# Assetnote Exposure Engine vs Microsoft Defender EASM: side-by-side comparison (2026) [Assetnote Exposure Engine](https://cybersectools.com/tools/assetnote-exposure-engine) is a commercial [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution by [Assetnote](https://cybersectools.com/companies/assetnote). [Microsoft Defender EASM](https://cybersectools.com/tools/microsoft-defender-external-attack-surface-management) is a commercial [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution by [Microsoft](https://cybersectools.com/companies/microsoft). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side. ## Our take What our shortlists say about the one we picked. ### [Microsoft Defender EASM](https://cybersectools.com/tools/microsoft-defender-external-attack-surface-management) Best for: Microsoft shops adding external asset discovery It belongs here if you already pay for Microsoft security, because discovered assets can move into Defender for Cloud and Copilot in Azure turns plain questions into inventory searches. It fits companies from small to enterprise. Its features center on discovery and flagging, so ask whether you also need active testing to prove which exposures are real. From [Best Attack Surface Management Solutions for Business](https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-attack-surface-solutions), Fall 2026. Reviewed by [Nika (Nikoloz) Kokhreidze](https://cybersectools.com/about). Need the answer fast? [Best Attack Surface Management Solutions for Business](https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-attack-surface-solutions) picks Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse, Microsoft Defender EASM, Mandiant Attack Surface Management and 4 more. ## Side-by-side comparison | | Assetnote Exposure Engine | Microsoft Defender EASM | |---|---|---| | Pricing model | Commercial | Commercial | | Category | External Attack Surface Management | External Attack Surface Management | | Verified | No | No | | Deployment type | Cloud | Cloud | | Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | | Company | Assetnote | Microsoft | | Headquarters | – | – | ### Use cases and capabilities | | Assetnote Exposure Engine | Microsoft Defender EASM | |---|---|---| | Vulnerability | Yes | – | | Attack Paths | Yes | – | | Security Scanning | Yes | – | | Vulnerability Prioritization | Yes | – | | IOC | Yes | – | | Vulnerability Intelligence | Yes | – | | Continuous Testing | Yes | – | | Security Research | Yes | – | | Alerting | Yes | – | | Inventory | Yes | – | ### Core features **Assetnote Exposure Engine** 6 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **Microsoft Defender EASM** 10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them. ### Integrations **Assetnote Exposure Engine** No integrations listed. **Microsoft Defender EASM** 4 integrations listed. Sign in on the page to see them. ## Which one fits you Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source. - [Microsoft Defender EASM](https://cybersectools.com/tools/microsoft-defender-external-attack-surface-management) fits if you are a small business. ## Assetnote Exposure Engine vs Microsoft Defender EASM FAQ Common questions when comparing Assetnote Exposure Engine vs Microsoft Defender EASM for external attack surface management. ### What is the difference between Assetnote Exposure Engine and Microsoft Defender EASM? **Assetnote Exposure Engine**: Continuous exposure detection & verification engine for attack surface mgmt, built by Assetnote. **Microsoft Defender EASM**: Discovers and monitors external-facing assets and vulnerabilities, built by Microsoft. The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ. ### Who makes Assetnote Exposure Engine and Microsoft Defender EASM? **Assetnote Exposure Engine** is made by Assetnote founded in 2018-01-01T00:00:00.000Z. **Microsoft Defender EASM** is made by Microsoft. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit. ### Is Assetnote Exposure Engine a good alternative to Microsoft Defender EASM? Often, yes. Assetnote Exposure Engine and Microsoft Defender EASM are both External Attack Surface Management products. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ. ## Related comparisons - [Assetnote Exposure Engine vs Attaxion](https://cybersectools.com/compare/assetnote-exposure-engine-vs-attaxion) - [Assetnote Exposure Engine vs MoreSec Sentry Cloud](https://cybersectools.com/compare/assetnote-exposure-engine-vs-moresec-sentry-cloud) - [Assetnote Exposure Engine vs CyCognito EASM Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/assetnote-exposure-engine-vs-cycognito-easm-platform) - [Microsoft Defender EASM vs Attaxion](https://cybersectools.com/compare/attaxion-vs-microsoft-defender-external-attack-surface-management) - [Microsoft Defender EASM vs MoreSec Sentry Cloud](https://cybersectools.com/compare/microsoft-defender-external-attack-surface-management-vs-moresec-sentry-cloud) - [Microsoft Defender EASM vs CyCognito EASM Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cycognito-easm-platform-vs-microsoft-defender-external-attack-surface-management) ## Alternatives to each - [See all Assetnote Exposure Engine alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/assetnote-exposure-engine) - [See all Microsoft Defender EASM alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/microsoft-defender-external-attack-surface-management) --- Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/assetnote-exposure-engine-vs-microsoft-defender-external-attack-surface-management For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/assetnote-exposure-engine.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md. More on Assetnote Exposure Engine and Microsoft Defender EASM: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=compare-md