Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs VirusTotal comparison

Microsoft Defender for Endp...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

VirusTotal and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint are complementary cybersecurity products. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has an edge in overall security performance due to its comprehensive endpoint protection capabilities.

Features: VirusTotal offers quick threat identification with a wide range of antivirus engines and URL scanners. It allows competitive landscape analysis against different antivirus solutions. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, however, includes advanced threat protection features such as automatic malware scanning, centralized management, and integration with Microsoft cloud services.

Room for Improvement: VirusTotal could improve by adding more support options and expanding its service integrations. It lacks deep support features for businesses seeking holistic security operations. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can enhance user education and support for wider platform compatibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Defender benefits from seamless integration into Microsoft environments, simplifying deployment and offering extensive support resources. VirusTotal, as a web-based tool, has a straightforward deployment process but doesn’t offer in-depth support options. Microsoft Defender suits businesses seeking integrated support.

Pricing and ROI: VirusTotal is cost-effective with no setup fees and is ideal for smaller operations needing basic threat detection. Microsoft Defender requires a higher initial investment but provides significant ROI through extensive endpoint protection features and reduced vulnerability risks, justifying its higher cost for businesses looking for comprehensive security solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. VirusTotal Report (Updated: September 2025).

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. VirusTotal

September 2025

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Helped 873,085 peers since 2012

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 for Endp...

Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

198

Ranking in other categories

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (2nd), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (4th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (3rd), Microsoft Security Suite (4th)

VirusTotal

Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP) (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Anti-Malware Tools category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is 12.2%, down from 18.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VirusTotal is 4.1%, down from 5.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Anti-Malware Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint	12.2%
VirusTotal	4.1%
Other	83.7%

Anti-Malware Tools

Featured Reviews

NaySan @ Suraj Verma

Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies

Has effectively blocked sophisticated attacks and malicious activities while providing excellent support

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is very good, but one suggestion is that in some products, we may need to configure security-related settings, whereas Microsoft Defender for Endpoint works completely differently, providing automatic recommendations and actions that we may need to perform ourselves. Regarding the pricing of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, during the last three years, we set up the product and sold it, but we faced difficulties because Microsoft pricing is always the same. For example, whether I purchase Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for one year or for the next three years, the pricing remains constant with no discounts available. In contrast, competing products offer reduced pricing for long-term commitments, which makes it difficult for us in that environment. Microsoft should consider this option to remain competitive, but otherwise, everything else is fine.

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Chinmay Banerjee

Advisor Adtech/Martech/API product/project Engineering at Fiserv

Helps businesses collect threat data while keeping privacy in mind and apable of detecting, blocking, and removing viruses and malware

There are two gray areas I still need to explore. I have worked with VirusTotal because it easily integrates with over seventy antivirus scanners and blacklisting services. In addition to those there is much scope to improve and add other services or integrations. The areas for improvement are that VirusTotal is not using much AI or generative AI models, while other competitors are starting to build them. For example, VirusTotal's work is based on the setup done by their engineers. If you want to do scanning or protection activities for a specific site, app, or device, that is the area VirusTotal is currently focused on. But other competitors are building AI models that can do things like left-side scanning and provide auto-generated reports. VirusTotal has predefined reports, but there is a lot of manual effort involved. Secondly, the API is very limited if I want to integrate VirusTotal with other applications. They need to build more connectors and provide support for Webhook connectors for the API. If you can't build your own connector, it's always good to have provisions for Webhook setup connectors across platforms. Thirdly, Kaspersky, a competitor of VirusTotal, is using a methodology called "gatekeeper." A gatekeeper is a security system that protects the inside of a building from outside threats. This is the model Kaspersky is currently using. You have your website set up, but the entire army of VirusTotal or Kaspersky is standing guard, protecting you from the first gate itself. Right now, VirusTotal detects threats from your domain, but it is always better to verify inside the domain and protect it from the first level when people or malware are entering. This first level of protection is lacking in VirusTotal right now. The security bridge and protection gate are missing.

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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

"Automatic scanning and cleaning of viruses is the best and most valuable feature helping this tool to thrive. If any viruses are found, they are cleaned automatically."

"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has been secure and there is zero maintenance required because it updates with Microsoft Windows."

"The solution integrates very well with Windows applications and Microsoft endpoint products."

