HEAD-TO-HEAD · FACTS ONLY
Cortex Xpanse vs Defender EASM: exposure management facts side by side
SHORT ANSWER
Cortex Xpanse describes 3 of the five tool types on the pages we read and Defender EASM describes 2; they differ on exposure management platforms. On proof, Cortex Xpanse does not describe exploit testing on the pages we read and Defender EASM does not describe exploit testing on the pages we read. We do not score either; the right choice depends on your estate, current platform, WAFs and capacity to fix.
By The Exposure Desk · Exposure Management Finder · Published 2026-10-11
Desk research from public vendor pages read in September 2026, updated 2026-10-11. Profiles follow our published method; we did not run the products.
How do their shapes compare?
- Cortex Xpanse
- Microsoft Defender EASM
- Outer point: described on the vendor's pages we read
- Inner point: not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it)
What are the facts, side by side?
| Fact | Cortex Xpanse | Microsoft Defender EASM |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Palo Alto Networks' attack surface management product, built on internet-wide scanning and automated response playbooks, sold within the Cortex portfolio. | Microsoft's external attack surface management service, run as an Azure resource, with a prebuilt inventory, recursive discovery from seeds and billing on the Azure bill. |
| Deployment | Part of the Palo Alto Networks Cortex portfolio, with Cortex XSOAR playbooks and Prisma Cloud alongside. Source: Cortex Xpanse attack surface management · Read 27 Sep 2026 | An Azure resource. Cross-tenant resource access, including Azure Lighthouse, is not supported. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender EASM overview · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| EASM discovery | Described Palo Alto Networks says Xpanse scans all 4.3 billion IPv4 addresses multiple times a day and more than 500 billion ports daily. Source: Cortex Xpanse · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Described A prebuilt inventory for many organisations plus recursive discovery from seeds you supply. Source: Microsoft Learn: what is discovery · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Exposure validation | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Exposure management platformsDiffers | Described Sits in Cortex exposure management alongside Cortex XSOAR and Prisma Cloud. Source: Cortex exposure management · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Not in our sources |
| CTEM programme support | Described Discovery and automated response are described; exploit validation is not. Source: Cortex Xpanse · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Described Covers discovery and inventory with dashboards for vulnerabilities, compliance and hygiene; remediation happens downstream through Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer. Source: Microsoft Learn: data connections · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| WAF posture | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Subsidiary and owner attribution | Partly Identifies the stakeholders for third-party exposures; subsidiary attribution is not described. Source: Cortex Xpanse attack surface management · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Partly Every asset carries a state (Approved Inventory, Dependency, Monitor Only, Candidate, Requires Investigation) based on connection strength and confidence; cross-tenant access is not supported. Source: Microsoft Learn: what is discovery · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Internal as well as external assets | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Cloud connections namedDiffers | Matches Xpanse works with Prisma Cloud. Source: Cortex Xpanse attack surface management · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Partly Runs as an Azure resource; connections to other clouds are not described. Source: Microsoft Learn: data connections · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Exploitability checked | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Attack-style testing | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Works through your WAF or edge | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| WAF coverage across several vendors | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Retests after a fix | Not in our sources | Not in our sources |
| Routes findings to owners and ticketsDiffers | Matches Routing and remediation through Cortex XSOAR playbooks. Source: Cortex Xpanse attack surface management · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Partly Data connectors to Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer trigger remediation actions downstream. Source: Microsoft Learn: data connections · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Applies a compensating controlDiffers | Matches Active Response runs built-in automated playbooks. Source: Cortex Xpanse · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Not in our sources |
| Price or pricing basis published | Partly No price from Palo Alto Networks; a UK G-Cloud 14 listing by reseller KHIPU Networks shows £70,850.84 per instance per year. Source: UK G-Cloud 14 listing: Cortex Xpanse (reseller KHIPU Networks) · Read 11 Oct 2026 | Partly Billable assets are defined (approved host:IP combinations, domains and IP addresses) and charged on the Azure bill; Microsoft's pricing page showed no rate when we read it. Source: Microsoft Learn: understanding billable assets · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Trial or self-serve startDiffers | Not in our sources | Matches A 30-day free trial, then Azure billing. Source: Microsoft Learn: understanding billable assets · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Platform it extends | Native ties to Cortex XSOAR playbooks and Prisma Cloud. Source: Cortex Xpanse attack surface management · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Native to Azure, billed on the Azure bill, with a Security Copilot integration in preview. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender EASM documentation · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Integrations | Cortex XSOAR and Prisma Cloud inside the Palo Alto Networks portfolio. Source: Cortex Xpanse attack surface management · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Data connections to Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer, and a Security Copilot integration in preview. Source: Microsoft Learn: data connections · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Price | Not published by Palo Alto Networks. Reseller listing (UK G-Cloud 14, KHIPU Networks): £70,850.84 an instance a year, no free trial, public-facing attack surfaces only. Source: UK G-Cloud 14 listing: Cortex Xpanse (reseller KHIPU Networks) · Read 11 Oct 2026 | Billed through Azure on billable assets (approved host:IP combinations, domains and IP addresses) after a 30-day free trial. Microsoft's pricing page did not show a rate when we read it; check it for the current figure. Source: Microsoft Learn: understanding billable assets · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
Where do they differ?
- Exposure management platforms: Cortex Xpanse describes it; Defender EASM is not in our sources.
- Cloud connections named: Cortex Xpanse matches; Defender EASM partly matches.
- Routes findings to owners and tickets: Cortex Xpanse matches; Defender EASM partly matches.
- Applies a compensating control: Cortex Xpanse matches; Defender EASM is not in our sources.
- Trial or self-serve start: Cortex Xpanse is not in our sources; Defender EASM matches.
Choose Cortex Xpanse if
- You already run Cortex XSOAR or Prisma Cloud
- You want automated response playbooks on newly found exposures
Choose Defender EASM if
- You are on Azure and want to start without a sales call
- You want a discovery baseline before buying validation
Which limits should you check?
Cortex Xpanse
- Exploit validation is not described on the product pages we read.
- No price from Palo Alto Networks (only a UK reseller listing), and subsidiary attribution is not described.
Defender EASM
- No exploit validation is described.
- No built-in remediation workflow, and no cross-tenant resource access for groups with several Azure tenants.
Questions readers ask
Is Cortex Xpanse or Defender EASM better?
Neither is scored on this site. Cortex Xpanse describes 3 of five tool types and Defender EASM 2 on the pages we read, and they differ on 5 recorded facts. Which fits depends on your estate, current platform, need for proof, WAFs and capacity to fix; the finder checks those.
Which of the two proves exploitability?
Cortex Xpanse: exploitability checked: Not in our sources; attack-style testing: Not in our sources. Defender EASM: exploitability checked: Not in our sources; attack-style testing: Not in our sources.
Do Cortex Xpanse or Defender EASM publish prices?
Cortex Xpanse: Not published by Palo Alto Networks. Reseller listing (UK G-Cloud 14, KHIPU Networks): £70,850.84 an instance a year, no free trial, public-facing attack surfaces only. Defender EASM: Billed through Azure on billable assets (approved host:IP combinations, domains and IP addresses) after a 30-day free trial. Microsoft's pricing page did not show a rate when we read it; check it for the current figure.