Qualys VMDR vs Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Pricing (2026)
Compare / Qualys VMDR vs Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management
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Team size
25 seats

Qualys VMDR vs Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management

Vulnerability Management pricing comparison · 2026

Qualys VMDR pricing ranges from $596–$6805/user/month, while Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management ranges from $0–$3/user/month. These products use different pricing models ( vs Per-seat subscription), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.

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See pricing on each vendor's site
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Visit Qualys pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
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Discount programs →
Compare
2 products · Vulnerability Management
Side-by-side · live
Qualys VMDR
Qualys VMDR (Vulnerability Management, Detection, and Response) costs $596–$6,805/month as
verified 16d ago
$149 $35K
View pricing →
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management is a built-in, agentless vulnerability assessm
verified 11w ago
$149 $35K
View pricing →
Recorded annual contract medians
Microsoft median is $35K less than Qualys · different customer contracts; not a quote
Cheapest $149
Spread 100%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
256 hosts (monthly)
$283K/yr
year 1 license · $942/seat
Add-on (for Defender for Endpoint P2)
$600/yr
year 1 license · $2/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$35K/yr
Vendr · n=104 avg 13% negotiated
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$149/yr
Vendr · n=5 · limited data
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 17 sourced facts
12 hidden-cost · 3 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 2w ago
Confidence Medium confidence
Sources 9 sourced facts
5 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified 2mo ago
Confidence Medium confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
5 documented
  • Separate Licensing for Additional Modules
    15-40% of base license costs
    3 sources
  • Complex QLU-Based Cloud Licensing
    10-25% of base license costs
    2 sources
  • Aggressive Sales Tactics and Account Management Issues
    5-15% of license costs
    2 sources
  • Per-Scanner Fees for Additional Scanners
    5-20% of base license costs
    2 sources
  • High 100% Renewal Rate
    100% of first-year costs annually
    1 source
5 documented
  • Internal IT Staff Time
    1 source
  • Professional Services
    1 source
  • Training
    1 source
  • Unexpected Auto-Renewal Charges
    5-15% of license costs
    1 source
  • Hidden Feature Limitations on Paid Plans
    5-10% of license costs
    1 source
REF · 04

Contract terms

The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.

Qualys
Microsoft
Auto-renewal
Yes
Yes
Cancellation
—
Must cancel before renewal date; cancellation after renewal date is not permitted per Microsoft policy
Commitment
Annual
—
Price escalation
100% renewal rate reported; pricing described as 'strict until they're going to lose'
—
Can downgrade
—
—
Based on 4 verified sources (Vendr · TrustRadius · BBB)
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Trustpilot
1out of 5 (1)
Best for
Small to mid-size organizations with up to 128 managed hosts
Watch out
Aggressive and relentless sales tactics
Trustpilot
1.2out of 5 (24)
G2
4.4out of 5 (34)
Best for
Organizations new to Microsoft Defender or using Defender for Endpoint P1 or Microsoft 365 E3 seeking comprehensive vulnerability management
Watch out
Customer support is AI-only with no way to reach a human agent
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Qualys pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Visit Microsoft pricing
Discount programs →
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
Vulnerability Management

Qualys VMDR

$596–$6805
/user/month
6 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Vulnerability Management

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management

$0–$3
/user/month
3 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
⚖

Different Pricing Models

Direct price comparison isn't meaningful here — Qualys VMDR uses pricing while Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management uses Per-seat subscription pricing. Your actual cost will depend on usage volume, team size, or both. Here's each product in its native unit.

Qualys VMDR

$596–$6805 / user/month
See full Qualys VMDR pricing →
vs
Per-seat subscription

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management

$0–$3 / user/month
See full Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management pricing →

Qualys VMDR and Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management both operate in the vulnerability management category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Qualys VMDR Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management
128 hosts (monthly) $596 /month $3 /per user/month
256 hosts (monthly) $942 /month $2 /per user/month
512 hosts (monthly) $1.5K /month Free /included in existing license
1024 hosts (monthly) $2.4K /month —
2048 hosts (monthly) $3.7K /month —
5120 hosts (monthly) $6.8K /month —

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Qualys VMDR

4 scenarios
$596/month ($7,152/year)
Small Enterprise — 128 Hosts
at list price; Vendr median suggests ~$6,225/year after typical 13% discount
$1,489/month ($17,868/year)
Mid-Market — 512 Hosts
at list price; approximately $15,545/year after typical 13% discount
$3,719/month ($44,628/year)
Large Enterprise — 2,048 Hosts
at list price; approximately $38,827/year after typical 13% discount
See all 4 scenarios →

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management

3 scenarios
$300/month ($3/user/month × 100 users)
Standalone — 100-seat team
$200/month ($2/user/month × 100 users)
Add-on — 100-seat team (existing Defender for Endpoint P2)
$0
Included via Microsoft 365 E5
incremental cost (included in existing Microsoft 365 E5 or Defender for Cloud licensing)

Market Intelligence

Qualys VMDR

Median annual cost
$35,337
Average negotiated discount
13%
Based on
104 deals

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management

Median annual cost
$149
Based on
5 deals

What Users Say

Qualys VMDR

Trustpilot
1out of 5 (1)
Top complaints
  • Aggressive and relentless sales tactics
  • Account managers missing renewal deadlines causing service outages
  • Slow or no response to pricing and module inquiries

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management

G2
4.4out of 5 (34)
Trustpilot
1.2out of 5 (24)
Top complaints
  • Customer support is AI-only with no way to reach a human agent
  • Account lockouts and account recovery failures go unresolved
  • Product instability — crashes, freezes, and unexpected errors across Microsoft apps

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Qualys VMDR 6 hidden costs

high
Separate Licensing for Additional Modules 15-40% of base license costs
medium
Complex QLU-Based Cloud Licensing 10-25% of base license costs
medium
Aggressive Sales Tactics and Account Management Issues 5-15% of license costs
medium
Per-Scanner Fees for Additional Scanners 5-20% of base license costs
medium
High 100% Renewal Rate 100% of first-year costs annually
See all Qualys VMDR hidden costs →

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management 5 hidden costs

medium
Internal IT Staff Time
medium
Professional Services
medium
Training
medium
Unexpected Auto-Renewal Charges 5-15% of license costs
medium
Hidden Feature Limitations on Paid Plans 5-10% of license costs
See all Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Qualys VMDR Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management
Auto-renewal Yes Yes
Cancellation — Must cancel before renewal date; cancellation after renewal date is not permitted per Microsoft policy
Minimum commitment Annual —
Price escalation 100% renewal rate reported; pricing described as 'strict until they're going to lose' —

Continue researching

Qualys VMDR

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management

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