"You have endpoint security to keep your devices safe. That's the feature that we're interested in."

"We like that it has a free version available."

"One of the features which differentiates it from other EDR providers is the Automated Investigation and Response, which reduces the workload of SOC analysts or engineers. They don't have to manually investigate each and every alert on the endpoint, since it does so automatically. And you can automate the investigation part."

"The protection that it provides is quite good."

"We use Microsoft Defender for the antivirus."

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pros

"With VirusTotal, I can check for any hash, malware, file, domain, IP URL, or malicious URL, and Kaspersky stays clean."

"The feature I like the most is the ability to see the MD5 or SHA-256 signature of the file, and also the composition of the file according to its segments."

"It is quite simple for anyone if they just want to check some suspicious URLs."

"VirusTotal provides 95% to 98% accurate information."

"The most valuable feature is the worldwide malware information database."

"I have never had any problems with stability or bugs while using VirusTotal."

"It provides detailed insights into possible malicious behavior, dropped files, and TCP connections."

"VirusTotal provides 95% to 98% accurate information."

More VirusTotal pros

Cons

"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is not as robust, and you cannot customize it much, so that's a challenge."

"Lowering the price would be an improvement."

"Microsoft Defender could be improved with features more like the McAfee ePO. It would be better if I had a console to get all the information for my endpoints. Maybe this is too much for it, but it would be better if it could handle those non-signature-based malicious codes or viruses."

"The second major area for improvement involves enhanced capabilities for different operating systems or platforms. That is, even though we have coverage for different operating systems or platforms such as Linux, we don't get all of the controls and enhanced capabilities that are available with Windows devices."

"It makes your Surface devices hot. It is resource-intensive. It strains your CPU, not more than other file scanners around, but it also does a lot more. When you are transmitting files or data, it is continuously scanning the traffic and analyzing it bit by bit to see what's going on, and that, of course, is costly in terms of CPU. It is CPU intensive, and if you are on battery, it drains your battery fast. That's the only drawback that it has."

"Right now, the solution provides some recommendations on the dashboard but we don't have any priorities. It's a mix of all the vulnerabilities and all the security recommendations. I would like to see some priority or categorization of high, medium, and low so that we can fix the high ones first."

"The solution could always be more secure."

"There's a lot of manual effort involved to configure what we need."

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint cons

"I would like to see improved correlation with other threat intelligence sources, not just reliant on its own database, to enhance the database of threat intelligence that VirusTotal offers."

"The platform could improve in the areas of endpoints and networks."

"VirusTotal needs better advertisement and promotion, especially in the Middle East, since it is not yet widely recognized or popular in that region."

"They can improve the telemetry. Whenever we handle a sample, they cannot provide any information about a victim."

"There is room for improvement, particularly in making some of the most useful features more accessible in the non-paid version."

"VirusTotal is hard to understand because you need to know Google Docs to create queries, and it doesn't have documentation for that."

"I would like to see an improved user interface and some automation."

More VirusTotal cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint comes with Windows 10, and it's free. But for you to be able to manage it in the cloud and use the console, you need to have either an Office 365 E5 subscription or a Microsoft M365 subscription. You need to buy an extra license."

"The solution is an open source version and was free with a paid version of Windows 10."

"You just pay Windows 10 prices, then you have antivirus software. As a price comparison, Defender's costs are very low."

"The solution is free and comes with Windows."

"The solutions price could be cheaper."

"It is built into Windows 10. If our clients are using Microsoft Defender, the cost goes away for them."

"We mostly use Microsoft products. We use Office 365, and we use Azure. We're also a Microsoft partner. So, the licensing was much cheaper for us, and at the same time, a lot of the features that we were looking for were included in Defender."

"The nice thing about Defender and Sentinel is that the cost is based on the data logs that you ingest from the Defender endpoints and data connectors. I don't have to buy a 25- or 50- or 1,000-user or enterprise license. I can buy one license at a time."

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing and cost advice

"VirusTotal is an expensive solution."

"The pricing is very economical."

"We are using VirusTotal with free licenses, managing the license limits across three or four accounts, thus incurring no costs."

"The pricing is reasonable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

18%

Financial Services Firm

Government

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	79
Midsize Enterprise	34
Large Enterprise	87

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

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, applies behavioral-based endpoint protection and response, and includes risk-ba...

