ESET Inspect vs Microsoft Defender XDR comparison

ESET and Microsoft are both solutions in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category. ESET is ranked #53, while Microsoft is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.4. ESET holds a 1.0% mindshare in EDR, compared to Microsoft’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of ESET users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

ESET Inspect and Microsoft Defender XDR compete in the security monitoring and extended detection and response solutions category. Microsoft Defender XDR seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced features and integration capabilities, making it worth its higher price.

Features: ESET Inspect is praised for its detailed threat analysis, incident response capabilities, and cost-effectiveness. Microsoft Defender XDR is noted for its deep integration with other Microsoft products, advanced threat intelligence, and comprehensive extended detection and response solution. Microsoft Defender XDR's integration with other Microsoft services gives it a competitive edge.

Room for Improvement:ESET Inspect needs a more intuitive learning curve, improved scalability, and better documentation. Microsoft Defender XDR could benefit from better documentation, more flexible configuration options, and a smoother learning curve. ESET Inspect faces challenges with scalability while Microsoft Defender XDR's documentation could enhance user experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:ESET Inspect is recognized for its straightforward deployment process and responsive customer service. Microsoft Defender XDR users find deployment to have a steeper learning curve but appreciate comprehensive support. ESET Inspect’s ease of deployment and customer service are strengths, while Microsoft Defender XDR requires more effort initially.

Pricing and ROI:ESET Inspect is noted for its affordability and positive ROI. Microsoft Defender XDR, though more expensive, is considered worth the investment because of its extensive features and integration benefits. ESET Inspect is cost-effective, while Microsoft Defender XDR offers higher ROI through its advanced functionalities.

To learn more, read our detailed ESET Inspect vs. Microsoft Defender XDR Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

ESET Inspect vs. Microsoft Defender XDR

August 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 909,948 peers since 2012

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

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Net...

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category, the mindshare of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is 3.7%, down from 3.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ESET Inspect is 1.0%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender XDR is 2.2%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks	3.7%
Microsoft Defender XDR	2.2%
ESET Inspect	1.0%
Other	93.1%

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Featured Reviews

ABHISHEK_SINGH

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.

Read full review

Cees Van Den Haak

ICT Manager at Bouwbedrijf de Vries en Verburg BV

A product with an easy setup phase that helps manage attacks and vulnerabilities

The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that you can manage and react to vulnerabilities and attacks on all the workstations or laptops. You can put certain workstations and isolation. With ESET PROTECT, you see only one machine that is protected, but with ESET Inspect, you see all the machines that are protected in an environment.

Read full review

reviewer2812758

Infosec at a government with 10,001+ employees

Integrated defenses have unified threat hunting, phishing simulations, and identity investigations

I appreciate Microsoft Defender XDR's MDE, Microsoft Defender tool, which has Attack Simulator. Instead of doing a phishing campaign and getting a separate tool, Microsoft Defender XDR does it all. These features of Microsoft Defender XDR have helped us conduct a phishing campaign quarterly, which has been beneficial. I also appreciate the fact that it has Defender for Office integrated, Defender for Identity, and everything integrated together. I would describe the process of using Microsoft Defender XDR to prioritize incidents in my security operations as quite decent. I appreciate the automatic alerting system where any incidents or alerts we receive come directly to our email. From there, we can open the email, go directly to Microsoft Defender XDR, and start our investigations and remediations. I perceive the integration of security and identity access management in Microsoft Defender XDR as affecting my identity protection strategies very well because it is well integrated with Purview, integrated well with Entra ID, and integrated well with Exchange. I especially appreciate MDO, the Office product. If anything happens and I want to conduct an investigation, it takes me directly to Exchange, where I can also investigate any emails or phishing incidents. Instead of going to different portals, everything can be done from Microsoft Defender XDR. If necessary for further investigation, Microsoft Defender XDR then directs me to that environment. I would assess the integration of AI in guiding security actions within Microsoft Defender XDR as quite positive. Recently, Security Copilot went big, and it is beneficial that I can use that, especially to write KQL. I can do threat hunting features and intelligence all within using Microsoft's Security Copilot. It also has a nice AI feature for threat hunting. I know that all the Defender logs go to Sentinel, and I can pull it up from Microsoft Defender XDR or from Sentinel. The fact that I can actually do all that within Microsoft Defender XDR is a nice feature. In the top module, I can do threat lookups, and I can actually type KQLs in Microsoft Defender XDR and look up incidents. Predictive shielding has had a nice impact on my proactive security measures. It is beneficial that it has, similar to Entra ID, a secure score. For me to improve the product, the secure score helps me out. If I rate it from highest to lowest, I can see what things I can improve. Secure score helps me see what areas I can improve in Microsoft Defender XDR to increase my score and bring it to 80 or more. Knowing Microsoft Defender XDR from using it since 2019, before COVID days, I know that they have improved significantly. It is much more user-friendly and has a very nice vulnerability feature that I find handy and useful. The fact that this feature integrates into Intune is also very decent.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is easy to use and does not consume a lot of hardware resources."

