Threat detection, posture & security operations
Amazon Inspector vs Defender for Servers (with Defender Vulnerability Management)
Amazon Inspector maps to Defender for Servers (with Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management) for VMs, and Defender for Containers or Defender CSPM for container image scanning.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon Inspector | Defender for Servers (with Defender Vulnerability Management) |
| Lifecycle | Inspector Classic (the original version) was shut down May 20, 2026, per AWS's full-shutdown list. Use the current Amazon Inspector. | Generally available |
| What it is | Continuous scanning of EC2 instances, ECR container images, and Lambda functions for software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure. | Server protection in Plan 1 and Plan 2, integrating Defender for Endpoint and Defender Vulnerability Management, with agentless vulnerability and secrets scanning in Plan 2. |
| Pricing model | Per EC2 instance scanned per month, per container image scan, and per Lambda function per month. | Included in Defender for Servers (per server per hour) and Defender for Containers (per vCore) pricing. |
| Docs | Amazon Inspector docs | Defender for Servers (with Defender Vulnerability Management) docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon Inspector pricing | Defender for Servers (with Defender Vulnerability Management) pricing |
| Exams | SCS-C03 SOA-C03 | SC-500 |
Key differences
- Coverage. Inspector scans EC2, ECR images, and Lambda functions in one service. On Azure, coverage is split across Defender plans, and scanning of serverless functions is more limited.
- Agentless. Both offer agentless scanning (Inspector for EC2 and Defender for Servers Plan 2 or Defender CSPM).
- Inspector Classic, the first version, was shut down on May 20, 2026.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Per EC2 instance scanned per month, per container image scan, and per Lambda function per month. Amazon Inspector pricing →
- Azure
- Included in Defender for Servers (per server per hour) and Defender for Containers (per vCore) pricing. Defender for Servers (with Defender Vulnerability Management) pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Security – Specialty SCS-C03 | AWS | Specialty | current The current code (SCS-C03) is taken from the exam-prep link on the official certification page. Simplified Chinese, Spanish (Latin America), and Portuguese (Brazil) versions retire after Dec 31, 2026. |
| AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate SOA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Replaces AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (SOA-C02), whose last exam day was Sep 29, 2025. Simplified Chinese and Korean versions retire after Nov 19, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate SC-500 | Azure | Associate | current New certification. A practice assessment isn't available yet, which the page says usually means the exam recently left (or is in) beta. |
Relevance is based on each exam's published scope, not a line-by-line objective match. Check the official study guide.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of Amazon Inspector?
Amazon Inspector maps to Defender for Servers (with Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management) for VMs, and Defender for Containers or Defender CSPM for container image scanning.
How does pricing compare between Amazon Inspector and Defender for Servers (with Defender Vulnerability Management)?
AWS: Per EC2 instance scanned per month, per container image scan, and per Lambda function per month. Azure: Included in Defender for Servers (per server per hour) and Defender for Containers (per vCore) pricing. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03); AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate (SOA-C03); Microsoft Certified – Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate (SC-500).