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ESET Endpoint Protection Platform vs Symantec Protection Engine 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

ESET Endpoint Protection Pl...
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
104
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (10th), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (21st)
Symantec Protection Engine
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
20th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Anti-Malware Tools category, the mindshare of ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is 2.0%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Protection Engine is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Anti-Malware Tools Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform2.0%
Symantec Protection Engine0.6%
Other97.4%
Anti-Malware Tools
 

Featured Reviews

MS
Owner at Online IT
Cloud-based protection has simplified daily client support and keeps threats under control
The problems that we are facing with policy adoption include slow adoption, as it takes more than five minutes to adopt policy on client computers. ESET Network Attack Protection sometimes helps in reducing network-level intrusions, but sometimes it prevents local devices on the network, which are well-known and good devices, from being recognized, treating them as a threat. So it requires more administration than usual. ESET could implement a good solution for remote support in ESET Endpoint Protection Platform for improvement in the future. Since you have the cloud console, ESET could have something similar to AnyDesk or TeamViewer, but from ESET.
Abhimanyu Das - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at Kyndryl
Real-time file security has reduced incident tickets and improves threat detection accuracy
The best features of Symantec Protection Engine include machine learning, file reputation, and real-time scanning. It efficiently handles heavy loads through ICAP and cloud-based processing, reducing the burden on endpoints compared to Trend Micro and other endpoint security solutions. Its centralized control is also noteworthy. Through machine learning, it detects both known and unknown malware and malicious URLs, in addition to performing signature-based scans that assist SOC teams in analysis. The solution is highly effective in leveraging both machine learning and file reputation. Regarding centralized control, it offers a unified management console for policy deployment and provides real-time visibility through dashboards, helping save significant administrative time. Symantec Protection Engine has had a positive impact on our organization by enhancing our overall security posture. It effectively blocks a high volume of file-based threats across more than 200 servers, saves SOC analysts time in endpoint remediation, and streamlines compliance processes. It further strengthens security through real-time scanning and machine learning-based quarantine, blocking phishing payloads in SharePoint uploads before they reach endpoints, thereby reducing incidents by 30–40% compared to signature-only tools.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The protection and device control features are the most valuable, and I found its user interface and integration pretty good, as it is very user friendly as compared to other products."
"The most valuable features of this solution are, of course, the IPS/IDS, Intrusion Prevention, Intrusion Detection, and Antivirus."
"In terms of stability, I can rate it at nine out of ten."
"The stability is good."
"It has a clean and clear interface."
"I like the central console and the Cloud platform."
"We have pretty good detection, at least I feel that we don't have any major infections — we love it."
"The pricing, if compared to other products, is cheap."
"Symantec Protection Engine has improved my security posture by helping me identify potentially malicious files before they reach users or critical systems, and the automated scanning process has also reduced manual efforts for my team, allowing us to focus on other security tasks and respond to threats more efficiently."
"Symantec Protection Engine provides me with the option of both cloud and on-premise solutions, which stands out for both me and my clients."
"Symantec Protection Engine's been a game-changer for us at Kantar—blocks like 80-85% of file-based threats right at the gateway before they hit our 200 servers, cutting down endpoint incidents big time."
"The best features that I like the most include the threat intelligence network, which is effective in protecting against evolving threats."
"What I appreciate in Symantec Protection Engine is the Virtual Policy Manager (VPM) and the Application Name feature, which are really effective."
"The operational efficiency with the high-performance scanning of Symantec Protection Engine is very good."
 

Cons

"After that three-month trial period was extended, but unfortunately, the company was not convinced by the product, and the managers decided to use another solution called SentinelOne."
"They can improve ransomware protection, and there should be cloud sandboxing for Mac."
"They recently released an EDR integration. I hope they have more AI or intelligence filtering on the EDR events. Even though it has already got AI, but it is quite a different thing. So, they still have room to improve on the EDR part. This is one small piece that they need to improve. Otherwise, it is just fine."
"The management of the solution isn't as clear as it could be. They could adjust that to make it a better product."
"The solution’s console management and scalability should be improved."
"On the solution's website, it is sometimes difficult to figure out how to download the exact product associated with your purchased license."
"While the pricing is good, they could always lower it a bit."
"I think the product support is very bad."
"To improve Symantec Protection Engine, I suggest simplifying its integration with other tools, as it is more complex compared to Trend Micro and CrowdStrike."
"I would like to see improvements in reporting and troubleshooting capabilities for Symantec Protection Engine, as more detailed insights and simplified diagnostics would make day-to-day administration easier."
"Price is a significant area for improvement. The pricing is quite expensive, and it is particularly high for regular customers."
"While I have mentioned many advantages of Symantec Protection Engine, there are areas for improvement, particularly the dashboard features."
"I have concerns about scalability."
"For the improvement of Symantec Protection Engine, the engine did not work with their basic engine when I was working, which was almost three or four years before."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"As is the general rule with anything, the solution could be cheaper."
"There is a license needed to use the solution and the price depends on the features you want to use. The overall price is reasonable."
"I'd have to look through my records, however, we paid maybe $600 to $1000 for this product."
"It's a cost-effective product"
"This is not an expensive product."
"There is a license needed to use this solution and there is an annual subscription. The price is inexpensive."
"The price of ESET Endpoint Security is affordable."
"The price of the solution is very good compared to other solutions."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Construction Company
12%
Healthcare Company
12%
Outsourcing Company
12%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business69
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise21
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ESET LiveGuard Advanced?
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing of ESET Endpoint Protection Platform are good with no issues. The price is very reasonable compared to the features provided.
What needs improvement with ESET LiveGuard Advanced?
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform could be improved by offering integrations and user-friendly dashboards that could enhance the overall experience and reliability. ESST Endpoint Protection Platfor...
What is your primary use case for ESET LiveGuard Advanced?
My main use case for ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is preventing malware and preventing outside attackers. When attackers target my system, ESET catches and scans the threat with its signature ...
What needs improvement with Symantec Protection Engine?
While I have mentioned many advantages of Symantec Protection Engine, there are areas for improvement, particularly the dashboard features. I find that some features are not available, leading us t...
What is your primary use case for Symantec Protection Engine?
Clients usually use Symantec Protection Engine primarily for protecting their computers from malware or any kind of attacks, which includes viruses or trojans, as a comprehensive security solution ...
 

Also Known As

Smart Security, ESET PROTECT Advanced, ESET LiveGuard Advanced, ESET PROTECT Platform
No data available
 

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
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about ESET Endpoint Protection Platform vs. Symantec Protection Engine and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.