Microsoft Defender for Business. For Indian SMB IT buyers.
One infected laptop can lock every branch you have.
Short Version
Microsoft Defender for Business, quoted in 24 working hours.
Last updated: 21 July 2026
A Pune trading firm’s accounts laptop picked up a phishing payload on a Monday morning and started scanning the shared drive for more targets by lunch. Nobody in the office knew until the file server slowed to a crawl. Story below.
Free 30 min review first. 200+ Indian businesses trust Sirius Star.
Microsoft Defender for Business at a glance
- What it is
- Microsoft’s device protection layer for small and mid-size businesses. It bundles next-generation antivirus, attack surface reduction, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and automated investigation and remediation, all run from the same Microsoft Defender portal your email security already sits in. It is not a bolt-on antivirus tool, it is meant to replace one.
- How it fits into your Microsoft 365 licensing
- Buy it on its own, or get it at no extra cost inside Microsoft 365 Business Premium. If you already run Business Premium for mail and Office, you likely already own it and simply have not switched it on properly. We check this before we quote anything new, and roughly half the businesses we review fall into this bucket.
- India pricing (listed on microsoft.com/en-in, verified July 2026)
- Rs 250 per user per month standalone, paid yearly, GST extra. Microsoft 365 Business Premium, which includes Defender for Business at no extra charge, lists at Rs 2,660 per user per month, paid yearly, GST extra.*
- Seat and device limits
- Built for organisations of up to 300 users, with up to five devices (PC, Mac, Android, iOS) covered per user licence. Cross 300 users and you move to Defender for Endpoint instead.
- Sirius Star’s role
- We check what you already own inside Microsoft 365 before quoting anything new, turn on the protection policies that matter for a 20 to 200 seat business, and stay reachable if something gets flagged at 11pm on a Friday.
- Best fit
- Businesses already on, or moving to, Microsoft 365 who want device security sitting in the same portal as email and identity, instead of a second vendor and a second login to manage.
- Not the best fit
- Businesses past 300 users, who need Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 or 2 instead, or businesses running heavy Linux server or industrial endpoint estates, where a dedicated EDR vendor typically goes deeper on non-Windows platforms.
The Microsoft Defender tiers Sirius Star helps you pick
Three ways this actually gets bought in India. Microsoft’s own naming is not always obvious from the pricing page, so we tell you which one fits before you sign anything, not after the invoice arrives.
Standalone, up to 300 users
Microsoft Defender for Business (standalone)
Bought on its own, without a full Microsoft 365 subscription attached. Good fit if you already use Google Workspace or another mail platform but want Microsoft’s device protection anyway.
From Rs 250 per user/month, paid yearly, GST extra*
- Next-gen antivirus, attack surface reduction, EDR and automated remediation from day one
- Onboards Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices, up to five per user licence
- Honest limit: the console is the simplified Defender for Business view, so advanced hunting queries and custom detection rules are not here, that needs Plan 2
Bundled, no extra cost
Microsoft Defender for Business, inside Microsoft 365 Business Premium
The most common way Indian SMBs end up owning this. You bought Business Premium for mail, Office and Teams, and Defender for Business came along with it, whether anyone switched it on or not.
Business Premium lists at Rs 2,660 per user/month, paid yearly, GST extra*. Defender is included and not billed as a separate line item
- Same device protection as the standalone plan, plus Entra ID, Intune device management and Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 in one licence
- One console for email security, identity and endpoint, useful once you are past a handful of laptops
- Honest limit: this only pencils out against a point AV product if you actually use the rest of Business Premium, Exchange, Teams, Intune. Buying it purely for antivirus is an expensive way to get antivirus
Enterprise, 300+ users
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 / Plan 2
For businesses that outgrow the 300-user ceiling, or need the deeper EDR, threat intelligence and hunting tools Plan 2 carries.
