Microsoft Defender for Business
Microsoft Defender for Business is an endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution from Microsoft that lists at $36.00 per user per month at 10 seats. Maximum 300 users; not available for enterprises above this threshold.
- At $3.00/user/month ($36/yr) with EDR included, Microsoft Defender for Business is the lowest-cost EDR option. Self-serve, auto-renews, no security staff required for basic operation.
- Integrates with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse for multi-tenant MSP management. Microsoft Sentinel for SIEM. Limited to 300 users per tenant.
- HIPAA BAA available. EDR provides detection-and-response audit trail. Microsoft's compliance program covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA.
- Organizations over 300 users -- hard licensing cap; must upgrade to Defender for Endpoint P2 or M365 E5.
- Linux-only server environments -- Linux requires separate Defender for Business Servers add-on.
How much does it cost?
$3.00 per user per month at 10 seats. Billing is annual.
| SEAT POINT | LIST / ENDPOINT / YR | PER ENDPOINT / MO | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 seats | $36.00 | $36.00/mo | source · 2026-09-07 |
| 25 seats | $36.00 | $36.00/mo | source · 2026-09-07 |
| 100 seats | $36.00 | $36.00/mo | source · 2026-09-07 |
How well does it perform in independent tests?
Microsoft Defender for Business has results from AV-Test and AV-Comparatives and MITRE ATT&CK.
| LAB | TEST ROUND | RESULT | FRESHNESS | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AV-Test | 2026-06 | Protection 6/6.0 · usability 6/6.0 | CURRENT | source · 2026-09-07 |
| AV-Comparatives | 2026-H1 | Protection 98.8% · 0 false positives | CURRENT | source · 2026-09-07 |
| MITRE ATT&CK | 2024 | Technique coverage 100% | DATED | source · 2026-09-07 |
What does it include?
9 of thirteen capabilities we track are in the tier as sold; Managed 24/7 response, Patch management, Email security, Identity threat detection (ITDR) are not offered.
What does it integrate with?
Microsoft Defender for Business integrates with 4 platforms.
Who should not buy it?
4 documented limits rule this tier out for a class of buyer.
Maximum 300 users; not available for enterprises above this threshold.
source · 2026-09-07Patch management and email security not included; require separate Microsoft products (Intune, Defender for Office 365).
source · 2026-09-07No managed SOC/MDR at this tier; requires Microsoft Defender Experts add-on.
source · 2026-09-07Did not participate in MITRE ATT&CK Evaluations 2025 (ER7), citing a focus on the Secure Future Initiative.
source · 2026-09-07