Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector comparison

Microsoft and Trend Micro are both solutions in the Email Security category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5, while Trend Micro is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.3. Microsoft holds a 12.1% mindshare in Email Security, compared to Trend Micro’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Trend Micro users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Defender for Offi...
Read 53 Microsoft Defender for Office 365 reviews
  • 16,534 Views
  • 11,408 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
Trend Micro Deep Discovery ...
Read 8 Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector reviews
  • 1,303 Views
  • 821 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report
Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 3, 2024

Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 are competing products, both providing advanced threat protection for email security. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is perceived as having the upper hand due to its extensive features and integration within the Microsoft ecosystem, making it a preferred solution for enhanced security.

Features: Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector offers features such as simple analysis of phishing emails, a user-friendly UI for email detection, and visibility into the network with fast sandboxing technology. On the other hand, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 provides features like URL Threat Protection, anti-malware capabilities, data loss prevention policies, and Threat Explorer for real-time security attack analysis.

Room for Improvement: Trend Micro could enhance its response time for alerts, improve sandboxing efficiencies, and refine user interface elements for more streamlined operation. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 may benefit from simplifying threat configuration processes, enhancing information protection for different cloud services, and improving response times for phishing attacks.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Trend Micro offers flexible deployment options tailored to various infrastructures and is noted for its responsive support services. Microsoft Defender enjoys smooth integration within Microsoft environments, simplifying deployment but may not offer the same personalized support level that Trend Micro provides, despite its broader reach.

Pricing and ROI: Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector is recognized for a more favorable setup cost structure, leading to a better initial ROI. However, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 might entail a higher upfront investment but offers a comprehensive security package that can justify the expense over time through reduced risk exposure and increased productivity, balancing initial costs against the capabilities offered.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector
July 2025
Download the complete report
Helped 865,384 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

Microsoft Defender for Offi...
Ranking in Email Security
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
53
Ranking in other categories
Email Archiving (1st), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (2nd), Microsoft Security Suite (10th), Secure Email Gateway (SEG) (1st)
Trend Micro Deep Discovery ...
Ranking in Email Security
20th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Email Security category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is 12.1%, down from 16.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector is 0.5%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Security
 

Featured Reviews

Tolu Omolaja - PeerSpot reviewer
Great URL scanning and attachment scanning, but I would like more proactive threat analysis
The two main features that prove most beneficial for us are URL scanning and attachment scanning. URL scanning involves an automatic scan of links and emails. When a user clicks on a link within an email, the system promptly checks the link's safety. If the link is deemed safe, access is granted automatically. However, if it is flagged as unsafe, we receive feedback and notification to caution us about the potentially harmful link. At this point, we are presented with the option to proceed or return. I have personally witnessed the system identify a few unsafe links, making this the primary advantage of using the solution. The second crucial aspect is the scanning of attachments. When an email containing an attachment arrives, we receive a notification of the new email, along with information that the attachment is being scanned for threats. This additional layer of security provides peace of mind for our organization. While Microsoft Defender for Office 365 offers numerous features, these two stand out as particularly impressive and valuable to us.
Read full review
Bilal Saleem - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliability and threat intelligence make this solution competitive, but AI improvements can further enhance its effectiveness
The best features of Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector include its reliability. The second valuable feature is its built-in sandbox feature, allowing for inspection of incoming emails and attachments. The sandbox is an appliance that opens any attachment in an enclosed environment to assess its impact and potential for viruses. This protects the network from harmful threats. Trend Micro has a very large R&D team with excellent threat intel, allowing them to provide better solutions than some competitors. They understand emerging threats based on the information from their EDR. The key strengths can be summarized as reliability, a good integrated one-box solution that includes a sandbox, and their R&D capabilities and good ratings, which lead to better threat intelligence. The detailed threat intelligence provided by Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector is valuable in understanding the behavior and tactics of potential email threats.
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

"Defender helps us prioritize threats across our organization."
"Defender for 365 is a comprehensive cloud-based solution. The value of the cloud is that you aren't alone. Threat intelligence and analytics are shared in the cloud. We don't have to find the solution alone. If you face an unknown threat with traditional solutions like Trend Micro and Symantec, you need to open a case and send your information to them to analyze forensically and identify the source of the attack."
"Microsoft Defender has a feature to protect each and every attachment. Even if it's an encrypted attachment, it will check for any potential threats."
"Some of the valuable features on the email side are anti-phishing, anti-malware, and Safe Links."
"Microsoft Defender for Office 365's most valuable features are safe attachments and safe links."
"Defender enables us to secure all 365-related activity from a single place. It gives us visibility into everything happening in Outlook, protecting us against phishing and other email-based threats. Defender helps us detect any suspicious behaviors."
"Overall, I would rate Microsoft Defender for Office 365 at a ten."
"The good part is that you don't have to configure it, which is very convenient."
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pros
"The solution's most valuable features include visibility into the network and fast sandboxing technology for alerts, though response time can vary."
"I highly recommend Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector due to its security and scalability features."
"Trend Micro is a very good product."
"The best features of Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector include its reliability."
"I find Trend Micro to be a good solution for security purposes."
"It can effectively monitor outbound and inbound devices."
"The most valuable feature of Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector is the simple analysis of phishing emails."
"I would rate the solution's stability at ten out of ten."
More Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector pros
 

