Microsoft Defender for Identity vs Trellix Advanced Threat Defense comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Microsoft and Trellix are both solutions in the Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) category. Microsoft is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.8, while Trellix is ranked #22 with an average rating of 9.0. Microsoft holds a 3.5% mindshare in ATP, compared to Trellix’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 76% of Trellix users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Defender for Iden...

Read 28 Microsoft Defender for Identity reviews

8,889 Views
2,756 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Trellix Advanced Threat Def...

Read 9 Trellix Advanced Threat Defense reviews

1,935 Views
1,645 Comparison Views

76% willing to recommend

Microsoft Defender for Iden...

Trellix Advanced Threat Def...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 1, 2024

Trellix Advanced Threat Defense and Microsoft Defender for Identity are both leaders in the cybersecurity category. While Trellix stands out with its sophisticated threat detection features, Microsoft excels in identity protection and seamless integration, offering comprehensive security solutions for Microsoft environments.

Features: Trellix Advanced Threat Defense offers advanced malware analysis, real-time behavioral detections, and sandboxing capabilities. Microsoft Defender for Identity shines with features like anomaly detection, deep integration with Microsoft 365, and detailed identity analytics.

Room for Improvement: Trellix could improve in aspects of integration within complex network environments and better support for non-standard protocols, as well as reducing the learning curve for deployment. Microsoft Defender for Identity might focus on enhancing its user interface, increasing support for third-party applications, and providing more customizable alerting options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Defender for Identity offers seamless integration, especially for those already using Microsoft products, making deployment straightforward and supported by proactive customer service. Trellix Advanced Threat Defense can be more challenging to deploy, requiring specialized skills, though it is supported by a responsive customer service team.

Pricing and ROI: Trellix may come with higher initial costs due to tailored threat protection capabilities, yet it offers significant ROI through its detection prowess. Microsoft's pricing is tailored for cost-effective integration within Microsoft environments, leveraging existing infrastructure to provide strong ROI, particularly appealing for those already utilizing Microsoft products.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Defender for Identity vs. Trellix Advanced Threat Defense Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Identity vs. Trellix Advanced Threat Defense

September 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 917,433 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Iden...

Ranking in Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

8th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Microsoft Security Suite (7th), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (1st)

Trellix Advanced Threat Def...

Ranking in Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

22nd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Identity is 3.5%, down from 5.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Trellix Advanced Threat Defense is 2.1%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Identity	3.5%
Trellix Advanced Threat Defense	2.1%
Other	94.4%

Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

Featured Reviews

Curtis Mack

Technology Coordinator at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees

Helps detect threats faster and prioritize critical security tasks with increased visibility

The feature I value most about Microsoft Defender for Identity is the ability to see where people are attempting to log in from. Microsoft Defender for Identity helps me automate routine tasks and find alerts that I set up to receive, so it helps me get where I'm trying to go easier and faster. I can see where everything is at. Microsoft Defender for Identity helps me prioritize important tasks. If I get an alert for a user who downloaded an application that is not sanctioned, I normally go straight to that user's computer device to find the device name and the user. Now I can get to them much faster. Microsoft Defender for Identity saves me time overall. I can quantify the time saved by Microsoft Defender for Identity as maybe 25 minutes, or if expressed as a percentage, maybe 20 to 25%. Some of the learning curve and actually learning what these products do takes time to figure out. Microsoft Defender for Identity definitely helps decrease the time of detection and response.

Read full review

Philippe Panardie

RSSI at SDIS49

Ensuring long-term reliability while seeking internal email management enhancements

Prisma is a commercial name of the firewall now, but we don't work with the cloud product. Only our company is using it and we do not recommend it to customers. For us, it's transparent because it's a cloud product, so we don't really know the version as it's always updated. We have not had any problem, but it's difficult to report on what's going on because some days they can wash out perhaps 100 mails, and then it's difficult to say how many attacks you have reached. The right email has been washed out and then nobody has complained. We do not use the Threat Visualization feature; as we are in MX, the mail is washed out before it is in the mail inbox of the user, thus avoiding any problem requiring a reservation. In fact, there is no integration with existing security frameworks. The only problem we can have is that as we have no API interface, there is no inspection of internal mail. I rate Trellix Advanced Threat Defense a nine out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The feature I like the most about Defender for Identity is the entity tags. They give you the ability to identify sensitive accounts, devices, and groups. You also have honeytoken entities, which are devices that are identified as "bait" for fraudulent actors."

"I think that for a defensive view, it can give most administrators absolutely amazing insight into what's happening in the network that they probably never had before."

"The most valuable features of Microsoft Defender for Identity are the simulations; whenever something happens, it provides complete step-by-step process details, including the hierarchy, how it happens in the environment, and the lateral movement, which is amazing."

"Defender for Identity has not affected the end-user experience."

"It gives companies a lot of insights that they didn't have before and has increased the security posture significantly."

"The basic security monitoring at its core feature is the most valuable aspect. But also the investigative parts, the historical logging of events over the network are extremely interesting because it gives an in-depth insight into the history of account activity that is really easy to read, easy to follow, and easy to export."

