Two of the most commonly evaluated DLP solutions in India right now are Microsoft Purview DLP (built into Microsoft 365) and Safetica ONE. They take fundamentally different approaches — one is platform-native and licence-bundled; the other is a dedicated third-party agent with deeper endpoint coverage.
This guide breaks down the real differences so you can make an informed decision based on your organisation's stack, budget, and risk profile.
Quick Comparison
| Factor | Microsoft Purview DLP | Safetica ONE |
|---|---|---|
| Included in M365 licence | Yes (E3/E5) | No — separate licence |
| Endpoint coverage | Windows (MIP agent required) | Windows + macOS |
| Email DLP | Exchange Online, Outlook | Any email client, browser |
| Cloud upload monitoring | OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams | All web uploads (browser-level) |
| USB/Device control | Windows (Endpoint DLP) | Windows + macOS |
| Google Workspace integration | No | Yes (endpoint-level) |
| User behaviour analytics | Basic (Insider Risk Mgmt, E5 only) | Included in ONE |
| DPDP-ready reports | Manual configuration required | Pre-built templates |
| India PII detectors (PAN, Aadhaar) | Limited out-of-box | Configurable |
| Deployment complexity | High | Moderate |
| Approximate India pricing | Included in M365 E3/E5 | ₹700–1,900/user/year |
Microsoft Purview DLP — What It Is
Microsoft Purview (formerly Microsoft Information Protection + Compliance) is Microsoft's unified data governance, compliance, and DLP platform. DLP capabilities are included at different levels depending on your M365 licence.
What You Get by Licence Tier
Microsoft 365 Business Premium (₹900–1,200/user/month approx):
- Exchange Online DLP — inspect email content in Outlook
- SharePoint and OneDrive DLP — classify and restrict sensitive files
- Basic sensitivity labels (MIP)
Microsoft 365 E3 (₹1,400–1,800/user/month approx):
- All Business Premium features
- Teams DLP — inspect Teams chat and channel messages
- Endpoint DLP (Windows) — monitor and restrict data on Windows endpoints
- Microsoft Compliance Manager
Microsoft 365 E5 (₹2,200–2,800/user/month approx):
- All E3 features
- Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management — user behaviour analytics
- Advanced Audit — 1-year audit log retention
- Communication Compliance
Important: Endpoint DLP on Windows requires the MIP (Microsoft Information Protection) agent to be deployed and onboarding devices to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. This is a significant additional setup effort that many E3 organisations have not completed.
Safetica ONE — What It Is
Safetica ONE is a dedicated Data Loss Prevention platform designed for mid-sized organisations. Unlike Purview, which is a module within a larger compliance platform, Safetica exists solely to prevent data loss.
Core Capabilities
- Content-aware DLP — keyword, regex, and document fingerprinting across all channels
- Email DLP — works with Outlook, Gmail, webmail in browsers (not just Exchange)
- Cloud upload monitoring — browser-level interception for all cloud uploads, not just Microsoft services
- USB and device control — Windows and macOS, with encryption enforcement
- User behaviour analytics — detects anomalous data movement at the user level
- DPDP-ready reports — pre-built templates for India's data protection law
- Central management console — Safetica Management Service (cloud) or on-premise
Key Differences in Depth
1. Platform Coverage
Purview: Excellent within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. If your entire workflow — email, documents, chat — lives in Microsoft 365, Purview covers the data flows you care about most.
Problem: If users access data through non-Microsoft channels (Gmail, Google Drive, WhatsApp Web, Dropbox, personal email), Purview's visibility stops at the M365 boundary.
Safetica: Operates at the endpoint OS level — it sees all file operations, all browser activity, and all device connections regardless of which application created or transferred the data. A user copying a SharePoint file to a USB drive → Safetica sees it. A user uploading a Word document to personal Google Drive → Safetica sees it. Purview may not.
2. Google Workspace Users
Purview: Zero coverage for Google Workspace. If you have users on Gmail or Google Drive, Purview DLP provides no protection for that channel whatsoever.
Safetica: Endpoint-based, so it covers Google Workspace, Outlook, and any other application on the same device. One platform protects organisations running mixed Microsoft + Google environments.
3. Mac Coverage
Purview Endpoint DLP: Limited. As of 2026, Microsoft Endpoint DLP has improved macOS support but it is still behind Windows in policy breadth and enforcement reliability.
Safetica: Full Windows and macOS coverage. For Indian IT, legal, design, and creative firms where Macs are common, this matters significantly.
