CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Microsoft vs Okta

Microsoft Defender offers threat prevention, detection and response capabilities. Okta sells a platform that secures identities, including the AI agents running across a business. CISO Tribune files both under Workforce IAM and SSO. 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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  • Microsoft
  • Okta
Microsoft vs Okta: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
MicrosoftMicrosoft Defender offers threat prevention, detection and response capabilities.microsoft.comOktaOkta sells a platform that secures identities, including the AI agents running across a business.okta.com
What it sells
  • 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.
  • Okta for AI Agents[9][12][19]Okta for AI Agents extends discovery, lifecycle management and governance to every agent in the enterprise.
  • Cross App Access[19]Cross App Access is an open standard that Okta makes part of core Okta SSO.
Categories
Headquarters
Redmond, United States[3]San Francisco, United States[2]
Founded
1975[2]2009[2]
Ownership and funding
Public (NASDAQ: MSFT)[4][10][22]Public (NASDAQ: OKTA)[3][12][14][16]
Named customers
  • Best Buy[5]
  • Danfoss[6]
  • Oregon State University[7]
Recent news
  • 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]
  • November 5, 2026Okta announced that its board approved a share repurchase program authorizing purchases of up to $1 billion of its Class A Common Stock, effective immediately.[18]
  • September 22, 2026Okta launched new Okta for AI Agents capabilities, including endpoint discovery of unmanaged agents, an agent gateway and agent-to-agent connection controls.[9]
  • August 26, 2026Okta reported second quarter fiscal 2027 revenue of $805 million, up 11% year over year, with subscription revenue of $793 million.[10]
  • July 30, 2026Okta signed a definitive agreement to acquire Permiso Security, a cloud identity threat detection company covering human, non-human and AI agent identities.[11]
  • March 7, 2026Okta and Datadog added rules from the Okta Security Detection Catalog to Datadog's Cloud SIEM out-of-the-box detections for identity-related threats.[15]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[10]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[16]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
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.From its own pages, Okta addresses organizations securing AI agents, whether those organizations deploy third-party solutions or code agents from scratch. Okta speaks to security teams that need control to contain blast radius and to builders who delegate user authority. Okta places its AI agent security stack across workforce and customer identity use cases. Okta addresses businesses that pursue agentic commerce or offer B2B agentic experiences. Okta's identity offering covers employees, partners and AI agents across an entire business. Okta describes an offering built for enterprise scale and global compliance standards.
Last verified
November 2, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Microsoft and Okta are both filed under Workforce IAM and SSO.
  • Both are headquartered in the United States.
  • Both are public companies.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Microsoft's primary category is EDR and XDR; Okta's is Workforce IAM and SSO.
  • Microsoft is also filed under SIEM and Endpoint management and application control. Okta is also filed under Customer identity and access management.
  • Microsoft lists Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Intune and 3 more. Okta lists Okta for AI Agents and Cross App Access.
  • Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, United States. Okta is headquartered in San Francisco, United States.
  • Microsoft was founded in 1975. Okta was founded in 2009.
  • Microsoft is a public company listed on NASDAQ as MSFT. Okta is a public company listed on NASDAQ as OKTA.
  • Microsoft publicly names Best Buy, Danfoss and Oregon State University. Okta publicly names Box, HubSpot, Hitachi, News Corp and Jamf.

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 Microsoft and Okta

What do Microsoft and Okta sell?
Microsoft sells Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Intune and 3 more. Okta sells Okta for AI Agents and Cross App Access.
Are Microsoft and Okta in the same category?
They share Workforce IAM and SSO. Microsoft's primary category is EDR and XDR and Okta's is Workforce IAM and SSO.
Where are Microsoft and Okta headquartered?
Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, United States. Okta is headquartered in San Francisco, United States.
When were Microsoft and Okta founded?
Microsoft was founded in 1975. Okta was founded in 2009.
Who owns Microsoft and Okta?
Microsoft is a public company listed on NASDAQ as MSFT. Okta is a public company listed on NASDAQ as OKTA.
Which customers do Microsoft and Okta name?
Microsoft publicly names Best Buy, Danfoss and Oregon State University. Okta publicly names Box, HubSpot, Hitachi, News Corp and Jamf.
Who are Microsoft and Okta sold to?
From its own pages, Microsoft sells security products for businesses of any size. From its own pages, Okta addresses organizations securing AI agents, whether those organizations deploy third-party solutions or code agents from scratch.
What have Microsoft and Okta announced recently?
July 29, 2026: Microsoft reported revenue of $90.0 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, up 18% year over year. November 5, 2026: Okta announced that its board approved a share repurchase program authorizing purchases of up to $1 billion of its Class A Common Stock, effective immediately.

