The most valuable feature is its ability to effectively detect threats. It has the EDR feature, endpoint detection and response, and that is very good.
Group IT Security Program Manager at Jotun
Native integration with OS gives it more granular capabilities, but management console needs work
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is its ability to effectively detect threats. It has the EDR feature, endpoint detection and response, and that is very good."
- "The management console is something that can be improved."
What is most valuable?
What needs improvement?
The management console is something that can be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for about two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite simple because it is built into the operating system.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Microsoft Defender has more granular capabilities because of the native operating system that it is built into. It is better integrated into the operating system because both the product and the OS are from Microsoft. That is an advantage.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Senior Software Architect at Instirute of public health
Provides good, user-friendly protection
Pros and Cons
- "Defender is stable, I haven't had any problems with viruses when using it, and it's easy to update."
- "Defender's cloud integration could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use Defender for protection.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are that Defender is user-friendly and part of Microsoft Windows.
What needs improvement?
Defender's cloud integration could be improved.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Defender is stable, I haven't had any problems with viruses when using it, and it's easy to update.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Defender to anyone thinking of using it, and I rate it as eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
859,957 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Unified Communications Manager at Jouve
Easy to deploy with great cloud provisioning and excellent functionality
Pros and Cons
- "It's a Microsoft product; it's easier to deploy this product than other options."
- "It would be helpful if they offered video tutorial guides."
What is our primary use case?
We're using the solution on our endpoints.
What is most valuable?
The functionality is very important to us.
The cloud provisioning is great.
It's a Microsoft product, therefore, it's easier to deploy this product than other options. It's very important for us to have a simple way to deploy new PCs when we buy the new PCs. We don't want that deployment to be a burden. The easy deployment feature is very helpful.
What needs improvement?
At the moment we are currently testing it. We are not major users of the product, and therefore we have no idea of what it can and can't do just yet.
At this time we don't have any recommendations concerning the Windows product interface.
It would be helpful if they offered video tutorial guides.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for three or four months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We are testing it right now and we didn't get into the production state just yet. Therefore, it's hard to gauge the capabilities in terms of stability. So far, however, it has been stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is okay.
How are customer service and support?
Support is always okay. I've always had a positive experience dealing with support.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment is seamless and super simple. It's not complex at all, and that's the main selling point for us.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We did negotiate on the pricing, however, I can't speak to the exact costs involved.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did not really compare this solution to other options. The advantage is that this solution is available on mobile devices, and we needed something that covered everything, from desktops and laptops to mobile. Therefore, we didn't really consider anything else.
What other advice do I have?
We are Microsoft customers. We don't have a special relationship with the organization.
We are using the latest version of the solution.
It's a good product overall. I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Performs well, easy to use, and intuitive implementation
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's most valuable feature is its ease of use."
- "Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can improve by providing more and different types of reports."
What is our primary use case?
I am using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for system alerts of any kind of suspicious items or unusual network traffic. I only use it for personal use.
The solution has shown me different kinds of requests from the websites that were made and cookies that have been created. It has provided me with statistics.
What is most valuable?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's most valuable feature is its ease of use.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can improve by providing more and different types of reports.
For how long have I used the solution?
I used Microsoft Defender for Endpoint within the past 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has been stable. It does not slow down my computer.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has been fine.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted the support from Microsoft.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint was intuitive, I didn't make any customization, I used what was preset. The installation was done with the Microsoft Windows installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The license for Microsoft Windows covers Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft Defender for Endpoint an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Manager Cyber Security at Dept. of the Premier and Cabinet
Good endpoint detection response, and technical support, but the pricing could be improved
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a robust platform."
- "In the next release, I would like to see better management reporting."
What is our primary use case?
We are a government organization, and we use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Protection.
We also use it for vulnerability scanning and assessment, which is very useful.
What is most valuable?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a robust platform. The endpoint detection response is quite good.
What needs improvement?
Some executive reporting is inefficient, and we're looking into ways to improve it.
In the next release, I would like to see better management reporting.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is definitely scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is quite good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we didn't work with anything as sophisticated. We used a pretty old-style endpoint detection response.
How was the initial setup?
On new devices, the initial setup is quite easy, while some of the older devices had some issues unpicking the old EDR product that had nothing to do with Defender.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing can always be lower.
What other advice do I have?
To achieve the best results holistically, consider the total cost of ownership of the Microsoft suite of products.
I would rate Microsoft Defender for Endpoint a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Works at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
Simple to install and maintain, but the support could be faster, and more responsive
Pros and Cons
- "The installation is straightforward."
