# Microsoft Defender for Cloud alternatives: what AI models name instead, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition. 641 of the 1,008 answers in the 4 categories where Microsoft Defender for Cloud holds a standing named it neither first nor as an alternative; these are the first choices those answers made. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/vendors/microsoft-defender-for-cloud/alternatives/

## Named instead, most often (every category and segment added)

- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: 85
- CrowdStrike Falcon Insight: 62
- Wiz: 52
- CrowdStrike Falcon: 50
- SentinelOne Singularity: 41
- Orca Security: 26

## Cloud-native application protection

**Small business**: 38 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #2 of 12 at 28%).

- Aikido Security: first choice in 10 of those 38
- Wiz: first choice in 4 of those 38
- FortiCNAPP: first choice in 3 of those 38
- Orca Security: first choice in 3 of those 38
- Cloudanix: first choice in 2 of those 38
- ARMO Platform: first choice in 1 of those 38
- AccuKnox: first choice in 1 of those 38
- Cyscale: first choice in 1 of those 38

**Mid-market**: 42 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #2 of 11 at 21%).

- Wiz: first choice in 10 of those 42
- Orca Security: first choice in 5 of those 42
- Aqua Security: first choice in 2 of those 42
- Aikido Security: first choice in 1 of those 42
- FortiCNAPP: first choice in 1 of those 42
- Sysdig Secure: first choice in 1 of those 42
- TigerGate: first choice in 1 of those 42

**Enterprise**: 45 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #2 of 11 at 17%).

- Wiz: first choice in 9 of those 45
- Orca Security: first choice in 5 of those 45
- Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud: first choice in 2 of those 45
- Prisma Cloud: first choice in 2 of those 45
- SentinelOne Singularity Cloud Security: first choice in 2 of those 45
- Check Point CloudGuard: first choice in 1 of those 45
- CloudAware CNAPP Enterprise: first choice in 1 of those 45
- Trend Micro Cloud One: first choice in 1 of those 45

## Cloud security posture management

**Small business**: 37 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #1 of 12 at 21%).

- Orca Security: first choice in 4 of those 37
- Plerion: first choice in 4 of those 37
- Prowler: first choice in 4 of those 37
- Wiz: first choice in 4 of those 37
- Aikido Security: first choice in 2 of those 37
- Drata: first choice in 2 of those 37
- Vanta: first choice in 2 of those 37
- Cloudanix: first choice in 1 of those 37

**Mid-market**: 47 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #2 of 12 at 19%).

- Wiz: first choice in 11 of those 47
- Orca Security: first choice in 7 of those 47
- AWS Security Hub: first choice in 1 of those 47
- Check Point CloudGuard: first choice in 1 of those 47
- Cyscale: first choice in 1 of those 47
- Open-source CSPM tools: first choice in 1 of those 47
- Tenable Cloud Security: first choice in 1 of those 47

**Enterprise**: 46 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #3 of 7 at 9%).

- Wiz: first choice in 14 of those 46
- Prisma Cloud: first choice in 7 of those 46
- Orca Security: first choice in 2 of those 46
- AWS Security Hub: first choice in 1 of those 46
- CSPM.io: first choice in 1 of those 46
- Palo Alto Networks Cortex Cloud: first choice in 1 of those 46
- Sysdig Secure: first choice in 1 of those 46

## Endpoint protection

**Small business**: 34 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #1 of 12 at 50%).

- Huntress Managed EDR: first choice in 6 of those 34
- Bitdefender GravityZone Small Business Security: first choice in 2 of those 34
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: first choice in 2 of those 34
- Avast Premium Business Security: first choice in 1 of those 34
- Bitdefender GravityZone: first choice in 1 of those 34
- Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security: first choice in 1 of those 34
- Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security: first choice in 1 of those 34
- ESET Endpoint Security: first choice in 1 of those 34

**Mid-market**: 73 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #3 of 11 at 17%).

- CrowdStrike Falcon: first choice in 16 of those 73
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: first choice in 14 of those 73
- Bitdefender GravityZone: first choice in 11 of those 73
- SentinelOne Singularity: first choice in 5 of those 73
- SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint: first choice in 5 of those 73
- CrowdStrike: first choice in 3 of those 73
- ESET PROTECT: first choice in 3 of those 73
- Sophos Intercept X: first choice in 3 of those 73

**Enterprise**: 84 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud.

- CrowdStrike Falcon: first choice in 34 of those 84
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: first choice in 27 of those 84
- SentinelOne Singularity: first choice in 8 of those 84
- Microsoft Defender: first choice in 3 of those 84
- CrowdStrike: first choice in 2 of those 84
- Bitdefender GravityZone: first choice in 1 of those 84
- Kaspersky Endpoint Security: first choice in 1 of those 84
- SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint: first choice in 1 of those 84

## Endpoint detection and response

**Small business**: 37 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #1 of 9 at 47%).

- Huntress Managed EDR: first choice in 6 of those 37
- SentinelOne Singularity: first choice in 6 of those 37
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: first choice in 5 of those 37
- Bitdefender GravityZone Business Edition: first choice in 1 of those 37
- Bitdefender GravityZone EDR: first choice in 1 of those 37
- CNiC Managed EDR: first choice in 1 of those 37
- CrowdStrike Falcon Insight: first choice in 1 of those 37
- Cynet: first choice in 1 of those 37

**Mid-market**: 74 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Defender for Cloud is #4 of 9 at 15%).

- CrowdStrike Falcon Insight: first choice in 18 of those 74
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: first choice in 17 of those 74
- SentinelOne Singularity: first choice in 11 of those 74
- Huntress Managed EDR: first choice in 3 of those 74
- Sophos Intercept X: first choice in 3 of those 74
- Bitdefender GravityZone EDR: first choice in 2 of those 74
- Microsoft Defender: first choice in 1 of those 74
- Sophos Endpoint with MDR: first choice in 1 of those 74

**Enterprise**: 84 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Cloud.

- CrowdStrike Falcon Insight: first choice in 43 of those 84
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: first choice in 20 of those 84
- SentinelOne Singularity: first choice in 11 of those 84
- CrowdStrike: first choice in 3 of those 84
- Huntress Managed EDR: first choice in 1 of those 84
- Microsoft: first choice in 1 of those 84
- Microsoft Defender: first choice in 1 of those 84

Published under CC BY 4.0. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.