Cons

"In some situations, it has not been able to pick impersonated emails having no attachments. Technical support definitely has a scope for improvement."
"Sometimes, phishing emails manage to pass through the filter, so the system needs to enhance its phishing email detection capabilities."
"Specifically, within Microsoft Defender for Office 365, I want it to improve the DLP capabilities."
"The GUI is sometimes slow to fetch the device report and could be improved."
"About eight months ago, we started to measure the quantity of phishing and spam that we have been receiving, and it has been increasing a lot. That means that protection for our email is not as good as we were expecting."
"The XDR dashboard has room for improvement."
"In one of the reports I can get the exact place where a vulnerable file resides. But for that, I need to explicitly go into the device and check. If they could include that file part in the report, without my having to go to the device itself, that would help."
"Too many false positives and lacks an accurate capability to detect malicious SharePoint sites."
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 cons
"Trend Micro's technical support has room for improvement. More efficient support should be provided, especially for standard support."
"Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector could improve by making it easier to use. Microsoft solutions are easier to use."
"The product's feature for message processing and blocking devices for bulk emails needs improvement."
"I would like to be able to send emails to a specific sandbox. This is a feature I would like to see added to the next release."
"Trend Micro's technical support has room for improvement."
"To improve Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector, it should have updates with better AI and ML-based integration."
"The dashboard could be improved to match the quality of Check Point Harmony's dashboard."
"It could be more user-friendly, easier to install, and lighter on the network. I would say that for all products because you do not need technical expertise to take care of it. When you have a user-friendly solution, it makes it easier for the vendors or companies like us. We do not have to go to the client's site to attend to issues all the time. Because it is user-friendly, they can take care of it after some training."
More Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft Defender is expensive. I typically recommend it only if clients have the budget. Otherwise, I would suggest an alternative."
"It is much more expensive than using another solution because we have had to include some options and upgrade our license."
"The solution could be better by simplifying the business model of their licensing. It was hard to figure out how to get the licensing done for the environment, initially."
"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is an add-on to the Office license. Many customers are purchasing this solution."
"Compared to other brands, Microsoft Defender for Office 365's pricing is competitive."
"I was working in the government and it was too expensive for us to use our Microsoft products."
"I know that the product is incredibly expensive."
"While Microsoft Defender for Office 365 necessitates pricier E3 or E5 subscriptions, the extensive functionality offered by these licenses across various Microsoft products justifies the investment."
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pricing and cost advice
"It's an expensive solution, and you may not see a return on investment in a short period of time. However, you will see a return over a long period of time."
"The solution's pricing is high, and I would rate it an eight out of ten."
"We pay for an annual subscription for this email security solution."
"The price of Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector is less expensive than Microsoft solutions."
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Email Security solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Performing Arts
12%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
Threat Explorer is an invaluable tool for me, and it plays a crucial role in helping me discern the origins of various email campaigns, pinpointing where they emanate from, and identifying the indi...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
Microsoft is quite affordable with a lot of features available for any size organization.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
Microsoft could improve by offering recommendations for domain spoofing attacks, especially scenarios where DNS records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are not properly published. It's essential to enhan...
See all answers
What do you like most about Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector?
It can effectively monitor outbound and inbound devices.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector?
On the pricing side, Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector is not the cheapest, but it's not the highest either. Its prices are around 80%, which is lesser than some vendors but higher than most.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector?
To improve Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector, it should have updates with better AI and ML-based integration. While it has some capabilities in this area, focusing more on this aspect coul...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Proofpoint Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Proofpoint Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 12% of the time
Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 7% of the time
Mimecast Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Mimecast Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 6% of the time
Barracuda Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Barracuda Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 6% of the time
Abnormal Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Abnormal Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 5% of the time
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Competitors
Trend Micro InterScan Messaging Security vs Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector Logo
Trend Micro InterScan Messaging Security vs Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector
Compared 73% of the time
Trend Micro ScanMail vs Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector Logo
Trend Micro ScanMail vs Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector
Compared 14% of the time
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector Logo
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector
Compared 13% of the time
More Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
August 2025
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 reportDownload Microsoft Defender for Office 365 product report
Buyer's Guide
Email Security
July 2025
Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector reportDownload Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector product report
 

Also Known As

MS Defender for Office 365
Deep Discovery Email Inspector
 

Overview

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect organizations against advanced threats in their email, collaboration, and productivity environments. It combines the power of Microsoft's threat intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral analytics to provide real-time protection against phishing, malware, ransomware, and other malicious attacks.

With Microsoft Defender for Office 365, organizations can safeguard their email communication by detecting and blocking malicious links, attachments, and unsafe email content. It employs advanced anti-phishing capabilities to identify and prevent sophisticated phishing attacks that attempt to steal sensitive information or compromise user credentials.

This solution also offers robust protection against malware and ransomware. It leverages machine learning algorithms to analyze email attachments and URLs in real-time, identifying and blocking malicious content before it reaches users' inboxes. Additionally, it provides advanced threat-hunting capabilities, allowing security teams to proactively investigate and respond to potential threats.

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 goes beyond email protection and extends its security features to other collaboration tools like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. It scans files and documents stored in these platforms, ensuring that they are free from malware and other malicious content. It also provides visibility into user activities, helping organizations detect and mitigate insider threats.

Furthermore, this solution offers rich reporting and analytics capabilities, providing organizations with insights into their security posture and threat landscape. It enables security administrators to monitor and manage security incidents, track trends, and take proactive measures to enhance their overall security posture.

Microsoft

Stop spear phishing attacks and targeted ransomware

Trend Micro
 

Sample Customers

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is trusted by companies such as Ithaca College.
Bank Saint Petersburg, CEITEC S.A., Dar Al-Handasah, Mitsubishi Electric Information Systems, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, OKWAVE, Oman Arab Bank, VakifBank
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector
July 2025
Free Report: Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
DOWNLOAD NOW
865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.
See our Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector report.
See our list of best Email Security vendors.

We monitor all Email Security reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.