# CrowdStrike vs SentinelOne vs Microsoft Defender for endpoint security in 2026

> Overview CrowdStrike Falcon, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and SentinelOne Singularity are cloud-delivered endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms that watch for malicious activity on laptops, servers, and mobile devices in real time.

- Published: 2026-10-14
- Topic: [Security](https://futuretechnologyhq.com/topic/security/)
- URL: https://futuretechnologyhq.com/article/crowdstrike-vs-sentinelone-vs-microsoft-defender-for-endpoint/
- Publisher: [Future Technology](https://futuretechnologyhq.com/), free to read. Quote as "Future Technology" with a link to the article.

## Key points

- CrowdStrike Falcon suits enterprises wanting best-of-breed cloud platforms with deep modules
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint wins for Microsoft 365 E5 customers who want EDR at near-zero marginal cost
- SentinelOne Singularity fits teams prioritising autonomous detection and transparent pricing

## Article

## Overview

CrowdStrike Falcon, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and SentinelOne Singularity are cloud-delivered endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms that watch for malicious activity on laptops, servers, and mobile devices in real time. All three compete for enterprises deciding on their primary EDR tool, and all span both EDR (endpoint-focused) and XDR (cross-domain) detection capabilities.

## Key facts

**CrowdStrike Falcon**
- Maker: CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc., based in Austin, Texas
- Co-founded: 2011
- First product launched: June 2013
- Status: Publicly listed on Nasdaq (2019); joined S&P 500 in June 2024
- Price: Not stated as fixed list; commonly cited as roughly $99.99 per device per year (Falcon Pro) and roughly $184.99 per device per year (Falcon Enterprise), with Falcon Complete (managed detection and response) typically quoted at $200, $400 per device per year at 1,000-endpoint scale
- Notable incident: On 19 July 2024, a faulty update caused global computer outages affecting air travel, banking, and broadcasting

**Microsoft Defender for Endpoint**
- Maker: Microsoft Corporation
- Status: Part of Microsoft Defender suite; available under multiple licensing tiers including Defender for Endpoint Plan 1, Plan 2, and Microsoft Defender for Business
- Price: £9.20 per user per month (paid yearly) in the UK as part of Microsoft Defender Suite (requires Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent); pricing for standalone plans not stated in sources
- Supported platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS

**SentinelOne Singularity**
- Maker: SentinelOne
- Price: $179.99 per endpoint per year (Singularity Complete) and $229.99 per endpoint per year (Singularity Commercial); enterprise pricing available on request; all prices in US dollars
- Status: Named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms for the sixth consecutive year
- Recognition: Named Customers' Choice in the inaugural Gartner Peer Insights for Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms

## How does endpoint detection and response work?

Traditional antivirus matches files against known signatures, but cannot catch attackers who log in with stolen credentials and use built-in Windows tools to move laterally across a network. EDR platforms instead watch process behaviour, network connections, and registry changes in real time, using behavioural analytics and machine learning to flag activity patterns that resemble attacks even without a matching malware signature.

By 2026, the category splits into two overlapping tiers. EDR tools focus on the endpoint itself: laptops, servers, virtual machines. Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platforms add signals from email, identity systems, cloud workloads, and network traffic, correlating them into a single incident timeline. CrowdStrike, Microsoft, and SentinelOne all sell products spanning both categories.

## What do independent tests show?

The MITRE ATT&CK Evaluations serve as a neutral benchmark where vendors' products face scripted adversary emulation. In the 2024 enterprise round (Round 6), which emulated Turla, a Russia-linked espionage group, against 30 vendors, SentinelOne reported 100% analytic detection coverage, its Singularity Platform flagged all 80 attack techniques across every stage whilst generating 88% fewer alerts than the median vendor. High coverage with low alert volume is the ideal: analysts see the attack without drowning in noise.

Microsoft and CrowdStrike both participated and detected the core of the Turla attack chain; differences came down to detection type (telemetry, analytic, or fully-correlated alert) and how much manual configuration each vendor used. Raw "technique count" numbers vary heavily based on the configuration each vendor ran, so they do not form a clean leaderboard.

The practical takeaway: do not pick a vendor on a single headline number. Read the per-step results on the MITRE results portal, weight the steps matching your real threat model (espionage, ransomware, insider threat), and confirm that the tested configuration resembles what you would actually deploy in production.

## How do the platforms differ in architecture and design?

CrowdStrike Falcon is built around a single lightweight sensor and the Threat Graph, CrowdStrike's cloud analytics engine that correlates events across all protected endpoints. It is regarded as a best-of-breed platform common at the high end of the enterprise market.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint feeds endpoint signals into the unified Defender portal, which correlates these signals with alerts from identity, email, and cloud workloads to form complete incident views. A security team can trace an attack from a phishing email to a compromised endpoint to lateral movement, all in one place. Defender for Endpoint integrates with the broader Microsoft security ecosystem and supports automatic attack disruption, which automatically blocks lateral movement and remote encryption across devices in a decentralised way.

SentinelOne Singularity emphasises autonomous detection and response, its architecture aims to minimise manual tuning and false positives. The platform includes endpoint security, cloud security, AI security, and autonomous SOC capabilities within a unified enterprise security offering.

## Which suits different organisation sizes?

**Microsoft Defender for Endpoint** wins for organisations already committed to Microsoft 365 E5, where EDR arrives at near-zero marginal cost. The platform is priced at £9.20 per user per month in the UK (paid yearly) as part of the Microsoft Defender Suite, requiring Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent. For small to mid-sized teams already in the Microsoft ecosystem, bundled pricing removes procurement friction.

