Head to head
Defender for Cloud vs Sysdig: which reaches your whole cloud estate faster?
Short answer
On our coverage weights Defender for Cloud scores 7.86 against 7.67 for Sysdig. Defender for Cloud scores higher on path to first findings, integrations and reach and cost visibility before purchase; Sysdig scores higher on clouds and environments named, agentless workload depth, risk context from day one and runtime layer when you need it. Defender for Cloud names 4 of 8 environments and Sysdig 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 | Defender for Cloud | Sysdig | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clouds and environments named 20% | 7.5 | 8.0 | Sysdig |
| Agentless workload depth 25% | 7.4 | 7.6 | Sysdig |
| Path to first findings 15% | 8.0 | 6.5 | Defender for Cloud |
| Risk context from day one 15% | 7.8 | 8.2 | Sysdig |
| Runtime layer when you need it 10% | 8.0 | 9.6 | Sysdig |
| Integrations and reach 7% | 8.6 | 8.0 | Defender for Cloud |
| Cost visibility before purchase 8% | 9.2 | 5.5 | Defender for Cloud |
| Total | 7.86 | 7.67 | Defender for Cloud |
Defender for Cloud
Sysdig
Which environments does each name?
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
Sysdig Secure
Sysdig's docs say AWS, Google Cloud and Azure support all its agentless cloud features, and Oracle Cloud supports agentless CSPM only.
Source: Sysdig docs: connect cloud accounts · Read 11 Oct 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 Defender for Cloud: On-premises or private cloud. Only Sysdig: Oracle Cloud.
How does each see workloads?
- 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
- Coverage model
- Agentless CSPM, CIEM and host vulnerability scanning on AWS, Google Cloud and Azure; in-use analysis and runtime detection need the agent.
- Runtime layer
- Sysdig agent with Falco-based detection.
- Path to first findings
- Agentless connection; Sysdig's docs say compliance results appear about 5 to 10 minutes after connection, varying with scale. In-use package insight needs the agent.
Sysdig
What does each cost?
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
Sysdig
AWS Marketplace, 1-month contract: CNAPP Enterprise $72.00 per unit per month (the unit was not captured in our read); 12-month contracts listed as saving up to 17%. Sysdig's own pricing page: licensing by number of hosts, prices by quote.
Source: AWS Marketplace: Sysdig Cloud Security and Observability · Read 11 Oct 2026
What does each claim?
Defender for Cloud
No speed, count or customer figure from Defender for Cloud is quoted on this site.
Sysdig
Which should you choose?
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.
Choose Sysdig if
you value a deep runtime sensor for detection and blocking and a ranked fix list from attack paths.
Best fit: Kubernetes-heavy teams that want Falco-based runtime detection.
Frequently asked questions
Which scores higher for multi-cloud coverage, Defender for Cloud or Sysdig?
Defender for Cloud scores 7.86 against 7.67 on our default weights. With equal weights the order is Defender for Cloud first (8.07 against 7.63). The coverage calculator lets you set your own weights.
Which clouds do Defender for Cloud and Sysdig name?
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. Sysdig: On the pages we reviewed: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud. Sysdig's docs say AWS, Google Cloud and Azure support all its agentless cloud features, and Oracle Cloud supports agentless CSPM only.
Which is cheaper?
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%. Sysdig: AWS Marketplace, 1-month contract: CNAPP Enterprise $72.00 per unit per month (the unit was not captured in our read); 12-month contracts listed as saving up to 17%. Sysdig's own pricing page: licensing by number of hosts, prices by quote. Neither figure is a quote for your estate.