Microsoft Defender for Identity — Pricing, Plans & What's Included

Microsoft Defender for Identity is a standalone identity threat detection product for commercial organizations, because it helps detect and investigate attacks against on-premises Active Directory identities and compromised user accounts. It uses sensor data and security analytics surfaced in the Microsoft Defender portal for security operations workflows.

Microsoft Defender for Identity includes the cloud service for monitoring identity-related activity, sensor-based collection from supported Active Directory infrastructure, and alerts with investigation context, because its purpose is to detect suspicious identity behavior. Typical detections include compromised accounts, reconnaissance, lateral movement patterns, and suspicious authentication activity shown in the Microsoft Defender portal.

Microsoft Defender for Identity does not include Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, Defender for Cloud Apps, Microsoft Sentinel, or Microsoft Entra ID P1/P2, because those are separate products or suite entitlements unless licensed another way. It also does not replace endpoint antivirus or EDR for servers and workstations.

Microsoft Defender for Identity is sold as a per-user subscription in the Commercial catalog, because the entitlement is tied to licensed users rather than to a specific domain controller or server. Before purchase, confirm the user population to be covered, especially if the Active Directory environment includes shared, service, frontline, or external identity scenarios.

No, Microsoft Defender for Identity can be purchased as a standalone Commercial subscription, because it is listed as its own CSP product. However, IT Partner should confirm your existing Microsoft 365 or Enterprise Mobility + Security licenses first, because some broader Microsoft security suites may already include Defender for Identity rights.

No, Microsoft Defender for Identity does not include Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2 capabilities, because it focuses on identity threat detection and investigation rather than identity governance, Conditional Access, or Privileged Identity Management. If you need those Entra capabilities, they must be licensed separately or through a suite that includes them.

No, Microsoft Defender for Identity does not require Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, or a Copilot add-on, because it is an identity security product for Active Directory threat detection. Copilot and Teams licensing should be evaluated separately from Defender for Identity licensing.

No, Microsoft Defender for Identity does not by itself protect endpoints, email, or SaaS/cloud app sessions, because those are covered by other Microsoft Defender products. Use Defender for Endpoint for endpoint EDR, Defender for Office 365 for email and collaboration protection, and Defender for Cloud Apps for cloud app security if those capabilities are required.

Microsoft Defender for Identity commonly uses sensors deployed on supported Active Directory infrastructure such as domain controllers, because it needs identity activity data to detect attacks and suspicious behavior. Before rollout, confirm supported domain controller coverage, network connectivity, and sensor requirements against the current Microsoft documentation and your environment.

Microsoft Defender for Identity is primarily for attacks involving on-premises Active Directory identities, because its detection model relies on sensor data from supported Active Directory infrastructure. For cloud-only identity protection scenarios, confirm whether Microsoft Entra ID P2 or other Microsoft security services are also needed.

No trial is listed in the provided Commercial CSP catalog data for Microsoft Defender for Identity, because the source data only shows paid Commercial offers. If you need a proof of concept, ask IT Partner to validate the licensing approach and deployment plan before committing broadly.

Commercial offers are available as month-to-month with monthly billing or as an annual commitment with either annual upfront payment or monthly payments, because those are the commitment terms listed in the catalog data. No three-year option is listed in the source data for this product.

A Commercial Microsoft Defender for Identity F1 offer is listed in the catalog data, but eligibility criteria are not provided in the source information, so it should not be assumed to fit every user. Confirm the exact licensing basis and eligible user population with IT Partner before choosing the F1 offer.

You can typically add seats during an active CSP subscription, because Microsoft commercial subscriptions commonly allow seat increases during the term. Seat reductions, cancellations, and refunds are more restricted after the initial cancellation window and usually occur at renewal or within Microsoft’s allowed change window, so confirm the current CSP rules with IT Partner before purchase.

Cancellation depends on the commitment term, because month-to-month subscriptions are designed for flexibility while annual commitments generally have stricter cancellation and seat-reduction rules after the allowed cancellation window. IT Partner should confirm the current Microsoft CSP cancellation policy for your tenant before you place the order.

A CSP partner change should not require reinstalling Defender for Identity or moving users to a new tenant, because the service remains associated with the same Microsoft tenant when handled correctly. To avoid license gaps, coordinate the transfer timing with IT Partner so subscriptions, seat counts, and billing ownership align before the current provider relationship ends.

No, buying through IT Partner does not change the Microsoft Defender for Identity service entitlement, because the product rights are defined by Microsoft for the licensed SKU. IT Partner helps validate the correct Commercial offer, commitment term, seat count, and whether you already own equivalent rights through another Microsoft suite.

Yes, the Commercial offer is the normal fit for standard private-sector businesses, because the catalog data shows Commercial availability for Microsoft Defender for Identity. Organizations in government, nonprofit, or education programs should confirm whether a segment-specific offer is more appropriate before purchasing under Commercial.

A government organization should not assume the Commercial offer is the right choice, because government tenants may require GCC or other government cloud options with different compliance, eligibility, and residency considerations. The source data shows Government segment availability, but GCC versus GCC High requirements must be confirmed with IT Partner against the organization’s compliance obligations.

Not always, because Charity and Education segments are listed separately from Commercial in the catalog data and may have different eligibility and licensing programs. Nonprofits should confirm charity eligibility and any grant context, while education customers should confirm whether faculty, staff, or student licensing rules apply before buying the Commercial offer.