ASM TOOL PROFILE · RANK 10 OF 9
Microsoft Defender EASM review: an Azure-billed external inventory
THE SHORT ANSWER
Microsoft Defender EASM ranks 10 of 10 at 4.70 out of 10. It is the easiest to buy: a 30-day free trial, Azure billing on a published asset definition and a prebuilt inventory, which earn it the top score on buying transparency. It documents no exploitability testing and no compensating control, and findings leave for Log Analytics before anyone acts on them.
Rank 10 of 10 on default weights
Company: Microsoft
Deployment: Azure resource (SaaS).
Best for: Azure-first teams that want a self-serve start and Azure billing
Gartner Peer Insights (context, not scored): 4.3 (151 ratings). Context only; not a score input.
Which steps does Microsoft Defender EASM document?
- FOUNDDocumented
Prebuilt inventory plus recursive discovery from seeds.
- OWNEDPartial
Confidence-based inventory states, not owner attribution.
- PROVENNot documented
No exploitability testing documented.
- CONTAINEDNot documented
No compensating control.
- ROUTEDPartial
Via export to Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer.
- RECHECKEDNot documented
Retest after a fix not described.
How does Microsoft Defender EASM score on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finds the unlisted estate | 15% | 7 / 10 | A prebuilt inventory for many organizations plus recursive discovery from seeds. | |
| Routes to an owner | 10% | 7 / 10 | Every asset carries a confidence-based state such as Approved Inventory, Candidate or Requires Investigation. | |
| Proves exploitability | 20% | 3 / 10Lowest in set | Dashboards cover vulnerabilities, compliance and hygiene; no exploitability testing is documented. | |
| Contains before the patch | 20% | 2 / 10Tied lowest | No compensating control; remediation actions are triggered downstream after export. | |
| Closes the loop | 15% | 3 / 10Lowest in set | Findings export to Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer, where you build the workflow; no built-in ticketing or retest. | |
| Fits the enterprise stack | 10% | 8 / 10 | Data connections to Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer and Security Copilot in preview; no cross-tenant resource access. | |
| Buying transparency | 10% | 7 / 10Tied highest | Self-serve Azure billing against a published billable-asset definition after a 30-day free trial. |
What does Microsoft Defender EASM do, by its own account?
An Azure resource that builds an external inventory from a prebuilt starting point and seeds, and exports findings to Azure analytics.
- Inventory states
- Approved Inventory, Dependency, Monitor Only, Candidate and Requires Investigation.
- Dashboards
- Vulnerabilities, compliance and security hygiene.
- Data connections
- Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer, to trigger remediation actions downstream.
- Multi-tenant limits
- No cross-tenant resource access, including through Azure Lighthouse.
- Status
- Documentation updated 18 May 2026 with no retirement notice; Security Copilot integration in preview.
What does Microsoft Defender EASM claim?
No vendor performance figure was collected for this page.
What does Microsoft Defender EASM cost, and what do you need to start?
Billed through Azure on billable assets (approved host:IP combinations, domains and IP addresses) after a 30-day free trial. The per-asset rate is on Microsoft's pricing page; it was not captured in our sources.
To start: A prebuilt inventory for many organizations, or seeds such as domains, IP blocks, hosts, email contacts, ASNs and Whois organizations.
Where is it strong, and what should you check?
Strengths
- The most transparent start: a 30-day free trial and Azure billing on a published asset definition.
- A prebuilt inventory and clear confidence states for each asset.
Check before you buy
- No exploitability testing or compensating control documented.
- No cross-tenant resource access for groups split across Azure tenants.
Who should choose Microsoft Defender EASM?
Choose Microsoft Defender EASM if you are Azure-first and want an external inventory you can try today. Look elsewhere if you need proof, containment or a built-in fix loop.
How does Microsoft Defender EASM compare head to head?
| Opponent | Higher overall | Microsoft Defender EASM scores higher on | Opponent scores higher on |
|---|---|---|---|
| IONIX | IONIX | Fits the enterprise stack and Buying transparency | Finds the unlisted estate, Routes to an owner, Proves exploitability, Contains before the patch and Closes the loop |
| watchTowr | watchTowr | Fits the enterprise stack and Buying transparency | Finds the unlisted estate, Proves exploitability, Contains before the patch and Closes the loop |
| CyCognito | CyCognito | Fits the enterprise stack and Buying transparency | Finds the unlisted estate, Routes to an owner, Proves exploitability and Closes the loop |
| Hadrian | Hadrian | Fits the enterprise stack | Proves exploitability and Closes the loop |
| Cortex Xpanse | Cortex Xpanse | Buying transparency | Finds the unlisted estate, Proves exploitability, Contains before the patch, Closes the loop and Fits the enterprise stack |
| CrowdStrike EASM | CrowdStrike EASM | Routes to an owner and Buying transparency | Proves exploitability, Contains before the patch and Closes the loop |
| Tenable ASM | Tenable ASM | Routes to an owner and Buying transparency | Proves exploitability, Contains before the patch, Closes the loop and Fits the enterprise stack |
| Rapid7 Surface Command | Rapid7 Surface Command | Finds the unlisted estate, Routes to an owner and Buying transparency | Proves exploitability, Contains before the patch and Closes the loop |
| Censys ASM | Censys ASM | Routes to an owner and Buying transparency | Proves exploitability and Closes the loop |
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Defender EASM being retired?
The documentation we read, updated 18 May 2026, carried no retirement notice.
How is Microsoft Defender EASM billed?
Through Azure, on billable assets (approved host:IP combinations, domains and IP addresses), after a 30-day free trial. Check Microsoft's pricing page for the current rate.
Does Microsoft Defender EASM work across Azure tenants?
Microsoft's documentation says there is no cross-tenant resource access, including through Azure Lighthouse.
Read next
- Beyond Microsoft Defender EASM: alternatives
Eight alternatives ranked on our weights
- Line Microsoft Defender EASM up against others
Every score side by side
- Exposure triage calculator
Set your own weights and must-haves
- How we weigh
Criteria, weights and limits
- Related lesson: A discovery-to-fix proof of concept
A scorecard by step, not by asset count.