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

Trend Micro ServerProtect vs WatchGuard EPDR comparison

Sponsored
 

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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.1
Cortex XDR offers cost-effective malware prevention, compliance, reduced operational costs, improved performance, and comprehensive threat identification.
Sentiment score
1.0
Trend Micro ServerProtect boosts malware prevention, server performance, and security, while offering cost savings and seamless integration, enhancing productivity.
Sentiment score
3.7
WatchGuard EPDR optimizes operations, reduces costs, enhances security, and provides efficient endpoint management, especially valued in Latin America and schools.
They appreciate the rich telemetry data from the solution, as it provides in-depth threat identification.
Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks helps to reduce my total cost of ownership significantly.
Detection and Response Consultant at Inovasys
I have seen a return on investment with Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks, as this product is offered at a minimal cost, and we can find a good ROI from it.
Cyber Security Information Security Specialist at MHM Holding GmbH
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.
IT Manager at Redeemer Baptist School
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.9
Cortex XDR's customer service receives mixed reviews, with experiences varying based on support plans and regional partner involvement.
Sentiment score
7.3
Trend Micro ServerProtect support is generally responsive and helpful, but some users encounter ticket delays and communication issues.
Sentiment score
6.2
WatchGuard EPDR's customer service is praised for knowledge and resolution speed, but some experience inefficiencies and availability issues.
The technical support from Palo Alto deserves a mark of ten because they reach out within an hour whenever assistance is needed.
Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees
There is no back and forth, and they know what we are asking for and come up with the best resolution for a solution.
Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk
If any of these services are missed, it becomes a problem in terms of support tickets, follow-up, or special configuration that needs to be done in the system.
Chief of IT Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Technical support is top-notch.
Head, Threat Intelligence & Incident Management at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
The technical support of Trend Micro ServerProtect deserves an 8.5 out of 10.
Technology Solutions Head at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
They create a case, tell me to refer to articles, and if not resolved, they take a remote session to solve the issue.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
Technical support for Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is provided by the reseller, and they also do preventive maintenance yearly.
Section Head, Information Technology at a transportation company with 201-500 employees
The technical support from WatchGuard would rate at about an eight on a scale of 1 to 10, where one is the worst technical support and 10 is the best technical support.
Citrix Solutions Architect at Digital Generation
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Cortex XDR offers scalable, adaptable cloud-based security, supporting diverse workloads and smooth deployment across numerous endpoints and environments.
Sentiment score
6.0
Trend Micro ServerProtect offers excellent scalability, supporting businesses of all sizes with straightforward deployment and positive user ratings.
Sentiment score
7.6
WatchGuard EPDR offers excellent scalability and integration, efficiently supporting diverse users across platforms, particularly small to medium businesses.
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks can be expanded anytime by purchasing another license without any issues related to scalability.
Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees
I think scalability for Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is good.
Threat Analyst II at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
The deployment duration is proportional to the number of users to deploy or the number that needs protection.
Technology Solutions Head at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
WatchGuard EPDR is very competitive regarding its scalability.
Citrix Solutions Architect at Digital Generation
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is stable, reliable under heavy loads, with few bugs and continuous performance improvements.
Sentiment score
5.9
Trend Micro ServerProtect is praised for stability, reliability, and efficient performance despite occasional configuration challenges, enhancing security significantly.
Sentiment score
8.3
WatchGuard EPDR and Panda Security Adaptive Defense are stable, with high user satisfaction, minor update issues, and effective malware detection.
Cortex remains fast and responsive, even with increasing data and alerts.
Final Year Student at Gitam University
The thresholds we've seen on our firewall boxes at some instances reached 80% to 85%, but even at that level of utilization, we don't observe any latency or any issues reported with respect to accessing the application.
Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk
Cortex XDR is stable, offering high quality and reliable performance.
Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank
I would assess the impact of real-time malware scanning on server security as continuously and exponentially growing.
Technology Solutions Head at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
It is very stable with no hanging problems.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
WatchGuard EPDR is a very stable solution and is not resource intensive.
Citrix Solutions Architect at Digital Generation
The stability is approximately a seven to eight out of ten.
IT System Support Administrator at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Cortex XDR needs UI simplification, improved integration, better reporting, and training, while users face high costs and configuration challenges.
Trend Micro ServerProtect needs cost-effectiveness, enhanced dashboards, better integration, robust security features, and improved predictive analytics.
WatchGuard EPDR needs improved integration, data protection, intuitive administration, DNS security, stability, deployment, reporting, and lower processor load.
Improving reporting and dashboard customization, along with the addition of real-time and exportable reports, would help SOC teams greatly.
Final Year Student at Gitam University
The inclusion of this feature would allow the application of DLP policies alongside antivirus policies via a single agent and console, making it more competitive as other OEMs often offer DLP solutions as part of their antivirus products.
Pre-Sales Architect at network techlab
If the per GB data could be provided at a certain level free of cost or at the same cost which the customer is taking for the entire bundle, that would be better.
Cyber Security Information Security Specialist at MHM Holding GmbH
Use analytics to identify anything that is outside the normal behavior of files and systems in the course of business operation, then flag it so it can go for further evaluation.
Head, Threat Intelligence & Incident Management at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
They need to improve in this area by providing more documentation and custom scripts for bulk enterprise deployments.
Information Technology Security Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
It's more about awareness and maintaining competitive pricing because competition is growing.
Technology Solutions Head at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is not compatible with certain network devices like access points, switches, or routers, which would be an area for improvement.
IT System Support Administrator at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees
Other firewalls allow adding categories and in-app controls which WatchGuard currently lacks.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
An area for improvement would be the software deployment to seamlessly deploy software packages across multiple machines simultaneously.
Citrix Solutions Architect at Digital Generation
 