- "Phishing and Malware detection could be better."
What is our primary use case?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint gives us a second layer of security as well as the third layer of security. One of them is interested in web security and email security. One of them, similar to Cisco, is a Cisco FirePOWER. These are a compilation or a group of devices for security.
What needs improvement?
We had some issues where phishing and malware were not detected and were allowed to pass unless I mentioned it or we forced the phishing or malware to be blocked, I can't rely on that alone.
Phishing and Malware detection could be better.
Technical support needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable for the time being.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I can't add more layers of security because of my budget and business plan, so I try to choose the best and most preferable option for me and my company.
I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten.
In one company, we have two administrators and 30 employees who use this solution.
On a short-term plan, I will not increase the usage. On a larger scale, we intend to increase the license.
How are customer service and support?
In my opinion, technical support is not as effective as it was before. They take a long time to support and investigate the issue.
It takes a long time for them to support and investigate the issue. I believe they must crush the time in order to provide us with our needs, and our objectives.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
There are applications and solutions that we have used for five or more years. We almost used Microsoft Link but have since switched to Microsoft Teams and Skype for business. We almost exclusively use Cisco products such as Cisco EMC, Cisco Web security, and Cisco Meraki.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward. It's a cloud solution that requires some configuration running on the cloud.
The deployment takes a couple of hours to complete.
It's a different story when it comes to security. It takes a different approach. It requires two an administrator and a manager to maintain this solution.
What about the implementation team?
Sometimes the installation and deployment are done by the technical team, and sometimes it's done by others.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing fees are paid annually through a partner.
What other advice do I have?
If I do recommend it, it will not be solely for security purposes. It is possibly for a first-line security platform, and it is required to build a second, third, and possibly fourth business security layer.
I would rate Microsoft Defender for Endpoint a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Consultant at a marketing services firm with 11-50 employees
Low impact on endpoints with an easy setup and fast technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The intelligence mechanisms are good."
- "The detection of viruses could be a little bit better."
What is our primary use case?
The product is useful for projects, finding tech, and finding firewall actions on computers.
What is most valuable?
There's no impact on other applications. Most other solutions have more of a possibility of an impact on other applications and due to that, you must make some special configurations to those other applications. The Microsoft Defender impact is very small.
The intelligence mechanisms are good.
The initial setup is easy.
We have found the technical support to be helpful.
What needs improvement?
The detection of viruses could be a little bit better.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used the solution for maybe two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Our company is only a small company. We only have 10 people who use the solution. However, we have clients who have a lot of users.
We likely will increase usage in the future.
How are customer service and support?
We've been in touch with technical support. Their level of support is fine and they are very fast. We are satisfied with their level of service.
We had some problem and, after four hours, we had new signatures for the environment by our customers for more than a thousand clients so that we can protect and improve the new setup. It was a very quick turnaround.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not difficult. It's simple. We have just rolled it out to 6,000 clients which have been, by far, more than other customers we've had so far. We have deployed a Microsoft configuration.
In the environment, we needed one or two days to deploy it. In smaller environments, you only need two hours of work.
It can be done by technical personnel in-house. If they have good knowledge of Microsoft environments, and how to use Microsoft tools, then it's easy.
It's always good if you know how to use OutShare. With OutShare, you can make many things extremely effective and extremely easy.
What about the implementation team?
It is possible to handle it in-house if you have a knowledgeable team. We implement the solution for our clients.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Clients need to pay a yearly licensing fee.
What other advice do I have?
This is an on-premise solution where all connections have a cloud connection.
I would recommend the solution to other companies. I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Head of Information Security at K2 Baseline Sdn Bhd
Stable and easy to use, but needs quicker detection capability and more frequent updates
Pros and Cons
- "It is stable and easy to use. Everything is okay, and there are no performance issues."
- "Its detection is not as quick. There should also be more frequent updates."
What is our primary use case?
I use it mostly to detect threats or viruses. I am using its latest version.
What is most valuable?
It is stable and easy to use. Everything is okay, and there are no performance issues.
What needs improvement?
Its detection is not as quick. There should also be more frequent updates.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for maybe five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have about 20 users.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted Microsoft's technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I didn't use or evaluate other solutions.
How was the initial setup?
Its installation is very easy. It came with Windows.
What about the implementation team?
I can install it myself. We have three teams for deployment and maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It came with Windows.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution. I would rate it a seven out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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Updated: June 2025
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