No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Bitdefender Total Security vs Symantec Endpoint Security Complete comparison

Sponsored
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
4.8
Cortex XDR reduces costs, minimizes incidents, improves ROI, and enhances efficiency with automation and seamless system integration.
Sentiment score
4.5
Businesses achieve 80% ROI with Bitdefender Total Security, benefiting from cost-effective protection and 20% time savings over three years.
Sentiment score
2.6
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete's ROI is rated highly by some, yet high costs make benefits assessment challenging for others.
They appreciate the rich telemetry data from the solution, as it provides in-depth threat identification.
Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks helps to reduce my total cost of ownership significantly.
Detection and Response Consultant at Inovasys
In Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks, most of the remediation is automated and the accuracy is quite good.
Network Security Engineer at Cyberwell Solution
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
Cortex XDR's adaptable customer service excels in problem-solving, fast response, and professionalism, despite varying quality and log analysis suggestions.
Sentiment score
8.2
Bitdefender Total Security offers extensive support with responsive service, though faster response times and clearer communication are desired.
Sentiment score
3.3
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete receives mixed feedback, with praise for efficiency but concerns about response times and support consistency.
The technical support from Palo Alto deserves a mark of ten because they reach out within an hour whenever assistance is needed.
Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees
There is no back and forth, and they know what we are asking for and come up with the best resolution for a solution.
Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk
If any of these services are missed, it becomes a problem in terms of support tickets, follow-up, or special configuration that needs to be done in the system.
Chief of IT Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
The technical support is good, with a rating of eight out of ten.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
I don't know the current situation with Broadcom, however, it was good when I was involved.
Information Security Engineer at M.Tech
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Cortex XDR offers scalable management and deployment capabilities for organizations, though affordability for smaller enterprises may be challenging.
Sentiment score
8.4
Bitdefender Total Security scales well for small businesses, praised for efficiency, easy device addition, and robust protection.
Sentiment score
6.4
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete displays strong scalability, though opinions vary on license challenges and support in different environments.
You can onboard 10,000 endpoints in just hours, which demonstrates the excellent scalability of this product.
Assistant Security Architect at Cloudnomics
Activating the newly purchased licenses is instantaneous, allowing installations without adjustments since it's cloud-based.
Junior Security Analyst at ITSEC Asia
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks can be expanded anytime by purchasing another license without any issues related to scalability.
Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees
The scalability of Bitdefender Total Security is impressive, and I would rate it a nine out of ten due to its strong capabilities.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Cortex XDR is reliable and stable, with minor issues outweighed by consistent performance and highly rated dependability.
Sentiment score
8.7
Bitdefender Total Security is praised for its stability and reliability, with users experiencing smooth updates and no major issues.
Sentiment score
8.0
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete is reliable and stable, though new releases may introduce bugs, earning high user satisfaction.
Cortex remains fast and responsive, even with increasing data and alerts.
Final Year Student at Gitam University
The thresholds we've seen on our firewall boxes at some instances reached 80% to 85%, but even at that level of utilization, we don't observe any latency or any issues reported with respect to accessing the application.
Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks can be trusted completely.
Soc Analyst at Softcell Technologies Limited
The stability of Bitdefender Total Security is high, and I would rate it at nine out of ten.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
Mac OS upgrades would break them before new versions were available.
Lead of IT at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Cortex XDR needs improved UI, integration, affordability, monitoring, false positive handling, Mac OS support, and better AI features.
Bitdefender Total Security needs enhancements in stability, resource usage, ransomware flexibility, and better online privacy, support, and VPN options.
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete requires enhancements in installation, interface, mobility, security features, support, scalability, pricing, and integration.
Improving reporting and dashboard customization, along with the addition of real-time and exportable reports, would help SOC teams greatly.
Final Year Student at Gitam University
The inclusion of this feature would allow the application of DLP policies alongside antivirus policies via a single agent and console, making it more competitive as other OEMs often offer DLP solutions as part of their antivirus products.
Pre Sales Architect at network techlab
If the per GB data could be provided at a certain level free of cost or at the same cost which the customer is taking for the entire bundle, that would be better.
Cyber Security Information Security Specialist at MHM Holding GmbH
There is a commercial aspect where having an unlimited VPN would enhance the product.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
VPN is becoming a lot more commonplace and needed, and some competitors are now including it as part of their offering.
MSP Partner Manager at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
The mobile device management was not unified with the other endpoint management, creating structural issues.
Lead of IT at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
They could improve the user interface.
Information Security Engineer at M.Tech
 

Setup Cost

Cortex XDR is pricier than some rivals but offers flexible pricing and robust features, costing $55-$90 per endpoint monthly.
Bitdefender Total Security offers value with moderate pricing, strong features, and flexible license options, despite mixed affordability opinions.
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete pricing varies, seen as cost-effective by some but expensive due to features and complex renewals.
The pricing on SentinelOne is far more reasonable and cheaper than Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks.
Consultant at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I would say it is definitely not a cheap product, considering how mature it is and how scalable all Palo Alto products are together.
Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk
Compared to CrowdStrike, which is very costly, and SentinelOne, which is also very costly, Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is a medium cost-efficient solution.
Soc Analyst at Softcell Technologies Limited
The pricing is considered to be a good value for money.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
 

