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Microsoft Defender for Business vs SonicWall Capture Client comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 19, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft Defender boosts productivity and security, integrating seamlessly with Office tools for significant budget savings despite ROI challenges.
Sentiment score
1.0
SonicWall Capture Client offers cost savings, improved security, reduced manual work, lower infection rates, and easy deployment for better productivity.
Using Microsoft Defender for Business results in cost reductions as it consolidates various features under one product, saving around 20% to 30% of the budget.
Consultant at Dell Technologies
The value I see in Microsoft Defender for Business is in its ability to track and respond to application usage and security threats through its CASB and automation features, which are cost-beneficial.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.5
Users have mixed reviews of Microsoft Defender's support, noting contact difficulties and inconsistent technical assistance despite good onboarding.
Sentiment score
4.9
SonicWall Capture Client support is mixed, with some satisfied but many seeking faster response and improved escalation processes.
It is rated ten out of ten for its quality and assistance.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
The onboarding support is exceptional, ensuring seamless integration and implementation.
Chief Cybersecurity Architect at cytek-security
Faster support is needed for endpoint security solutions.
Partners can purchase single endpoints at prices equivalent to 1,000-endpoint deals, providing an advantage for managed security service provider partners.
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
While their escalation process is understandable, it can be time-consuming as all logs need to be provided multiple times across different service levels.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.3
Microsoft Defender for Business is scalable and effective across diverse environments, though special configurations might impact growth speed.
Sentiment score
8.5
SonicWall Capture Client delivers scalable licensing, easy installation, cloud management, and an accessible interface, favored by small to medium businesses.
The cloud-based nature of the solution ensures high scalability.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
The scalability of Microsoft Defender for Business is rated as ten, indicating it is very scalable.
Consultant at Dell Technologies
In terms of scalability, I would rate Microsoft Defender for Business a ten.
Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential
There are no restrictions on the scalability of SonicWall Capture Client.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
SonicWall Capture Client is accessed via cloud-based management console.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The installation process is straightforward, requiring only five pilot installations to enable customers to complete the remaining installations independently.
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Defender for Business is stable and reliable, with minimal crashes, but some report occasional bugs impacting stability.
Sentiment score
8.6
SonicWall Capture Client's stability divides opinion, praised for threat prevention but critiqued for high resource consumption and slowdowns.
No customer complaints about its functionality or reliability.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
Although it generally works, there are occasional issues and errors that sometimes require a complete system format to rectify.
I would rate the stability of Microsoft Defender for Business with a three out of ten, where one is very bad.
Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender for Business needs better reporting, integration, simplified interface, and enhanced features to address various limitations and concerns.
SonicWall Capture Client suffers from performance issues, outdated interface, high RAM use, and lacks robust threat detection and support.
Microsoft should provide batch management solutions with the application, integrating pass management with roles.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
Features related to Advanced Persistent Threat detection vectors and cyber kill chain integrations are not available out-of-the-box.
CISO at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
There can be improvements in the user interface to make it more intuitive.
Information Technology Security Consultant at Navaio IT Security
One of the drawbacks is that I cannot use Advanced and Premier licenses within a single tenant, which can be problematic when users need to deploy different licenses.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
XDR cannot be used unless MDR services are purchased with SonicWall.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
A significant limitation is that SonicWall Capture Client cannot be installed on smartphones, as there is no mobile version available.
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender for Business offers competitive pricing with enterprise value, though some users find costs high compared to competitors.
SonicWall Capture Client pricing receives mixed reviews for cost-effectiveness, varying by business size, region, and additional costs.
Single-year pricing remains good.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
The pricing is quite affordable at the enterprise level with no extra expenses noted.
Consultant at Dell Technologies
Although the cost can be slightly higher, it expedites deployment, which is beneficial, especially for startups.
CISO at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
SonicWall Capture Client offers a cost-effective solution that's cheaper compared to other vendors like CrowdStrike.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender for Business integrates seamlessly with Microsoft products, offering comprehensive security, scalability, and user-friendly features for effective threat management.
SonicWall Capture Client provides robust protection features, including rollback, machine learning, and dual-agent real-time threat detection.
The threat detection capabilities are robust, with a dedicated research team and a continuously updated threat feed.
Information Technology Security Consultant at Navaio IT Security
Its vulnerability management is regarded as one of the best in the industry.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
The most effective features of Microsoft Defender for Business include its threat detection and response capabilities in managing vulnerabilities and ransomware attacks.
Consultant at Dell Technologies
Machine learning is particularly effective due to SonicWall sandboxing's threat intelligence database of approximately 7.1 billion entries.
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
One is that users can use the sandbox of SonicWall, which is called Capture ATP for free.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Busi...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
16th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
Microsoft Security Suite (16th)
SonicWall Capture Client
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
43rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (42nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Business is 2.0%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Capture Client is 0.8%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Defender for Business2.0%
SonicWall Capture Client0.8%
Other97.2%
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

Takayuki-Umehara - PeerSpot reviewer
Public Cloud Engineer at Prudential
Product deployment protects assets but needs improvement in system support
I am doing maintenance for Microsoft Defender for Business, and I'm currently working with it. We don't need to use the latest version of Microsoft Defender for Business. We still use the latest virus definition file that Microsoft Defender for Business has automatically updated. We implement a basic update mechanism. Our compliance division manages how many servers and PCs we have and whether those servers have antivirus solutions. I am not certain about how Microsoft Defender for Business helps with AI-driven security strategies. I just use it normally and don't know if it uses AI technology. I rate Microsoft Defender for Business a six out of ten.
HT
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
Has consistently delivered double-layer protection and simplified policy application while needing mobile compatibility and better MacOS support
A significant limitation is that SonicWall Capture Client cannot be installed on smartphones, as there is no mobile version available.Occasionally, the Sentinel engine becomes unresponsive, particularly when customers do not properly restart or shutdown their systems. This requires a hard restart after installation to resolve the issue. Installation on Mac OS can be challenging, requiring multiple attempts due to version compatibility requirements. We must ensure the SonicWall Capture Client version is stable for Mac OS. The RAM usage is higher compared to SentinelOne, utilizing approximately 150 megabytes of memory. This is a common concern from customers, and reducing RAM consumption would be beneficial.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
9%
Educational Organization
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Defender for Business?
A few things are valuable. One is the alerting we see when any kind of intrusion is happening, any kind of malware is being deployed across the endpoints, or any kind of suspicious activity is goin...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Business?
Our thoughts on the pricing for Microsoft Defender for Business are that we wish it could be better. If the pricing was a little better, we would definitely increase what we currently have.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Business?
Microsoft Defender for Business could be improved by making the advanced threat hunting available to all plans, as currently, it is only available to one of their plans which is not encouraging. It...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall Capture Client?
SonicWall Capture Client offers a cost-effective solution that's cheaper compared to other vendors like CrowdStrike.
What needs improvement with SonicWall Capture Client?
A significant limitation is that SonicWall Capture Client cannot be installed on smartphones, as there is no mobile version available.Occasionally, the Sentinel engine becomes unresponsive, particu...
What is your primary use case for SonicWall Capture Client?
The solution is used primarily in hospitality, specifically hotels, and manufacturing sectors. Approximately 70% of usage comes from hospitality, with the remainder from manufacturing.In hotel case...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Luton College
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Business vs. SonicWall Capture Client and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,422 professionals have used our research since 2012.