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Microsoft Defender XDR vs N-able EDR comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

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 XDR
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
101
Ranking in other categories
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (3rd), Microsoft Security Suite (3rd)
N-able EDR
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
53rd
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.7
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender XDR is 2.9%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of N-able EDR is 0.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
 

Featured Reviews

Gabor Nyerd - PeerSpot reviewer
Includes four services and four products, which can help organizations a lot
We found that sometimes integrations work, but testing them can take some time. Sometimes, configurations take much longer than expected. We have a configuration in place that needs to be synchronized with another server. However, the servers are four hours apart, so this can cause delays. In general, I believe that the time it takes to configure and test a service should be shorter. Sometimes, it can take a couple of hours to test a single configuration setting. Other times, it is only ten or fifteen minutes, which is normal. However, sometimes, even immediate actions can be triggered by configuration changes, and some settings can take up to eight hours to complete. I believe that this time can be improved. Microsoft is making a lot of improvements to its services in a short period of time. This is a good thing, as it means that the services are constantly being updated and improved. However, it can be challenging for customers to keep up with the changes. For example, a customer may read about an update, understand it, and share it with their colleagues and boss. However, it may take days or weeks to test the update and get the necessary approvals. This can be especially challenging for large customers with many users or machines. In some cases, Microsoft may change a service before the customer has had a chance to implement the previous update. This can be frustrating for customers, as it means that they have to constantly learn new things and adjust their workflows. On the one hand, it is important for Microsoft to keep updating and improving its services. This helps to ensure that the services are meeting the customers' needs and that they are staying ahead of the competition. Microsoft should also be mindful of the challenges that these changes can create for customers. One way to address this challenge is to provide customers with more time to implement changes. Microsoft could also provide more information about upcoming changes so that customers can plan ahead. Ultimately, Microsoft needs to strike a balance between keeping its services up-to-date and providing customers with a smooth transition to new features.
Yazan Albaw - PeerSpot reviewer
N-able EDR SentinelOne delivers advanced endpoint protection through real-time threat detection, automated response, and comprehensive visibility to safeguard against cyber threats.
N-able EDR SentinelOne is renowned for its exceptional detection and protection capabilities, ranked number one by Gartner and MITRE ATT&CK. It offers robust defense against various threats, including malware, fileless attacks, phishing, and insider threats. The solution excels in identifying suspicious behavior and promptly notifying engineers of potential threats. A key feature is its auto-response capability. You can configure automatic responses to threats, which significantly reduces the time and effort required to manage incidents. Enhanced by machine learning, these automated responses are both efficient and adaptive. Additionally, N-able EDR integrates seamlessly with RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management), allowing us to monitor EDR performance, detect failures, and oversee network performance from a single, unified dashboard. This integration streamlines management and enhances overall efficiency.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the most valuable features of Microsoft Defender XDR is its ability to provide preemptive reports regarding excessive privileged access."
"The visibility into threats is also very impressive because Microsoft helps you predict things and provides analytics to help you really improve your security. And all of this technology works across the domain, so it is pretty helpful in terms of threat analytics."
"The feature I find most valuable is Defender for Endpoint."
"I like how Microsoft XDR and the other Microsoft products are integrated into a single unified security stack covering identity access management, endpoint protection, email, cloud applications, etc."
"Defender XDR offers richer insights into Defender XDR. It's a better overall experience."
"Email protection is the most valuable feature of Microsoft Defender XDR."
"We can use Defender to block and monitor for security purposes without needing multiple other products to do different tasks."
"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that Microsoft Defender XDR is easy to integrate with other Microsoft platforms or products."
"It provides visibility and a storyline to track the virus or malware's activities, showing infected processes and changes made."
"The most valuable features are the rollback feature, it's important for us. The AI models and are good."
"The most valuable feature, which I can describe as the '360 vision' of the inventory device, provides a complete view of all the devices."
"The most valuable feature, which I can describe as the '360 vision' of the inventory device, provides a complete view of all the devices."
 

Cons

"The support team is not competent or responsive."
"Some of our older hardware experienced a slight bump in CPU and memory usage. Although I don't have empirical data to back that up, I would suggest possibly more streamlining in the software."
"The data recovery and backup could be improved."
"The mobile app support for Android and iOS is difficult and needs improvement."
"For Microsoft Defender XDR, there is currently no ability to reset passwords for on-premises accounts, which is a key challenge."
"The price could be better. It'll also help if they can continuously update and upgrade the solution. Every day there's a new virus uploaded into the network, and we have to keep updating it to identify all these things."
"Microsoft tends to provide too many features, which makes the solution prone to bugs."
"Sometimes, digging into the information and knowing where to go can be difficult. It would be better if much of that information were immediately visible, especially when looking at endpoints or users."
"I would rate the scalability as seven out of ten. The capability is useful. Concerning the license, if I add one more device without a license, it will automatically subscribe to a license. I do not appreciate that."
"Concerning the license, if I add one more device without a license, it will automatically subscribe to a license. I do not appreciate that."
"I would like to see them add support for both Android and iOS smartphones."
"We have a lot of false positives we see in the dashboard. I think this is the only problem we are facing."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is fairly priced for what we get from it."
"It is fairly priced because we get complete integrated services with the E5 license."
"I believe the pricing is fair and acceptable. I consider it to be reasonable and satisfactory."
"The price could be better. Normally, the costs depend on the country you're located in for the license. When we were in the initial stage, we went with the E5 license they call premium standard. It cost us around $5.20 per month for four users."
"Microsoft Defender XDR's licensing is complicated."
"We have a lot of problems in Latin America regarding the price of Microsoft 365 Defender, because the relationship between dollars and the money of the different countries, it's is a lot. Many customers that have small businesses say that they would like the solution but it is too expensive. However, large companies do not find the cost an issue."
"Microsoft Defender XDR is priced high."
"It can be complex to navigate since customers have varying licensing agreements across Microsoft. If they go straightforward with E5 for all users, it's simple, but combinations based on budget constraints can complicate things."
"The pricing is average."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft 365 Defender?
Microsoft Defender XDR provides strong identity protection with comprehensive insights into risky user behavior and potential indicators of compromise.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft 365 Defender?
The pricing for Microsoft Sentinel operates on a pay-as-you-go model based on data ingestion. I recall that Defender XDR pricing is based on the number of endpoints.
What needs improvement with Microsoft 365 Defender?
For Microsoft Defender XDR ( /categories/extended-detection-and-response-xdr ), there is currently no ability to reset passwords for on-premises accounts, which is a key challenge. Incident managem...
What needs improvement with N-able EDR?
I do not have any ideas for improvement. It is a good solution, however, I am not an expert, so I do not have more ideas on this.
What is your primary use case for N-able EDR?
I use N-able EDR for monitoring the devices of my company.
What advice do you have for others considering N-able EDR?
The overall solution rating is seven out of ten. Scalability and integration could be improved, particularly with Microsoft tools.
 

Also Known As

Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Threat Protection, MS 365 Defender
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Accenture, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, General Electric, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and many others.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender XDR vs. N-able EDR and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
861,390 professionals have used our research since 2012.