Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response comparison

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94% willing to recommend
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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
771,346 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The ease of deployment and configuration is valuable. It's very easy compared to other vendors like Sophos. Sophos' configuration is complex. Fortinet is a lot easier to understand. You don't need a lot of admin knowledge to do the configuration.""The stability is very good.""This is stable and scalable.""NGAV and EDR features are outstanding.""The price is low and quite competitive with others.""The product's initial setup phase is very easy.""Ability to get forensics details and also memory exfiltration.""Forensics is a valuable feature of Fortinet FortiEDR."

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"The most valuable feature is that it comes with the package, so there is no additional installation of third-party software. It's also easy to use.""The performance of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has been good.""Because it has been integrated with the OS, we get the entire software inventories, and we even get access to the registries. Those are the primary features.""It doesn't cause the slowness of the system, which is one of the reasons why I like it.""The antivirus is the most valuable feature.""Offers good protection.""The protection that it provides is quite good.""The most important feature is the way it monitors the threats and blocks them. About 10 days ago, we were implementing SOC for a particular client. The SOC was not yet implemented, but they had Microsoft Defender. That organization was hit by some ransomware, but the hacker could not succeed. Because of the EDR, the hacker could not install the hacking tools. They were trying to do that, but Microsoft Defender completely blocked that. The hacker could log into the system, but they could not install anything."

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"The solution can scale well.""IPS and the user interface are good features.""The most valuable feature of Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response is its ability to conduct large scans on the endpoints without affecting the network.""The interface is quite easy to use.""A great feature of this solution is that it is very well-integrated with antivirus software. Other ADR solutions are implemented as single technologies and are not integrated with the provider, but Symantec offers AV plus ADR.""I've mainly found the antivirus and antispyware features valuable. The documentation is okay as well.""The pricing is good.""In Symantec, we have found that the most important feature is Application and Device Control."

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Cons
"I haven't seen the use of AI in the solution.""Integration with Azure and SaaS provisioning tools could improve Fortinet FortiEDR.""The amount of usage, the number of details we get, or the number of options that can be tweaked is limited in comparison to that with other EDR solutions""We've encountered challenges during API deployment, occasionally resulting in unstable environments.""They can include the automation for the realtime updates. We have a network infrastructure with remote sites. Whenever they send updates, they are not automated. We have to go into the console and push those updates. I wish it was more automated. The update file is currently around 31 MB. It could be smaller.""We find the solution to be a bit expensive.""Detections could be improved.""The dashboard isn't easy to access and manage."

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"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is effective for validating work, but not ideal for investigations.""Our team's knowledge of the solution needs to be improved, and Microsoft could do a better job conveying the necessary information to users. We could proactively use the tool more and explore capabilities we are not yet utilizing.""The central console needs improvement. Both McAfee and Symantec antivirus have dashboards. These integrate with a server and work on my antivirus or some other product. However, with Microsoft Defender, you use Microsoft Group Policy Object. Defender does not provide a central console. Therefore, if you implement Defender, then maybe use another tool for the central view.""In terms of improvement, they update the platform it seems quite a bit. Every month something is in a new spot or something changed somewhere. There should be less of that.""I would like Microsoft to have some kind of direct integration for USB controls. They have GPO and other controls to control the access of the USB drives on devices, but if there is something that can be directly implemented into the portal, it would be good. There should be a way to control via a cloud portal or something like that in a dynamic way. USB control for data exfiltration would be a good feature to implement. Currently, there are ways to do it, but it involves too many different things. You have to implement it via GPOs and other stuff, and then you move or copy those big files via Defender ATP. If there is a simple way of implementing those features, it would be great.""There is room to improve the security of the solution.""Defender is free for one year. Once that year is over, we will switch to Kaspersky.""In India at least, it seems to be a bit more expensive than other options."

