Head to head
CrowdStrike vs Defender for Cloud: which reaches your whole cloud estate faster?
Short answer
On our coverage weights CrowdStrike scores 7.94 against 7.86 for Defender for Cloud. CrowdStrike scores higher on clouds and environments named, risk context from day one, runtime layer when you need it and integrations and reach; Defender for Cloud scores higher on agentless workload depth, path to first findings and cost visibility before purchase. CrowdStrike names 4 of 8 environments and Defender for Cloud names 4.
Defender for Cloud's free tier covers posture only. Its agentless workload scanning is in the paid Defender CSPM and Defender for Servers Plan 2 tiers, which is what its agentless score reflects.
Desk research from public vendor pages read in September 2026, updated 2026-10-11. Editorial assessment; we did not run the products.
How do the scores compare?
| Criterion | CrowdStrike | Defender for Cloud | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clouds and environments named 20% | 8.5 | 7.5 | CrowdStrike |
| Agentless workload depth 25% | 7.2 | 7.4 | Defender for Cloud |
| Path to first findings 15% | 6.5 | 8.0 | Defender for Cloud |
| Risk context from day one 15% | 8.4 | 7.8 | CrowdStrike |
| Runtime layer when you need it 10% | 9.6 | 8.0 | CrowdStrike |
| Integrations and reach 7% | 9.2 | 8.6 | CrowdStrike |
| Cost visibility before purchase 8% | 7.5 | 9.2 | Defender for Cloud |
| Total | 7.94 | 7.86 | CrowdStrike |
CrowdStrike
Defender for Cloud
Which environments does each name?
CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security
The Falcon Cloud Security page links to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and OCI pages; Alibaba is not named.
Source: CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Security (October 2026 read) · Read 11 Oct 2026
Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Microsoft documents Azure, AWS and Google Cloud, and on-premises servers through Azure Arc.
Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Servers overview · Read 27 Sep 2026
- Named on the vendor's pages we reviewed
- Not named on the pages we reviewed (this does not mean unsupported)
Named by both: AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Only CrowdStrike: Oracle Cloud. Only Defender for Cloud: On-premises or private cloud.
How does each see workloads?
- Coverage model
- Agentless CSPM; workload protection is split between agentless scanning and the Falcon sensor.
- Runtime layer
- The Falcon sensor, the same agent CrowdStrike uses on endpoints.
- Path to first findings
- Agentless posture first; workload depth comes through the Falcon sensor, which is quick for teams that already run Falcon.
CrowdStrike
- Coverage model
- Free Foundational CSPM for posture; agentless VM, secrets and Kubernetes scanning only in the paid Defender CSPM and Defender for Servers Plan 2 tiers.
- Runtime layer
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint EDR through Defender for Servers Plan 1 and Plan 2.
- Path to first findings
- Foundational CSPM is free; AWS and Google Cloud are added as connectors. Microsoft states that from 27 October 2026 Foundational CSPM becomes opt-in for new Azure subscriptions. Paid plans have a 30-day free trial.
Defender for Cloud
What does each cost?
CrowdStrike
AWS Marketplace, pay as you go (listing combined with Next-Gen SIEM): runtime host protection $0.023 per hour per running host; container protection $0.054 per hour per running worker node; Fargate 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 Cloud Security and Next-Gen SIEM (pay as you go) · Read 11 Oct 2026
Defender for Cloud
Published list prices (USD, monthly, East/Central US): Foundational CSPM free; Defender CSPM $5.11 per billable resource; Defender for Servers Plan 1 $4.906 and Plan 2 $14.60 per server; Defender for Containers $6.8693 per vCore; Defender for Storage $10 per storage account; Defender for AI Services $0.0008 per 1,000 tokens. Free for the first 30 days; 1-year pre-purchase commit units save up to 22%.
Source: Azure: Defender for Cloud pricing (per-plan list prices) · Read 11 Oct 2026
What does each claim?
CrowdStrike
No speed, count or customer figure from CrowdStrike is quoted on this site.
Defender for Cloud
No speed, count or customer figure from Defender for Cloud is quoted on this site.
Which should you choose?
Choose CrowdStrike if
you value a deep runtime sensor for detection and blocking and integrations and platform reach.
Best fit: Falcon endpoint customers who want one agent and one console across endpoint, identity and cloud.
Choose Defender for Cloud if
you value a price you can model before talking to sales and integrations and platform reach.
Best fit: Azure-first teams that also run AWS or Google Cloud and want to start free and model cost before buying.
Frequently asked questions
Which scores higher for multi-cloud coverage, CrowdStrike or Defender for Cloud?
CrowdStrike scores 7.94 against 7.86 on our default weights. With equal weights the order is CrowdStrike first (8.13 against 8.07). The coverage calculator lets you set your own weights.
Which clouds do CrowdStrike and Defender for Cloud name?
CrowdStrike: On the pages we reviewed: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud. The Falcon Cloud Security page links to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and OCI pages; Alibaba is not named. Defender for Cloud: On the pages we reviewed: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and On-premises or private cloud. Microsoft documents Azure, AWS and Google Cloud, and on-premises servers through Azure Arc.
Which is cheaper?
CrowdStrike: AWS Marketplace, pay as you go (listing combined with Next-Gen SIEM): runtime host protection $0.023 per hour per running host; container protection $0.054 per hour per running worker node; Fargate 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: Published list prices (USD, monthly, East/Central US): Foundational CSPM free; Defender CSPM $5.11 per billable resource; Defender for Servers Plan 1 $4.906 and Plan 2 $14.60 per server; Defender for Containers $6.8693 per vCore; Defender for Storage $10 per storage account; Defender for AI Services $0.0008 per 1,000 tokens. Free for the first 30 days; 1-year pre-purchase commit units save up to 22%. Neither figure is a quote for your estate.