CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

CrowdStrike vs Microsoft

CrowdStrike sells the Falcon platform, a set of security products and services that the company says combines security data, AI intelligence, automation and expertise to stop breaches. Microsoft Defender offers threat prevention, detection and response capabilities. CISO Tribune files both under EDR and XDR. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • CrowdStrike
  • Microsoft
CrowdStrike vs Microsoft: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
CrowdStrikeCrowdStrike sells the Falcon platform, a set of security products and services that the company says combines security data, AI intelligence, automation and expertise to stop breaches.crowdstrike.comMicrosoftMicrosoft Defender offers threat prevention, detection and response capabilities.microsoft.com
What it sells
  • Endpoint Security[1][5]Combines adversary intelligence and AI to stop breaches.
  • Next-Gen Identity Security[1][5]Continuous identity security for human, non-human and AI identities.
  • Cloud Security[1][5]A CNAPP with unified agent and agentless protection, from code to cloud.
  • SaaS Security[5]SSPM with visibility into identities and misconfigurations.
  • Exposure Management[5]Unified exposure management with attack surface visibility and vulnerability management.
  • Falcon Complete[5]24/7 managed detection and response (MDR).
  • Microsoft Defender[1][11][12][23][25]Threat protection that prevents, detects and responds to attacks across devices, identities, applications, email, data, workloads and cloud environments.
  • Microsoft Sentinel[1][23]A cloud-native SIEM built for AI.
  • Microsoft Purview[1][14][23][24][25]Unified information protection, governance and compliance products.
  • Microsoft Entra[1][15][23][25]Identity and access products that verify every identity and access request across clouds, platforms and devices.
  • Microsoft Intune[1][16][23][25]Endpoint management products for device security and hybrid work.
  • Microsoft Defender Suite[12]Threat protection and detection and response across endpoints, identities, email and SaaS apps.
  • Microsoft Entra Suite[15]An extension to Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 for secure workforce use of apps and AI.
  • Microsoft Purview Suite[14]A suite that provides advanced data security and compliance capabilities.
Categories
Headquarters
Austin, United States[4]Redmond, United States[3]
Founded
2011[3]1975[2]
Ownership and funding
Public (NASDAQ: CRWD)[2][9]Public (NASDAQ: MSFT)[4][10][22]
Named customers
Not stated on its pages
  • Best Buy[5]
  • Danfoss[6]
  • Oregon State University[7]
Recent news
  • November 4, 2026CrowdStrike launched a sovereign cloud deployment in Saudi Arabia, bringing the Falcon platform to the Kingdom with in-country data residency.[19]
  • November 2, 2026CrowdStrike appointed Roland Stritt as vice president, Europe alliances.[20]
  • August 31, 2026CrowdStrike announced the launch of its Falcon IQ product.[6]
  • August 5, 2026CrowdStrike announced a $100,000 AI security challenge run in collaboration with Amazon Web Services.[7]
  • July 15, 2026CrowdStrike appointed AJ Shipley as its Chief Product Officer.[8]
  • July 29, 2026Microsoft reported revenue of $90.0 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, up 18% year over year.[8]
  • July 27, 2026Microsoft introduced Project Perception, an agentic security system that uses AI to turn signals into real-time protections.[21]
  • May 1, 2026Microsoft announced general availability of Microsoft 365 E7 and Microsoft Agent 365 on May 1, 2026.[28]
  • April 29, 2026Microsoft reported revenue of $82.9 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, up 18% from a year earlier.[9]
  • December 22, 2025Microsoft announced the Defender Experts suite, an expert-led security offering for resellers and scale solution providers, generally available from January 1, 2026.[20]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 5, 2026[9]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[10]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, CrowdStrike addresses organisations with fragmented security tools that it proposes to replace with the Falcon platform. Falcon Go is presented for businesses that want AI-powered antivirus against ransomware and breaches. CrowdStrike services are presented for organisations preparing for, responding to and recovering from breaches, and for teams that want to advance their security maturity. Charlotte AI is presented for SOC analysts who need unified cross-domain context to investigate. CrowdStrike also addresses organisations deploying AI agents, from deployment to runtime.From its own pages, Microsoft sells security products for businesses of any size. Microsoft 365 Business Premium is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, and Microsoft Defender is designed to protect individuals, businesses and enterprises. Microsoft refers to enterprise and government cloud customers, and Providence Care, a healthcare organization, uses Microsoft 365 E5 for healthcare security.
Last verified
September 27, 2026November 2, 2026

Where they overlap

  • EDR and XDR is the primary category of both CrowdStrike and Microsoft.
  • Both are headquartered in the United States.
  • Both are public companies.