India pricing is quote-based through the Microsoft CSP channel; Plan 1 and Plan 2 are priced separately by device*
- Plan 2 adds full endpoint detection and response, automated investigation at scale, threat and vulnerability management and advanced hunting
- Fits organisations running Microsoft 365 E3/E5 or buying security as a standalone enterprise product
- Honest limit: this is a licensing and console jump from Defender for Business, not a settings toggle. Budget time for the migration, not just the PO
Microsoft Defender for Business vs Sophos Intercept X, Bitdefender GravityZone and CrowdStrike Falcon Go
The buyer question is never “which one is best”, it is “which one fits what we already run and who we already trust to manage it.” Here is where each rival actually wins, stated plainly rather than dodged.
| Rival | Where it wins | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Sophos Intercept X | Stronger standalone firewall and network security pairing if you are not on Microsoft 365 for mail, plus a security-first vendor with a dedicated MDR team | Businesses that want one security vendor for firewall, endpoint and managed detection, independent of their productivity suite |
| Bitdefender GravityZone | Lower entry price at very small seat counts and a lighter agent footprint on older hardware | Cost-sensitive shops under 25 seats who are not tied to Microsoft 365 for email |
| CrowdStrike Falcon Go | Deeper cloud-native EDR and threat-hunting reputation, often the choice for businesses that expect to be audited by an enterprise customer or insurer | Businesses selling into regulated or enterprise customers who ask for a named EDR vendor by brand |
Where Microsoft Defender for Business wins back: if you are already paying for Microsoft 365 Business Premium, none of the above needs a separate invoice, agent or login, and that operational simplicity is worth more than a feature checkbox for most businesses under 200 seats. The honest counter-argument is real too, if security is the single most important line item in your budget and you are not on Microsoft 365 anyway, a dedicated vendor above may be the better first call.
How a Sirius Star Microsoft Defender rollout runs
1. Licence check
We look at what you already hold in Microsoft 365 before recommending anything new. Half the businesses we review already own Defender for Business and have not switched on the policies.
2. Policy baseline
We turn on next-gen antivirus, attack surface reduction rules and automated investigation with settings suited to a 20 to 200 seat Indian office, not the enterprise defaults built for a 5,000-seat bank.
3. Device onboarding
Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices get onboarded in batches so nobody’s laptop suddenly locks mid-workday. We test on a small group first, then roll to the rest over a week, not overnight.
4. Handover and on-call
You get a written runbook and a number to call if something gets flagged. Send us your user count and current Microsoft 365 plan, and a sized quote lands in 24 working hours.
Get the Microsoft Defender setup checklist
A short field guide covering the eight policy settings we check first on every Defender for Business rollout, and the three attack surface reduction rules most Indian SMBs leave off by default.
Send me the checklistMicrosoft Defender for Business India FAQ
Is Microsoft Defender for Business free with Microsoft 365?
Yes, if you are on Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Defender for Business is included in that plan’s price, currently Rs 2,660 per user per month in India, paid yearly, GST extra. It is not free on its own, the standalone version costs Rs 250 per user per month.
What is the difference between Defender for Business and Defender for Endpoint?
Defender for Business is the simplified, SMB-priced version capped at 300 users. Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 and Plan 2 are the enterprise versions, with Plan 2 adding advanced hunting, deeper threat intelligence and no user ceiling. Businesses that outgrow 300 users move to Plan 1 or 2.
How many users and devices does Defender for Business support?
Up to 300 users, with up to five devices per user licence across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
Does it work on Mac and mobile, not just Windows?
Yes. Defender for Business covers Windows, Mac, Android and iOS/iPadOS, though the deepest attack surface reduction controls are strongest on Windows.
How is Microsoft Defender for Business priced in India in 2026?
Standalone lists at Rs 250 per user per month, paid yearly, GST extra, on microsoft.com/en-in. It is also included at no extra cost inside Microsoft 365 Business Premium, listed at Rs 2,660 per user per month, paid yearly, GST extra. Prices are set by Microsoft and can change without much notice, so we check the live rate before quoting rather than relying on last quarter’s number.
What happens if we outgrow the 300-user limit?
You move to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 or Plan 2, priced separately through the Microsoft CSP channel. It is a licensing change, not just a settings change, so we plan the migration rather than flip a switch on renewal day.
Ready for a written Microsoft Defender quote?
Send us your user count and current Microsoft 365 plan. A sized quote lands in 24 working hours.
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