# Microsoft Purview Alternative | Comma Compliance Comma Compliance vs. Microsoft Purview: a side-by-side comparison of architecture, mobile capture, pricing, and exam readiness. Source: https://commacompliance.com/compare/microsoft-purview-alternative Last updated: 2026-04-18 --- Microsoft Purview is the compliance and governance platform built into Microsoft 365. If you're evaluating Purview alternatives, this page will guide you through comparing Microsoft Purview and Comma Compliance across architecture, channel coverage, and exam readiness. ## At a Glance Purview is built for Microsoft. It governs Exchange email, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive well. But the SEC's enforcement actions since 2021 haven't been about Teams or Exchange. They've been about WhatsApp, iMessage, and Signal. Purview's connectors for those channels routed through TeleMessage: the same platform that was breached in May 2025 and has not resumed service as of 2026. Comma Compliance was built for exactly the channels where the fines are happening, with point-of-delivery capture, open-source transparency, and all 35+ channels included at a flat price. ## Side-by-Side Comparison | Feature | Comma Compliance | Purview | | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Architecture | End-to-end — capture, archive, supervision, policy matching, and exam-ready case management, with [open source transparency.](https://github.com/comma-compliance) | Microsoft 365-native governance platform — strong for Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive; non-Microsoft channel capture requires third-party connectors | | Built-in archive | Yes — included in platform | Yes | | WORM storage | [Yes](/resources/worm-storage) — written at point of capture | Yes | | iMessage capture method | [Point-of-delivery](/post/archive-imessage-for-sec-compliance) — not iCloud-dependent | Via third-party connector. Previously routed through TeleMessage infrastructure | | WhatsApp capture | Captures both WhatsApp Business and personal WhatsApp | Via TeleMessage connector | | Signal capture | Yes — [open-source capture code](https://github.com/comma-compliance/signal-capture) published on GitHub | Via TeleMessage connector | | Transparency | WhatsApp and Signal capture code published openly on GitHub — no NDA, no request required | Proprietary | | Channels supported | [35+ channels](/platform-integrations) where conversations happen: iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, SMS, Voice, Microsoft 365, Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, Gmail, Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Webex, Bloomberg Chat, Salesforce, Telegram, and more. | Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Yammer, Microsoft 365 Copilot. Non-Microsoft channels require third-party connectors; many mobile/messaging connectors. | | Pricing model | Flat monthly [pricing](/pricing), all platforms included. No per-connector fees, no storage overages, no export fees. [$33/user active, $15/user archival.](/pricing) | Bundled with Microsoft 365 E3/E5 licensing; Communication Compliance requires E5 or add-on; third-party connector costs additional | | Free trial | Yes | Via Microsoft 365 trial | | Personal vs. business separation | Automatic contact-based filtering | Not natively supported for non-Microsoft channels | | Policy processing | Yes — built in | Yes | | Custom policy matching | Yes | Yes | | Case management | [Exam-ready](/exam-ready-cases) — built for regulatory examination prep | Oriented toward litigation, legal hold, and internal investigations | | AI compliance monitoring | Real-time policy scanning; human validation before escalation; no client data used for training without consent | Yes | | Data ownership | Client retains full ownership; never sold or shared outside authorized sub-processors | Data governed by Microsoft's data processing terms; subject to Microsoft 365 data residency policies | | Infrastructure | AWS and Azure, multi-AZ clustering | Microsoft Azure global infrastructure | *Competitor feature descriptions reflect publicly available documentation and may not capture all capabilities. Information is reviewed periodically.* ## When Purview may be a better fit - Teams already licensed on **Microsoft 365 E5** or planning to standardize on Microsoft’s compliance stack - Organizations operating primarily within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem (Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive) ## On Licensing Communication Compliance (the supervision piece of Purview) requires Microsoft 365 E5 licensing or a separate add-on. E5 is Microsoft's premium enterprise tier, typically priced at $57–$66/user/month. Organizations on E3 or below need to purchase Communication Compliance separately. Comma Compliance includes supervision, policy matching, and exam-ready case management at a flat price. All channels. No add-ons. ## Microsoft-First vs. Communications-First Purview governs Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive natively and well. For organizations whose compliance exposure lives entirely within Microsoft 365, it's a logical choice. But financial services enforcement has concentrated on WhatsApp, iMessage, and Signal — not Exchange. Purview's connectors for those channels routed through TeleMessage, which was breached in May 2025 and remains non-functional as of 2026. Comma Compliance captures iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, and 35+ other channels natively, no TeleMessage dependency, no connector gap.