Azure Web Application Firewall vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance comparison

Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Purview Data Governance

March 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 847,625 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

6.0

Azure WAF cuts costs, eliminates third-party needs, improves ROI, meets security requirements, and offers reliable, favorable protection.

Sentiment score

7.8

Microsoft Purview Data Governance enhances data management, reduces risks, and boosts reputations, offering long-term advantages across industries.

AI-based recommendations save on time and money.

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

Recently, they have been under serious attack with major exploits, such as Log4j, affecting Fortinet and Palo Alto, and even Cisco and VMware.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

Clients benefit from using a one-stop-shop solution, increasing their visibility across different platforms.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

Customer Service

Sentiment score

7.1

Azure Web Application Firewall support varies; premium plans offer better service, while others find self-reliance sufficient.

Sentiment score

5.8

Microsoft Purview support varies; quick and knowledgeable or delayed and less informed, rating six to ten overall.

I hardly use Microsoft's paid subscription or maintenance services, however, whenever I send them a note, they have been responsive.

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

I am very satisfied with the response from Microsoft dedicated architects if it happens that I have to call for their support.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

They're skillful people who know what they're doing in their space.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

Overall, it doesn't meet our expectations.

AmrNaeem

Manager, Service Delivery & Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

I try to avoid opening tickets with Microsoft due to long response times, which is frustrating.

Guy Scheffel

Cloud Solutions Architect at Camera Corner Connecting Point

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

Azure Web Application Firewall offers flexible scaling options, dependent on subscription, with high ratings for managing large deployments.

Sentiment score

7.8

Microsoft Purview offers scalable data management, seamlessly integrates with Azure, handles numerous sources efficiently, but may incur high costs.

Some Azure applications, like the web application firewall, require a certain level of SKU for hosting setup.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

It handles all the data you can throw at it.

Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

The product is scalable and works across multi-cloud and multi-platform environments.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.0

Azure Web Application Firewall is stable and reliable, with rare performance issues, mainly solved by system restart.

Sentiment score

7.4

Microsoft Purview Data Governance is stable with minimal issues, requires careful patch management, and supports a 99.9% SLA.

Very rarely do I see any latency issues.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

It can take seven days to 24 hours to determine whether a policy is effective.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

Room For Improvement

Azure WAF needs improvements in management, deployment simplicity, affordability, IP support, and comprehensive documentation for better user experience.

Microsoft Purview needs improved integration, functionality, and support in data lineage, API, compliance, notifications, and third-party connections.

Upgrading the platform regularly is necessary for security, however, frequent updates every six months or year from Azure can be a maintenance overhead.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

It's essential to know if a feature isn't working due to missing licenses.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

There are some problems with DLP rules, and it would be great if the security around DLP could be expanded.

reviewer2596326

Cloud Security Specialist at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees

Auto-tagging should be available at lower levels of licensing.

Guy Scheffel

Cloud Solutions Architect at Camera Corner Connecting Point

Setup Cost

Enterprise users find Azure Web Application Firewall cost-effective and straightforward compared to AWS and GCP, especially in Brazil.

Microsoft Purview Data Governance is cost-effective with flexible pricing but may require additional licenses for certain features.

It is even a lower cost compared to AWS and GCP.

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

Sometimes, when opting for a higher SKU, it's not the WAF itself that's costly but the additional requirements.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

The feature might be available in the console, but it won't work without the proper license, creating confusion.

Mcafee Epo Administrator at Consultant/Converge Technology Solutions

The experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing was smooth, as most Purview functionalities were included in the e5 licenses we migrated to for other reasons.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

Valuable Features

Azure Web Application Firewall offers scalable, easy-to-configure protection with flexible pricing, enhancing security against DDoS and unauthorized access.

Microsoft Purview Data Governance enhances data protection, classification, and compliance across multi-cloud environments with intuitive tools and automation features.

With Microsoft, everything is within a single suite, making it easier to configure and plan.

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

It is almost impossible to access these assets from outside, requiring a very skilled attacker to obtain asset tokens of a customer using Azure.

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Web Application Firewall report

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

It provides a comprehensive view of the entire ecosystem's threats and compliance in real time.

AmrNaeem

Manager, Service Delivery & Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

The sensitivity labeling is the most valuable feature because it is the foundation for automating the encryption process and ensuring proper data handling across the organization.

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Dex engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

The data protection feature is vital as it controls who can access data when it moves out of our protected boundary.

reviewer2596326

Cloud Security Specialist at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees

Categories and Ranking

Azure Web Application Firewall

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

20th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Web Application Firewall (WAF) (13th)

Microsoft Purview Data Gove...

