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ESET Endpoint Encryption vs Microsoft BitLocker vs Symantec Endpoint Encryption comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Endpoint Encryption category, the mindshare of ESET Endpoint Encryption is 9.8%, down from 19.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft BitLocker is 20.1%, down from 40.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Endpoint Encryption is 8.3%, down from 10.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Encryption Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft BitLocker20.1%
Symantec Endpoint Encryption8.3%
ESET Endpoint Encryption9.8%
Other61.8%
Endpoint Encryption
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2674917 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager, Information Technology at a healthcare company with 201-500 employees
encryption works well but needs a fix for compatibility with the latest Windows version
I have used it in the past because it works quite well for encryption. It's better than trying to just use BitLocker, which is a pain from a management standpoint. It works up to this point. My issue is that I need to roll it out on new machines, and I can't get the application to work correctly. It's encrypted at rest, so I can't use the data if I'm not logged in correctly into the laptop with the correct user credentials.
Ibrahin Gamal - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Technology Specialist at ITE Corp
Data protection improves while users adapt to user access complexities
Recovery options are useful with Microsoft BitLocker. When we get the recovery key from Microsoft, people who we show how BitLocker works did not know the facts about BitLocker. When we tell them about recovery keys, it is very difficult for them to get to the users who have issues in their PCs and do not have the knowledge. When IT asked about the scenario, it was difficult for them. They needed something where they could go to the administration portal to unlock the PC for the user, but we tell them that when a user asks for a recovery key, it consists of 32 numbers to unlock their PC. They observed cost savings after implementing Microsoft BitLocker because they requested BitLocker with System Center. They found that it did not have a high cost, as it is a built-in feature in Windows. When they asked about other solutions, it was very expensive for large numbers in other corporates or organizations. They were very satisfied with Microsoft BitLocker with System Center Configuration Manager.
KD
Security Risk Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Remote management capability ensures efficient security implementation for endpoints and servers
I use Symantec Endpoint Encryption for endpoint and server security. My current role involves preparing a design document for implementing security features for the product Symantec Endpoint Encryption is easy to use and manage. The solution's remote management capability is helpful, and it…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution's UI is user-friendly. Even a non-technical person can use it."
"From the last update, it's easier for me to use."
"The tech support is awesome."
"The initial setup is easy."
"The solution allows me to easily monitor the encryption and password management of multiple computers in my network and gives me visibility into user use."
"The setup is getting easier."
"I have used it in the past because it works quite well for encryption."
"It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"It seemed easy, straightforward, and secure."
"The most valuable feature is the simplicity and integration with the Microsoft Clouds platform."
"We have not seen any bugs or glitches, so the stability is good."
"The tool is stable."
"Prior to using BitLocker, we used PGP (Pretty Good Privacy). We switched because BitLocker was free, being included with Windows, and it had better support."
"The tool has improved the starting up of our notebooks and end-user devices."
"It's a straightforward solution for encryption."
"The ease of administering and integrating the solution is great."
"The product has helped our organization by providing encryption options."
"Its management is good, and it is also scalable and mostly stable."
"The solution was used to find harmful files and viruses on laptops."
"The most effective features of Symantec are those related to data protection."
"The solution’s installation was easy."
"The best feature of Symantec Endpoint Encryption is the encryption itself. Encryption truly is the way to go because nowadays we are living in an era of widespread server threats, and you need to encrypt your emails and documents because you never know who might get hold of them."
"Overall Symantec Endpoint Encryption is a reasonable solution."
"Disk encryption and file and folder encryption are the most valuable and used features. It is also very well integrated with Symantec Messaging Gateway and Symantec DLP, which is helpful in protecting any kind of information that goes outside. Symantec DLP catches an email and sends it to the encryption server. The encryption server encrypts the email and intimates to the user that confidential information is being sent out. The administrator can then take appropriate action."
 

