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Microsoft Defender XDR vs WatchGuard EPDR comparison

Microsoft and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category. Microsoft is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4, while WatchGuard is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.8. Microsoft holds a 3.0% mindshare in EDR, compared to WatchGuard’s 2.0% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Defender XDR
Read 102 Microsoft Defender XDR reviews
  • 11,697 Views
  • 6,199 Comparison Views
97% willing to recommend
WatchGuard EPDR
Read 35 WatchGuard EPDR reviews
  • 4,861 Views
  • 2,965 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

Microsoft Defender XDR and WatchGuard EPDR are prominent cybersecurity solutions. Users report better satisfaction with WatchGuard EPDR's features, leading to a preference for its extensive feature set and high perceived value.

Features: Microsoft Defender XDR offers comprehensive threat detection, automation capabilities, and seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. WatchGuard EPDR is highlighted for advanced behavioral analysis, endpoint protection, and proactive threat hunting features.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Defender XDR could benefit from enhanced cross-platform compatibility, improved user interface, and better performance under high loads. WatchGuard EPDR users desire more streamlined management, enhanced reporting tools, and reduced initial deployment complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Defender XDR is praised for straightforward deployment and integration but receives mixed reviews on customer support responsiveness. WatchGuard EPDR receives high marks for onboarding assistance and robust customer service, though some users note initial deployment complexities.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Defender XDR offers competitive pricing, seen as cost-effective for businesses invested in Microsoft services. WatchGuard EPDR, though potentially higher in setup costs, is viewed as delivering superior ROI through advanced threat prevention capabilities.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Defender XDR vs. WatchGuard EPDR Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender XDR vs. WatchGuard EPDR
July 2025
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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
6.7
Microsoft Defender XDR provides high ROI by consolidating security tools, streamlining operations, and enhancing security, despite licensing costs.
Sentiment score
4.0
WatchGuard EPDR offers strong ROI through streamlined endpoint management and quick deployment, despite cost concerns in Latin American markets.
We can quarantine and isolate a device within minutes.
Microsoft Defender XDR has saved me at least 50% of my time.
Ever since we turned on the M5 feature set back in June, we have seen a reduced number of potentially malicious clicks and faster alerting when incidents occur.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report
I can say that knowing you have a product like WatchGuard EPDR that's working 24/7 to help protect students in a school is good for ROI.
For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard EPDR report
AT
KO
reviewer2595618 - PeerSpot reviewer
SW
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.2
Microsoft Defender XDR's support is timely and responsive, yet smaller organizations experience slower, less effective assistance than larger ones.
Sentiment score
6.1
WatchGuard EPDR's customer service is praised for knowledgeable, responsive support with direct developer access and reliable solutions.
You get stuck in low-level support for way longer than you should, instead of them escalating the issue up the chain.
It's critical to escalate SEV B issues immediately to a domestic engineer.
Once issues are escalated to the second or third layer, the support is much better.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report
They create a case, tell me to refer to articles, and if not resolved, they take a remote session to solve the issue.
Technical support for Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is provided by the reseller, and they also do preventive maintenance yearly.
For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard EPDR report
Darrell Carr - PeerSpot reviewerTy Ryan - PeerSpot reviewerAnkit-Joshi - PeerSpot reviewer
VM
NJ
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Defender XDR scales well for various organizations, efficiently supporting growth and flexibility despite some network deployment challenges.
Sentiment score
6.5
WatchGuard EPDR is highly rated for scalability, supporting organizations with up to 800 users effectively and efficiently.
Microsoft Defender XDR shows tremendous scalability, much more so than on-premises solutions.
Microsoft Defender XDR scales pretty well.
It is suitable for enterprise-level deployment but has room for improvement.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard EPDR report
Ty Ryan - PeerSpot reviewer
AT
SC
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Microsoft Defender XDR is praised for high stability, reliable performance, minimal issues, frequent updates, and prompt issue resolution.
Sentiment score
7.9
WatchGuard EPDR is praised for its stability, reliable performance, and efficiency in threat management, meeting user expectations consistently.
The service has remained consistently online, with any issues isolated to specific components, suggesting a well-designed and modular architecture.
The services within our ecosystem have been reliable, meeting their SLAs.
It provides high-fidelity signals.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report
It is very stable with no hanging problems.
The stability is approximately a seven to eight out of ten.
For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard EPDR report
reviewer2595618 - PeerSpot reviewerTy Ryan - PeerSpot reviewer
AT
VM
reviewer2562924 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender XDR requires enhancements in speed, integration, automation, AI, ease-of-use, and industry-specific threat intelligence.
WatchGuard EPDR in Latin America is pricey, with limited compatibility and features needing improvement for broader system support.
The licensing process needs improvement and clarification.
Improvements are needed in automated response capabilities.
Some inconsistencies exist between blades, which could be improved for a more seamless user and UI experience.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report
Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is not compatible with certain network devices like access points, switches, or routers, which would be an area for improvement.
Other firewalls allow adding categories and in-app controls which WatchGuard currently lacks.
The software has performance issues due to its requirements on the processor.
For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard EPDR report
reviewer2595324 - PeerSpot reviewer
SC
Ty Ryan - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2562924 - PeerSpot reviewer
VM
reviewer2649315 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender XDR pricing is seen as complex but fair, with high costs alleviated in bundled Microsoft 365 packages.
WatchGuard EPDR is seen as affordable and offers good value, competitively priced against brands like Sophos and Palo Alto XDR.
There are certainly savings when using Microsoft Defender XDR, which can range from 30%, 40%, and even up to 50%.
I would rate the pricing as eight out of ten, indicating it is a reasonable cost for the product.
Microsoft purposefully obfuscates this through marketing ploys to hide costs.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report
It is worth the money and provides good return on investment.
The pricing is slightly high, but the product quality justifies it.
Regarding pricing, I am not sure because I did not compare it with other antivirus; maybe it is pricey.
For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard EPDR report
CB
SC
reviewer2595618 - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2649315 - PeerSpot reviewer
VM
NJ
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender XDR integrates tools for comprehensive security, offering threat detection, automation, identity protection, and enhanced efficiency.
WatchGuard EPDR offers zero-trust, AI monitoring, ransomware protection, and integration with firewalls, emphasizing real-time insights and patch management.
With Microsoft threat intelligence information, it detects various types of threats, including insider attacks, malicious content, and data exfiltration.
This allows us to secure our systems in advance and proactively improve security, rather than waiting for incidents to occur.
Once we have it on the security dashboard, we can see a real-time storyline.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Defender XDR report
The cloud of WatchGuard lets me see all my devices, updating me to minute levels with detailed information, such as patch status and vulnerabilities.
The detection capabilities for malicious activities are effective.
The EDR has a high accuracy rate with only a few false positives.
For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard EPDR report
SC
AR
AT
VM
reviewer2562924 - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer2649315 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