About Microsoft

Microsoft Defender offers threat prevention, detection and response capabilities. Microsoft Defender coordinates protection across endpoints, identity, email, apps and cloud. Security Copilot agents come ready to use in Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Sentinel.[11][15][16][23]

Microsoft Defender is a threat protection solution designed to protect individuals, businesses and enterprises from malicious cyberthreats. Microsoft Defender has the purpose of preventing, detecting and responding to attacks across devices, identities, applications, email, data, workloads and cloud environments. XDR capabilities are included with eligible Microsoft plans and supported Defender products. Microsoft offers cloud security for hybrid and multicloud environments across the full application lifecycle, from code to runtime. Microsoft offers vulnerability management with continuous vulnerability assessment, risk-based prioritization and remediation. Microsoft offers email and collaboration security against phishing and advanced cyberthreats such as business email compromise.[1][11][12][17][26][27]

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. Microsoft Defender Suite is offered on its own or as part of Microsoft 365 E5. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint licenses include protection for up to 5 devices per user license. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 protects against email-based threats and secures collaboration tools including Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive. Microsoft offers expert-led services to help defend against threats, build cyber resilience and modernize security operations. Microsoft offers AI-powered threat hunting across endpoints, identities, emails, cloud apps and cloud workloads.[1][11][12][14][19]

Microsoft offers a cloud-native SIEM built for AI. The cloud-native SIEM from Microsoft includes a built-in data lake. Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) was renamed Microsoft Entra ID in 2023. To purchase Microsoft Entra, customers start with Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2 license subscriptions, which can also be purchased as part of a Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 license. 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. Identity Governance enforces least privilege access and automates access lifecycles.[1][12][15][23]

Microsoft Intune offers advanced endpoint management and security capabilities available as standalone add-ons or as part of the Intune Suite. The advanced capabilities include Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM), Enterprise App Management (EAM), Advanced Analytics, Remote Help, Microsoft Cloud PKI, Microsoft Tunnel for Mobile Application Management (MAM), Firmware-over-the-Air (FOTA) updates and Specialized Device Management. Microsoft Intune Plan 1 is the endpoint management solution included in most Microsoft 365 enterprise licenses, covering cross-platform device management, built-in security, mobile application management and endpoint analytics. Select advanced Intune capabilities are now included in Microsoft 365 E3 and E5.[1][16]

Microsoft Purview offers a unified approach to help organizations secure and govern data across their heterogenous data estate. Microsoft Purview enables organizations to secure and govern a data estate across on-premises, multicloud and SaaS environments, and across structured and unstructured data. Microsoft offers data security to discover, classify and protect sensitive data across a data estate. Microsoft Purview features are purchased through different licenses or on a pay-as-you-go basis. Microsoft Purview Suite (formerly Microsoft E5 Compliance Suite) provides advanced data security and compliance capabilities. Microsoft 365 E5 includes Office apps, identity and endpoint protection, and all Microsoft Purview Suite capabilities.[1][13][14][24]

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is a solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Microsoft Defender for Business, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1, Microsoft Entra ID Plan 1, Microsoft Intune Plan 1 and Microsoft Purview, along with Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, Clipchamp and Copilot Chat. Microsoft points organizations with more than 300 users to its enterprise offerings. Ford Motor Company uses Microsoft Security solutions to protect its data and operations. Providence Care uses Microsoft 365 E5 for healthcare security. Auckland Transport uses Microsoft Security Copilot for citywide cybersecurity. KPMG deployed Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Purview for sensitive data that might be exfiltrated or overshared by AI apps.[1][12][13][14][15][17][18][25][26]

Microsoft on the record

Sources

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
  11. [11]Microsoft Defender—Cybersecurity Solutions | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Microsoft Defender Suite | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Microsoft Purview Suite | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Microsoft Purview Pricing | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Microsoft Entra Pricing | Microsoft SecurityMicrosoft · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  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

Okta full record

  1. [1]okta.comOkta · okta.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]CompanyOkta · okta.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]DefaultOkta Investor Relations · investor.okta.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]okta.comOkta · okta.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]HubspotOkta · okta.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]HitachiOkta · okta.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]News corpOkta · okta.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]okta.comOkta · okta.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Ai innovations oktane 2026Okta · okta.com · published September 22, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Okta announces second quarter 2027 financial resultsOkta · okta.com · published August 26, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Okta signs definitive agreement to acquire permiso securityOkta · okta.com · published July 30, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Secure Identity for Employees, Customers, and AI | OktaOkta · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Okta Security Trust Center | Powered by SafeBaseOkta · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Why Work At Okta? | OktaOkta · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Datadog and Okta Combine for New Customer DetectionsOkta Security · published March 7, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Okta Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier C
  17. [17]Zero Trust Framework: Identity-powered Modern Security | OktaOkta · published August 10, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Okta Announces $1 Billion Share Repurchase ProgramOkta, Inc. · published November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]Okta Secures AI | Identity for the Agentic Enterprise | OktaOkta · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

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