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ESET Endpoint Protection Platform vs Symantec Endpoint Security comparison

 

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
6.6
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform offers high ROI through efficient security on existing hardware, enhancing value and brand trust.
Sentiment score
6.2
Symantec Endpoint Security offers significant ROI through reduced incidents, improved efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and minimal administrative needs, enhancing satisfaction.
I saw the return on investment with ESET Endpoint Protection Platform within months.
Symantec Endpoint Security filled gaps in our toolset, particularly with the ability to control network firewall on hosts remotely, which was greatly appreciated.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
ESET's customer support receives mixed reviews, praised for responsiveness yet criticized for regional inconsistencies and urgent support needs.
Sentiment score
6.5
Symantec Endpoint Security's customer service is efficient, while technical support responses vary, affected by locality and language issues.
Normally, I cannot give a ten for support of all brands, as it is not always possible to get full support from companies.
In some cases, it rates as high as ten out of ten, while in others, it can be as low as eight.
There is no support in the German language, which is a problem for many public tenders.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
ESET Endpoint Protection is highly regarded for scalability, with flexible licensing and easy expansion for various organization sizes.
Sentiment score
7.7
Symantec Endpoint Security is scalable and adaptable, handling diverse workloads and seamlessly integrating, despite minor complexity and licensing challenges.
In terms of scalability, I can rate it eight or nine out of ten.
Their support is phenomenal, offering quick assistance.
Symantec Endpoint Security is quite scalable, and it is very important for large clients.
The scalability of the servers is good, as it requires computational powers.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
ESET Endpoint Protection is stable and reliable, though installation can be challenging; user satisfaction remains high.
Sentiment score
7.7
Symantec Endpoint Security is stable for many, but some report resource issues, crashes, and support challenges on certain platforms.
In terms of stability, I can rate it at nine out of ten.
I have encountered issues where I had to uninstall and reinstall the product on end users' computers to view the logs again.
Previously, we used to have multiple servers such as GUP servers and numerous servers for pushing updates, but we reduced it and transitioned almost 30,000 devices to CrowdStrike, which was easy to manage.
 

Room For Improvement

ESET needs improved automation, interface, EDR intelligence, integration, scalability, performance, support, documentation, compatibility, licensing, and AI features.
Symantec Endpoint Security faces challenges with virus detection, resource consumption, complex management, integration, and needs improved threat protection and support.
A lightweight version of ESET might be beneficial as many of our clients have older CPUs and RAM.
When we were using CrowdStrike, it used to detect and block pirated software, but ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is not doing that.
Extensive APIs to easily integrate our own systems with the platform for user configuration via their company portal.
Device management is not very good and I am not enabling it in my organization due to security reasons.
I would like to see improvements in the scanning part of the solution, specifically to enhance the CPU and hard disk usage during scanning and updates to prevent disruption during work hours.
It is cumbersome to use, particularly in handling firewall management.
 

Setup Cost

ESET Endpoint Protection is competitively priced, valued by small businesses, though some find it slightly high compared to competitors.
Symantec Endpoint Security provides a reasonably priced solution with discounts for specific sectors, offering value despite cheaper alternatives.
The pricing of ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is a bit high compared to other competitors.
I would rate ESET Endpoint Protection Platform a five for pricing on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is cheap and 10 is expensive.
It seems to be half the cost or more affordable than other solutions.
The pricing is very low compared to other companies like SentinelOne and others.
I rate the pricing, setup cost, and licensing around nine out of ten.
 

Valuable Features

ESET Endpoint Protection Platform offers lightweight, comprehensive malware protection with advanced features, intuitive management, and minimal system impact.
Symantec Endpoint Security provides comprehensive, user-friendly protection with seamless management, offering robust threat detection and prevention across platforms.
The best feature of ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is that I get all the details about which user is using it, how much time they spend on websites, and all related information.
Machine learning, especially through live detection, detects threats that are blocked based on reputation or sandbox detection.
The primary purpose is to protect computers from viruses and ransomware.
Symantec Endpoint Security offers many valuable features, such as file explosion, application learning, DLP, injection detection, and EDR solutions for traffic control.
The incident response capabilities allow me to resolve authentication and support issues promptly, ensuring the system operates without downtime.
One important feature is the EDR function, necessary for many public customers due to upcoming laws in Germany, which is available through Symantec Endpoint Security Complete.
 

Categories and Ranking

ESET Endpoint Protection Pl...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
17th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (15th), Anti-Malware Tools (7th)
Symantec Endpoint Security
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
13th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
145
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is 3.1%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Endpoint Security is 3.7%, down from 4.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Symantec Endpoint Security3.7%
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform3.1%
Other93.2%
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Q&A Highlights

Miriam Tover - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 14, 2019
 

Featured Reviews

Tarkan GU - PeerSpot reviewer
Protects against threats and helps with ransomeware but needs optimization for lower resource usage
We are using ESET products for our clients, especially for entry-level protection tools. The demand for these tools is primarily coming from our clients, and we sometimes propose them to our clients as well We install the product in a standard way as a product. The primary purpose is to protect…
Kumbesh Rajagopal - PeerSpot reviewer
Management becomes easier with minimal complications, but improvement in support tools needed
Regarding areas of improvement for Symantec Endpoint Security, there are many changes, and the support portal tool is complicated compared to other tools. When trying to get service from Symantec, the process is complex. I'm not sure whether it's because of my project or something else. Though it is easy to manage, easy to get, easy to install, and works efficiently for managing policies, we faced a significant disadvantage. We wanted to add multiple hashes because of numerous new alerts coming, but we could only add them one by one, which is a considerable disadvantage in Symantec.
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
15%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
5%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business67
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise21
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business69
Midsize Enterprise32
Large Enterprise62
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ESET LiveGuard Advanced?
I would rate ESET Endpoint Protection Platform a five for pricing on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is cheap and 10 is expensive.
What needs improvement with ESET LiveGuard Advanced?
The areas where ESET Endpoint Protection Platform could be improved include implementing single sign-on for the cloud environment, true multi-tenant options, and extensive APIs to easily integrate ...
What is your primary use case for ESET LiveGuard Advanced?
The main use case for ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is endpoint protection and blocking malware, making sure that the firewalls on the endpoints are correctly configured and allowing easy manag...
Which is better - Cortex XDR or Symantec End-User Endpoint Security?
Aqua Security is easy to use and very manageable. Its main focus is on Kubernetes and Docker. Security is a very valuable feature and their speed of integration is very good. The initial setup was ...
Which offers better endpoint security - Symantec or Microsoft Defender?
We use Symantec because we do not use MS Enterprise products, but in my opinion, Microsoft Defender is a superior solution. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security s...
What do you like most about Symantec End-User Endpoint Security?
Symantec have everything – documentation, videos, data sheets.
 

Also Known As

Smart Security, ESET PROTECT Advanced, ESET LiveGuard Advanced, ESET PROTECT Platform
Symantec EPP, Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP)
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ERSTE Group Bank, Miller Solutions, Wesleyan University, The Hospital Center of Luxembourg, Deer Valley USD, SPAR, Industrial Federal Credit Union, Honda, City Hall of Palmela, Hays CISD, Lester B Pearson School Board
Audio Visual Dynamics, Red Deer Advocate, Asia Pacific Telecom Co. Ltd., Kibbutz Ein Gedi, and AMETEK, Inc.
Find out what your peers are saying about ESET Endpoint Protection Platform vs. Symantec Endpoint Security and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
867,299 professionals have used our research since 2012.