Valuable Features

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks provides AI-driven threat detection, automation, and seamless integration, simplifying security for analysts.
Bitdefender Total Security offers comprehensive protection and enhancement features, including a VPN, password manager, and centralized management console.
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete delivers advanced protection and governance with features like threat hunting, sandboxing, and customizable performance.
It incorporates AI for normal behavior detection, distinguishing unusual operations.
Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank
The product provides automation responses in case of a threat attack, severity assessments, centralized manageability, and comprehensive compliance features, resulting in reduced costs.
Pre Sales Architect at network techlab
It includes machine learning to easily analyze data and detect complex threats across endpoints, networks, or clouds.
Final Year Student at Gitam University
It also offers robust protection against next-generation threats like ransomware and phishing.
Business Development & Marketing Manager at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
It stops the endpoints from being exploited.
MSP Partner Manager at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
I have both the antivirus and EDR features constantly, allowing my team's customers to conduct detailed analyses of where attacks have occurred or if any malicious files are present, which devices or files have been targeted.
Information Security Engineer at M.Tech
Fortinet Endpoint Protection provides more features compared to other solutions.
Lead of IT at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Net...
Sponsored
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
114
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (6th), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (4th), Ransomware Protection (2nd), AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms (1st)
Bitdefender Total Security
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
23rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Symantec Endpoint Security ...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
37th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is 3.8%, up from 3.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Bitdefender Total Security is 1.7%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Endpoint Security Complete is 0.7%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks3.8%
Bitdefender Total Security1.7%
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete0.7%
Other93.8%
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

ABHISHEK_SINGH - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk
Gained full visibility and streamlined threat detection through behavior-based insights and AI integration
Initially, we got to have a lot of false positives when we onboarded, but nowadays it's quite smooth. We have fine-tuned our security policies and allowed different levels of policies to get rid of those false positives. Currently, we are getting a fairly good amount of incidents that are not false positives or benign, but actionable items. The process is streamlined. In the initial days, the operations used to get involved in a lot of benign and other activities, but now the process is streamlined. We are leveraging the auto-detection and remediation plans. The operations teams are now more involved in other business roles as well, not just looking into the logs and fetching out what's happening there. They have fixed a lot of things. Initially, they didn't have IAC code drift detection, cloud posture management, or security posture management, but they have those now. They purchased different vendors and did a merger with that. They have now Prisma Cloud that gets integrated and now they are working with Cortex Cloud. Everything that was negative has now been addressed, and the product altogether looks to be in a very better and mature shape now. Currently, it's more or less detecting the workloads with AI-based best practices. Since most organizations are consuming AI agents and other things, we are looking forward to seeing what other feature enhancements Palo Alto can support in that.
Robin Cook - PeerSpot reviewer
MSP Partner Manager at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Protects personal devices effectively and prevents access to fraudulent websites
The only thing that it does not include, which I would like to see in it, is the VPN. If VPN was included in Bitdefender Total Security, that would be a really valuable feature to add to the product. The VPN is handy, but to pay quite a lot more on top is costly. VPN is becoming a lot more commonplace and needed, and some competitors are now including it as part of their offering. I have no intention of moving away from Bitdefender Total Security, but I just think that could be quite a valuable addition to have as part of the product.
PetriRajama - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead of IT at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Has provided strong security foundations but struggles with integration and ongoing compatibility issues
It had its problems. They were rebuilding it while having the old functionality and new functionality layered on top of each other. They were migrating the functionalities to the new solution, which caused significant problems. The mobile device management was not unified with the other endpoint management, creating structural issues.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) solutions are best for your needs.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Comms Service Provider
19%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Healthcare Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
19%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business46
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise53
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. Sentinel One
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. SentinelOne SentinelOne offers very detailed specifics with regard to risks or attacks. ...
Comparing CrowdStrike Falcon to Cortex XDR (Palo Alto)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. CrowdStrike Falcon Both Cortex XDR and Crowd Strike Falcon offer cloud-based solutions th...
How is Cortex XDR compared with Microsoft Defender?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security solution. The tool reduces the attack surface,...
What needs improvement with Bitdefender Total Security?
The only thing that it does not include, which I would like to see in it, is the VPN. If VPN was included in Bitdefen...
What is your primary use case for Bitdefender Total Security?
Bitdefender Total Security is used for my own personal use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Endpoint Security Complete?
Symantec Endpoint Security Full/Complete license is not expensive and advise using the full feature.
What needs improvement with Symantec Endpoint Security Complete?
It had its problems. They were rebuilding it while having the old functionality and new functionality layered on top ...
What is your primary use case for Symantec Endpoint Security Complete?
It's the network side of things. They have the Fortinet SASE network protection, which is ideal for us because most o...
 

Also Known As

Cyvera, Cortex XDR, Palo Alto Networks Traps
No data available
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

CBI Health Group, University Honda, VakifBank
Information Not Available
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Bitdefender Total Security vs. Symantec Endpoint Security Complete and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.