Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection vs Norton Small Business comparison

Malwarebytes and NortonLifeLock are both solutions in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category. Malwarebytes is ranked #44 with an average rating of 9.0, while NortonLifeLock is ranked #29 with an average rating of 9.5. Malwarebytes holds a 0.2% mindshare in EPP, compared to NortonLifeLock’s 1.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Malwarebytes users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of NortonLifeLock users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection and Norton Small Business based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about CrowdStrike, Microsoft, SentinelOne and others in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP).

To learn more, read our detailed Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)

February 2026

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Helped 884,266 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 March 2026, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is 3.5%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection is 0.2%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Norton Small Business is 1.7%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks	3.5%
Norton Small Business	1.7%
Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection	0.2%
Other	94.6%

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)

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.

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Ky Lw

IT Consultant at Rigorsys Inc

Protects against zero-day threats and provides a quick overview of the status of all desktops

The platform's real-time protection works by blocking or quarantining threats when a user clicks on a link or opens an email deemed suspicious. I recommend it for those focused on zero-day threats. However, if you're looking for a one-size-fits-all solution, you may need more than one product. Overall, I rate it a nine out of ten.

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Balaguru Paramasivan

Delivery Manager - DBA at HTC Global Services (INDIA) Private

The initial setup phase is very easy and user-friendly

I had tried Kaspersky a long time ago. I think it is available only in India. I don't know for sure. I have used that one for a couple of years, but I didn't like it, and that is the only reason I went back to Norton. Kaspersky was not safeguarding me in all aspects. I had seen some loopholes in the tool, so that is the only reason I went for Norton. The only thing I like about Kaspersky is that it supports the mobile version.

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

"It has pretty much everything we need and works well within the Palo Alto ecosystem."

"The most valuable feature of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is its machine-learning capabilities. Additionally, there is full integration with other solutions."

"The initial setup isn't too bad."

"Cortex is the best tool for endpoint detection, and I have used it to verify hashes or domains to identify malicious activity, trigger playbooks that automate and gather endpoint logs, block malicious processes, and update incident tickets, showcasing end-to-end processes with automation in investigation and reducing the analysis workflow."

"It is easy to use."

"It blocks malicious files. It prevents attacks. It doesn't require many updates, it's a very light application."

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

"The solution allows us to gain remote access without the user's knowledge and take the necessary actions on the device."

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks pros

"We focus on zero-day threats, and Malwarebytes helps minimize the risk."

"The product’s valuable feature is the availability of support services 24/7."

"The most valuable feature of Norton 360 has been its robust notification system."

"The performance is fine."

"The solution has good performance."

"Norton 360 offers the best defense compared to other low-priced antivirus solutions. Its most valuable feature is storage and automatic backup. You can restore materials from the tool's cloud backup. It is encrypted with authentication."

"It offers diverse features, such as antivirus protection, firewall, identity protection, secure VPN, device backup, password management, parental controls, and performance optimization."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it offers alerts if I get a spam email."

"The solution detects viruses very, very fast."

Cons

"Cortex XDR should have a lightweight agent, and the agent size should not be heavy."

"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."

"The solution should add unwanted malicious hash values to a block list so that whenever the action is triggered, it will automatically prevent the malicious content."

"It is a complex solution to implement."

"Impact on system performance is horrible, adding a lot of delays for users."

"Cortex XDR could improve its sales support team, including better commission structures and referral programs."

"If he is using a smaller company, he can depend on some other tools because Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is a bit expensive."

"Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks could improve by offering remote management. It would be useful to look at the client's issue to fix it."

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks cons

"The product's reporting functionality could be improved. Additionally, there could be enough documentation available."

"Norton 360’s features for device optimization could be better."

"There's a need for enhanced security measures."

"The solution’s stability could be improved."

"The product should be improved with more storage. Though included in its price, the tool's auto VPN doesn't work at times."

"One area where Norton 360 could improve is the constant push for upselling."

"The tool should be easily available in the market and should be cheaper."

"The updates must be less frequent."

"The tool's price is an area of concern where improvements are required."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is an expensive solution."

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

"Cortex XDR's pricing is ok."

"I did PoCs on products called Cylance and CrowdStrike. Although, I consider these products and they were also good, when it come to cost and budgetary factors, Traps has been proven to be better than the other two products. It is quite cost-effective and delivers all the entire solution which we require."

"The solution is expensive. It's pricing is on a yearly-basis."

