We compared Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and ZoneAlarm based on users' reviews in six categories. We reviewed all of the data and you can find the conclusion below.
Features: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint excels in file protection, encryption, and ransomware defense. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft security products. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface and scalability. ZoneAlarm users said the solution is user-friendly and offers comprehensive protection against various threats, including advanced firewall capabilities.
Room for Improvement: Users say Microsoft Defender for Endpoint should improve its central console and auto-recovery feature. Users also requested better reporting capabilities and integration with third-party platforms. ZoneAlarm users would like to see clearer documentation and improved integration with Check Point’s centralization solution.
Service and Support: Microsoft customer service garnered mixed feedback. Some praised the fast response times and expertise of the support engineers, while others were dissatisfied with slow replies and a lack of coordination among the support teams. Some users said that ZoneAlarm's customer assistance could be improved.
Ease of Deployment: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's setup is straightforward. While it can be more complex for larger organizations, it is generally considered simple, particularly for smaller companies or those familiar with Microsoft environments. ZoneAlarm had a simple and fast setup.
Pricing: Reviewers say Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is fairly priced, noting that it is typically included for free with Windows or Microsoft Office 365 subscriptions. However, some users believe that Microsoft's pricing could be more affordable, and others noted that their licensing models can be complex. ZoneAlarm's pricing is considered competitive.
ROI: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint delivers cost savings, enhanced efficiency, and heightened threat management. ZoneAlarm offers a positive ROI through security improvements.
Comparison Results: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offers sophisticated protection against ransomware, easy deployment, and smooth integration with Microsoft solutions. However, Microsoft’s customer support has received middling reviews, and users would like better compatibility with third-party solutions. ZoneAlarm provides comprehensive security measures, easy deployment, and advanced threat technologies. However, it needs better documentation and support.
"The solution can scale as needed."
"It depends on the licensing. Most of the customers have got at least a 365 E3 license, and they can use most of the features of Windows 10 Defender. So, anyone who has got an enterprise license can start using those features. Some of the customers have got E5 licenses, and they can use all advanced features. Customers with E5 licenses use the advanced site protection (ATP) features and web content filtering without going via a proxy, which gives the benefit of replacing the proxy. They can get the benefit of MCAS and integration with Intune and the endpoint manager. It is a kind of single platform for all 365 technologies. It helps customers in managing everything through a unified portal."
"The patch updates and version updates are very good. Those happen on an automated basis whenever I'm connecting to the organization network, either through LAN or through the VPN."
"Auto-remediation: When the product sees malware, it resolves the issue immediately. This protects the machine."
"Defender works in the background monitoring the traffic for viruses."
"Easy to understand and easy to set up endpoint security solution. It's a multifeatured product with web content filtering and automated investigation features. It also has a fantastic vulnerability management dashboard."
"The ransomware and malware protection is the most valuable feature."
"The most valuable features are the Windows Firewall and the regular virus definition updates. These features are very helpful and have helped to improve our security."
"It is easy to use through interfaces and easy to configure each of the customizations we created based on the characteristics that we wanted."
"It is quick and easy to configure."
"It gives us security for the users' mobiles and ends up protecting us in a significant way."
"The phone access scan stands out as the most valuable feature for me."
"The solution really focused on giving more security than an antivirus."
"Personally, I find the Game Mode of the Firewall very useful."
"ZoneAlarm protects all computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers."
"The solution maintains reasonable scalability."
"It needs to improve the cybersecurity for lateral movements. For example, when a hacker tries to enter a machine, they try to get the password by doing a lateral movement."
"The solution could be more friendly for end-users, with different type of scans or scheduled scans for it."
"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint could improve by adding more security features."
"In terms of the architecture of the management infrastructure, we found that other technologies are more simple. Microsoft Defender could be simpler too."
"We encountered some issues when we were trying to enable automatic updates from our group policy."
"They're in the process of pulling more things together. They can continue with the integrations and provide a better way of seeing the impact of security changes, especially on the endpoint side. Before we actually flip the switch, we should be able to see the impact of security changes on the business or business applications. It would prevent breaking any business applications."
"The documentation could be better. When they update their manuals, sometimes they refer to products by their old names, so it is a little confusing. For example, the documentation might still say "Advanced Threat Protection" instead of Defender for Endpoint."
"It could be easier when it comes to managing exceptions."
"The support is not always so effective."
"Some of our users say that the interface is a little bit outdated for 2020, and want it to be more modern and cozy."
"Perhaps the primary area for potential enhancement is to make it faster, ensuring a more seamless experience while maintaining robust security features."
"Currently, the client is only available for the Windows Operating System but it would be good if it were released for Mac OS as well."
"They need to update and improve the features available for Mac."
"They should release a single update with all the necessary characteristics to avoid being in a cycle of consecutive updates."
"I would like it to be integrated with the Check Point centralization solution like Infinity Portal. It would be great to be able to manage it through the same website."
"ZoneAlarm should be a light application that does not take too much memory in mobile phones."
More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Pricing and Cost Advice →
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is ranked 1st in Anti-Malware Tools with 182 reviews while ZoneAlarm is ranked 15th in Anti-Malware Tools with 11 reviews. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is rated 8.0, while ZoneAlarm is rated 8.2. 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 ZoneAlarm writes "A highly stable solution that protects computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers". Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is most compared with Symantec Endpoint Security, Intercept X Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity Complete, CrowdStrike Falcon and Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks, whereas ZoneAlarm is most compared with Check Point Harmony Endpoint, Malwarebytes, F-Secure Total, Symantec Endpoint Security and Bitdefender GravityZone EDR. See our Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. ZoneAlarm report.
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