**CrowdStrike Falcon** is most common in enterprises at 1,000+ endpoints that want a best-of-breed independent platform and the full module catalogue (threat intelligence, identity protection, cloud workload protection, managed detection and response). Typical per-endpoint costs range from roughly $99.99 per year to $184.99 per year for core EDR, with managed detection and response options reaching $200, $400 per endpoint per year at scale. Enterprises routinely negotiate well below list price on multi-year commitments.

**SentinelOne Singularity** fits organisations that prioritise transparent, per-endpoint pricing and autonomous detection. At $179.99 per endpoint per year for Singularity Complete and $229.99 per endpoint per year for Singularity Commercial, pricing is published and applies to deployments of 5, 100 workstations; enterprise pricing requires contact with sales. The platform appeals to teams wanting a thinner agent footprint and simpler operational tuning.

## What regulatory and regional factors apply?

**United Kingdom**: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is priced at £9.20 per user per month when purchased as part of the Microsoft Defender Suite, paid yearly. The price does not include VAT. SentinelOne and CrowdStrike pricing is stated in US dollars only in available sources, with no GBP equivalent published.

**United States**: All three platforms are available. CrowdStrike, founded and based in the US, is a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is available through Microsoft's US licensing channels. SentinelOne publishes US dollar pricing at $179.99, $229.99 per endpoint per year for core tiers.

## What is verified vs claimed?

**Independently verified**:
- SentinelOne achieved 100% analytic detection coverage in the MITRE ATT&CK 2024 Turla evaluation, flagging all 80 attack techniques whilst generating 88% fewer alerts than the median vendor (MITRE ATT&CK evaluation results).
- CrowdStrike's faulty update on 19 July 2024 caused global computer outages affecting air travel, banking, and broadcasting (verified via news coverage and lawsuits).
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS (verified in Microsoft documentation).
- SentinelOne was named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms for the sixth consecutive year (SentinelOne vendor claim, citing Gartner).

**Vendor claims**:
- CrowdStrike Falcon is "regarded as a best-of-breed platform" and "widely regarded as a best-of-breed platform" (source text claims; not independently verified).
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides "automatic attack disruption" that "automatically disrupt[s] ransomware cyberattacks by blocking lateral movement and remote encryption in a decentralised way" (Microsoft vendor claim).
- SentinelOne Singularity is "designed to help you stay secure without breaking your budget" (SentinelOne vendor claim).
- The global EDR market was valued at $5.74 billion in January 2025 and projected to reach $7.23 billion by July 2026 (Fortune Business Insights estimate, cited in source text; projection not independently verified).

## Comparison table

| Feature | CrowdStrike Falcon | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | SentinelOne Singularity |
|---------|-------|---------|-------------|
| **Pricing model** | Per-device annual subscription (quote-based) | Per-user monthly subscription (bundled in Microsoft 365 E5) | Per-endpoint annual subscription (published) |
| **Typical cost at 1,000 endpoints** | $99.99, $184.99 per device per year (Pro to Enterprise); $200, $400 per device per year (Falcon Complete MDR) | £9.20 per user per month (UK); included in Microsoft 365 E5 | $179.99, $229.99 per endpoint per year |
| **Architecture** | Single lightweight sensor + Threat Graph cloud correlation | Unified Defender portal + Microsoft ecosystem integration | Autonomous detection + unified enterprise security platform |
| **Supported platforms** | Not stated in sources | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Not stated in sources |
| **MITRE ATT&CK 2024 (Turla)** | Detected core attack chain; detection type and manual config varied | Detected core attack chain; detection type and manual config varied | 100% analytic detection coverage (all 80 techniques); 88% fewer alerts than median vendor |
| **Best suited for** | Enterprises wanting independent best-of-breed platform with full module catalogue | Organisations committed to Microsoft 365 E5 seeking bundled EDR | Teams prioritising autonomous detection and transparent pricing |
| **Gartner recognition** | Not stated in sources | Not stated in sources | Leader in 2026 Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms (sixth consecutive year) |

## Related on Future Technology
- [CrowdStrike SafeMind: Two AI models built to attack and defend each other](/article/crowdstrike-safemind-red-tempest-blue-solano/)
- [ShieldBreak is a Windows zero day that only works if Defender is switched on](/article/shieldbreak-defender-zero-day-cve-2026-69414/)
- [Microsoft president calls for UK-led AI Regulation](/article/microsoft-brad-smith-uk-ai-regulation/)
- [All explainers](/explainers/)

## Frequently asked questions
### What is endpoint detection and response (EDR)?

Software that records endpoint activity, detects malicious behaviour, and lets responders contain a host; evolved beyond traditional antivirus to catch attackers using stolen credentials and built-in tools

### Which platform scored highest in MITRE ATT&CK testing?

SentinelOne achieved 100% analytic detection coverage in MITRE's 2024 Turla evaluation, flagging all 80 attack techniques with 88% fewer alerts than the median vendor

### How does pricing differ between the three platforms?

CrowdStrike typically ranges $99.99 to $184.99 per device per year; SentinelOne from $179.99 to $229.99 per endpoint per year; Microsoft Defender included in Microsoft 365 E5 at £9.20 per user per month in the UK

## Sources

- [sentinelone.com](https://www.sentinelone.com/pricing/)
- [microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/microsoft-defender-endpoint)
- [microsoft.com](https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/security/business/endpoint-security/microsoft-defender-endpoint)
- [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrowdStrike)
- [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Defender_Antivirus)
- [tech-insider.org](https://tech-insider.org/crowdstrike-vs-defender-vs-sentinelone-2026/)
- [cipherssecurity.com](https://cipherssecurity.com/crowdstrike-vs-sentinelone-vs-defender-edr/)
- [github.com](https://github.com/markzarif/DFIR-Artifact-Collector)