"If one wishes to work with another team or large number of users at a future point, he must purchase a license for them."

"We didn't have to pay any additional fee for the cloud instance. It just came with the renewal, which was nice."

"Traps pays for itself within the first 16 months of a three-year subscription. This is attributed to OPEX savings, as security teams spent less time trying to identify and isolate malware for analysis as a result of a reduction in malware incidents, false positives, and breach avoidance."

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks pricing and cost advice

"The product pricing is fair. They may negotiate if you contact them directly; otherwise, you'll pay the standard premium."

"The solution is cost-effective."

"On a scale of one to ten, if ten is the most expensive and one is the cheapest, I rate the price as nine."

"It is an inexpensive product. We purchase its yearly license."

"The price is fairly acceptable."

"The tool has a yearly licensing."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

No data available

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	44
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	47

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Large Enterprise	2

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...

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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,...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection?

The product pricing is fair. They may negotiate if you contact them directly; otherwise, you'll pay the standard prem...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection?

The product's reporting functionality could be improved. Additionally, there could be enough documentation available.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection?

I primarily use the product to filter user actions. When a user opens a link, it catches patterns based on malware ra...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Norton 360?

I have a yearly licensing plan. The cost is not that high. The solution is cost-effective.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Norton 360?

The updates must be less frequent.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Norton 360?

I use the solution for the general protection of my computer. It runs in the background.

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 9% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Complete vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 6% 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 4% of the time

Symantec Endpoint Security vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 2% of the time

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks Competitors

Malwarebytes Teams vs Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection

Compared 64% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection

Compared 36% of the time

More Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection Competitors

HP Wolf Security vs Norton Small Business

Compared 34% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Business vs Norton Small Business

Compared 5% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Norton Small Business

Compared 4% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Norton Small Business

Compared 4% of the time

TrendAI Vision One – Endpoint Security vs Norton Small Business

Compared 2% of the time

More Norton Small Business Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

March 2026

Download Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks product report

Buyer's Guide

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)

February 2026

Download Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection product report

Buyer's Guide

Cloud Backup

February 2026

Download Norton Small Business product report

Also Known As

Cyvera, Cortex XDR, Palo Alto Networks Traps

No data available

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

Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection secures systems from malware and cyber threats with real-time protection, blocking malicious websites, and ensuring endpoint safety. It efficiently detects and removes spyware, ransomware, and adware, enhancing network security while running in the background without constant monitoring.

Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection offers robust malware detection, ease of deployment, and comprehensive threat reporting. Users appreciate its minimal impact on system performance, user-friendly management console, and effective real-time protection. The centralized management dashboard is intuitive, and customer support is responsive. However, some users note slower scanning speeds, occasional false positives, and complexity in the management console.

What are the standout features?

Real-Time Protection: Blocks threats as they occur, ensuring ongoing security.
Minimal System Impact: Operates with minimal performance degradation.
User-Friendly Management Console: Simplifies security management.
Comprehensive Threat Reporting: Provides detailed reports on detected threats.
Centralized Management Dashboard: Makes handling multiple endpoints easier.

What benefits should users look for?

Efficiency: Runs in the background without needing constant monitoring.
Responsive Support: Quick assistance from customer support.
Ease of Deployment: Easy to set up across multiple systems and networks.
Improved Network Security: Enhances overall protection and safety.
Intuitive Management: Simplifies the process of managing endpoint security.

Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection is implemented in educational institutions for securing student and staff devices, in healthcare organizations to ensure patient data safety from ransomware, and in financial services to protect sensitive financial data. Retailers use it to safeguard customer information and transactional data from cyber threats.

Malwarebytes

Safeguard your business effortlessly with Norton Small Business, providing comprehensive protection wherever you are. Feel confident in the security of your business as Norton helps protect your devices, offering easy installation, overview, and management without the need for IT skills. With a focus on reducing online risks, this solution enables secure browsing for employees on-the-go and enhances the security of company passwords and financial information. Additionally, Norton Small Business contributes to the longevity of your PCs with automated Windows PC cleaning and optimization, ensuring peak efficiency. Prioritize data integrity by maintaining three separate backups, including an additional backup in the cloud. With Norton Small Business, empower your team to work safely while staying ahead of potential threats, making it an ideal choice for businesses seeking straightforward and robust online security solutions.

NortonLifeLock

Sample Customers

CBI Health Group, University Honda, VakifBank

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)

February 2026

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