ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs VMware Carbon Black App Control comparison

ThreatLocker and Broadcom are both solutions in the Application Control category. ThreatLocker is ranked #1 with an average rating of 9.2, while Broadcom is ranked #3. ThreatLocker holds a 21.0% mindshare in AC, compared to Broadcom’s 13.2% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of ThreatLocker users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

ThreatLocker Zero Trust End...

Read 40 ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform reviews

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97% willing to recommend

VMware Carbon Black App Con...

Read 8 VMware Carbon Black App Control reviews

676 Views
581 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

ThreatLocker Zero Trust End...

VMware Carbon Black App Con...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 5, 2025

VMware Carbon Black App Control and ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform compete in the endpoint security category. ThreatLocker seems to have the upper hand due to its zero trust framework and efficient deployment.

Features: VMware Carbon Black App Control offers comprehensive policy management, detailed application whitelisting, and powerful lockdown capabilities for strong application execution control. ThreatLocker provides robust zero trust policies, superior file blocking, and advanced auditing functions, emphasizing multi-factor security layers for broader endpoint protection.

Room for Improvement: VMware Carbon Black could improve its deployment complexity and learning curve, which are steeper compared to ThreatLocker. It may also benefit from enhancing customer support efficiency. ThreatLocker, while effective, might enhance its reporting tools and visibility outside its portal. There's also room to streamline integration features for even greater ease of use.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: VMware Carbon Black has a more complex setup, requiring a steeper learning curve. ThreatLocker provides a simpler and more intuitive deployment model. ThreatLocker excels in customer service with efficient and ongoing support, ensuring a smoother onboarding process and continued customer assistance.

Pricing and ROI: VMware Carbon Black offers a competitive initial setup cost. However, ThreatLocker delivers a better return on investment with its comprehensive security features and efficient resource management. While VMware's pricing may initially be attractive, ThreatLocker's extensive capabilities justify a higher total cost with substantial long-term ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs. VMware Carbon Black App Control Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs. VMware Carbon Black App Control

December 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:

Categories and Ranking

ThreatLocker Zero Trust End...

Ranking in Application Control

1st

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Access Control (NAC) (5th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (6th), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (7th), ZTNA (4th), Ransomware Protection (1st)

VMware Carbon Black App Con...

Ranking in Application Control

3rd

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Application Control category, the mindshare of ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform is 21.0%, up from 9.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Carbon Black App Control is 13.2%, down from 28.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Control Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform	21.0%
VMware Carbon Black App Control	13.2%
Other	65.8%

Application Control

Featured Reviews

Charles Loveland

Supervisor, Client Security at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

World-class support and highly effective for application control and elevation

Their product is solid. I have a hard time complaining much about it because when we do find little things, they are usually interface-related or related to things that would be nice to have. Their idea portal, unlike so many other vendors we deal with, shows movement. At least four to eight features of ThreatLocker exist because I made a request in the last five years, and it became a feature of the actual product. When it comes to improvements, we moved the product as customers, and we got to move the product by making suggestions. They seem to be very reactive to it, so there is not a whole lot that they actively need to change right now. It is one of those situations where when we run into something that would be nice to have, it happens. They make it work.

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Abul Atti M Salem

Cybersecurity Consultant at KAFD DMC

We can isolate problem machines and limit their access

We use App Control to scan the network for virtual machines that have unauthorized applications. We can isolate the problem VMs and control application access. More than two years. I rate Carbon Black App Control 10 out of 10 for stability. I rate App Control six out of 10 for scalability.…

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The Zero Trust factor is valuable because it blocks everything. That helps us to stay ahead of bad actors. We do not have to be in recovery mode."

"The most valuable feature is its learning capability."

"Application control, ring-fencing, and storage control are the most important features, followed closely by elevation."

"Using ThreatLocker is effortless because I can access it from an app on my phone, so I can help clients after hours. My client had an issue while I was at dinner, and I didn't have a tech on the problem, but I could deal with it from my phone. I can see what the client is doing and approve or deny it. It helps me deliver better service to my clients when they need it."

"While it can be frustrating at times, we appreciate the low-level security provided by the application whitelist."

"The solution has made knowing and managing what is running on our clients' devices much easier for us. We know they cannot run what they are not supposed to run."

"ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform provides no-sweat security that we can easily deploy."

"The application control is a key feature of ThreatLocker."

More ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform pros

"The visibility, reporting, and the ability to stop or prevent malicious or undesired applications from being installed are the most valuable features."

"The visibility is valuable."

"I use the console to check for threats and I find it to be very user-friendly."

"The effectiveness of application whitelisting is very good."

"All the functions within VMware Carbon Black App Control are valuable."

"We use App Control to scan the network for virtual machines that have unauthorized applications. We can isolate the problem VMs and control application access."

"If any malicious activity, like VAT viruses, anything RNE, ZOD malware, or something similar, comes in we know that unless we approve it, it's going to be blocked."

"The API integration is good."

Cons

"More visibility in the built-ins would be nice."

"This is my first Zero Trust conference, and so far, it has been good. The only thing I have noticed is that sometimes they encounter technical issues. For example, in one of the demo labs, the laptop trying to connect to the projector was not working, which affected the demonstration of the victim versus attacker laptop scenarios. It would be helpful to fix these issues."

"Their product is solid. I have a hard time complaining much about it because when we do find little things, they are usually interface-related or related to things that would be nice to have."

"It has not reduced helpdesk tickets. It has probably increased them by blocking applications and doing its job, resulting in people raising more tickets to know why they cannot use certain things."

