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Microsoft BitLocker vs Symantec Endpoint Encryption comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 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
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
Mobile Data Protection (1st)
Symantec Endpoint Encryption
Ranking in Endpoint Encryption
5th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
37
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 Symantec Endpoint Encryption is 9.2%, down from 10.4% 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.
Bharath Kumar Gajula - PeerSpot reviewer
Robust data protection with user-friendly deployment, competitive pricing, and comprehensive features like customizable alerts and effective detection capabilities but needs GUI improvements
The stability is relatively good. Occasionally, certain clients may experience disconnection from the management servers, requiring a manual process to rectify. Even in instances where the link is severed, restoring client connectivity can be challenging, sometimes necessitating the uninstallation and reinstallation of the software. Additionally, when clients go out of sync, we do not receive alerts, indicating an area for potential improvement. I would rate it seven out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"As a Microsoft shop, we find this product easy to use."
"I liked the way it works with our Microsoft tools. As we roll out Intune, we can validate if the device has been encrypted, and if not, we can push it down. It is pretty simple to deploy."
"The most valuable feature is the authentication process which is very fast."
"Feature-wise we have the ability to encrypt fast."
"It is an encryption tool and provides security."
"Microsoft BitLocker's most valuable features are stability and simplicity in terms of usage."
"It is easy to use and administer."
"The manageability of it is a valuable feature."
"We use it for protecting accounts, which is its most valuable feature."
"It helps us put antivirus solutions in place and prevent malware from getting to our machines."
"The initial setup was easy."
"The management console gives us the ability to quickly control who sees what, ensures we are on the latest version, and up-to-date."
"The solution was used to find harmful files and viruses on laptops."
"In general terms, it is working properly and according to our expectations. The comfort of feeling secure is the most valuable. Some customers had certain fears about changing the product because no one wants to lose any kind of information or to have some problems or inconsistencies while migrating from one product to another."
"The solution’s installation was easy."
"The most valuable features are the messaging features and shared folders."
 

Cons

"The deployment process regarding prerequisites and automation could be easy to understand."
"It needs a management console."
"It would be good if Microsoft offered improved recovery options or if it could automate the recovery options a bit."
"The solution could improve by having a centralized GUI for management."
"Some of the technical internal functions, such as encryption protocols or something similar, could be improved."
"The initial setup is complex."
"I would recommend BitLocker only because of the economic side, not the technical side. If the features were included in the already existing licenses I would use it. If not, I would recommend other products."
"The solution could be improved if it was more user friendly."
"I do not find the environment to be very user-friendly."
"I would like them to have integration with a wider range of non-Symantec products."
"One feature that is lacking is integration with Symantec Information Centric (ICT). As it is now, I don't see how to integrate the encryption with ICT, and in my opinion this is an area that certainly requires encryption, even though it's no longer supported by Broadcom."
"Its decryption time needs to be improved. Currently, its decryption time is very long, and it takes double time than encryption. They need to work on that. Its encryption time is fine."
"The initial setup is a bit complex."
"Symantec Endpoint Encryption can improve by being more secure."
"I would like to see some features or functionality enhanced in Symantec Endpoint Encryption."
"The program's disk encryption is not very friendly with Microsoft OS updates. We have a problem with updates failing unless we use a time-consuming work-around."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive."
"Microsoft BitLocker's pricing is fair; I rate it a four out of ten."
"It's not about pricing, because we are working with Enterprise companies that already have Windows Enterprise, so BitLocker comes already included as a Windows feature. It's free for Enterprise users. The price is only for deployment. The customer will pay for McAfee, however."
"The tool is cheap compared to the products offered by competitors. If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price as one."
"The price of this solution should be more competitive."
"I don't know the costs. In terms of Microsoft licensing, we are at E3 on the business, and we're in the process of pricing out and moving to E5. So, a lot of this is included within our licensing agreements."
"We already use Microsoft products, and Microsoft BitLocker is an add-on product that is free of cost for us."
"It operates on a subscription model on an annual basis."
"It can be expensive. However, if you plan to scale or are at a large enterprise company, this product could be what you need."
"There is a license required for this solution."
"Considering the fluctuation in exchange rates in our part of the world, we find it generally affordable."
"The cost of this solution is a little on the higher side."
"The solution is good, but it is more expensive than other solutions in the market. Other solutions, such as BitLocker are less expensive."
"The licensing costs yearly are $5000."
"They have two solutions for encryption including Symantec Endpoint Encryption and PGP Endpoint Encryption. With one PGP license, you can deploy the two solutions. The PGP license gives you two options."
"Symantec Endpoint Encryption is not expensive."
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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
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

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 do you like most about Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
Antivirus, URL filtering, and firewall protection are the most effective features for data protection.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
I am not sure about the pricing and licensing cost of Symantec Endpoint Encryption.
What needs improvement with Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
I would like to see some features or functionality enhanced in Symantec Endpoint Encryption.
 

Also Known As

BitLocker, MS BitLocker
Symantec Drive Encryption
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ACV, Proaxis Therapy, Choice Hotels International, adnymics GmbH, Intermedia, NMBS/SNCB
Citrix Systems Inc., City of Lansing, Commercial & Industrial Property, France T_l_visions, Fujian Mobile Co. Ltd., Group Lotus plc, Hall Booth Smith & Slover, P.C. (HBSS), Portugal Telecom, PostFinance, Public Pension Agency
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft BitLocker vs. Symantec Endpoint Encryption and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.