Avanan vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps comparison

The compared Avanan, a Check Point Company and Microsoft solutions aren't in the same category. Avanan, a Check Point Company is ranked #22 in Email Security , and holds a 2.2% mindshare in the category. Microsoft is ranked #5 in CASB , with an average rating of 8.5, and holds a 5.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Avanan, a Check Point Company users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Avanan and Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Proofpoint, Microsoft, Check Point Software Technologies and others in Email Security.

To learn more, read our detailed Email Security Report (Updated: May 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Email Security

May 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cloudflare One

Mindshare comparison

Email Security Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Avanan	2.2%
Proofpoint Email Protection	6.8%
Microsoft Defender for Office 365	6.3%
Other	84.7%

Email Security

Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps	5.5%
Netskope	13.1%
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks	12.8%
Other	68.6%

Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB)

Featured Reviews

Cobe Van Coller

Network Architect at IP Dimension

Cloud security has improved remote access and has reduced costs for smaller client sites

I have used Cloudflare One's Identity-Aware Proxy, and it is quite straightforward from what I have seen so far. The app registration on the Azure side integrates fully into Cloudflare, and I am very satisfied with that part because it is easy to set up. The integration of Cloudflare One's Secure Web Gateway and Zero Trust Network Access works without any issues. That part is pretty automatic, and if you complete the rest of the setup, it comes together by itself with no issues from my side. What makes it nice is that we can actually start replacing on-site firewalls at this stage for the smaller clients because it does not matter if they go to a coffee shop or work from home; they are still secured by the same connection. The hops get shorter and you get better latency. We have done testing to see if it is better. One thing that we did notice with our proof of concept with our current client is that they have people connecting from the UK. When they used their previous VPN solution, uploading CAD drawings and other files to the server took a long time. They mentioned that it is much quicker on Cloudflare One's solution. I definitely believe that is part of the improved performance, and I am satisfied with that as well. What is nice about Cloudflare One is that it makes the setup easier and also easier to train technicians to maintain it. Compared to legacy systems, we do not need to get fancy firewalls in place that are costly. That is definitely also a cost-saver with Cloudflare One.

Read full review

Robert Melendez

Vice President Information Technology at Makeready

Enhances email security and has a very simple and easy-to-use UI

Spam protection is the most valuable feature. We have implemented the tool to enhance our email security. It helps prevent phishing attacks. The anomaly detection capabilities are baked into the security platform. The product integrates wonderfully with Microsoft 365. It's built right on a cloud platform and works almost natively. The solution has a very simple and easy-to-use UI. The tool appears extremely powerful and has a good solid feature set. It catches things that are bad for my environment. The user interface is good the way it is. If the solution continues down that path, I see no problems with the way it is going. It feels like a mature product.

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Abdulrahman Muhammadi

information Security and IT Manager at Discover Dollar Technologies Pvt Ltd.

Integration with existing cloud workflows has simplified compliance and threat detection

Licensing cost is a significant concern. With Defender Plan 1, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps comes with a pay-per-use model. Each feature has its own pricing when activated on VMs. For example, the vulnerability assessment has separate pricing, the base model including encryptions has separate pricing, and the compliance features have separate pricing. This applies to each VM and Azure resource individually. It is not straightforward where you can take one license and apply it to everything. Each feature has its own pricing model which can be tedious, as the costs keep accumulating. The only lacking feature currently is XDR (extended detection and response). Apart from that, I have only positive experiences with the whole Microsoft suite, except for the pricing structure.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Cloudflare is by far the most effective solution that I have come across."

"Enables me to work from two locations."

"The capabilities of the software are strong enough for me to do what it's supposed to do. For me, we don't need to do a lot of configuration on our site. We just enable it and monitor it."

"Using Cloudflare One makes my work quite easy because for DDoS protection, all I need to do is understand the OSI model and click; it makes it easier than trying to write a command line or use a Linux command."

"The solution has different options that can be used to differentiate DDoS attacks."

"It is a stable solution."

"It's the endpoint exposition. We don't need to expose our VPN server to the internet and need a zero-test solution. I can apply some conditional access to the endpoint that's connecting to our network to check their security policies or the security condition of their workstation. Once the workstation is trying to connect to my internal network, then I would like to check the discrete condition of these endpoints that are trying to access my internal network. We created some conditional access. We have CrowdStrike, to check if the CrowdStrike is installed, to check if it's updated, and to check for Windows updates. We created some conditional policies to check it."