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

8th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Governance (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Azure Web Application Firewall is 1.9%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Data Governance is 4.8%, up from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Microsoft Security Suite

Featured Reviews

Comprehensive suite simplifies configuration while frequent updates require management

Management Consultant at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

Mainly, it comes with the complete suite of Microsoft services. I can use it in conjunction with the best options and other features that come with it. Configuration is much easier than using different platforms. For example, if I have hosted the application in AWS and am using the Application Firewall from Azure, there are certain additional steps to follow when configuring them. With Microsoft, everything is within a single suite, making it easier to configure and plan. Azure continually upgrades platforms and sends us messages to upgrade to the next version, simplifying the process. Later, it's much easier if I want to upgrade the software platform, scale it, or move it to a different application host as the whole suite comes together. The return on investment is good. If I am doing applications for clients, I can invoice them for better costs. Most applications that I run and use have a better return on investment.

Read full review

James McDowall

Senior Microsoft Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

The sensitivity and retention options in Purview are excellent

Some of the menu headings may not be easy to understand for some people. For example, when I first used Purview, I noticed that one of the self-compliance centers had changed its name. Microsoft has done a huge amount of updates, and sometimes it's hard to keep track of what Purview can do. We almost constantly have to explore it. Maybe Microsoft could have a 365 roadmap where we can look at upcoming features, or some kind of bulletin announcement for Purview users that explains new features and what they can do in simple terms. We could also look at the menu settings. In my experience of using Purview, we've never used it as an exclusive system for IT professionals or technical staff. We were very keen that other specialists around the business made use of some of these features because we thought that some of what Purview could do was relevant to other departments as well as IT. For example, we have HR managers and financial staff who use it. I think that some of the terminology in Purview is pitched toward IT and tech professionals, and it may not be immediately understood by other specialists. This is something that could be improved.

Read full review

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Microsoft Security Suite solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

847,625 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

18%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Web Application Firewall?

The integration it has with GitHub is great.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Web Application Firewall?

The pricing is okay at the moment. Sometimes, when opting for a higher SKU, it's not the WAF itself that's costly but the additional requirements. A higher SKU application hosting platform adds to ...

What needs improvement with Azure Web Application Firewall?

While using it, I identified certain areas where it would have been good to have additional features. Right now, I can't recall any specific instances. Seamless integration is good, yet having mult...

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure Purview?

It is designed to seamlessly connect to various data sources, which is particularly beneficial for our customers who primarily use Microsoft technologies.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Azure Purview?

The auto-tagging feature should be available at a lower licensing level.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Purview?

Auto-tagging should be available at lower levels of licensing. Right now, a high level of licensing is needed for auto-tagging, and this feature should be made available at a lower license level.

AWS WAF vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Comparisons

Compared 40% of the time

Fortinet FortiWeb vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 13% of the time

Azure Front Door vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 6% of the time

Akamai App and API Protector vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

Cloudflare Web Application Firewall vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

More Azure Web Application Firewall Competitors

Collibra Governance vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance

Compared 19% of the time

Varonis Platform vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance

Compared 12% of the time

Collibra Lineage vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance

Compared 10% of the time

Alation Data Catalog vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance

Compared 6% of the time

More Microsoft Purview Data Governance Competitors

Product Reports

Azure Web Application Firewall

April 2025

Download Azure Web Application Firewall product report

Microsoft Purview Data Governance

March 2025

Microsoft Purview Data Governance report

Download Microsoft Purview Data Governance product report

Also Known As

No data available

Microsoft Purview, MS Azure Purview

Overview

Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) provides centralized protection of your web applications from common exploits and vulnerabilities. Web applications are increasingly targeted by malicious attacks that exploit commonly known vulnerabilities. SQL injection and cross-site scripting are among the most common attacks.

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

Microsoft

The new Microsoft Purview portal offers an enhanced governance experience, serving as a unified platform for managing and governing data across various sources, including Azure, Microsoft 365, on-premises, and multicloud environments. Designed to streamline governance, compliance, risk, and security efforts, the new portal provides a user-friendly interface and unlocks advanced features like live view and preset scans. Existing users of Microsoft Purview can upgrade to this enhanced experience, gaining access to improved user interface, enhanced capabilities, and consolidated management of data assets. Additionally, the upgrade sets the stage for future developments, including account consolidation and fine-grained access control.

Microsoft