"One of our users had the same password for every personal and company account. That was a problem because she started receiving phishing emails that could compromise all of her accounts. Defender told us that the user was not changing their password."

"I recommend Microsoft Defender for Identity because it is easy to implement."

More Microsoft Defender for Identity pros

"The fact that in 10 years, we have had no problem is the most valuable feature for us; it's really a washing machine, but the only problem we face is that it's difficult to report on this product."

"The most valuable features are the administration console and its detection and response module."

"The product is expensive, but it is better than the rest of them in the industry."

"It is very scalable."

"If a system admin can put in the patience to read and constantly update the ePO system in terms of rules, enforcing them at regular intervals, you can safely go to sleep every night."

"The features I find most valuable are: the management, the ability for automatic remediation of threats and it can successfully detect a threat, and to act upon it."

"Provides good exfiltration, and is an all-in-one product."

"It is stable and reliable."

More Trellix Advanced Threat Defense pros

Cons

"One improvement I would recommend is the integration of an admin application within Teams, allowing easy access to attack information on a mobile platform to promptly alert affected users and their friends."

"The impact of the sensors on the domain controllers can be quite high depending on your loads. I don't know if there's any room for improvement there, but that's one of the things that might be improved."

"The solution should provide more detailed data regarding anomaly detections."

"For users operating in mixed environments, while Defender for Identity offers robust protection for on-premises AD, additional solutions or configurations might be necessary to ensure seamless security management across Azure and on-premises AD systems."

"And when you are working in a priority IP address, Identity is not able to know that those IPs are from the company. It sees that the IPs are from Taiwan or from Hong Kong or from India, even though they are internal IPs, resulting in a lot of false positives."

"Defender for Identity gives us visibility, but we often get false positives from Azure that take us down the garden path. We go through 30 incidents each day and most of those are false positives or benign positive alerts. Occasionally, we get true positive alerts."

"I can't say that I've seen a return on investment since we have Microsoft Defender for Identity because we also have another security solution in place."

"Microsoft should look at what competing vendors like CrowdStrike and Broadcom are doing and incorporate those features into Sentinel and Defender. At the same time, I think the intelligence inside the product is improving fast. They should incorporate more zero-trust and hybrid trust approaches. They need to build up threat intelligence based on threats and methods used in attacks on other companies."

More Microsoft Defender for Identity cons

"We'd like them to be better at dealing with script threats."

"Lacks remote capabilities not dependent on the internet."

"Some of our customers have mentioned the lack of a tool that would allow for remote capabilities without being attached to the internet."

"The support on their side is not readily available. It takes a while."

"It was not complex, but there are things to look out for, because it's an intense product. It scans intensely and there are major obstacles to overcome if it scans while users are using a network, then it is not a good thing."

"This product does the job, but it is not flexible enough to do new environments yet."

"There could be a tool that automatically updates all-new Microsoft IPs, which are available for free to connect to the client."

"The only problem we can have is that as we have no API interface, there is no inspection of internal mail."

More Trellix Advanced Threat Defense cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is very affordable considering that other SIEM solutions are much more expensive and have many more licensing restrictions and fees."

"Defender for Identity is a little more expensive than other Microsoft products. Identity and Microsoft Defender for Cloud are both a bit costly."

"You won't be able to change your tenants from where you deploy them. For example, if you select Canada, they will charge you based on Canadian pricing. If you are also in London, when you deploy in Canada, the pound is higher than Canadian dollars, but your platform resources are billable in Canadian dollars. Using your pounds to pay for any of these things will be cheaper. Or, if you deploy in London, they will charge you based on your local currency."

"The product is costly, and we had multiple discussions with accounting to receive a discounted rate. However, on the open market, the tool is expensive."

"Microsoft Defender for Identity comes as part of the Microsoft E5 licensing stack."

"The product is expensive, but it is better than the rest of them in the industry."

"Our licensing fees for this solution are approximately one million dollars per year."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Construction Company

16%

Outsourcing Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	15

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Identity?

I really would have to sit down to think about how Microsoft Defender for Identity can be improved. I didn't take stock in what needs to be improved because I appreciated having the tools right the...

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What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender for Identity?

My main use cases for Microsoft Defender for Identity include Conditional Access, checking risky users, remediating risky users, and user sign-ins. I can easily remediate or determine what the user...

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What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Defender for Identity?

I don't really use Microsoft Defender for Identity a lot because my new role doesn't allow me to take time to do so. I don't really use the threat intelligence feature of Microsoft Defender for Ide...

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What needs improvement with McAfee Advanced Threat Defense?

I would like to see an API interface for internal email and control of outgoing email to make it closer to 10. It's necessary; today we have an MX interface, and it would be interesting to have an ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for McAfee Advanced Threat Defense?

We are working with Palo Alto products, specifically firewalls. We are only using Palo Alto Firewalls and not Cortex. With FireEye and Trellix, we only work with ETP now because the NDR function wh...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering McAfee Advanced Threat Defense?