"Cloudflare Access is part of the Zero Trust philosophy."

More Cloudflare One pros

"The most valuable feature of Avanan is its effectiveness; when scanning incoming emails for threats it can, in an automated fashion, quarantine suspicious attachments."

"It can detect corrupted files and filters out documents with viruses."

"Email Attachment Protection detects any insecure files and quickly blocks them to prevent the spread of viruses to other secure documents."

"Email encryption enhances end to end security of any data before it passes through the networking system."

"This software has kept the company information systems very secure for a long period, and we are proud of that."

"It can retract unsafe emails and remove them from the entire communication channel."

"The ease of installation and the AI capacity of the product are valuable."

"If we look at four to five years ago, we had close to six or eight people click a link in an email per month. Now, we are probably down to about five or six clicks a year, if not less."

More Avanan pros

"I like the web GUI/the management interface, and I also like the security of Microsoft because, as compared to other manufacturers, it's less complex and easy to understand and work with."

"Defender's integration with our identity solutions is critical in our current setup."

"Microsoft Defender is probably now accepted as the best product on the market for antivirus and web filtering."

"The ability to sanction unsanctioned apps using Secure Score benchmarking, included in Cloud, is also beneficial."

"The most valuable feature is the ease of management. It's important."

"It's very easy to install and it includes the Intune portal from Microsoft where I can control all the devices from one place."

"The solution does not affect a user's workflow."

"If your business requirements are relatively simple, it can get the job done."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps pros

Cons

"Cloudflare DDoS has poor technical support."

"The pricing is an area that can be improved. Pricing, as far as I recall, was the source of our problems."

"When there are any dynamic changes in complex applications, the tool takes a lot of time, making its analytics-related area a major matter of concern where improvements are needed."

"The free plan has limitations. For example, I can only set up three rules, and the application firewall is unavailable."

"They don't have a person to provide support for customers using the solution under their free plan."

"For the topic of improvement, providing some training material is one of my suggestions."

"Feedback could be enhanced."

"Operating and tuning the product is difficult."

More Cloudflare One cons

"Familiarization with performance for new teams may take a long time."

"When sending bulky emails, the system slows down and takes a long time before it responds effectively to our requests."

"Email querying is not efficient throughout."

"They should come up with a mobile application so that it can be more flexible."

"The response to new threats is sometimes slow and can lead to data compromise."

"Integration with various SaaS offerings, who are leading in the SaaS market. Examples include: SNOW (ServiceNow), Salesforce.com"

"Being cloud first and because we are in the movie business, we use a lot of Macintoshes. So, there is absolutely no reason for us to have Active Directory whatsoever. However, if you are using Office 365, you must have Active Directory in order to reset passwords. Even though we have a single sign-on provider, we must have Azure Active Directory for Office 365, which is really stupid. As a cloud application, you would think that I don't need Active Directory, which I don't need for anything else except Office 365. We have one server inside that space to help us manage Active Directory just for Office 365. This is a very sore point, but it is what it is."

"Sometimes it seemed like the allow list wasn't working. I've created many allow list rules however, they still seem to be blocked; the same is true with the blocked list rules."

More Avanan cons

"We sometimes get errors when we create policies, which is somewhat annoying because some policies stop working due to misconfigurations. We find this challenging because it limits our options for troubleshooting an issue."

"Since implementing this solution, we have had more support calls regarding false positives."

"They need to improve the attack surface reduction (ASR) rules. In the latest version, you can implement ASR rules, which are quite useful, but you have to enable those because if they're not enabled, they flag false positives. In the Defender portal, it logs a block for WMI processes and PowerShell. Apparently, it's because ASR rules are not configured. So, you generally have to enable them to exclude, for example, WMI queries or PowerShell because they have a habit of blocking your security scanners. It's a bit weird that they have to be enabled to be configured, and it's not the other way around."

"The insights could be improved, especially in reporting. While it is possible for me to see the usage from different cloud apps, determining if critical data has been uploaded or if it is just normal transport data is difficult."

"The areas of Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps that need improvement are related to IAM, as they do not provide much support for local users."

"They need to improve the attack surface reduction (ASR) rules."

"Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps' initial setup was quite technical but we were prepared. The time of the implementation depends on the job and how many users are being set up."

"The product is very good so far, however, it would be better if it could include more up-to-date threat protection."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing of the solution is cheap. The licensing cost is also very low. I rate the cost and pricing a three out of ten."

"The prices are slightly expensive."

"The solution is not that expensive."

"The solution's pricing lacks transparency."

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform's pricing is good."

"My company has to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution. There are no hidden charges apart from the licensing costs of the solution."

"The price tag is no longer $200,000, but rather $300,000 to $400,000. It's twice."

"The pricing is somewhere in the middle. I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten."

"Avanan’s price is comparable to Barracuda."

"Having the flexibility and modeling to do the pricing that best fits the needs of the organization is incredibly ideal. That is what Avanan does. They know exactly how many users are using it, etc. We can tune the invoicing associated with how we are using the product so we can charge it back to the shows appropriately."

"The pricing of Avanan is reasonable."

"The product is not the cheapest in the market."

"Good pricing arrangement as an SaaS offering."

"The cost could be improved when you need to pay for anything. For example, refreshing files takes time to load, though it may be my Internet. To improve the refresh time, Microsoft says that we need to pay for a Premium license, and I don't like paying for things that help make a solution better."

"The pricing is in the middle. It isn't too cheap or expensive compared to other antivirus or security products. It is priced according to industry standards."

"The pricing is a little bit high but right now, we are okay with it because of the compatibility with Office 365, Teams, and Azure AD."

"Where we are right now, this is an acceptable pricing. I would like to see more transparency given to the end user. The end user given to us is via the cloud service provider. There are different programs and license models. Some include this, and some include that. It is all over the place. There can be a little more consistency or simplification in the pricing so that your parts list is not ten pages long, and you are not trying to determine, "If I have an E3, does this cover that?", or "Do I need to pay separately for the license?" Simplification would probably be better."

"We utilize the Microsoft E5 licensing, which encompasses the entire Microsoft suite; however, it is costly."

"The price could be better and should be reconsidered."

"The E5 license offers everything bundled. People are moving to Microsoft because you buy one license and it gives you everything."

"Its pricing is on the higher side. Its price is definitely very high for a small-scale company. As an enterprise client, we do get benefits from Microsoft. We get a discounted price because of the number of users we have in our company. We have a premier package, and with that, we do get a lot of discounts. There are no additional costs. It only comes in the top-tier packages. Generally, the top-tier license is the best license that you can get for your organization. If you want, you can buy it separately, but that's not a good idea."

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

19%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	12

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	19

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Comparisons

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Cloudflare One

Compared 4% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

Twingate vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

FortiSASE vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

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Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) vs Avanan

Compared 10% of the time

Skyhigh Security vs Avanan

Compared 8% of the time

Guardz vs Avanan

Compared 7% of the time

INKY Email Security Platform vs Avanan

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Avanan

Compared 5% of the time

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Cisco Umbrella vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Compared 9% of the time

Netskope vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Compared 8% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Compared 7% of the time

Skyhigh Security vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Compared 6% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One

May 2026

Download Cloudflare One product report

Buyer's Guide

Avanan

May 2026

Download Avanan product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

May 2026

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps report

Download Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps product report

Also Known As

Cloudflare Area 1 Email Security, Cloudflare Bot Management, Cloudflare Gateway, Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform, Cloudflare DDoS, Cloudflare SASE & SSE Platform

No data available

MS Cloud App Security, Microsoft Cloud App Security

Overview

Cloudflare One is a comprehensive platform for security, performance, and connectivity. It provides features like rate limiting, DDoS protection, and application access, tailored to enhance user experience while securing internet access and accelerating communications.

Designed to integrate security measures with ease of use and scalability, Cloudflare One offers a secure web gateway and zero trust network access. These features ensure seamless setup and operation, making connectivity reliable and protected. Users appreciate its integrated console, intuitive interface, and the ability to manage risk effectively. It offers straightforward deployment, improves latency, and boasts cost-effectiveness. While its onboarding process and documentation need enhancement, its value in content delivery and application shielding is notable. Despite challenges in integrating Cloudflare Access with existing VPNs and the need for better automation and support, it remains vital for DNS and infrastructure protection.

What features make Cloudflare One stand out?