4. Deployment Complexity
Purview: High complexity. To activate full Endpoint DLP, you need:
- Active Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 licence
- Devices enrolled in Microsoft Intune or co-managed with SCCM
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint onboarding (even if you're not using Defender for AV)
- MIP client deployment and policy configuration in the Purview Compliance Portal
- Sensitivity label taxonomy defined and communicated to users
This is a multi-week project for a competent Microsoft-skilled IT team. Many Indian organisations with E3 licences have paid for Endpoint DLP but never activated it.
Safetica: Moderate complexity. Deploy the Safetica agent via your existing software deployment tool (SCCM, Intune, manual MSI), configure policies in the Safetica Management Console. Cloudfy handles this end-to-end as part of the deployment service.
5. User Behaviour Analytics
Purview Insider Risk Management: Only in E5. Requires significant privacy framework setup (employee notice, policy acknowledgement, HR system integration). Powerful when fully configured, but the setup barrier is high.
Safetica ONE UBA: Included in the base ONE licence. Cloudfy configures it during deployment. No E5 requirement.
6. DPDP Act Compliance Reports
Purview: Compliance reports are highly customisable but require significant manual effort to produce DPDP-specific outputs. No pre-built DPDP template exists.
Safetica: Pre-built DPDP compliance report templates. Generates audit-ready reports suitable for regulatory review without custom development.
Cost Comparison for a 100-User Indian Organisation
Microsoft Purview DLP (via M365 E3):
- M365 E3: ~₹1,400–1,800/user/month × 100 users × 12 months = ₹1.68–2.16 crore/year
- But most organisations buy M365 for email/productivity — DLP is then "free" as part of the bundle
- If you're already on M365 E3, Purview Endpoint DLP costs ₹0 extra (just deployment effort)
- If upgrading from M365 Business Premium to E3 just for DLP: ₹50–80 lakh incremental cost/year
Safetica ONE (100 users):
- ~₹1,000–1,500/user/year × 100 users = ₹1–1.5 lakh/year
- Plus Cloudfy deployment service: ₹30,000–60,000 (one-time)
- Total Year 1: ₹1.3–2.1 lakh
The real comparison
| Scenario | Best Choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Already on M365 E3/E5, IT team available | Purview | It's included — maximise existing investment |
| On M365 Business Premium or Basic | Safetica | Purview Endpoint DLP not available; Safetica much cheaper than upgrading to E3 |
| Mixed Google Workspace + Microsoft | Safetica | Purview doesn't cover Google; Safetica covers both |
| Mac-heavy environment | Safetica | More reliable macOS enforcement |
| Want quick deployment (4–6 weeks) | Safetica | Simpler agent deployment vs. Purview's Intune/Defender prerequisites |
| Large enterprise, deep Microsoft investment | Purview + Safetica (layered) | Purview for M365 cloud; Safetica for endpoint gaps |
Can You Use Both Together?
Yes — and for high-risk sectors (BFSI, healthcare, legal), this is the most comprehensive architecture:
- Purview handles in-platform DLP (Exchange Online email, SharePoint files, Teams messages)
- Safetica handles endpoint-level gaps (USB, browser uploads, non-Microsoft applications, Mac devices)
The two solutions are complementary, not competing. Some Cloudfy clients run both where the risk profile justifies the investment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Microsoft Purview work without Intune?
Purview cloud-side DLP (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams) works without Intune. However, Endpoint DLP — the component that monitors Windows devices — requires devices to be onboarded to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, which typically means either Intune or Group Policy onboarding. Without this, Endpoint DLP policies won't apply.
Is Safetica available as a monthly subscription?
Safetica licences are typically annual. Monthly billing may be available for short-term engagements — contact Cloudfy to check current options.
Which solution is easier to demonstrate to an auditor for DPDP compliance?
Safetica wins here. Pre-built DPDP compliance report templates make audit preparation straightforward. Purview requires custom report configuration, which a non-Microsoft-specialist compliance team may find difficult.
Our Recommendation
Start with Purview if: You're already on M365 E3 or E5 and have a capable IT team that can complete the Defender onboarding and policy configuration. You'd be leaving a paid feature on the table otherwise.
Choose Safetica if: You're on M365 Business Premium or any Google Workspace tier, you have Mac users, you want a faster deployment, or you need DPDP-ready reports without custom development.
Use both if: You're in BFSI, healthcare, legal, or any sector where a breach carries regulatory penalties, and you need full-spectrum coverage with no gaps.
Next Steps
- Explore Safetica DLP: Safetica product page
- See full DLP solution guide: Data Loss Prevention Solutions India
- Get a quote: Contact Cloudfy Systems at +91 97600 50555
Cloudfy Systems is an authorised Safetica DLP partner and Microsoft 365 partner in India. We help organisations choose and deploy the right DLP architecture for their environment.