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
102
Ranking in other categories
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (2nd), Microsoft Security Suite (5th)
WatchGuard EPDR
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
12th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
35
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (10th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender XDR is 3.0%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WatchGuard EPDR is 2.0%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Defender XDR3.0%
WatchGuard EPDR2.0%
Other95.0%
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
 

Featured Reviews

MohtesanShaikh - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience improves security management and simplifies threat protection
I have created automated investigations, and while they work, they operate rather slowly in the Microsoft portal. If I automate something, it takes considerable time; if I do it manually, I can complete it in a quarter of the time. The automation response being slow is the main concern; when an incident occurs or if I run a remediation, it takes significant time to complete the remediation. There are some limitations regarding the scalability of Microsoft Defender XDR with specific licensing. For SMB customers, there is only Microsoft Defender for Business, and if they want more features such as XDR features and automation investigation or incident response, they need to purchase Defender for Endpoint. We are currently using the EDR.
Read full review
PaolaLamura - PeerSpot reviewer
While being easy to manage and create reports, the tool also offers a good UI
I rate the ease of use and management of Panda Adaptive Defense 360 an eight on a scale of one to ten. The tool's ability to provide information about the vulnerability is the most impactful feature of the product that has an impact on our company's security posture. Speaking about scenarios where the solution effectively prevented the security breach, I would say that our company sees how the tool blocks when our customers accidentally click on some malware, after which it quarantines that file. My company makes a playbook with the SOAR tool that Panda Adaptive Defense 360 uses to block and isolate attacks. In our company's system, if there is a big event that occurs, then to block the endpoint, we use SOAR with Panda Adaptive Defense 360 to block and isolate attacks or threats. The solution's real-time monitoring has improved our company's ability to detect threats if we use it in our company with Panda SIEMFeeder. Only if in my company there is a need to do some research, prepare a report, or if we want to change the policy, so it is not very often that we use the visualization part of the tool in our company. The reporting and analytics part of the tool has helped with the decision-making in our company since we combine different kinds of logs and situations from different ingestion logs, and we can configure a specific alert. In my company, we use the tool's data search functionality if required to check the information we need. Presently, our company uses the configuration alert and SIEMFeeder in our system. I rate the tool a nine out of ten.
Read full review
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Hospitality Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business46
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise37
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business26
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise1
 