Which offers better endpoint security - Symantec or Microsoft Defender?

We use Symantec because we do not use MS Enterprise products, but in my opinion, Microsoft Defender is a superior solution. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security s...

How does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint compare with Crowdstrike Falcon?

The CrowdStrike solution delivers a lot of information about incidents. It has a very light sensor that will never push your machine hardware to "test", you don't have the usual "scan now" feature ...

What do you like most about VirusTotal?

With VirusTotal, I can check for any hash, malware, file, domain, IP URL, or malicious URL, and Kaspersky stays clean.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VirusTotal?

I do not know about the pricing or licensing as our organization services VirusTotal for our clients.

What needs improvement with VirusTotal?

I would like to see improvements in the score consistency and accuracy. VirusTotal should add more details like those from competitors such as URL Void or Symantec URL Checker, which show the categ...

HP Wolf Security vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Comparisons

Compared 6% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Compared 5% of the time

F-Secure Total vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Compared 4% of the time

Symantec Endpoint Security vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Compared 4% of the time

Trellix Endpoint Security Platform vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Competitors

MetaDefender vs VirusTotal

Compared 14% of the time

ANY.RUN vs VirusTotal

Compared 9% of the time

Recorded Future vs VirusTotal

Compared 9% of the time

Cuckoo Sandbox vs VirusTotal

Compared 8% of the time

ReversingLabs vs VirusTotal

Compared 5% of the time

More VirusTotal Competitors

Product Reports

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

October 2025

Download Microsoft Defender for Endpoint product report

Download VirusTotal product report

Anti-Malware Tools

January 2025

Also Known As

Microsoft Defender ATP, Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection, MS Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender Antivirus

No data available

Interactive Demo

Microsoft

Demo not available

Overview

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a comprehensive security solution that provides advanced threat protection for organizations. It offers real-time protection against various types of cyber threats, including malware, viruses, ransomware, and phishing attacks.

With its powerful machine-learning capabilities, it can detect and block sophisticated attacks before they can cause any harm. The solution also includes endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities, allowing organizations to quickly investigate and respond to security incidents. It provides detailed insights into the attack timeline, enabling security teams to understand the scope and impact of an incident.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint also offers proactive threat hunting, allowing organizations to proactively search for and identify potential threats within their network. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft security solutions, such as Microsoft Defender XDR, to provide a unified and holistic security approach. With its centralized management console, organizations can easily deploy, configure, and monitor the security solution across their entire network.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a robust and scalable security solution that helps organizations protect their endpoints and data from evolving cyber threats.

Microsoft

VirusTotal provides a comprehensive digital security platform by leveraging a vast malware database. It integrates numerous antivirus scanners for robust malware and virus detection, offering valuable insights for threat intelligence and security analysis.

VirusTotal is widely used for malware analysis and cybersecurity investigations, relying on its extensive capabilities in file and IP analysis. It integrates seamlessly with various antivirus engines, ensuring detailed threat intelligence. The platform excels at performing automated reputation checks, gleaning insights from a robust community, and delivering comprehensive information on suspicious activities. With an API system, it facilitates deeper analysis and integration into existing security workflows.

What are the standout features of VirusTotal?

Vast Malware Database: A comprehensive repository for malware intelligence.
Integration with Antivirus Scanners: Collaborates with multiple scanners for enhanced detection.
File and IP Analysis: Detailed insights into files and IP addresses.
Automated Reputation Checks: Efficiently verifies file and domain safety.
Community Insights: Gathers valuable data from an active community.

What benefits and ROI should be considered?

Threat Intelligence: Informs strategic security decisions with detailed malware data.
Enhanced Detection: Supports comprehensive threat identification and response.
Contextual Analysis: Provides extensive details for thorough investigation of threats.

In sectors like retail, FinTech, and GRC, VirusTotal is integrated into cybersecurity workflows to enhance incident response capabilities. It is invaluable for analyzing phishing websites, inspecting URLs, identifying compromised information, and generating alerts for specific threats. APIs enable deeper examination of suspicious activity, supporting comprehensive cybersecurity operations.

Sample Customers

Petrofrac, Metro CSG, Christus Health

Information Not Available