Rate Limiting: Controls the traffic rate to prevent abuse.
DDoS Protection: Shields applications from distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Secure Web Gateway: Provides secure internet access with seamless operation.
Zero Trust Network Access: Ensures secure, application-based connectivity without relying on traditional VPNs.
Access for Connectivity: Facilitates access to internal applications securely.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Security: Robust measures for DNS and browsing protection.
Performance: Enhanced site accessibility and communication speed.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing for its features.
Ease of Deployment: Straightforward and efficient setup process.

In industries like finance, retail, and technology, Cloudflare One is crucial for enabling secure remote access and protecting web applications against dynamic threats. It supports compliance access policies and enhances content delivery, playing a key role in safeguarding digital infrastructure.

Cloudflare

Avanan offers advanced threat detection for protecting against phishing and malware, utilizing strong AI algorithms and seamless integration with platforms like Office 365. Its cloud-based, customizable security rules ensure efficient data protection suitable for diverse organizational sizes.

Avanan's platform is designed for email security across cloud and on-premises environments, protecting against threats like ransomware and DDoS attacks. With features such as real-time threat detection and advanced filtering, it integrates effortlessly with Microsoft 365. Organizations appreciate its user-friendly interface that allows for easy deployment and management. While possessing cost-effective qualities, Avanan might improve in SaaS integration, AI logic, and technical support with Check Point. Some users suggest enhancements like better mobile compatibility and faster threat response. The system's documentation and querying functionalities could also see refinement, addressing concerns for SMEs.

What are Avanan's key features?

Advanced Threat Detection: Quickly identifies phishing and malware.
Anti-Malware: Supports Office 365 and Box.com with strong AI algorithms.
Sandboxing Capability: Quarantines suspicious emails efficiently.
Seamless Integration: Compatible with tools like Office 365 and Slack.
Customizable Security: Offers cloud-based, always-on protection.

What benefits should users consider?

Cost-Effectiveness: Ideal for organizations of all sizes.
Ease of Implementation: Quick and easy setup process.
User-Friendly Management: Simplifies threat management and data protection.
Enhanced Data Protection: Comprehensive security across environments.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, Avanan is implemented widely to protect sensitive communications and ensure compliance with data protection regulations. Its flexibility makes it suitable for sectors requiring robust security measures, leveraging cloud-based solutions for real-time threat mitigation and data leak prevention.

Avanan, a Check Point Company

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps is a robust tool for shadow IT detection, cloud integration, and threat detection, enhancing security management with capabilities in auditing and data protection.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps strengthens cloud security by providing comprehensive insights into user activities, seamlessly integrating with Microsoft security products and platforms like SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive. Its investigative capabilities enhance threat detection, while real-time alerts and policy applications improve security posture. Organizations benefit from its monitoring, auditing, and privileged identity management features that contribute to enhanced security management and data protection.

What are the key features of Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps?

Shadow IT Discovery: Identifies and manages unsanctioned applications across cloud environments.
Cloud Integration: Seamlessly connects with Microsoft security products and platforms.
Threat Detection: Offers powerful tools for identifying and mitigating threats in real-time.
Policy Application: Facilitates enforcement of policies across SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive.
User Activity Visibility: Provides detailed insights into user behavior and actions.

What benefits and ROI should organizations consider?

Enhanced Security Posture: Increases the effectiveness of overall security management.
Real-Time Alerts: Offers immediate notifications to improve response times to threats.
Compliance Support: Aids in maintaining compliance through integrated monitoring and governance.
Data Protection: Protects sensitive corporate data through detailed auditing and monitoring.
Integration with Azure: Enhances threat detection through cohesive integration with Azure services.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps implementation varies across industries, crucial for sectors needing stringent data protection and compliance, like finance and healthcare. Firms use it to monitor user activity, enforce data loss prevention policies, and ensure security across multi-cloud environments while integrating with Azure services for comprehensive threat management. These implementations are particularly beneficial in improving compliance efforts and protecting sensitive data.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

23andMe

Bethel School District, ServiceSource, Capital Caring

Customers for Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps include Accenture, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Ansell, and Nakilat.

Find out what your peers are saying about Proofpoint, Microsoft, Check Point Software Technologies and others in Email Security. Updated: May 2026.

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We monitor all Email Security reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.