Quick Answer
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Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management costs Free to $3 per user/month as of May 2026. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management true cost runs 70% above the listed $0-$3/user/month price as of May 2026. For a 25-person team, expect ~$1,275 in year-one costs vs the $750 base license. Key hidden costs: base microsoft defender for endpoint licensing if not already deployed (p1: ~$5/user/month, p2: ~$10/user/month), microsoft 365 e5 security license includes full capabilities but costs $12/user/month, azure defender for cloud required for server and container vulnerability scanning (separate pricing). Verified from 1 sources by CostBench.

Hidden Costs Breakdown

1

Base Microsoft Defender for Endpoint licensing if not already deployed (P1: ~$5/user/month, P2: ~$10/user/month)

2

Microsoft 365 E5 Security license includes full capabilities but costs $12/user/month

3

Azure Defender for Cloud required for server and container vulnerability scanning (separate pricing)

4

Professional services for deployment and configuration in large environments

5

Integration development for non-Microsoft SIEM or ITSM systems

6

Training programs for security teams on Microsoft security platform

7

Advanced features may require higher-tier Microsoft licensing (E5 vs E3)

8

Multi-cloud vulnerability scanning may require additional Azure Arc deployment

9

Custom automation and workflow development

10

Note: 2022 pricing ($2-3/user/month) may have changed - contact Microsoft for current pricing

11

Premium support packages available but typically sold at enterprise level

Example: True Cost for 25 Users

License (25 × $2.5 × 12) $750/yr
Implementation (one-time) +$15,000–$50,000
Premium Support (20%) +$150/yr
Training (25 × $500) +$12,500
Admin (part-time) +$15,000–$25,000/yr
Estimated Year 1 Total ~$1,275
That's roughly 1.7× the advertised license price. The median Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management contract is $149/yr across 5 Vendr purchases.