"These days it's machine-learning technology and behavior-based analytics features that make us more secure."

"I generally believe that Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is probably the best in the market right now."

"Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks has helped lighten the load of our security analysts because it was the major tool that we were using and the one we utilized most."

"Palo Alto is the best security solution in the market."

"Based on my experience, I would recommend Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks to other people."

"The product is very good, it has caught a lot of exploits that most products would not."

"Its ability to react to cyber data attacks is awesome. That is pretty much the use of it. What blows your mind is the ability to access your assets remotely and see what is actually going on with them. You can not only see them in a console. You can also react very rapidly to your assets that are compromised."

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks pros

"ESET Enterprise Inspector's most valuable feature is EDR."

"The product's most valuable features are its performance and stability."

"Scalability-wise, it is a very good solution."

"ESET Enterprise Inspector's greatest asset lies in its user-friendly interface, which allows for easy navigation and thorough analysis of incidents."

"I find the multilayered endpoint security the most valuable feature."

"This solution is easy to install, setup and monitor."

"The rules are the best and most useful features."

"Rules are the most valuable feature of ESET Inspect. They are created through XML language, and they track and filter events from endpoints. If the event matches the rule, the rule is triggered. Exceptions are the second most valuable feature because it gives you the power to filter false positives in large numbers. The third most valuable feature is the Learning mode that facilitates making exceptions for known processes with a good reputation."

"The portal is quite user-friendly. There is integration with Office, Intune, and other products from the same portal. From there, we can see which policies are installed on a particular machine. We also can manage devices, groups, and tagging."

"The ability to isolate and address viruses is the most valuable feature of Microsoft Defender XDR."

"I like that Defender is easy to use and the alerts are all in one central location."

"The ability to hunt that IM data set or the identity data set at the same time is valuable. As incident response professionals, we are very used to EDRs and having device process registry telemetry, but a lot of times, we do not have that identity data right there with us, so we have to go search for it in some other silo. Being able to cross-correlate via both datasets at the same time is something that we can only do in Def"

"The most valuable features of Microsoft 365 Defender are the combination of all the capabilities and centralized management."

"The integration between all the Defender products is the most valuable feature."

"The most valuable feature is probably the aggregation and correlation of the different telemetry points with Defender for Identity, Defender for Endpoint, and Defender for Cloud Apps. All of these various things are part of that portal. We've wanted that single pane of glass for years."

"Microsoft 365 Defender is simple to upgrade."

More Microsoft Defender XDR pros

Cons

"It is not easy to sell Cortex XDR, not because it isn't a good tool. Its marketing needs to be improved."

"Initially, we got to have a lot of false positives when we onboarded, but nowadays it's quite smooth."

"The installation should be easier and the Palo Alto pre-sales and sales teams should have more information on the product because they don't know what they are selling."

"One thing that was missing was the integration part. Currently, they don't have out-of-box integration with IBM QRadar, or if they have the integration, the integration doesn't work well."

"The playbooks could be improved to include more functionalities or actions."

"I have run into some detection issues with Cortex XDR. It needs to be better at detection of internal attacks."

"They are charging for Network Traffic Analyzer (NTA) services, so 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."

"Additionally, I think the price is very high, and if it can be adjusted, I believe it will be a very good solution."

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks cons

"It is not a stable product. We were disappointed in the stability of this product in comparison to McAffee."

"The platform's price could be better."

