


ESET Endpoint Protection Platform and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint compete in the business security solutions category. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint appears to have the upper hand with better features, although ESET offers competitive pricing and support.
Features: ESET Endpoint Protection Platform offers comprehensive threat detection capabilities, low system impact, and efficiency. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides extensive integration capabilities, advanced threat analytics, and deeper analysis options.
Room for Improvement: ESET Endpoint Protection Platform could enhance reporting features, improve its update process, and refine its interface. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint needs a smoother onboarding process, better performance, and fewer performance lags.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is straightforward to deploy and has responsive customer support. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has a steeper learning curve but offers detailed deployment documentation and reliable customer service.
Pricing and ROI: ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is cost-effective with good ROI, ideal for budget-conscious companies. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has a higher upfront cost but justifies the investment with a substantial long-term ROI.
They appreciate the rich telemetry data from the solution, as it provides in-depth threat identification.
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks helps to reduce my total cost of ownership significantly.
In Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks, most of the remediation is automated and the accuracy is quite good.
Regarding cost savings, ESET Endpoint Protection Platform definitely saves money because if my system or organization is hacked or ransomed, the potential financial loss would be far greater than the cost of the solution.
I saw the return on investment with ESET Endpoint Protection Platform within months.
Without detection and protection measures, organizations would face substantial payments and reputational damage, including the necessity to inform customers about data breaches, potentially leading to loss of business.
Incident response time has significantly reduced, with MTTR reduced from two to three hours to less than one hour, mainly due to automation plus better visibility.
We have seen a return on investment when using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, as it saves labor by reducing the need for staff to focus on it.
The technical support from Palo Alto deserves a mark of ten because they reach out within an hour whenever assistance is needed.
There is no back and forth, and they know what we are asking for and come up with the best resolution for a solution.
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.
They have great technical support.
I typically receive support from the distributor, and the customer support team is also responsive and helpful.
Normally, I cannot give a ten for support of all brands, as it is not always possible to get full support from companies.
The Microsoft agent, who did not actually work for Microsoft, is one of the vendors that Microsoft uses for support, said, 'Just to set expectations, my lunch break is in an hour and I am going to go away then.'
The level-one support seems disconnected from subject matter experts.
I rate Microsoft support 10 out of 10.
You can onboard 10,000 endpoints in just hours, which demonstrates the excellent scalability of this product.
Activating the newly purchased licenses is instantaneous, allowing installations without adjustments since it's cloud-based.
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks can be expanded anytime by purchasing another license without any issues related to scalability.
In terms of scalability, I can rate it eight or nine out of ten.
Their support is phenomenal, offering quick assistance.
Minimal system performance impact is very important when choosing endpoint protection solutions, and I believe ESET uses minimum hardware of the PC.
We managed to scale it out in a short amount of time, with two months of planning and three months of implementation on 10,000 computers.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is scalable enough to handle various devices across environments, whether they are laptops, Android devices, or operating in hybrid environments.
Compatibility is its main feature.
Cortex remains fast and responsive, even with increasing data and alerts.
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.
Cortex XDR is stable, offering high quality and reliable performance.
In terms of stability, I can rate it at nine out of ten.
Our experience with ESET Endpoint Protection Platform's centralized management console is mostly fine for managing security policies across endpoints.
I haven't seen any outages with Microsoft.
I rate Defender 10 out of 10 for stability.
Defender for Endpoint is extremely stable.
Improving reporting and dashboard customization, along with the addition of real-time and exportable reports, would help SOC teams greatly.
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.
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.
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.
Repeated interactions are necessary due to Level One's lack of tools and knowledge, hindering efficient problem-solving and negatively impacting our experience with Microsoft support.
In contrast, competing products offer reduced pricing for long-term commitments, which makes it difficult for us in that environment.
We use Microsoft partners to help govern the platform, and as part of an alliance, we want to gather data from each tenant and combine them for a complete view.
The pricing on SentinelOne is far more reasonable and cheaper than Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks.
