One secures the Microsoft estate you already pay for. The other secures the product you sell, and proves it for the audit.
TL;DR
Osto vs Microsoft Security, in one line each.
Osto is the security stack and the compliance layer in one platform. Web and API protection, cloud posture, endpoint control, DLP and VAPT are modules Osto runs, and audit evidence comes out of them.
Microsoft Security is a set of products across Microsoft Defender, Entra, Purview, Intune and Sentinel, unlocked by licence tier and configured in separate admin centres. It centres on identities, devices and Microsoft 365 data.
The Osto vs Microsoft Security pitch is that you already own some of it. That is true, and it is the catch: what you own depends on the tier you bought.
On this page
Osto vs Microsoft Security: the core difference in one line
Microsoft secures the Microsoft estate. Osto secures the product your customers log into, and gets you audit ready at the same time.
One platform, one tier
Web and API protection, cloud posture, endpoint control, ZTNA, DLP, VAPT and code security, with compliance on top. No feature matrix and no second console.
A suite priced by tier
Six product lines sold standalone and inside Microsoft 365 bundles. Endpoint detection, DLP and SIEM each depend on the tier you hold, and each has its own portal.
Osto vs Microsoft Security: the gap Osto fills
In an Osto vs Microsoft Security comparison this is the decisive point. The suite protects users, devices, mailboxes and Microsoft 365 data, but it does not stand in front of the web application your customers use, or produce the evidence an enterprise buyer asks for.
Buy Microsoft Security and you still buy this separately
- A web application firewall for your app and APIs
- Azure services for multicloud posture, billed apart
- A penetration testing firm, per cycle
- A compliance platform for audit evidence
- Security questionnaire responses, done manually
- Higher tiers to unlock detection and DLP
- An admin to configure several consoles
Buy Osto and this is already included
- Reverse proxy WAAP blocking OWASP Top 10 and bots
- CSPM across AWS, Azure and GCP in the platform
- Expert led VAPT plus an AI scanner
- Compliance across 200 plus frameworks
- AI security questionnaires from live platform state
- Endpoint antimalware and File Access DLP
- One console, one tier, one owner
Osto vs Microsoft Security: what companies actually care about
Seven criteria decide most Osto vs Microsoft Security evaluations. Each verdict below is followed by the reason behind it.
| Criteria | Osto | Microsoft Security |
|---|---|---|
| Who is it for? | Startups and lean teams. No security function required. | Organisations standardised on Microsoft. Assumes IT admins to configure it. |
| What does it cover? | The whole surface, plus compliance. Cloud, apps, APIs, endpoints, code, testing. | Mainly the Microsoft estate. Identities, devices and Microsoft 365 data. |
| Is the product we ship protected? | Yes, at the edge. WAAP filters OWASP Top 10, bots and DDoS. | Not in the suite. App firewalling is a separate Azure service. |
| Do I need a security team? | No. Controls run on the platform, vCISO if needed. | Usually yes. Six product lines, each with its own console. |
| How predictable is what we get? | One tier, everything included. No feature matrix between plans. | Depends on the licence. Detection, DLP and SIEM sit behind tiers. |
| What does compliance look like? | Built in. 200 plus frameworks, evidence from Osto’s controls. | Tenant scoped assessments. No pen testing or questionnaire answering. |
| What happens after the audit? | Security keeps running. Same platform protects and keeps evidencing. | The estate stays covered. The app and testing stay with other vendors. |
The practical difference: In an Osto vs Microsoft Security decision it comes to this. Microsoft secures how your team works. Osto secures what your company sells, and the compliance behind it.
Osto vs Microsoft Security: which platform fits your team?
Your risk sits inside Microsoft 365
You are standardised on Microsoft, hold a tier with the controls you need, and have admins to configure them. Your app, testing and compliance are covered elsewhere.
You want security and compliance solved together
You need cybersecurity, compliance automation, VAPT and questionnaires without decoding a licence matrix or adding a provider for every requirement.
Why growing teams pick Osto in an Osto vs Microsoft Security decision
The product you ship is covered
A self configuring WAF applies positive security policy without hand written rules.
One tier, not a feature matrix
Everything is in the platform. No comparing plans to find the control you need.
Compliance comes with the security
Evidence is pulled from controls Osto runs and mapped to 200 plus frameworks.
No security hire needed
One console instead of several admin centres, and nobody to assign to them.
Secure what you sell, not just how your team works.
If your Osto vs Microsoft Security shortlist came down to coverage, see how Osto brings cybersecurity, compliance automation, VAPT and security operations together for fast-moving teams.
Book a DemoOsto vs Microsoft Security: common questions
Osto vs Microsoft Security: what is the main difference?
Microsoft Security spans Defender, Entra, Purview, Intune and Sentinel, with capability unlocked by licence tier and configured in separate admin centres, centred on identities, devices and Microsoft 365 security. Osto combines cybersecurity across cloud, apps, APIs, endpoints and code with compliance automation, VAPT and questionnaires in one platform.
We already pay for Microsoft 365. Do we still need Osto?
It depends what your tier includes and what you are protecting. A Microsoft subscription does not put a web application firewall in front of your app, run penetration testing, or answer inbound security questionnaires. If your enterprise deal asks for those, they sit outside the bundle, which is why teams start looking for a Microsoft Security alternative.
Does Microsoft Security protect our web application and APIs?
Not as part of the security suite. Application firewalling is delivered through separate Azure networking services, billed on Azure consumption and configured independently. Osto includes reverse proxy web and API protection with automatic application and API discovery.
Will Microsoft Security get us SOC 2 ready?
It provides assessment tooling scoped to your Microsoft tenant, which is not the same as audit readiness across your whole environment, and it does not include penetration testing or questionnaire responses. Osto includes compliance automation across 200 plus frameworks, with the audit performed by an accredited independent auditor.
Which is better for a startup, Osto vs Microsoft Security?
Microsoft security for startups works when risk is concentrated in email, identities and managed devices and you hold a tier that covers them. If your exposure is the application you ship and the audit in front of you, one platform covering the whole surface is the better fit.
How long does SOC 2 take with Osto?
Roughly 115 days end to end: seven days to readiness including VAPT, a mandatory three month evidence window, then around ten days of external CPA audit by an AICPA accredited firm. The evidence window is set by the standard, so no platform can remove it.