Microsoft Learn: CIEM in Defender for Cloud, read . |
| DSPM | Described DSPM is named: discover, classify and protect cloud data. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security (re-read), read . | Described DSPM is part of the paid Defender CSPM plan. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . |
| Vulnerability management | Described AI-driven vulnerability management is named. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security (re-read), read . | Described Agentless VM vulnerability scanning is in the paid Defender CSPM plan and Defender for Servers Plan 2. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . |
| Code security | ASPM maps business applications onto cloud infrastructure; source-code scanning is not the focus of the pages we read. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Code-to-cloud mapping in the paid Defender CSPM plan. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . |
| AI securityDiffers | AI-SPM covers AI infrastructure. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | AI-SPM in the paid Defender CSPM plan; Defender for AI Services is billed per 1,000 tokens. Source: Azure: Defender for Cloud pricing, read . |
| Kubernetes runtimeDiffers | Workload protection for cloud workloads through the Falcon sensor and agentless scanning. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Agentless Kubernetes discovery in the paid Defender CSPM plan. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . |
| Private cloud or on-premisesDiffers | Not in our sources | On-premises machines through Azure Arc. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Servers overview, read . |
| Disconnected environments | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Compliance reportingDiffers | Not in our sources | Compliance standards include CIS, PCI DSS v4.0.1, HIPAA, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC 2023, NIST CSF v2.0 and NIST SP 800-53, assignable to Azure subscriptions, AWS accounts and GCP projects. Source: Microsoft Learn: regulatory compliance standards, read . |
| Public-sector authorization | CrowdStrike lists Falcon Cloud Security, Falcon Cloud Security for Containers and for Managed Containers among its FedRAMP High authorized products. Source: Securing Critical Systems: CrowdStrike Achieves FedRAMP High Authorization, read . | Microsoft lists Defender for Cloud in FedRAMP High audit scope for Azure and Azure Government. Source: Azure and other Microsoft cloud services compliance scope, read . |
| PriceDiffers | Not published AWS Marketplace pay-as-you-go listing that combines Falcon Cloud Security with Next-Gen SIEM: runtime host protection (EC2, WorkSpaces) $0.023 per hour per running host; container cluster and node protection $0.054 per hour per running worker node; Fargate container protection $0.01 per hour per Fargate instance; 30-day free trial with up to $500 in usage credits. CrowdStrike's own pricing page lists endpoint bundles only. Source: AWS Marketplace: CrowdStrike Falcon Next-Gen SIEM and Cloud Security (pay as you go), read . | Foundational CSPM is free. Defender CSPM is $5.11 per billable resource per month (8 functions or web apps count as 1 resource). Defender for Servers is $4.906 per server per month for Plan 1 and $14.60 for Plan 2. Defender for Containers is $6.8693 per vCore per month. USD list prices, East and Central US; free for the first 30 days. Source: Azure: Defender for Cloud pricing (re-read), read . |
| Open source | None named | None named |
| Ownership | CrowdStrike. Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security, read . | Microsoft. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . |
Where do they differ?
- Clouds named: CrowdStrike names AWS, Azure, GCP and OCI; Defender for Cloud names Azure, AWS and GCP.
- AI security: CrowdStrike matches; Defender for Cloud partly matches.
- Kubernetes runtime: CrowdStrike matches; Defender for Cloud partly matches.
- Private cloud or on-premises: CrowdStrike is not in our sources; Defender for Cloud matches.
- Compliance reporting: CrowdStrike is not in our sources; Defender for Cloud matches.
- Price: CrowdStrike partly matches; Defender for Cloud matches.
Choose CrowdStrike if
- The Falcon sensor already runs on your endpoints and servers.
- You want cloud posture read against adversary intelligence.
Choose Defender for Cloud if
- Most of your estate is on Azure and you already use Microsoft security products.
- You need to model cost from public prices before talking to anyone.
Which limits should you check?
CrowdStrike
- Its only public price is an AWS Marketplace pay-as-you-go listing that combines Falcon Cloud Security with Next-Gen SIEM; CrowdStrike's own pricing page lists endpoint bundles only.
- Compliance frameworks are not listed on the Falcon Cloud Security page we read, and source-code scanning is not the focus.
Defender for Cloud
- Agentless scanning, attack paths, DSPM and AI-SPM sit in the paid Defender CSPM plan ($5.11 per billable resource per month), not the free tier.
- Oracle Cloud and Alibaba Cloud are not named, and from 27 October 2026 the free tier becomes opt-in for new Azure subscriptions.
Frequently asked questions
How do CrowdStrike and Defender for Cloud differ?
Neither is scored on this site. CrowdStrike describes 6 of six categories and Defender for Cloud 6 on the pages we read, and they differ on 6 recorded facts. Which fits depends on your clouds, agent tolerance and existing tools; the finder checks those.
Which of the two needs an agent?
CrowdStrike: Agentless parts, agent for depth. Defender for Cloud: Agentless parts, agent for depth.
Do CrowdStrike or Defender for Cloud publish prices?
CrowdStrike: AWS Marketplace pay-as-you-go listing that combines Falcon Cloud Security with Next-Gen SIEM: runtime host protection (EC2, WorkSpaces) $0.023 per hour per running host; container cluster and node protection $0.054 per hour per running worker node; Fargate container protection $0.01 per hour per Fargate instance; 30-day free trial with up to $500 in usage credits. CrowdStrike's own pricing page lists endpoint bundles only. Defender for Cloud: Foundational CSPM is free. Defender CSPM is $5.11 per billable resource per month (8 functions or web apps count as 1 resource). Defender for Servers is $4.906 per server per month for Plan 1 and $14.60 for Plan 2. Defender for Containers is $6.8693 per vCore per month. USD list prices, East and Central US; free for the first 30 days.