Comparison Guide
Huntress vs Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender for Business is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium, providing baseline endpoint protection. Huntress adds a human-led SOC that investigates alerts, hunts for threats, and remediates incidents.
Quick Answer
Microsoft Defender wins for most buyers.
Adds human-led SOC on top of Defender's detection.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Huntress | Microsoft Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Included In | Separate subscription | Microsoft 365 Business Premium |
| Detection | Endpoint + identity + managed | Endpoint-focused |
| Human Response | 24/7 SOC analysts | None (alerts only) |
| Identity Threats | Full M365 ITDR | Basic conditional access |
| Remediation | Full remediation by team | Automated actions only |
| Best Used | As MDR layer on top of Defender | As baseline endpoint protection |
Our Verdict
Huntress complements Microsoft Defender by adding the human element: 24/7 analysts who investigate every alert and take action. For businesses with M365 Business Premium, adding Huntress provides enterprise-grade MDR without replacing Defender.
Quick Picks
Which one should you pick?
Three buyer profiles, three answers. Pick the row that fits.
SMB / mid-market on Microsoft 365
Pick: Huntress
You have Business Premium but nobody working alerts at 2 a.m. Layer Huntress Managed EDR ($8.99 per endpoint per month) on top of Defender for a 24/7 human SOC that investigates, validates, and remediates instead of just notifying.
Get a Huntress quoteLean shops with in-house alert triage
Pick: Microsoft Defender
Under roughly 25 seats with an admin who actually works the Defender portal daily, the protection already bundled in Business Premium ($22 per user per month) can hold the line for now. Worth a sanity check before you add spend.
Talk to a strategistIT teams that want the stack, not the babysitting
Pick: Defender + Huntress
We quote the Huntress licensing, deploy the agents, and tune your Defender AV policies and exclusions. Your team owns day-to-day monitoring in your own consoles.
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Specifications, pricing, and product capabilities cited on this page are sourced from public vendor documentation as of the dates shown below. Vendor product lines change quickly; verify current specs and pricing directly with each vendor before purchasing.
- Huntress Managed EDR lists at $8.99 per endpoint per month with 24/7 SOC coverage, tiered volume pricing starting at the 50-99 unit band, and a standard 12-month term for direct customers. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Huntress Managed ITDR lists at $4.80 per licensed identity per month for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace identities, and Managed SAT lists at $2.08 per learner per month, both backed by the same 24/7 SOC. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Huntress Managed EDR includes management of Microsoft Defender Antivirus at no additional cost, with recommended configurations and monitoring for risky exclusions. Huntress also reports an industry-leading 8-minute MTTR and 5M+ endpoints protected. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Microsoft Defender for Business is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($22.00 per user per month, paid yearly) and sells standalone at $3.00 per user per month, paid yearly, with no minimum device requirement. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Microsoft Defender for Business supports up to 300 users with up to five devices per user, protects Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices, and offers server protection as a separate add-on. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 3 (April 2025) directs organizations to integrate incident response into cybersecurity risk management aligned with CSF 2.0, with stated goals of reducing the number and impact of incidents and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of detection, response, and recovery. [source] · verified 2026-07-01