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"The solution needs to provide better integration.""The GUI could be better.""I would like to see better scanning capabilities.""The interface is very complicated.""It would be nice to see more granular timeline analysis.""Technical support is not as good as we expect, and resolving problems should be more timely.""The solution’s scalability and stability could be improved.""That's why I wouldn't recommend it for other systems. It works only with SAP clients. That's why I'm giving it a six. It would get higher if it worked on all networks without the help of SAP."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "I know it is tough to get big budget additions up front, but I highly recommend deploying environment wide and adding the forensic service."
  • "There are no issues with the pricing."
  • "The price is comprable to other endpoint security solutions."
  • "The pricing is typical for enterprises and fairly priced."
  • "I'm not familiar with pricing, but it looks a bit costly compared to other vendors I think."
  • "The pricing is good."
  • "I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."
  • "The hardware costs about €100,000 and about €20,000 annually for access."
  • More Fortinet FortiEDR Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The product is free of charge and comes integrated into Windows."
  • "The solution is free."
  • "This product is included in the pricing for Windows."
  • "If you don't purchase the advanced threat protection then there is no additional charge."
  • "It is affordable and comes in the Office 365 bundle."
  • "Microsoft Defender ATP is expensive."
  • "I pay for it through the Windows Professional or Standard license. It is a one-time cost for me, and I use the same license."
  • "When compared with other vendors, the pricing is very high."
  • More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "We are satisfied with the pricing."
  • "The price is okay, but it really depends on the customer's requirements."
  • "The price is really high and it should be lower."
  • "We have a yearly subscription, and the pricing is fair."
  • "It's a yearly subscription."
  • "Of late, because of the Broadcom purchase, its price has been increasing."
  • "The more devices we have the more expensive it becomes, which is where the challenge is."
  • "The price is reasonable."
  • More Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:I suggest Fortinet’s FortiEDR over FortiClient for several reasons. For starters, FortiEDR guarantees solid protection… more »
    Top Answer:We have FortiEDR installed on all our systems. This protects them from any threats.
    Top Answer:We license it per employee, so as long as the employee count remains the same, the licensing won't change. We have it… more »
    Top Answer:Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security solution. The tool reduces the attack surface… more »
    Top Answer:We use Symantec because we do not use MS Enterprise products, but in my opinion, Microsoft Defender is a superior… more »
    Top Answer:The CrowdStrike solution delivers a lot of information about incidents. It has a very light sensor that will never push… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    enSilo, FortiEDR
    Microsoft Defender ATP, Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection, MS Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender Antivirus
    Learn More
    Interactive Demo
    Fortinet
    Demo Not Available
    Broadcom
    Demo Not Available
    Overview

    Fortinet FortiEDR is a real-time endpoint protection, detection, and automated response solution. Its primary purpose is to detect advanced threats to stop breaches and ransomware damage. It is designed to do so in real time, even on an already compromised device, allowing you to respond and remediate incidents automatically so your data can remain protected.

    Fortinet FortiEDR Features

    Fortinet FortiEDR has many valuable key features, including:

    • Easily customizable
    • Real-time proactive risk mitigation & IoT security
    • Pre-infection protection
    • Post-infection protection
    • Track applications and ratings
    • Reduce the attack surface with risk-based proactive policies
    • Achieve analysis of entire log history
    • Optional managed detection and response (MDR) service

    Fortinet FortiEDR Benefits

    Some of the key benefits of using Fortinet FortiEDR include:

    • Protection: Fortinet FortiEDR provides proactive, real-time, automated endpoint protection with the orchestrated incident response across platforms. It stops the breach with real-time postinfection blocking to protect data from exfiltration and ransomware encryption.

    • Single unified console: Fortinet FortiEDR has a single unified console with an intuitive interface, which makes management easier. The solution automates mundane endpoint security tasks so your employees don’t need to do it.

    • Cost savings: With Fortinet FortiEDR you can eliminate post-breach operational expenses and breach damage costs.

    • Flexibility: Fortinet FortiEDR can be deployed on premises or on a secure cloud instance. With Fortinet FortiEDR, endpoints are protected both on- and off-line.

    • Scalability: Because Fortinet can be deployed quickly and has a small footprint, it is easy to scale up to protect hundreds of thousand endpoints.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by Fortinet FortiEDR users.

    An Owner at a security firm says, "The features that I have found most valuable are the ability to customize it and to reduce its size. It lets you run in a very small window in terms of memory and resources on legacy cash registers. The customer has literally about 800 cash registers. That was the use case for Fortinet FortiEDR - to get that down into a tiny space. The only way to do that was to use this product because it had that ability to unbundle services that were a surplus.”

    Chandan M., Chief Technical Officer at Provision Technologies LLP, mentions, “The ease of deployment and configuration is valuable. It's very easy compared to other vendors like Sophos. Sophos' configuration is complex. Fortinet is a lot easier to understand. You don't need a lot of admin knowledge to do the configuration.” He also adds, “The security is also very good and the firewall response is good.”

    Harpreet S., Information Technology Support Specialist at Chemtrade Logistics, explains, "It notifies us if there's any suspicious file on any PC. If any execution or similar kind of thing is happening, it just alerts us. It doesn't only alert. It also blocks the execution until we allow it. We check whether the execution is legitimate or not, and then approve it or keep it blocked. This gives us a little bit of control over this mechanism. Fortinet FortiEDR is also very straightforward and easy to maintain."