"It may be difficult for a first-time customer to understand all of the functions that are available to him."

"One area that needs improvement for the product is ransomware protection, which does not offer complete security."

"The solution could improve the consumption of resources. The RAM and CPU usage increases during usage which can cause issues. We have three separate services and it would be beneficial if all were executed from one agent limiting the over usage of system resources."

"Every vendor is working on making the job of SOC analysts easier, with fewer false positives and more precise detections. ESET uses LiveGrid technology that provides feedback on the reputation of files and operations. It's hard to eliminate all of the false positives, but hopefully, we'll see some improvement with the advances in AI."

"The product is complex to configure, and there are too many errors that are not errors, making it an area that can be considered for improvement."

"The solution can improve the rules and privileges it offers."

"The support from Microsoft could improve. There are times I have to wait for a response from a qualified specialist."

"Microsoft Defender XDR could be improved with a lower price."

"The user interface of Microsoft 365 Defender could improve. They could make it simpler."

"The management features could be improved, particularly in terms of better integration with Intune, Microsoft's cloud-based management solution."

"Automated playbooks and automated dashboards would be preferable to the way the data is currently being presented."

"At times, when we have an incident email and we click on the link for that incident, it opens a pop-up, but there is nothing. It has happened a couple of times."

"The message trace feature for investigating mail flow issues should add more detailed information to the summary report... if they could extend the summary report a little bit, make it more descriptive, ordinary administrators could understand what happened and that the emails failed at this or that point. That way they would know the location to go to try to correct it and to prevent it from occurring again."

More Microsoft Defender XDR cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is okay, although direct support can be expensive."

"Its pricing is kind of in line with its competitors and everybody else out there."

"This is an expensive solution."

"It is cost-effective compared to similar solutions. It fits for the small businesses through to the big businesses."

"It's about $55 per license on a yearly basis."

"Our customers have expressed that the price is high."

"We pay about $50,000 USD per year for a bundle that includes Cortex XDR."

"Every customer has to pay for a license because it doesn't work with what you get from a managed services provider."

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks pricing and cost advice

"I feel it is a very expensive product."

"The pricing and licensing are the big issue now, in my opinion. If the price was less than other companies, or a one-time charge for service was available, I think there would be more users of this solution."

"This is true in the case of licensing, we do not have the most expensive products, and we don't have the cheapest product, it's somewhere in the middle. Perhaps a little higher from the middle, but we are known for what we provide to our customers, and they are pleased."

"The platform's licensing is affordable and straightforward."

"The platform is expensive; it could be cheaper."

"The bundling of software makes it easier to manage our setup, but Microsoft purposefully obfuscates this through marketing ploys to hide costs."

"Microsoft Defender XDR's licensing is complicated."

"Microsoft Defender XDR is priced high."

"Defender XDR is included in the E5 license, but it's a bit too expensive."

"We have a lot of problems in Latin America regarding the price of Microsoft 365 Defender, because the relationship between dollars and the money of the different countries, it's is a lot. Many customers that have small businesses say that they would like the solution but it is too expensive. However, large companies do not find the cost an issue."

"For Defender, they have Endpoint Plan 1 and Endpoint Plan 2, but I don't know on what basis they have classified Endpoint Plan 1 and Plan 2, but it has given me enough pain to pick and design Endpoint Plan 1 or Endpoint Plan 2 for my organization. In fact, we are still struggling with it. Too many SKUs are confusing. There should not be too many SKUs, and they shouldn't charge for every new feature."

"With the little idea I have about the costs, I can say that XDR tools tend to be a bit expensive. If you are using Microsoft Defender XDR, then you need to go for a subscription-based pricing model."

"While Microsoft Defender XDR carries a higher cost, its ease of use compared to Defender may justify the investment."

More Microsoft Defender XDR pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

909,948 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

12%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

14%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	46
Midsize Enterprise	21
Large Enterprise	54

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	46
Midsize Enterprise	28
Large Enterprise	41

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. ...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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,...

See all answers

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft 365 Defender?

My experience with the pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Defender XDR is that we are on an E5 license,...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft 365 Defender?

From my perspective, Microsoft Defender XDR can be improved with better visibility in certain areas where I can trigg...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft 365 Defender?

