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Azure Firewall Manager vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management comparison

Azure Firewall Manager and Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management are both solutions in the Microsoft Security Suite category. Azure Firewall Manager is ranked #27 with an average rating of 9.0, while Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management is ranked #34 with an average rating of 7.5. Azure Firewall Manager holds a 0.5% mindshare in Microsoft Security Suite, compared to Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management’s 0.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Azure Firewall Manager users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management users who would recommend it.
Azure Firewall Manager
Read 6 Azure Firewall Manager reviews
  • 321 Views
  • 224 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Microsoft Defender External...
Read 2 Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management reviews
  • 108 Views
  • 69 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between Azure Firewall Manager and Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Microsoft Security Suite solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

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To learn more, read our detailed Azure Firewall Manager vs. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Report (Updated: February 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Azure Firewall Manager vs. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
February 2025
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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

Azure Firewall Manager
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
27th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
Firewall Security Management (12th)
Microsoft Defender External...
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
34th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Attack Surface Management (ASM) (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Azure Firewall Manager is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Microsoft Security Suite
 

Featured Reviews

Rashedul Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Security management has improved with centralized threat detection and automation
I have been using Azure actively in my company, engaging with various technologies such as Azure SQL Server, virtual machines, and other cloud-dependent development scenarios. To secure the environment, we sometimes utilize Azure Firewall Manager. We needed to manage different individual firewalls…
Read full review
AndyChan3 - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced visibility and exposes vulnerabilities but needs more integration
I am currently in the pilot stage of implementing Microsoft External Attack Surface Management (EASM). My organization is transitioning to a comprehensive track of Microsoft solutions, and we will move to full-scale production in another year, maybe Microsoft External Attack Surface Management…
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

"Azure Firewall Manager centralizes network security management with a hub and spoke architecture."
"The tool's support is good."
"The solution has improved our organization with its firewall."
"It is easy to install and does not require any plugins for your browser."
"The solution is very easy to set up."
"Azure Firewall Manager centralizes network security management with a hub and spoke architecture."
"The most valuable feature of Azure Firewall Manager is the testing and configuration."
"Microsoft External Attack Surface Management helps improve the visibility of my exposed vulnerabilities and provides an overview of my security posture across the globe."
"It seems to be better at protecting from cyberattacks."
"Microsoft External Attack Surface Management helps improve the visibility of my exposed vulnerabilities and provides an overview of my security posture across the globe."
 

Cons

"The configuration and settings require substantial time for learning, particularly for new users."
"We could do only one-way NAT-ing, where the traffic comes from outside to internal, to Azure, which is fine. However, when we actually do NAT-ed traffic to hit the firewall, that way is not working."
"The price is okay. This said, the solution is certainly expensive in comparison with other cloud services."
"The solution can improve the integration with open-source tools."
"The configuration and settings require substantial time for learning, particularly for new users. Improvements in ease of configuration would benefit users significantly."
"The tool's security features need to improve. It needs also to include a monitoring system for logs. It is also complicated to find a query on the Azure firewall."
"There should be a simple one-click deployment for a firewall, rather than a set of setup instructions that include steps such as the DNS configuration, et cetera."
"The integration is not as seamless compared to competitors like Palo Alto."
"With Microsoft, support is always crazy, it's not easy to get support."
"Further integration across different Microsoft products would be an improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is certainly expensive in comparison with other cloud services."
"The price of the solution is reasonable but it is reasonable for the features."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
21%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Insurance Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Firewall Manager?
The most valuable feature of Azure Firewall Manager is the testing and configuration.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Firewall Manager?
The pricing for Azure Firewall Manager seems okay compared to its good features. Although extra expenses are incurred for additional services, these are not directly related to the firewall, and th...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Azure Firewall Manager?
The configuration and settings require substantial time for learning, particularly for new users. Improvements in ease of configuration would benefit users significantly.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?
I rate the pricing of the solution as eight out of ten.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?
Further integration across different Microsoft products would be an improvement. Introduction of more AI automation into the products would also be beneficial. The integration is not as seamless co...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?
I am currently in the pilot stage of implementing Microsoft External Attack Surface Management (EASM). My organization is transitioning to a comprehensive track of Microsoft solutions, and we will ...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Azure Firewall vs Azure Firewall Manager Logo
Azure Firewall vs Azure Firewall Manager
Compared 42% of the time
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) vs Azure Firewall Manager Logo
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) vs Azure Firewall Manager
Compared 25% of the time
Palo Alto Networks Panorama vs Azure Firewall Manager Logo
Palo Alto Networks Panorama vs Azure Firewall Manager
Compared 22% of the time
AlgoSec vs Azure Firewall Manager Logo
AlgoSec vs Azure Firewall Manager
Compared 11% of the time
More Azure Firewall Manager Competitors
Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 23% of the time
Tenable Attack Surface Management vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
Tenable Attack Surface Management vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 20% of the time
CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 12% of the time
Bitsight vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
Bitsight vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 12% of the time
Mandiant Advantage vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
Mandiant Advantage vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 10% of the time
More Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Firewall Security Management
April 2025
Azure Firewall Manager reportDownload Azure Firewall Manager product report
Buyer's Guide
Attack Surface Management (ASM)
April 2025
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management reportDownload Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management product report
 

Overview

Azure Firewall Manager is a security management service that provides central security policy and route management for cloud-based security perimeters.

To learn more about our solution, ask questions, and share feedback, join our Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Community.

Microsoft

In this era of hybrid work, shadow IT creates an increasingly serious security risk. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management helps cloud security teams see unknown and unmanaged resources outside the firewall.

Microsoft
Buyer's Guide
Azure Firewall Manager vs. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
February 2025
Free Report: Azure Firewall Manager vs. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Firewall Manager vs. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management and other solutions. Updated: February 2025.
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