"Better visualizations of what exactly is happening in our logs would be helpful. There can be more visuals on what has been elevated. Presenting this in a more refined manner would be beneficial."

"The snapshots used in the ThreatLocker University portal are outdated snippets and have not been updated in conjunction with the portal itself."

"I cannot suggest anything that they are not already doing. They should keep adding features as they have been."

"Scalability is challenging, not due to the platform. Scaling ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform usage requires dedicated resources for maintenance."

More ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform cons

"I rate App Control six out of 10 for scalability."

"I would like to see the addition of some more features that are in other, similar solutions."

"The reporting is not good and needs to be improved."

"The initial setup is somewhat complex."

"Another issue is that even sometimes if you approve, for example, Adobe as a publisher, you say any product or anything that's from Adobe has to run. It generally runs, but especially in a large environment and with a lot of users, sometimes, due to some certification validation issues or some other issue, it might stop the process from running. Genuine processes like Adobe and Chrome can get blocked. so that needs to be improved."

"The solution should have overhead in keeping lists of applications that you want don't want to run."

"Its setup is very complex, and it requires guidance from the support team, but it is well worth the effort."

"Carbon Black does not use the database for identifying the file, the fields, or malware."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is reasonable and normal. I do not have any problems with the cost."

"The pricing works fine for me. It's very reasonably priced."

"Others say ThreatLocker is too expensive, and I tell them they're dreaming. It's well-priced for what it does."

"Its price is fair. They have added some additional things to it beyond allowlisting. They are up-charging for them, but in terms of the value we get and the way it impacts us, we get a bang for our buck with ThreatLocker than a lot of our other security tools."

"Although the pricing seems good, there have been inconsistencies in contract negotiations."

"The price is very reasonable, and we have been able to integrate ThreatLocker with all of our clients."

"The price of ThreatLocker Allowlisting is reasonable in the market, but it is not fantastic."

"We have not had any real issues with the pricing. As they have added more features, due to the way our contracts are structured with our customers, we have had to hold off on adopting the new features because they do add costs."

More ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform pricing and cost advice

"Its price is reasonable and what is expected for these types of products."

"The pricing for this product is competitive and our customers who told us that often, Carbon Back is the cheaper solution."

"We pay a fee for support, which is renewed annually."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

25%

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	32
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ThreatLocker Allowlisting?

The interface is clean and well-organized, making it simple to navigate and find what we need.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ThreatLocker Allowlisting?

Pricing, setup costs, and licensing have been pretty accessible and manageable. It was not too expensive to get started, especially at a small scale for a smaller MSP. It is very accessible, easy t...

See all answers

What needs improvement with ThreatLocker Allowlisting?

Going with the theme of ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform being a one-stop shop where they have just about everything, and they have a really good product stack as is. However, t...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform

December 2025

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform report

Download ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware Carbon Black App Control

December 2025

Download VMware Carbon Black App Control product report

Also Known As

Protect, Allowlisting, Network Control, Ringfencing

CB Protection, Carbon Black CB Protection

Overview

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform empowers organizations with application control, selective elevation, and ring-fencing to enhance security and prevent unauthorized access.

ThreatLocker provides comprehensive security management using application allowlisting to ensure only approved software operates across servers and workstations. The platform's centralized management simplifies security processes by consolidating multiple tools, and its robust capabilities align with zero-trust strategies by actively blocking unauthorized applications and ensuring compliance. Users note intuitive features such as mobile access, helpful training resources, and responsive support, which effectively reduce operational costs and help desk inquiries. The managed service providers prefer ThreatLocker to maintain network integrity by preventing malicious scripts and unauthorized access attempts. However, users identify room for growth in training and support flexibility, the interface, and certain technical challenges like network saturation from policy updates.

What are the most important features?

Application Control: Ensures only approved applications can be executed, minimizing security risks.
Selective Elevation: Provides granular control over application permissions without compromising security.
Ring-Fencing: Isolates applications to limit possible damage from compromised software.
Comprehensive Blocking: Blocks unauthorized applications, supporting zero-trust strategies.
Centralized Management: Offers a unified platform for managing security tools efficiently.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Intuitive Interface: Simplifies complex security processes, making them manageable for non-expert users.
Reduced Operational Costs: Minimizes resource expenditure through effective security management.
Enhanced Security: Provides robust protection against unauthorized access and malicious scripts.
Responsive Support: Offers quick and effective assistance to minimize downtime and issues.

Organizations utilize ThreatLocker for application allowlisting, ensuring only authorized software operates to prevent unauthorized access efficiently. Deployed across servers and workstations, its features support zero-trust principles and are favored by managed service providers for application management and network integrity.

ThreatLocker

Carbon Black is a leading provider of next-generation endpoint security. Carbon Black serves more than 3,700 customers globally, including 33 of the Fortune 100. As a cybersecurity innovator, Carbon Black has a strong heritage of innovative technology leadership in multiple endpoint security categories, including application control, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and next-generation antivirus (NGAV). Leveraging its big data and analytics cloud platform - the Cb Predictive Security Cloud - Carbon Black solutions enable customers to defend against the most advanced cyber threats, including malware, ransomware, and non-malware attacks. Deployed via the cloud, on premise, or as a managed service, customers use Carbon Black solutions to lock down critical systems, hunt threats, and replace legacy antivirus.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Kaas Tailored, Core-Mark, Indeed, Hologic, Landmark Credit Union, Project Worldwide

Buyer's Guide

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs. VMware Carbon Black App Control

December 2025

Free Report: ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs. VMware Carbon Black App Control

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