My main use cases for Microsoft Defender XDR are telemetry, advanced hunting, and the ability to perform host isolati...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 13% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 5% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 4% of the time

Cortex XSIAM vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 3% of the time

Trellix Endpoint Security Platform vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 3% of the time

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks Competitors

CrowdStrike Falcon vs ESET Inspect

Compared 13% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint vs ESET Inspect

Compared 6% of the time

HP Wolf Security vs ESET Inspect

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiEDR vs ESET Inspect

Compared 4% of the time

TrendAI Vision One vs ESET Inspect

Compared 4% of the time

More ESET Inspect Competitors

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 8% of the time

Wazuh vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 6% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 4% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 4% of the time

TrendAI Vision One – Endpoint Security vs Microsoft Defender XDR

Compared 2% of the time

More Microsoft Defender XDR Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

August 2026

Download Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks product report

Buyer's Guide

ESET Inspect

August 2026

Download ESET Inspect product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender XDR

August 2026

Download Microsoft Defender XDR product report

Also Known As

Cyvera, Cortex XDR, Palo Alto Networks Traps

ESET Enterprise Inspector

Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Threat Protection, MS 365 Defender

Overview

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?

Advanced Threat Detection: Uses AI and machine learning for proactive threat identification.
Multi-layered Security: Combines various security measures for comprehensive protection.
Endpoint Protection: Safeguards against malware and exploits.
Behavioral Analysis: Monitors suspicious activity for early detection.
Automatic Threat Response: Automates responses to neutralize threats.

What benefits should users expect?

Ease of Use: Simplifies security management with intuitive design.
Resource Efficiency: Minimizes impact on system resources.
Integration Capabilities: Works well with existing security setups.
Reduced Analyst Workload: Automates processes to decrease manual intervention.

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.

Palo Alto Networks

ESET Inspect provides strong EDR capabilities with user-friendly operations and multilayered security for threat detection and response, supporting efficient management across multiple devices.

ESET Inspect enables organizations to manage security effectively through its lightweight connector, handling EDR/XDR services for vulnerability and attack management. It allows tracking of potential threats, including lateral movements and anomaly detection, and employs XML-based rules for customized filtering. The interface supports exception management and a learning mode, enhancing control over false positives. Performance, stability, and flexible deployment options add value to its comprehensive security approach.

What are the key features of ESET Inspect?

User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies navigation and threat monitoring.
Effective EDR Capabilities: Enables detailed response actions for security incidents.
Multilayered Security: Prevents malicious activities with layered protection.
XML-Based Rules: Allows customizable filtering and monitoring.
Learning Mode: Facilitates the management of false positives through exceptions.
Lightweight Connector: Efficiently manages security across devices.

What benefits can users expect from ESET Inspect?

Enhanced Threat Detection: Provides deep insights into network processes.
Comprehensive Management: Offers multilayered security across cloud and on-premises setups.
Proactive Threat Response: Enables actions like process termination for anomalies.
Flexible Deployment: Supports antivirus, spam protection, and IDS functions.

ESET Inspect is often deployed by administrators in industries requiring stringent security management, such as IT services and business sectors with sensitive data handling. It is used for network monitoring, antivirus protections across desktops, laptops, and servers, allowing proactive responses to threats with built-in and regularly updated rules.

ESET

Microsoft Defender XDR is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect against threats in the Microsoft 365 environment.

It offers robust security measures, comprehensive threat detection capabilities, and an efficient incident response system. With seamless integration with other Microsoft products and a user-friendly interface, it simplifies security management tasks.

Users have found it effective in detecting and preventing various types of attacks, such as phishing attempts, malware infections, and data breaches.

Watch the Microsoft demo video here: Microsoft Defender XDR demo video.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

CBI Health Group, University Honda, VakifBank

Mitsubishi Motors, Allianz Suisse, Cannon, T-Mobile

Accenture, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, General Electric, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and many others.

Buyer's Guide

ESET Inspect vs. Microsoft Defender XDR

August 2026

Free Report: ESET Inspect vs. Microsoft Defender XDR

Find out what your peers are saying about ESET Inspect vs. Microsoft Defender XDR and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

909,948 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our ESET Inspect vs. Microsoft Defender XDR report.

See our list of best Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) vendors.

We monitor all Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.