Cons

"The solution should have better synchronization with active directory users and passwords for use in the encryption."
"There should be more frequent updates."
"There could be an option for users to restart the system without a password."
"The initial setup could be made easier."
"I would like more robust reporting as part of the Remote Administrator."
"I would like to see better compatibility with mobile devices. Most of the time, people are connecting to our server using their mobile device."
"The solution should have better synchronization with active directory users and passwords for use in the encryption."
"The product should be more responsive regarding feedback if it detects something in our infrastructure. I believe there's a backend that their engineers use to detect viruses in our system. We would appreciate it if they could promptly provide feedback and give us recommendations on how to better protect our infrastructure beyond their system. Additionally, we hope for improved integration with the other systems we currently use. It would be beneficial if they could collaborate to create something that facilitates integration between these systems."
"My experience with the billing system at Microsoft was very frustrating."
"The primary aspect for improvement lies in expanding our developer base, which would accelerate the development process and bring these enhancements to fruition"
"The solution could be improved if it was more user friendly."
"The visualization could be better."
"The encryption takes a long time to complete, and our system runs very slowly while it is encrypting."
"The encryption takes a long time to complete, and our system runs very slowly while it is encrypting."
"At the end of it all, we are looking for something that can be easier to manage."
"Microsoft BitLocker needs to be an all-inclusive solution. For example, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) cryptoprocessor is required to use Bitlocker with your computer which keeps Bitlocker from adoption beyond Windows."
"I would like them to have integration with a wider range of non-Symantec products."
"They have too high of a price tag. That's why they're losing the market share."
"One feature that is lacking is integration with Symantec Information Centric (ICT). As it is now, I don't see how to integrate the encryption with ICT, and in my opinion this is an area that certainly requires encryption, even though it's no longer supported by Broadcom."
"It's a bit difficult to get good support. Their response times are really bad."
"It was hard to install and took us about three months."
"I do not find the environment to be very user-friendly."
"The product can be expensive. Price was a factor in moving away from the product."
"Technical support needs to be better. They need more skilled techs and they need to be faster at responding."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are some inexpensive products compared to ESET Endpoint Encryption, but they lack the essential features."
"The pricing is mid-ranged and could be more cost-effective."
"ESET Endpoint Encryption is moderately priced."
"Licensing costs are on a yearly basis."
"Instead of installing ESET on each machine at each location, we just do it remotely. This has been a time saver for us."
"The National University System dedicates 500 of their 5000 licenses to us, which is $14/yr per device. Most companies are paying $99 or $120 per device a year."
"It is neither very expensive, nor cheap. Overall it is affordable and there is a long term arrangement between our company and the solution providers for license."
"We paid for an annual subscription, and it was reasonable."
"Microsoft BitLocker is a free feature when you are using Microsoft solutions."
"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."
"The solution is cost efficient."
"For reasons unknown, Microsoft products seem to be getting more expensive."
"The cost of this solution is bundled in with part of the subscription for the Microsoft Cloud. We have users subscribed to Enterprise E5 and it comes with E5"
"The tool is cheap compared to the products offered by competitors. If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price as one."
"It's not about pricing, because we are working with Enterprise companies that already have Windows Enterprise, so BitLocker comes already included as a Windows feature. It's free for Enterprise users. The price is only for deployment. The customer will pay for McAfee, however."
"We didn't pay for additional licenses since the solution is built into Windows."
"Depending on how many modules you will use (up to five) the licensing will be more expensive."
"The licensing costs yearly are $5000."
"The cost of this solution is a little on the higher side."
"There is a license required for this solution."
"The solution is good, but it is more expensive than other solutions in the market. Other solutions, such as BitLocker are less expensive."
"Symantec Endpoint Encryption is not expensive."
"The pricing is fair but there is variability in our area that needs to be addressed."
"Although the performance and stability of this solution are good, our challenge is the price tag. You buy the solution once, but you also have to keep on buying the licenses yearly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
University
9%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
University
8%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business35
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise25
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise16
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with ESET Endpoint Encryption?
My problem is that there's a technical glitch and they don't have a fix for it. It's not working with the latest vers...
What should one take into account when replacing PGP with Microsoft BitLocker?
Beware to make backup of useful data, then use reverse decryption policy from Symantec panel/McAfee ePO to decrypt th...
Would you choose Microsoft BitLocker or McAfee Complete Data Protection?
Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive en...
How does Microsoft BitLocker compare with Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive en...
What do you like most about Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
Antivirus, URL filtering, and firewall protection are the most effective features for data protection.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
I am not sure about the pricing and licensing cost of Symantec Endpoint Encryption.
What needs improvement with Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
Based on my experience, technically, the product already meets all our requirements. The only improvement would be if...
 

Also Known As

No data available
BitLocker, MS BitLocker
Symantec Drive Encryption
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

CCS Media Limited, Mercury Engineering, Unigarant, Pinewood Healthcare
ACV, Proaxis Therapy, Choice Hotels International, adnymics GmbH, Intermedia, NMBS/SNCB
Citrix Systems Inc., City of Lansing, Commercial & Industrial Property, France T_l_visions, Fujian Mobile Co. Ltd., Group Lotus plc, Hall Booth Smith & Slover, P.C. (HBSS), Portugal Telecom, PostFinance, Public Pension Agency
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Sophos, Broadcom and others in Endpoint Encryption. Updated: February 2026.
885,728 professionals have used our research since 2012.