Where they differ, field by field

  • CrowdStrike is also filed under Cloud-native application protection (CNAPP) and Identity threat detection and response. Microsoft is also filed under SIEM, Workforce IAM and SSO and Endpoint management and application control.
  • CrowdStrike lists Endpoint Security, Next-Gen Identity Security, Cloud Security, SaaS Security, Exposure Management and 1 more. Microsoft lists Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Intune and 3 more.
  • CrowdStrike is headquartered in Austin, United States. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, United States.
  • CrowdStrike was founded in 2011. Microsoft was founded in 1975.
  • CrowdStrike is a public company listed on NASDAQ as CRWD. Microsoft is a public company listed on NASDAQ as MSFT.
  • Microsoft publicly names Best Buy, Danfoss and Oregon State University.

How they differ

CISO Tribune files both CrowdStrike and Microsoft under EDR and XDR as the primary category, so their offerings meet at endpoint detection and response. CrowdStrike sells the Falcon platform, which spans endpoint, identity, cloud, SaaS and exposure management products, plus services such as Falcon Complete, a 24/7 managed detection and response service. Microsoft sells Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, a cloud-native SIEM, Microsoft Purview for data protection and governance, Microsoft Entra for identity and access, and Microsoft Intune for endpoint management. Beyond the shared category, CISO Tribune files CrowdStrike under cloud-native application protection and identity threat detection and response, and Microsoft under SIEM, workforce IAM and SSO, and endpoint management and application control.

CrowdStrike is headquartered in Austin, United States, was founded in 2011, and is listed on NASDAQ as CRWD. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, United States, was founded in 1975, and is listed on NASDAQ as MSFT. CrowdStrike describes its audience as organizations with fragmented security tools that it proposes to replace with the Falcon platform.

On November 4, 2026, CrowdStrike launched a sovereign cloud deployment in Saudi Arabia with in-country data residency. On August 5, 2026, CrowdStrike announced a $100,000 AI security challenge run in collaboration with Amazon Web Services. On July 27, 2026, Microsoft introduced Project Perception, an agentic security system that uses AI to turn signals into real-time protections. Microsoft announced general availability of Microsoft 365 E7 and Microsoft Agent 365 on May 1, 2026.

What it sells: CrowdStrike

What Next-Gen Identity Security does[1][5]
Next-Gen Identity Security is continuous identity security. It covers human, non-human and AI identities.
What Cloud Security does[1][5]
Cloud Security is a CNAPP. It offers unified agent and agentless protection, from code to cloud.
What SaaS Security does[5]
SaaS Security is SSPM. It delivers deep visibility into identities and misconfigurations.
What Exposure Management does[5]
Exposure Management is unified exposure management. It offers complete attack surface visibility and AI-powered vulnerability management.
What Falcon Complete does[5]
Falcon Complete is a managed detection and response (MDR) service. It runs 24/7 and is described as stopping breaches across the entire attack surface.

What it sells: Microsoft

What Microsoft Defender does[1][11][12][23][25]
Microsoft Defender is a threat protection solution designed to protect individuals, businesses and enterprises from malicious cyberthreats. Microsoft Defender coordinates protection across endpoints, identity, email, apps and cloud.
What Microsoft Purview does[1][14][23][24][25]
Microsoft Purview offers a unified approach to help organizations secure and govern data across their heterogenous data estate. Microsoft Purview covers on-premises, multicloud and SaaS environments, and structured and unstructured data. Microsoft Purview features are purchased through different licenses or on a pay-as-you-go basis.
What Microsoft Entra does[1][15][23][25]
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) was renamed Microsoft Entra ID in 2023. Purchase starts with Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2 license subscriptions, which can also be purchased as part of a Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 license.
What Microsoft Intune does[1][16][23][25]
Microsoft Intune offers advanced endpoint management and security capabilities available as standalone add-ons or as part of the Intune Suite. Microsoft Intune Plan 1 is the endpoint management solution included in most Microsoft 365 enterprise licenses. Plan 1 covers cross-platform device management, built-in security, mobile application management and endpoint analytics.
What Microsoft Defender Suite does[12]
Microsoft Defender Suite focuses on threat protection and detection and response across endpoints, identities, email and SaaS apps. The integrated security operations center (ISOC) is included in the Defender Suite.
What Microsoft Entra Suite does[15]
Microsoft Entra Suite extends Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 to enable secure workforce use of apps and AI with continuous, adaptive identity and network access controls across employees, apps and networks. Microsoft Entra Suite requires a subscription to Microsoft Entra ID P1 or a package that includes Microsoft Entra ID P1.