Setup Cost

Cortex XDR is seen as an expensive yet flexible solution with scalable pricing varying from $20 to $90 per user.
Trend Micro ServerProtect offers competitive pricing with potential negotiation discounts, varying by features and subscription duration.
WatchGuard EPDR offers flexible subscription pricing that's seen as reasonable, with advanced features justifying higher costs.
The pricing on SentinelOne is far more reasonable and cheaper than Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks.
Consultant at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I would say it is definitely not a cheap product, considering how mature it is and how scalable all Palo Alto products are together.
Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk
Cortex XDR is perceived as expensive by some customers, yet offers dynamic pricing.
Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank
It is worth the money and provides good return on investment.
The pricing is slightly high, but the product quality justifies it.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
Regarding pricing, I am not sure because I did not compare it with other antivirus; maybe it is pricey.
Section Head, Information Technology at a transportation company with 201-500 employees
 

Valuable Features

Cortex XDR enhances threat detection and response with AI, seamless integration, and efficient threat intelligence for improved risk management.
Trend Micro ServerProtect offers flexible, user-friendly security with real-time insights, anti-malware capabilities, outstanding performance, and minimal disruption.
WatchGuard EPDR simplifies threat detection and enhances IT productivity with advanced search, real-time insights, and robust endpoint protection.
It incorporates AI for normal behavior detection, distinguishing unusual operations.
Cyber Security Manager at Welab bank
The product provides automation responses in case of a threat attack, severity assessments, centralized manageability, and comprehensive compliance features, resulting in reduced costs.
Pre-Sales Architect at network techlab
It includes machine learning to easily analyze data and detect complex threats across endpoints, networks, or clouds.
Final Year Student at Gitam University
The main benefit is security posture.
Head, Threat Intelligence & Incident Management at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
From my reseller and consultant perspective, the most beneficial aspects of Trend Micro ServerProtect are its user-friendly console, allowing anyone to configure policies easily, and the excellent support provided.
Information Technology Security Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Customers consider competitive pricing and features when selecting Trend Micro ServerProtect, but trust is definitely a crucial factor.
Technology Solutions Head at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
The cloud of WatchGuard lets me see all my devices, updating me to minute levels with detailed information, such as patch status and vulnerabilities.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
The detection capabilities for malicious activities are effective.
IT System Support Administrator at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees
The EDR has a high accuracy rate with only a few false positives.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Net...
Sponsored
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
105
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (8th), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (7th), Ransomware Protection (2nd), AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms (2nd)
Trend Micro ServerProtect
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
37th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
WatchGuard EPDR
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
10th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
37
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (13th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is 3.4%, down from 4.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Trend Micro ServerProtect is 0.8%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WatchGuard EPDR is 2.0%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks3.4%
WatchGuard EPDR2.0%
Trend Micro ServerProtect0.8%
Other93.8%
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