    DeAndre V., Senior Network Administrator at a financial services firm, states, “The dashboard is easy to follow and use. The deployment and uninstalling were easy. I like the detailed information about the path of a file that might be suspicious. Being able to check that out was easy to follow. Exceptions are easy to create and the interface is easy to follow with a nice appearance.

    Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a comprehensive security solution that provides advanced threat protection for organizations. It offers real-time protection against various types of cyber threats, including malware, viruses, ransomware, and phishing attacks.

    With its powerful machine-learning capabilities, it can detect and block sophisticated attacks before they can cause any harm. The solution also includes endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities, allowing organizations to quickly investigate and respond to security incidents. It provides detailed insights into the attack timeline, enabling security teams to understand the scope and impact of an incident.

    Microsoft Defender for Endpoint also offers proactive threat hunting, allowing organizations to proactively search for and identify potential threats within their network. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft security solutions, such as Microsoft Defender XDR, to provide a unified and holistic security approach. With its centralized management console, organizations can easily deploy, configure, and monitor the security solution across their entire network.

    Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a robust and scalable security solution that helps organizations protect their endpoints and data from evolving cyber threats.

    Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a powerful security solution designed to help organizations proactively detect, investigate, and mitigate advanced threats across their endpoint environments. As part of Broadcom's cybersecurity portfolio, Symantec EDR provides comprehensive visibility into endpoint activities, enabling security teams to quickly identify and respond to threats that evade traditional defenses.

    Symantec EDR leverages machine learning, behavioral analysis, and global threat intelligence from Symantec's vast network to detect sophisticated threats, including zero-day attacks, ransomware, and advanced persistent threats (APTs). This allows organizations to identify malicious activities early and respond swiftly to mitigate potential damage. The solution offers automated response options that enable security teams to contain and remediate threats quickly.

    Symantec EDR provides detailed forensic capabilities, allowing security analysts to dive deep into endpoint data, investigate incidents thoroughly, and understand the scope and impact of attacks. Features such as timeline analysis, incident graphing, and the ability to isolate endpoints enhance investigative efforts and support effective remediation strategies.

    With its centralized management console, Symantec EDR offers visibility across the entire endpoint environment, regardless of the operating systems or whether endpoints are on-premise or remote. Symantec EDR seamlessly integrates with other Symantec security solutions, enhancing its detection capabilities and enabling a unified approach to threat management. Its scalable architecture ensures that businesses of all sizes can benefit from its advanced security features without compromising performance.

    Quickly discover and resolve threats with deep endpoint visibility and superior detection analytics, reducing mean time to remediation. Overcome cyber security skills shortages and streamline SOC operations with extensive automation and built-in integrations for sandboxing, SIEM, and orchestration.

    Fortify security teams with the unmatched expertise and global scale of Symantec Managed Endpoint Detection and Response services.
    Roll out Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) across Windows, macOS, and Linux devices using Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP)-integrated EDR or a dissolvable agent.

    Sample Customers
    Financial, Healthcare, Legal, Technology, Enterprise, Manufacturing ... 
    Petrofrac, Metro CSG, Christus Health
    Information Not Available
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm21%
    Comms Service Provider11%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Pharma/Biotech Company5%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company16%
    Government8%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm19%
    Computer Software Company16%
    Energy/Utilities Company7%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization22%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Government8%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm18%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Computer Software Company12%
    Healthcare Company12%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company14%
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Retailer12%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business53%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise32%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business31%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise50%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business40%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise43%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise33%
    Large Enterprise45%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business46%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise32%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business27%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise55%
    Buyer's Guide
    Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response
    May 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response and other solutions. Updated: May 2024.
    771,346 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is ranked 1st in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) with 182 reviews while Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response is ranked 25th in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) with 28 reviews. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is rated 8.0, while Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response is rated 7.6. The top reviewer of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint writes "Eliminates the need to look at multiple dashboards by automatically providing one XDR dashboard to show the security score of each subscription". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response writes "A highly stable and affordable solution for detecting and preventing security threats". Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is most compared with Symantec Endpoint Security, Intercept X Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity Complete, CrowdStrike Falcon and Microsoft Intune, whereas Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response is most compared with Trend Vision One, Kaspersky Endpoint Detection and Response Expert, Bitdefender GravityZone EDR, CrowdStrike Falcon and Trellix Endpoint Security (ENS). See our Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response report.

    See our list of best Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) vendors.

    We monitor all Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.