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

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition. 156 of the 252 answers in the 1 category where Microsoft Defender for Identity 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-identity/alternatives/

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

- Huntress Managed ITDR: 43
- Microsoft Entra ID: 6
- Microsoft Defender for Identity / Entra ID Protection: 5
- CrowdStrike: 4
- CrowdStrike Falcon Identity Protection: 4
- Microsoft Defender for Identity / Microsoft Entra ID Protection: 4

## Identity threat detection and response

**Small business**: 53 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Identity (Microsoft Defender for Identity is #2 of 7 at 8%).

- Huntress Managed ITDR: first choice in 35 of those 53
- Microsoft Defender for Identity / Entra ID Protection: first choice in 2 of those 53
- Microsoft Entra ID: first choice in 2 of those 53
- Microsoft Defender Suite for Business Premium: first choice in 1 of those 53
- Verosint: first choice in 1 of those 53

**Mid-market**: 51 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Identity (Microsoft Defender for Identity is #2 of 9 at 14%).

- Huntress Managed ITDR: first choice in 8 of those 51
- Microsoft Entra ID Protection: first choice in 3 of those 51
- Silverfort ITDR: first choice in 3 of those 51
- CrowdStrike: first choice in 2 of those 51
- Centraleyes: first choice in 1 of those 51
- Defender for Identity: first choice in 1 of those 51
- Microsoft Defender XDR: first choice in 1 of those 51
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps: first choice in 1 of those 51

**Enterprise**: 52 of 84 answers did not name Microsoft Defender for Identity (Microsoft Defender for Identity is #1 of 9 at 38%).

- CrowdStrike Falcon Identity Protection: first choice in 4 of those 52
- Microsoft Defender for Identity / Microsoft Entra ID Protection: first choice in 4 of those 52
- Microsoft Entra ID: first choice in 4 of those 52
- Microsoft Defender for Identity / Entra ID Protection: first choice in 3 of those 52
- CrowdStrike: first choice in 2 of those 52
- Microsoft Security: first choice in 2 of those 52
- BeyondTrust: first choice in 1 of those 52
- Microsoft Defender: first choice in 1 of those 52

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