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Entra ID Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Identity

Compared 6% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender for Identity

Compared 6% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Identity vs Microsoft Defender for Identity

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Microsoft Defender for Identity

Compared 4% of the time

BloodHound Enterprise vs Microsoft Defender for Identity

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Defender for Identity Competitors

NetWitness Platform vs Trellix Advanced Threat Defense

Compared 16% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Trellix Advanced Threat Defense

Compared 8% of the time

Fortinet FortiSandbox vs Trellix Advanced Threat Defense

Compared 8% of the time

Digital Guardian vs Trellix Advanced Threat Defense

Compared 6% of the time

Morphisec vs Trellix Advanced Threat Defense

Compared 5% of the time

More Trellix Advanced Threat Defense Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Identity

October 2026

Download Microsoft Defender for Identity product report

Buyer's Guide

Trellix Advanced Threat Defense

September 2026

Download Trellix Advanced Threat Defense product report

Also Known As

Azure Advanced Threat Protection, Azure ATP, MS Defender for Identity

McAfee Advanced Threat Defense

Overview

Microsoft Defender for Identity offers real-time threat detection and protection for hybrid Active Directory environments. It integrates with Microsoft 365 components for seamless security and monitors advanced behaviors, enhancing identity protection across cloud and on-premises environments.

Microsoft Defender for Identity provides detailed threat insights and user behavior analytics to detect unauthorized access and notify anomalies. It allows setting custom detection rules, enhancing threat response automation. While it needs improvements in cloud security, SIEM integration, and access controls, users leverage its ability to mitigate identity threats like suspicious logins and ransomware. Enhanced integration with Microsoft security products ensures a coordinated threat response for identity control and privilege management.

What are the key features of Microsoft Defender for Identity?

Active Directory Federation: Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365 for comprehensive security.
Real-time Security Monitoring: Provides immediate insights into advanced user behaviors and potential threats.
Threat Insights: Delivers detailed analysis of threats with the ability to customize detection rules.
User Behavior Analytics: Analyzes user activities to detect anomalies and potential risks.
Identity Protection: Offers comprehensive protection in both cloud and on-premises environments.

What benefits should users expect from reviews of Microsoft Defender for Identity?

Unauthorized Access Prevention: Identifies potential unauthorized activities with advanced detection mechanisms.
Anomaly Notification: Alerts users to unexpected activities within their environments.
Threat Response Automation: Facilitates rapid response to threats with automated solutions.
Enhanced Cloud Security: Strengthens identity management across hybrid and cloud frameworks.

In specific industries, organizations implement Microsoft Defender for Identity to secure on-premises and hybrid Active Directory environments through user and entity behavior analytics, malicious activity detection, and integration with Microsoft security tools. This approach enhances security posture assessment and helps mitigate identity threats like identity harvesting and unauthorized access.

Microsoft

Trellix Advanced Threat Defense offers efficient threat detection and automatic threat remediation, featuring seamless management and integration with operating systems and extensions.

Providing robust malware defense, Trellix Advanced Threat Defense is easy to set up and use. Its components work collaboratively, with standout features like behavioral analysis, retro-inspection, and ePolicy Orchestration. Despite its strengths, users suggest improvements in Active Directory integration, cloud readiness, artificial intelligence, and faster sandboxing. The API interface and scalability need enhancement, while better compatibility with platforms like Cisco could elevate its function. Effective for server and endpoint security, it effectively blocks threats like WannaCry and disperses attack data through the DXL client quickly.

What are the notable features of Trellix Advanced Threat Defense?

Management and Automatic Threat Remediation: Facilitates seamless management and handling of threats.
Effective Threat Detection and Response: Delivers efficient and reliable threat detection capabilities.
Behavioral Analysis and Retro-Inspection: Offers advanced analysis for comprehensive threat identification.
ePolicy Orchestration: Streamlines processes for enhanced threat management.
Scalability and Price: Provides a stable and scalable solution at a competitive price point.

What key benefits can be identified from reviews?

Ease of Use and Setup: Known for its straightforward implementation and user-friendly interface.
Integration Capabilities: Works well with different operating systems and technologies like Palo Alto firewalls.
Threat Protection Efficiency: Proven effectiveness in stopping threats such as WannaCry.
Rapid Attack Information Dissemination: Utilizes the DXL client for quick data sharing.

Trellix Advanced Threat Defense is widely used across numerous industries for server and desktop protection, ensuring endpoint security and halting attacks without failure. Its integration with diverse technologies enhances protection in varied environments, making it a valuable tool in enterprise security management.

Trellix

Sample Customers

Microsoft Defender for Identity is trusted by companies such as St. Luke’s University Health Network, Ansell, and more.

The Radicati Group, Florida International University, MGM Resorts International, County Durham andDarlington NHS Foundation Trust

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Identity vs. Trellix Advanced Threat Defense

September 2026

Free Report: Microsoft Defender for Identity vs. Trellix Advanced Threat Defense

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Identity vs. Trellix Advanced Threat Defense and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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