We compared Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and ZoneAlarm based on users' reviews in six categories. We reviewed all of the data and you can find the conclusion below.
Features: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint excels in file protection, encryption, and ransomware defense. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft security products. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface and scalability. ZoneAlarm users said the solution is user-friendly and offers comprehensive protection against various threats, including advanced firewall capabilities.
Room for Improvement: Users say Microsoft Defender for Endpoint should improve its central console and auto-recovery feature. Users also requested better reporting capabilities and integration with third-party platforms. ZoneAlarm users would like to see clearer documentation and improved integration with Check Point’s centralization solution.
Service and Support: Microsoft customer service garnered mixed feedback. Some praised the fast response times and expertise of the support engineers, while others were dissatisfied with slow replies and a lack of coordination among the support teams. Some users said that ZoneAlarm's customer assistance could be improved.
Ease of Deployment: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's setup is straightforward. While it can be more complex for larger organizations, it is generally considered simple, particularly for smaller companies or those familiar with Microsoft environments. ZoneAlarm had a simple and fast setup.
Pricing: Reviewers say Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is fairly priced, noting that it is typically included for free with Windows or Microsoft Office 365 subscriptions. However, some users believe that Microsoft's pricing could be more affordable, and others noted that their licensing models can be complex. ZoneAlarm's pricing is considered competitive.
ROI: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint delivers cost savings, enhanced efficiency, and heightened threat management. ZoneAlarm offers a positive ROI through security improvements.
Comparison Results: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offers sophisticated protection against ransomware, easy deployment, and smooth integration with Microsoft solutions. However, Microsoft’s customer support has received middling reviews, and users would like better compatibility with third-party solutions. ZoneAlarm provides comprehensive security measures, easy deployment, and advanced threat technologies. However, it needs better documentation and support.
"The most valuable aspect lies in its automation capabilities, particularly within security automation."
"Its simplicity is the most valuable. It also has very good integration. We like it."
"There are some competitive products on the market, but the best is Microsoft Defender because it's very easy to integrate. That's one reason a lot of clients want Microsoft Defender. It's also very easy to implement compared to other solutions."
"I like the simplicity of the portal and the integration with Microsoft Intune. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is easy to use and implement."
"You have endpoint security to keep your devices safe. That's the feature that we're interested in."
"It comes included with the Windows license."
"The attack surface reduction rules are the most valuable. We're able to have unattended remediation actions when the solution works side by side with a local antivirus like Microsoft Defender or Kaspersky. The attack surface reduction rules help us to proactively block and stop threats."
"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is beneficial because we are using Microsoft Windows and all the core solutions are made by Microsoft, such as the authentic platform, operating system, and antivirus protection. It is a heterogeneous environment. We had to use third-party solutions before and update everything separately. For example, the policy for antivirus. With Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, when Microsoft Windows receives updates it will update with it. This is one main advantage of this solution."
"It gives us security for the users' mobiles and ends up protecting us in a significant way."
"This antivirus is regularly updated, and the updates can be scheduled."
"The solution really focused on giving more security than an antivirus."
"It is quick and easy to configure."
"Personally, I find the Game Mode of the Firewall very useful."
"It is easy to use through interfaces and easy to configure each of the customizations we created based on the characteristics that we wanted."
"The solution maintains reasonable scalability."
"The phone access scan stands out as the most valuable feature for me."
"We encountered some issues when we were trying to enable automatic updates from our group policy."
"Lowering the price would be an improvement."
"Its detection is not as quick. There should also be more frequent updates."
"I think Microsoft needs to improve some of the security aspects of Defender. The email part, in particular, needs to be improved in terms of security effectiveness."
"The anti-ransomware features need to be improved upon."
"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is effective for validating work, but not ideal for investigations."
"If there were more template queries in the library, that would make it much easier. They could have basic things, like, "Where's the IP for this user?" or, "What file was downloaded from this user?" If there were more of those basic queries that would help."
"Lacks some additional integration."
"The support is not always so effective."
"They should release a single update with all the necessary characteristics to avoid being in a cycle of consecutive updates."
"ZoneAlarm should be a light application that does not take too much memory in mobile phones."
"They need to update and improve the features available for Mac."
"Some of our users say that the interface is a little bit outdated for 2020, and want it to be more modern and cozy."
"Perhaps the primary area for potential enhancement is to make it faster, ensuring a more seamless experience while maintaining robust security features."
"Currently, the client is only available for the Windows Operating System but it would be good if it were released for Mac OS as well."
"We'd like better performance of the network equipment. There are high-speed environments where an immediate response is required."
More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Pricing and Cost Advice →
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is ranked 1st in Anti-Malware Tools with 182 reviews while ZoneAlarm is ranked 15th in Anti-Malware Tools with 11 reviews. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is rated 8.0, while ZoneAlarm is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint writes "Eliminates the need to look at multiple dashboards by automatically providing one XDR dashboard to show the security score of each subscription". On the other hand, the top reviewer of ZoneAlarm writes "A highly stable solution that protects computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers". Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is most compared with Symantec Endpoint Security, Intercept X Endpoint, CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne Singularity Complete and Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks, whereas ZoneAlarm is most compared with Check Point Harmony Endpoint, Malwarebytes, F-Secure Total, Bitdefender GravityZone EDR and Symantec Endpoint Security. See our Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. ZoneAlarm report.
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