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.
See all answers
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.
See all answers
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...
See all answers
What do you like most about WatchGuard EPDR?
The product's most valuable features are the zero-trust application service and its capability to detect threats and attacks.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WatchGuard EPDR?
I think the pricing is normal because we subscribe for three years. Regarding pricing, I am not sure because I did not compare it with other antivirus; maybe it is pricey.
See all answers
What needs improvement with WatchGuard EPDR?
I have no idea if I use some automation functions. I can't find any disadvantages; maybe that is because many companies haven't used it. I would prefer to see some features such as AI in antivirus ...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 9% of the time
Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Microsoft Defender XDR Logo
Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Microsoft Defender XDR
Compared 9% of the time
Trend Vision One vs Microsoft Defender XDR Logo
Trend Vision One vs Microsoft Defender XDR
Compared 4% of the time
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Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs WatchGuard EPDR Logo
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs WatchGuard EPDR
Compared 18% of the time
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform vs WatchGuard EPDR Logo
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform vs WatchGuard EPDR
Compared 9% of the time
CrowdStrike Falcon vs WatchGuard EPDR Logo
CrowdStrike Falcon vs WatchGuard EPDR
Compared 7% of the time
SentinelOne Singularity Complete vs WatchGuard EPDR Logo
SentinelOne Singularity Complete vs WatchGuard EPDR
Compared 5% of the time
Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business vs WatchGuard EPDR Logo
Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business vs WatchGuard EPDR
Compared 4% of the time
More WatchGuard EPDR Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender XDR
August 2025
Microsoft Defender XDR reportDownload Microsoft Defender XDR product report
Buyer's Guide
WatchGuard EPDR
August 2025
WatchGuard EPDR reportDownload WatchGuard EPDR product report
 

Also Known As

Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Threat Protection, MS 365 Defender
Panda Adaptive Defense 360
 

Overview

Microsoft Defender XDR is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect against threats in the Microsoft 365 environment. 

It offers robust security measures, comprehensive threat detection capabilities, and an efficient incident response system. With seamless integration with other Microsoft products and a user-friendly interface, it simplifies security management tasks. 

Users have found it effective in detecting and preventing various types of attacks, such as phishing attempts, malware infections, and data breaches.

Watch the Microsoft demo video here: Microsoft Defender XDR demo video.

Microsoft

EDR for continuous monitoring that prevents the execution of unknown processes. Behavioral analysis and detection of IoAs (indicators of attack) scripts, macros, etc. 
Automatic detection and response for targeted attacks and in-memory exploits. Endpoint protection capabilities such as URL filtering, device control and managed firewall. 
Zero-Trust Application and Threat Hunting features delivered as managed services. Lightweight agent and easy-to-use Cloud-based console with detailed reporting.

WatchGuard
 

Sample Customers

Accenture, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, General Electric, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and many others.
Indra, Valea AB, Fineit, Aemcom, Data Solutions INC., Gloucestershire NHS, Golden Star Resources Ltd, Hispania Racing Team, Instituto Dos Museus e da ConserÊo, Escuelas Pias Provincia Emaus, Axiom Housing Association, Municipality of Bjuv, Lesedi Nuclear, Mullsj_ municipality, Eng. skolan Norr AB, Dalakraft AB, Peter Green Haulage Ltd
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender XDR vs. WatchGuard EPDR
July 2025
Free Report: Microsoft Defender XDR vs. WatchGuard EPDR
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