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Microsoft Defender XDR vs SonicWall Capture Client 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
102
Ranking in other categories
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (2nd), Microsoft Security Suite (4th)
SonicWall Capture Client
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
43rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (45th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender XDR is 2.9%, down from 3.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Capture Client is 0.6%, up from 0.6% 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 XDR2.9%
SonicWall Capture Client0.6%
Other96.5%
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.
LUIZ FERNANDO MARIANO SILVA - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables faster updates and provides an easy-to-use user interface
I have an advanced license that includes all features. Though we have the license, we cannot use it completely because it is not enabled in the Microsoft tier. It does not make sense. We do not want to buy it separately because the price is different if we buy separate licenses.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"My clients like Defender's file integrity monitoring. They're monitoring Windows and Linux system files."
"Microsoft Defender's most critical component is its CASB solution. It has many built-in policies that can improve your organization's cloud security posture. It's effective regardless of where your users are, which is critical because most users are working from home. It's cloud-based, so nothing is on-premise."
"The integration, visibility, vulnerability management, and device identification are valuable."
"The Email Explorer feature has proven invaluable, offering a broader perspective than automated alerts and incidents alone."
"The ability to hunt that IM data set or the identity data set at the same time is valuable. As incident response professionals, we are very used to EDRs and having device process registry telemetry, but a lot of times, we do not have that identity data right there with us, so we have to go search for it in some other silo. Being able to cross-correlate via both datasets at the same time is something that we can only do in Def"
"The feature of Microsoft Defender XDR that I preferred the most traditionally was its focus on endpoint protection, but now identity is right up there with endpoint security. Identity is important because different compromises start at the identity level. This allows us to understand what actions are being taken, who is doing them, and whether it is actually them."
"Microsoft Defender XDR's capability to automatically disrupt advanced cyber attacks is very effective."
"I like Defender XDR's automation capabilities. XDR isn't automated by default, but you can automate it to respond. If an attack is performed anywhere within the organization, you can isolate that instance from the network. This is what I can figure out for it. When integrated with Sentinel, you can set up playbooks to automate all the alerts gathered on Sentinel from different Microsoft solutions. Sentinel has a wider range of capabilities than XDR."
"Overall, what I love the most about SonicWall Capture Client is its management console. SonicWall Capture Client also has the intelligence to tell you which computer is online, what OS it uses, etc. I also found the rollback feature and SentinelOne integration valuable in SonicWall Capture Client. Rollback is a powerful feature of the solution because it's similar to locking your endpoint during an attack, so you won't have to pay the hackers, particularly during ransomware attacks. That feature in SonicWall Capture Client allows you to get back your endpoint or make your endpoint right again after an attack. I also like that it isn't complex to remove the engine error from the endpoint because you only have to provide the security key from SonicWall Capture Client, so the process is simple. It's not complex."
"Considering other products, SonicWall Capture Client has two differentiators."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"The product’s interface is easy to use."
"The solution serves as a very stable platform."
"SonicWall Capture Client's scalability is nice."
"The most valuable features of SonicWall Capture Client are CSC (Capture Security Center), RTDMI (Real-Time Deep Memory Inspection), and the deep memory inspection feature."
"SonicWall Capture Client has a serial number to connect to your firewall."
 

Cons

"Defender also lacks automated detection and response. You need to resolve issues manually. You can manage multiple Microsoft security products from a single portal, and all your security recommendations are in one place. It's easy to understand and manage. However, I wouldn't say Defender is a single pane of glass. You still need to switch between all of the available Microsoft tools. You can see all the alerts in one panel, but you can't automate remediation."
"When discussing the secure score, which includes overviews and recommended actions, some of these recommended actions are not applicable to us, particularly those related to Microsoft Internet Explorer, which we do not use in any of our environments."
"It would be helpful if the solution could scan faster when it comes to scanning attachments to emails."
"The AI could be improved. As an analyst, I want to be able to interact more with AI. The AI simply sends summaries. I can't ask it, for example, if it has seen any suspicious activity with device two. I have to go and check device two for myself."
"There's still some more work to be done there. Additionally, the limited terminal live access an analyst has is very restricted."
"In the future, it would be beneficial for Microsoft to consider making the product more user-friendly or simplified for those who are interested in using it. Currently, it requires a high level of technical expertise, making it challenging for beginners or less experienced individuals."
"Automated playbooks and automated dashboards would be preferable to the way the data is currently being presented."
"From a performance standpoint, improvements could be made."
"The biggest issue with SonicWall Capture Client is network latency."
"Technical support from SonicWall has room for improvement. While their escalation process is understandable, it can be time-consuming as all logs need to be provided multiple times across different service levels."
"It takes technical support too long to resolve an issue."
"The implementation is not easy."
"SonicWall Capture Client should use less of our PC's memory, as it tends to slow down the performance."
"An area for improvement in SonicWall Capture Client is TenantCloud support. Suppose you want to implement SonicWall Capture Client. You'll have to register it on MySonicWall. Then once your SonicWall Capture Client license expires and you don't want to renew it, you can't delete it from your MySonicWall account, so that's an area for improvement."
"They should improve their user interface."
"SonicWall Capture Client could be made a little lighter than it currently is in terms of memory consumption."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Purchasing Microsoft Defender XDR as part of a Microsoft 365 bundle can be cost-effective, but acquiring it as a standalone product may be more expensive."
"Defender plan 1 is tenant-wise, and Defender plan 2 is per-user, which makes it more expensive. To have certain features, you would need to purchase the E5 license. For all of the capabilities that the tool provides, the price, though it can be high, is fair."
"Microsoft Defender XDR is already included in our Office 365 licensing. It is better because we're saving money by using it."
"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."
"While Microsoft Defender XDR carries a higher cost, its ease of use compared to Defender may justify the investment."
"There are no issues with pricing, but sometimes, the clarity in licensing is a concern."
"The solutions price is fair for what they offer."
"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."
"The product is very expensive."
"Here in Indonesia, SonicWall Capture Client costs five hundred thousand rupiahs for every endpoint. If I'm correct, you only have to pay the licensing fee, and there's no additional fee. To me, the pricing for SonicWall Capture Client is four out of five."
"You have to pay for the solution, and a lot of customers do not want to pay."
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Top Industries

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

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 Business9
Midsize 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.
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?
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 com...
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?
It is not similar to other products. For XDR, users have to use another product. XDR cannot be used unless MDR services are purchased with SonicWall. If a user has SonicWall MDR services, then they...
What is your primary use case for SonicWall Capture Client?
I am a distributor, but I can be counted as a reseller. It does not differ anyway. Most of my clients are SMBs, and I inform them that they should protect their servers with this kind of product, n...
 

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.
Luton College
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