I would say it is definitely not a cheap product, considering how mature it is and how scalable all Palo Alto products are together.
Cortex XDR is perceived as expensive by some customers, yet offers dynamic pricing.
The pricing of ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is a bit high compared to other competitors.
The price is very reasonable compared to the features provided.
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.
That has been the trend we have seen with Microsoft lately—it is just getting more and more expensive.
The standalone option can feel expensive if you opt for full P2 coverage.
Given our extensive Microsoft licensing, transitioning to Defender for Endpoint did not affect licensing costs.
It incorporates AI for normal behavior detection, distinguishing unusual operations.
The product provides automation responses in case of a threat attack, severity assessments, centralized manageability, and comprehensive compliance features, resulting in reduced costs.
It includes machine learning to easily analyze data and detect complex threats across endpoints, networks, or clouds.
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform provides ransomware prevention, which prevents attackers from encrypting my files and demanding ransom payments.
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.
Defender for Endpoint's coverage across different platforms in our environment is pretty good. We have devices running Linux, Mac OS, Windows, iOS, and Android. It covers all of them.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides a unified management interface allowing customers to manage their on-premises and hybrid infrastructures from a single pane.
One of the best features of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is its database for identifying zero-day attacks or malware attacks.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | 7.0% |
| Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks | 3.6% |
| ESET Endpoint Protection Platform | 2.5% |
| Other | 86.9% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 45 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 20 |
| Large Enterprise | 48 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 69 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 18 |
| Large Enterprise | 21 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 82 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 43 |
| Large Enterprise | 95 |
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks provides advanced threat detection with AI-driven endpoint protection and seamless integration, ensuring multi-layered security and automatic threat response.
Cortex XDR is designed to safeguard endpoints against malware and suspicious activities. It offers advanced threat detection and response capabilities using behavioral analysis, AI, and machine learning. It seamlessly integrates with security infrastructures, providing endpoint security, firewall integration, and enhanced visibility in both cloud-based and on-premises environments.
What are the key features of Cortex XDR?Organizations in diverse sectors deploy Cortex XDR to protect against malware, leveraging its advanced threat detection capabilities. Its integration with existing security infrastructures appeals to those seeking comprehensive protection in both cloud and on-premises environments, providing enhanced visibility and threat intelligence.
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform offers comprehensive security with minimal CPU and RAM impact, effective malware protection, and seamless updates, making it ideal for organizations needing reliable digital security.
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is highly regarded for its effective ThreatSense technology, advanced firewall, and central control capabilities. Users benefit from its lightweight design and efficient notification system, enjoying customizable management through its management console. Despite its strengths, there are opportunities to enhance malware repair, update processes, and AI integration. The platform's compatibility across operating systems and integration with systems like ESET PROTECT allows organizations to effectively secure endpoints and servers against threats like malware, viruses, and ransomware.
What are the key features of ESET Endpoint Protection Platform?Organizations deploy ESET Endpoint Protection Platform to safeguard laptops, desktops, and servers from cyber threats. Its use extends to antivirus protection, firewall configuration, and network monitoring. Companies often integrate it with ESET PROTECT and Apache HTTP Proxy for optimized management and updates, making it a versatile choice in industries requiring robust endpoint security.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides comprehensive threat protection that integrates well with current systems, offering proactive threat detection and automatic updates while reducing manual efforts.
The platform is designed for seamless integration with Microsoft products, facilitating efficient management and use. It offers proactive ransomware protection and valuable threat intelligence, crucial for timely response and increased visibility across devices. Users highlight its ability to secure endpoints from viruses and malware, integrating with Windows and Office 365 to enhance real-time detection capabilities in diverse environments, including hybrid and on-premises setups. However, enhancements are needed in Linux integration, detection accuracy, and policy implementations.
What are the key features of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is implemented across industries for securing endpoints, relying on its deep integration with Windows and Office 365 to protect against malware and viruses. Organizations benefit from its real-time detection and comprehensive management capabilities, particularly in hybrid environments where diverse digital infrastructures need safeguarding.
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