Questions about CrowdStrike and Microsoft

What do CrowdStrike and Microsoft sell?
CrowdStrike sells Endpoint Security, Next-Gen Identity Security, Cloud Security, SaaS Security, Exposure Management and 1 more. Microsoft sells Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Intune and 3 more.
Are CrowdStrike and Microsoft in the same category?
Yes. EDR and XDR is the primary category of both on CISO Tribune.
Where are CrowdStrike and Microsoft headquartered?
CrowdStrike is headquartered in Austin, United States. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, United States.
When were CrowdStrike and Microsoft founded?
CrowdStrike was founded in 2011. Microsoft was founded in 1975.
Who owns CrowdStrike and Microsoft?
CrowdStrike is a public company listed on NASDAQ as CRWD. Microsoft is a public company listed on NASDAQ as MSFT.
Which customers do CrowdStrike and Microsoft name?
Microsoft publicly names Best Buy, Danfoss and Oregon State University.
Who are CrowdStrike and Microsoft sold to?
From its own pages, CrowdStrike addresses organisations with fragmented security tools that it proposes to replace with the Falcon platform. From its own pages, Microsoft sells security products for businesses of any size.
What have CrowdStrike and Microsoft announced recently?
November 4, 2026: CrowdStrike launched a sovereign cloud deployment in Saudi Arabia, bringing the Falcon platform to the Kingdom with in-country data residency. July 29, 2026: Microsoft reported revenue of $90.0 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, up 18% year over year.

About CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike sells the Falcon platform, a set of security products and services that the company says combines security data, AI intelligence, automation and expertise to stop breaches.[5]

CrowdStrike describes the Falcon platform as one unified platform to secure the agentic enterprise. CrowdStrike says the platform follows a collect once, use everywhere approach with unified visibility and full context. CrowdStrike says a single lightweight sensor captures high-fidelity telemetry across domains. CrowdStrike says its unified data foundation powers AI-driven protection that detects and stops threats in real time.[5][10]

CrowdStrike describes Endpoint Security as combining adversary intelligence and AI to stop breaches. For endpoints, CrowdStrike offers Falcon Go, Falcon Pro and Falcon Enterprise bundles. Falcon Go is described as simplified cybersecurity with AI-powered antivirus to protect a business from ransomware and breaches. Falcon Pro is described as comprehensive cybersecurity that deploys rapidly with simplified policy enforcement. Falcon Enterprise is described as unified endpoint security with AI-powered endpoint protection and real-time threat detection. CrowdStrike pricing allows monthly payment or annual billing.[1][5]

Next-Gen Identity Security is described as continuous identity security for human, non-human and AI identities. Cloud Security is a CNAPP with unified agent and agentless protection, from code to cloud. SaaS Security is SSPM that delivers deep visibility into identities and misconfigurations. Data Security is described as discovering sensitive data, tracking it in real time, and stopping data theft before it becomes a breach. Seraphic Enterprise Browser is described as protecting users, data and AI in the browser.[1][5]

CrowdStrike sells products aimed at AI adoption. AI Detection & Response is described as securing AI adoption and development, from agents to models to prompts, across endpoints, cloud, and SaaS. CrowdStrike says it discovers every AI agent, governs its access, and detects and stops risky behavior from deployment to runtime. CrowdStrike Falcon Guardian discovers known and shadow AI agents across endpoints, cloud, and software as a service (SaaS). CrowdStrike says Falcon Observe will evaluate agents before they deploy and trace every decision they make. CrowdStrike has announced it will acquire Fiddler to deliver agent observability for AI trust.[5][11][12]

For security operations, Next-Gen SIEM is described as consolidating siloed security tools and data. Agentic SOAR is described as orchestrating agents, workflows and automation across a security ecosystem. Charlotte AI assembles unified cross-domain context, coordinates multi-agent investigations and orchestrates governed response actions. Data Pipeline Management is described as accelerating an agentic SOC transformation with clean, high-quality, real-time data. Adversary OverWatch is described as 24/7 AI-powered, intelligence-led threat hunting across all domains.[5][13][14]

Exposure Management is described as unified exposure management with complete attack surface visibility and AI-powered vulnerability management. IT Automation is described as unifying security and IT on one platform, with one agent and console to reduce complexity and cost. XIoT Security is described as complete visibility and protection for mission-critical XIoT assets.[5]

