Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Hidden Costs 2026
What they don't show you on the pricing page
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint costs $3 to $5.20 per per user/month as of June 2026, with 2 plans available. Plans: Plan 1 (Basic) at $3/per user/month, and Plan 2 (Advanced) at $5.2/per user/month. 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 for Endpoint offers 2 pricing tiers: Plan 1 (Basic), Plan 2 (Advanced). Paid plans include Plan 1 (Basic) at $3/per user/month, Plan 2 (Advanced) at $5.2/per user/month. The Plan 2 (Advanced) plan is general users and teams.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint true cost runs Infinity% above the listed $3-$5.2/per user/month price as of June 2026. For a 25-person team, expect ~$∞ in year-one costs vs the $1,230 base license. Key hidden costs: each user license covers up to 5 devices (mix of windows, macos, linux, mobile), volume licensing agreements may offer additional discounts for large organizations, integration with microsoft 365 e5 includes defender for endpoint p2 at no additional cost. Verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Example: True Cost for 25 Users
| License (25 × $4.1 × 12) | $1,230/yr |
| Implementation (one-time) | +$15,000–$50,000 |
| Premium Support (20%) | +$246/yr |
| Training (25 × $500) | +$12,500 |
| Admin (part-time) | +$15,000–$25,000/yr |
| Estimated Year 1 Total | ~$∞ |