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Microsoft BitLocker vs Sophos SafeGuard comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

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

Microsoft BitLocker
Ranking in Endpoint Encryption
1st
Ranking in Mobile Data Protection
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sophos SafeGuard
Ranking in Endpoint Encryption
2nd
Ranking in Mobile Data Protection
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Endpoint Encryption category, the mindshare of Microsoft BitLocker is 39.1%, down from 39.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos SafeGuard is 2.3%, down from 3.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Encryption
 

Featured Reviews

Douglas Curry - PeerSpot reviewer
Users can easily deploy and manage it
The solution's most valuable feature is that it is simple to deploy and manage. I can't say what features of the tool I like since it is very much a deploy-and-forget product. We don't use any advanced features of the tool in my company. The tool's recovery options are good, especially since it integrates with Active Directory, making everything a simple process. The product's integration capabilities are good.
ManelAlvarez - PeerSpot reviewer
Protects user data and offers data control and has an easy deployment
The most valuable feature is encryption control. If you have a laptop, it guarantees that the data is not missing or lost. It’s easy to deploy and has a central console where you can see whether the laptops are encrypted, updated, and protected. It protects devices, including USB and other external devices, and guarantees data loss protection. Additionally, with device control, you can ensure that no ransomware is introduced into the network. For me, this is of very high value.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It seemed easy, straightforward, and secure."
"It comes bundled with other Microsoft solutions."
"The solution works the way it's supposed to - stability and scalability are fine."
"Microsoft BitLocker is a Microsoft native product that provides good encryption."
"Microsoft BitLocker can be used to ensure that stolen PCs or laptops do not lose their data."
"Microsoft BitLocker's most valuable features are stability and simplicity in terms of usage."
"We have not seen any bugs or glitches, so the stability is good."
"It is free and native to the OS. We don't have to worry about upgrades or maintaining the product. You encrypt the disk, and you save the recovery key. That's it. The person puts their password in, and after that, it is up to them. If they forget their password, they have to bring it in to get it unlocked."
"The solution can be easily connected and it is very secure."
"I like that Sophos SafeGuard provides excellent technical support."
"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that the GUI is easy to use."
"The most valuable features of the solution are the fact that they are able to encrypt the hard disk and to encrypt USB sticks."
"The platform has significantly enhanced our data security posture by ensuring that sensitive information remains encrypted and protected from unauthorized access."
"The tool is very safe, reliable, and fast."
"The solution has done a fabulous job of protecting us from threats."
"The user interface is simple, It makes it very easy to use."
 

Cons

"The biggest one for us is revoking access. So, even though someone downloads something to a device, we want the ability to cloak that device or data and bring it back or make that data unusable for that person. Currently, BitLocker doesn't give us that ability. It basically encrypts it. We're seeing if identity management or IAM allows us to do that. We're kind of looking at third-party software that does that for us."
"The solution lacks the ability to allow its user to provide limited access to someone."
"The initial setup is complex."
"My experience with the billing system at Microsoft was very frustrating."
"The solution should offer encryption for other items such as shared folders, removable media, etc."
"The only thing that could be slightly improved is the occasional stability issue."
"Microsoft BitLocker needs to be an all-inclusive solution. For example, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) cryptoprocessor is required to use Bitlocker with your computer which keeps Bitlocker from adoption beyond Windows."
"Some of the technical internal functions, such as encryption protocols or something similar, could be improved."
"The dashboards lack sufficient information."
"The lack of need for the patch for an extra password is a shortcoming. It will be a great improvement if the patch requires an extra password so that they can find out how to synchronize your Windows password with the same password for Sophos SafeGuard."
"An area for improvement in Sophos SafeGuard is the pricing. Pricing should be better when adding a new account or scaling the product."
"The product's next release could have integration features with different internal and external systems."
"The solution's ability to integrate with other solutions, such as a DLP, should be addressed."
"Sophos could improve transparency around licensing and renewal costs. Unexpected costs have arisen during license renewals, impacting our budget planning."
"Technical support could be a bit better."
"The integration could be a little better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"BitLocker is already in Windows 10 and its price has already been "paid"."
"We already use Microsoft products, and Microsoft BitLocker is an add-on product that is free of cost for us."
"The cost of this solution is bundled in with part of the subscription for the Microsoft Cloud. We have users subscribed to Enterprise E5 and it comes with E5"
"Microsoft BitLocker's pricing is fair; I rate it a four out of ten."
"It is a totally free solution."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."
"The product's cost is included in Windows."
"For reasons unknown, Microsoft products seem to be getting more expensive."
"I rate the pricing two or three on a scale of one to ten, where one is expensive, and ten is cheap."
"Pricing for Sophos SafeGuard should be transparent. If you want to get support for Sophos SafeGuard, you don't get pricing information about support costs, and in the end, you'll get charged more."
"We have a yearly license with Sophos which is around $1000-$1200 or so per annum. There are no additional costs beyond the standard licensing fee."
"The platform is reasonably priced considering its functionality and adaptability. It is subscription-based."
"Licensing for this solution is on a yearly basis."
"I rate Sophos SafeGuard's pricing a five out of ten."
"The licenses are dependant on the number of users and computers you have to protect."
"We used it for three years. It costs about 1000 ZAR. Maintenance was part of it, so we don't have extra cost. On a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price and ten is a high price, I rate the solution's pricing a three."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
11%
Healthcare Company
11%
Real Estate/Law Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What should one take into account when replacing PGP with Microsoft BitLocker?
Beware to make backup of useful data, then use reverse decryption policy from Symantec panel/McAfee ePO to decrypt the DE partitions while it is sometimes more straightforward and faster to reinsta...
Would you choose Microsoft BitLocker or McAfee Complete Data Protection?
Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive encryption and successfully fulfills regulatory needs in terms of data protection....
How does Microsoft BitLocker compare with Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive encryption and it successfully fulfills regulatory needs in terms of data protecti...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos SafeGuard?
I cannot compare prices precisely, so I would give it a five out of ten rating. I am uncertain. Sophos is slightly more expensive than some other vendors. A bundle might be an option for cost-consc...
What needs improvement with Sophos SafeGuard?
I cannot think of any improvements right now.
 

Also Known As

BitLocker, MS BitLocker
SafeGuard, SafeGuard Encryption
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ACV, Proaxis Therapy, Choice Hotels International, adnymics GmbH, Intermedia, NMBS/SNCB
Rushmoor Borough Council
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft BitLocker vs. Sophos SafeGuard and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.