Defender for Cloud vs Sysdig: cloud security facts side by side
How do their category maps compare?
- 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 | Defender for Cloud | Sysdig |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Microsoft's cloud security product: a free posture tier, paid posture and server plans billed per resource, across Azure, AWS and Google Cloud. | A cloud security platform with runtime detection built on Falco, the open-source project Sysdig created, plus agentless posture. |
| Agent approach | 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 . | Agentless parts, agent for depth Agentless posture covers vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, permissions and threats; process-level analysis needs the agent. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| Runtime sensor | Defender for Servers Plan 1 and Plan 2 bring Microsoft Defender for Endpoint EDR to servers. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Servers overview, read . | The Sysdig agent with Falco-based detection, showing which packages are in use. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| Clouds namedDiffers | Azure, AWS, GCP Azure, AWS and Google Cloud, plus on-premises machines through Azure Arc. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Servers overview, read . | AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI AWS, GCP and Azure support all of Sysdig's agentless cloud features; Oracle Cloud supports agentless CSPM only. Source: Sysdig docs: connect cloud accounts, read . |
| CNAPP | 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 . | Described Sysdig describes Sysdig Secure as a CNAPP. Source: Sysdig press release: Sysdig Secure AI, read . |
| CSPM | 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 . | Described CSPM is listed. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| CWPP | 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 . | Described Runtime threat detection for containers and Kubernetes through the agent. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| CIEM | 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 . | Described Basic CIEM and Advanced CIEM are named. Source: Sysdig docs: connect cloud accounts, read . |
| DSPM | Described DSPM is part of the paid Defender CSPM plan. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . | Described DSPM is listed. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| Vulnerability management | 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 . | Described Agentless vulnerability host scanning and agent-based scanning, with in-use prioritization. Source: Sysdig pricing (re-read), read . |
| Code security | Code-to-cloud mapping in the paid Defender CSPM plan. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . | Vulnerability management covers images and workloads; source-code scanning is not a stated focus on the pages we read. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| AI securityDiffers | 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 . | AI workload security, integrated into Sysdig's CNAPP, covers AI engines such as Amazon Bedrock, OpenAI and Vertex AI, and AI coding agents. Source: AI Workload Security | Sysdig, read . |
| Kubernetes runtimeDiffers | Agentless Kubernetes discovery in the paid Defender CSPM plan. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . | Runtime detection for containers and Kubernetes built on Falco. Source: Sysdig Secure, read . |
| Private cloud or on-premisesDiffers | On-premises machines through Azure Arc. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Servers overview, read . | Not in our sources |
| Disconnected environments | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Compliance reporting | 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 . | Out-of-the-box compliance policies include NIST CSF v2.0, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, CIS benchmarks, PCI DSS v4.0, HIPAA, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC 2, GDPR, DORA and NIS2. Source: Sysdig docs: compliance, read . |
| Public-sector authorizationDiffers | 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 . | Not in our sources |
| PriceDiffers | 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 . | Not published No list prices on its own site; CNAPP licensing is based on the number of hosts. AWS Marketplace (Sysdig Cloud Security and Observability), 1-month contract: CNAPP Enterprise $72.00 per unit per month; the unit is not described in our notes. 12-month contracts are listed as saving up to 17%. Source: AWS Marketplace: Sysdig Cloud Security and Observability, read . |
| Open source | None named | Falco (created by Sysdig, CNCF graduated project) |
| Ownership | Microsoft. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Cloud CSPM plans, read . | Sysdig. Hatem Naguib became CEO in June 2026; founder Loris Degioanni remains CTO. Source: Sysdig press release: Hatem Naguib named CEO, read . |
Where do they differ?
- Clouds named: Defender for Cloud names Azure, AWS and GCP; Sysdig names AWS, Azure, GCP and OCI.
- AI security: Defender for Cloud partly matches; Sysdig matches.
- Kubernetes runtime: Defender for Cloud partly matches; Sysdig matches.
- Private cloud or on-premises: Defender for Cloud matches; Sysdig is not in our sources.
- Public-sector authorization: Defender for Cloud matches; Sysdig is not in our sources.
- Price: Defender for Cloud matches; Sysdig partly matches.
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.
Choose Sysdig if
- You run Kubernetes at scale and already know Falco.
- You want vulnerability lists filtered by what actually runs.
Which limits should you check?
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.
Sysdig
- Process-level depth needs the agent, and on Oracle Cloud only agentless CSPM is supported.
- List prices are by quote.
Frequently asked questions
How do Defender for Cloud and Sysdig differ?
Neither is scored on this site. Defender for Cloud describes 6 of six categories and Sysdig 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?
Defender for Cloud: Agentless parts, agent for depth. Sysdig: Agentless parts, agent for depth.
Do Defender for Cloud or Sysdig publish prices?
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. Sysdig: No list prices on its own site; CNAPP licensing is based on the number of hosts. AWS Marketplace (Sysdig Cloud Security and Observability), 1-month contract: CNAPP Enterprise $72.00 per unit per month; the unit is not described in our notes. 12-month contracts are listed as saving up to 17%.