Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management

Microsoft's built-in vulnerability management integrated with Defender for Endpoint

Enterprise Vulnerability ManagementIncluded with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 / Standalone add-on $3/user/month
How we work:This listing is aggregated from Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management's official documentation, public pricing pages, community discussions (Reddit, HN, forums), and real user feedback. We do not do hands-on testing. We aggregate and organize what's already out there. Last verified February 2026.

What is Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management?

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management is Microsoft's built-in vulnerability assessment and management solution integrated into the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint platform. It provides continuous vulnerability discovery, risk-based prioritization, and remediation tracking across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android endpoints. Leveraging the Defender for Endpoint agent already deployed in Microsoft environments, it delivers vulnerability visibility, security baseline assessment, and browser extension inventory without additional scanning infrastructure.

Best for: Microsoft-centric organizations wanting vulnerability management bundled with their existing Defender for Endpoint deployment
Pros
  • ✓ Included with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 at no additional cost
  • ✓ Zero deployment effort for existing Microsoft Defender environments
  • ✓ Deep integration with Intune for automated remediation
  • ✓ Security baseline assessment beyond just CVE detection
  • ✓ Unified security dashboard across Microsoft 365 Defender
Cons
  • ✗ Limited vulnerability coverage compared to dedicated scanners like Nessus
  • ✗ Primarily focused on Microsoft OS and browser ecosystems
  • ✗ No support for OT/ICS, network appliance, or custom application scanning
  • ✗ Requires Microsoft 365 E5 or Defender P2 licensing
  • ✗ Less effective in heterogeneous non-Microsoft environments

Key Features

→Agentless vulnerability discovery via Defender agent
→Continuous vulnerability assessment of endpoints
→Security baseline assessment and configuration review
→Browser extension and certificate inventory
→Threat analytics and exploit intelligence
→Remediation tracking integrated with Intune
→Network device discovery and assessment
→Exposure score and recommendations dashboard

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Comparisons

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs Arctic Wolf→Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs CrowdStrike Falcon Spotlight→Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs Greenbone OpenVAS→Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs Nuclei→Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs Tanium→Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs Tenable→Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs Qualys VMDR→Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management vs Rapid7 InsightVM→
Quick Info
PricingIncluded with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 / Standalone add-on $3/user/month
ModelPer-user (monthly subscription, bundled with Microsoft 365 E5)
Founded2019
CloudYes
Self-HostedNo
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Last updated: Feb 20, 2026

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