A few weeks back, we already talked about how SOC Business enables mid-sized companies to monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats, making IT security simple and effective.
But when companies start exploring Security Operations Center (SOC) services, one of the first questions that comes up is: “Which technology should power our SOC?”
In this article, we compare two options, Microsoft Sentinel and Bluehorn, Easi’s own XDR platform, to help you understand their strengths, differences, and ideal use cases.
Bluehorn is Easi’s Belgian-developed XDR (Extended Detection and Response) tool. It continuously collects, correlates, and analyzes data from across your environment without the need to store every single log.
Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) platform that centralizes and analyzes logs in Microsoft Azure.
In short, Bluehorn provides immediate visibility with less complexity, while Sentinel offers deep customization for organizations with more complex requirements.
Both tools integrate with a wide range of systems, but their focus differs:
Sentinel connects seamlessly within the Microsoft ecosystem, including Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, Entra ID, Defender, and more. It also supports third-party solutions, though some integrations require syslog connectors and additional Azure infrastructure, which can increase costs.
Bluehorn integrates natively with firewalls, DNS, Active Directory, switches, endpoint protection tools such as SentinelOne or Microsoft Defender, and cloud environments like Microsoft 365 and AWS. It also includes an Easi-developed network sensor that captures and analyzes raw network traffic, something that Sentinel would require a separate NDR solution to achieve.
Bluehorn focuses on simplicity and actionable intelligence. It centralizes all incoming security data and automatically assigns a severity score to each detected event. Users can validate or dismiss alerts, dynamically adjusting the overall risk level and keeping attention on what truly matters.
Sentinel provides powerful automation through playbooks, AI, and KQL queries. However, using its full potential requires strong Azure expertise and continuous fine-tuning by a skilled internal team.
Bluehorn runs entirely within Cloud2be, Easi’s private cloud in Belgium, ensuring data residency, compliance, and local control. The platform evolves monthly through updates from our Bluehorn experts, who continuously add new features and improvements.
Sentinel is hosted in Microsoft Azure and maintained directly by Microsoft, with updates and management handled globally.
Microsoft Sentinel uses a pay-as-you-go model based on the amount of data ingested per day. While the tool itself is free, costs can rise quickly as data volumes increase, making budgeting less predictable.
Bluehorn offers transparent and predictable pricing with a fixed monthly rate based on the number of active assets, meaning devices with an IP address in your environment. Optional log retention can be added at a clear, per-asset rate.
Overall, Bluehorn provides predictable pricing and broad coverage, while Sentinel offers flexibility with variable and often higher costs.
To help you quickly understand the key differences between Bluehorn and Microsoft Sentinel, the following table highlights their main features, focus, and ideal use cases.
| Feature | Bluehorn | Microsoft Sentinel |
| Type | XDR | SIEM / SOAR |
| Hosting | Cloud2be (Belgium) | Microsoft Azure |
| Ideal for | Mid-sized & Hybrid environments | Microsoft-minded companies |
| Integrations | Broad | Deep |
| Network visibility | Included | Requires NDR add-on |
| Pricing | Fixed & predictable | Variable & data-based |
| Ease of use | Simple setup, guided insights | Advanced, expert-driven |
| Updates | Monthly by Easi experts | Automatic by Microsoft |
Final thoughts
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The right SOC foundation depends on your environment and security maturity:Want to know more about Bluehorn? Visit our dedicated webpage on Bluehorn.