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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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 8w ago
$149 $35K
View pricing →
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management is a built-in, agentless vulnerability assessm
verified 5w ago
$149 $35K
View pricing →
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
Microsoft saves $35K vs Qualys · 25 seats
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 1mo ago
Confidence Medium confidence
Sources 9 sourced facts
5 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified 1mo 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
1.04out 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
Poor and unresponsive customer support, often sending users in circles
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
1.04out of 5 (24)
Top complaints
  • Poor and unresponsive customer support, often sending users in circles
  • Auto-renewal charges without prior notification
  • Forced OS updates causing performance issues or system instability

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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