ABHISHEK_SINGH - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk
Gained full visibility and streamlined threat detection through behavior-based insights and AI integration
Initially, we got to have a lot of false positives when we onboarded, but nowadays it's quite smooth. We have fine-tuned our security policies and allowed different levels of policies to get rid of those false positives. Currently, we are getting a fairly good amount of incidents that are not false positives or benign, but actionable items. The process is streamlined. In the initial days, the operations used to get involved in a lot of benign and other activities, but now the process is streamlined. We are leveraging the auto-detection and remediation plans. The operations teams are now more involved in other business roles as well, not just looking into the logs and fetching out what's happening there. They have fixed a lot of things. Initially, they didn't have IAC code drift detection, cloud posture management, or security posture management, but they have those now. They purchased different vendors and did a merger with that. They have now Prisma Cloud that gets integrated and now they are working with Cortex Cloud. Everything that was negative has now been addressed, and the product altogether looks to be in a very better and mature shape now. Currently, it's more or less detecting the workloads with AI-based best practices. Since most organizations are consuming AI agents and other things, we are looking forward to seeing what other feature enhancements Palo Alto can support in that.
EO
Head, Threat Intelligence & Incident Management at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Advanced server defenses have strengthened threat detection and protected critical infrastructure
From my perspective, predictive analysis is an area for improvement. The rules are very rigid. The way protection works for Trend Micro ServerProtect is that you have to specifically apply specific rules to achieve particular actions or use cases. We have had instances where a malware is dropped and that malware executes, it is detected, but because the malware has been altered a little bit, either in naming or slight behavior changes, the system is not able to stop it. This is unless you harden the rule to say block anything that appears out of place. My thinking as a security expert is that malware will typically behave outside of the normal operation of the organization. Instead of saying malware behavior based on malware behavior, I would say use analytics to identify anything that is outside the normal behavior of files and systems in the course of business operation, then flag it so it can go for further evaluation to identify if it is a malicious file execution or otherwise. Today, there are some instances where legitimate operations occur because of the static rule definition, the agent would flag a normal activity as malicious and then sometimes flag malicious activities as normal. They need to work on that area. There is a lot of competition today. When Trend Micro ServerProtect initially came out, they were premium, so there was not a lot of competition. Competition is dropping their price. Trend Micro ServerProtect should also come down on the pricing to meet competition. Though it is a great solution and an integrated solution, I think they should also meet the market competition. CrowdStrike is there, Palo Alto is there. There are many other competitors, but they need to also look at what is happening. They need to work on it. I would not say that they are overly priced, but I think they can be more competitive, especially with their new credit allocation process.
NJ
Section Head, Information Technology at a transportation company with 201-500 employees
Using cloud-based console for software inventory management and email alerts
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 solutions. I appreciate reporting, but it could be better with monthly reporting or auto-generated monthly reports.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) solutions are best for your needs.
882,744 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Performing Arts
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Retailer
7%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Hospitality Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business42
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise47
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business26
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. Sentinel One
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. SentinelOne SentinelOne offers very detailed specifics with regard to risks or attacks. ...
Comparing CrowdStrike Falcon to Cortex XDR (Palo Alto)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. CrowdStrike Falcon Both Cortex XDR and Crowd Strike Falcon offer cloud-based solutions th...
How is Cortex XDR compared with Microsoft Defender?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security solution. The tool reduces the attack surface,...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Trend Micro ServerProtect?
I am aware of the price of this solution. The price is good, and the licensing is fair.
What needs improvement with Trend Micro ServerProtect?
From my perspective, predictive analysis is an area for improvement. The rules are very rigid. The way protection wor...
What is your primary use case for Trend Micro ServerProtect?
Trend Micro ServerProtect is basically a server protection solution. Given the system architecture, there is endpoint...
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 ...
What needs improvement with WatchGuard EPDR?
I would not be able to say what areas of WatchGuard EPDR have improved, as I do not work with the product myself so m...
 

Also Known As

Cyvera, Cortex XDR, Palo Alto Networks Traps
Trend Micro ServerProtect for Storage, ServerProtect, ServerProtect for Storage
Panda Adaptive Defense 360
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

CBI Health Group, University Honda, VakifBank
Siemens
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
Find out what your peers are saying about Trend Micro ServerProtect vs. WatchGuard EPDR and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
882,744 professionals have used our research since 2012.