CrowdStrike sells services to prepare for, respond to and recover from breaches. Falcon Complete is described as 24/7 managed detection and response (MDR) that stops breaches across the entire attack surface. Incident Response is described as 24/7 incident response to contain threats, restore order and mitigate breach impact. Cybersecurity Consulting is described as helping mature a cybersecurity program and mitigate technical risk. CrowdStrike Strategic Advisory Services align cybersecurity initiatives with business objectives, and CrowdStrike Red Team Services emulate sophisticated adversaries using realistic attack scenarios. Platform Services is described as fully operationalizing the Falcon platform and accelerating the time to ROI. Services Retainer is described as on-demand access to CrowdStrike expertise, from rapid response to long term resilience. CrowdStrike also sells operational support services giving expert advice on the optimization and operation of the Falcon platform, performed by the CrowdStrike Services team or one of its Certified Partners.[5][15][16][17]

On deployment, CrowdStrike says a single lightweight sensor is deployed to endpoints and managed through a web console. CrowdStrike says the Falcon platform has no controllers to be installed, configured, updated or maintained, and no on-premises equipment.[1][5][16][18]

CrowdStrike on the record

Sources

CrowdStrike full record

  1. [1]En usCrowdStrike · crowdstrike.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Crowdstrike named leader proactive security platformsCrowdStrike · crowdstrike.com · published September 24, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]57ccf214 5349 45de bac1 644b5d2ae0a5CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. via SEC EDGAR · ir.crowdstrike.com · published June 4, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]717b7579 e6fc 4864 af98 9523d5d4fecbCrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. via SEC EDGAR (Form 10-K) · ir.crowdstrike.com · published March 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]CrowdStrike: We Stop Breaches with AI-native CybersecurityCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed October 24, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]CrowdStrike Launches Falcon IQ to Operationalize Project QuiltWorks at Machine SpeedCrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. · published August 31, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]CrowdStrike Announces $100,000 International AI Security ChallengeCrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. · published August 5, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]CrowdStrike Appoints AJ Shipley as Chief Product OfficerCrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. · published July 15, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]CrowdStrike Falcon Endpoint Protection PlatformG2 · undated page, accessed October 24, 2026 · Tier C
  10. [10]The CrowdStrike Falcon® Platform | Unified Agentic SecurityCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]AI Agent Security | Secure Autonomous AI Agents | CrowdStrikeCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Falcon Observe | CrowdStrikeCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Charlotte AI: Agentic Analyst for CybersecurityCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Threat Intelligence & Hunting | CrowdStrikeCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Managed and On-Demand Cybersecurity Services | CrowdStrikeCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Cybersecurity Consulting Services | CrowdStrikeCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]CrowdStrike Falcon® Operational Support ServicesCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]CrowdStrike Deployment FAQ | CrowdStrikeCrowdStrike · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]CrowdStrike Launches Sovereign Cloud in Saudi Arabia, Bringing AI-Native Cybersecurity to the KingdomCrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. · published November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  20. [20]CrowdStrike Appoints Cybersecurity Industry Veteran Roland Stritt to Accelerate European Alliance GrowthCrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. · published November 2, 2026 · Tier A

Microsoft full record

  1. [1]Cloud Security Solutions | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]AboutMicrosoft · news.microsoft.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Msft 20240630Microsoft Corporation via SEC EDGAR · sec.gov · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]7c96b326 33bc 4b84 8abb 7afd7a517ea3Microsoft Corporation · microsoft.gcs-web.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]25053 best buy microsoft sentinelMicrosoft · microsoft.com · published August 25, 2025 · Tier A
  6. [6]22786 danfoss microsoft sentinelMicrosoft · microsoft.com · published March 7, 2025 · Tier A
  7. [7]1747330384796486050 oregon state university microsoft security copilot higher education en united statesMicrosoft · microsoft.com · published March 14, 2024 · Tier A
  8. [8]Microsoft cloud and ai strength fuels fourth quarter results 4Microsoft · news.microsoft.com · published July 29, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Microsoft cloud and ai strength fuels third quarter resultsMicrosoft · news.microsoft.com · published April 29, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Microsoft 365 Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier C
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  16. [16]Microsoft Intune Pricing | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Cybersecurity for small and medium business | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Security Copilot agents in Microsoft 365 E5 | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]Microsoft Defender Pricing | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  20. [20]December 2025 announcements - Partner Center announcementsMicrosoft Learn · published December 22, 2025 · Tier A
  21. [21]Rethinking security for the age of AIThe Official Microsoft Blog · published July 27, 2026 · Tier A
  22. [22]Microsoft Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier C
  23. [23]Microsoft 365 Security Enterprise Plans| Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  24. [24]Microsoft Purview: Data Security and Governance | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  25. [25]CybersecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  26. [26]Microsoft Defender Suite for Microsoft 365 Business Premium | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  27. [27]Microsoft Mobile Phone Authenticator | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  28. [28]Leading Frontier Firm transformation with Microsoft 365 E7: The partner opportunityMicrosoft · published May 1, 2026 · Tier A

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