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Check Point Harmony Endpoint vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Check Point Harmony Endpoint
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
6th
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
8th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
113
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Defender for Endp...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
1st
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
186
Ranking in other categories
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (2nd), Anti-Malware Tools (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Check Point Harmony Endpoint is 2.6%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is 11.7%, down from 16.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer4572384 - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 11, 2023
Excellent anti-ransomware protection, zero-day phishing protection, and web browsing filtering
We used to use other security solutions (Windows Defender and Kaspersky), however, we had security incidents that affected us (viruses and ransomware) and they were very difficult to identify or when we did identify them it was already a long time after the incident occurred and we did not know the cause and therefore affected the operability of our company considerably. Since we made the decision to move to Check Point Harmony we have had greater visibility of everything that happens on our devices and take a preventive approach rather than a reactive strategy, in addition to being more confident that we have Check Point protecting us.
Sudhen Swami - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 26, 2024
Easy to update with good protection and a useful cloud portal
We've mainly used it for endpoints. However, we've also used it for DLP as well. We're also in the process of implementing it for cloud and identity as well. However, it's very good for endpoints, and that's our main focus. The malware protection is good. The visibility it provides is very useful. We can combine visibility with wider security features and alerts around malware, misconfiguration, or any other kinds of threats. The cloud portal is quite good. From there, we are able to see alerts and have colleagues review issues and monitor to see if any patterns arise. It's serving us quite well overall. It allows us to look at other items, like application and browser control. It helps us prioritize threats. We have a process in place now where we can review issues and remediate them effectively. We have been able to integrate a variety of Microsoft security products together. We use Azure AD, for example, and we've begun to implement DLP, among other items. We're looking at labeling and tagging and will expand into that soon. Defender has more stringent system requirements than, for example, Check Point. So when we implemented the Check Point Endpoint agent, that solution didn't mind what version of Windows you were using. When we moved to Defender, Defender had certain system prerequisites that had to be met. So we had to make sure that we're on a minimum version of Windows when we're utilizing Office, and Office has to be a particular version as well. It has more stringent system requirements that have to be met before you can implement it. It works natively together with other Microsoft solutions. Once you get more and more of those different components across the environment, then you start to get better visibility. So, rather than having lots of different solutions, you have fewer solutions and a single vendor solution. That way, you start getting into a position where you get better visibility and integration as well. The standardization is good. It's important. It's helping me with monitoring and learning. Updates and upgrades are quite smooth and seamless. Defender helps us automate routine tasks. Quite a lot of Microsoft is straightforward for us now. Previously, we didn't have enough resources and were unable to look at the alerts. Having this in place makes things a lot more straightforward for us. We have both the technology and the people in place now, alongside the process. We do see the benefits in that, and that's why we're continuing our adoption across the estate in terms of client and server as well. It's helping us avoid looking at multiple dashboards and centralized monitoring. We're not fully there yet. We're getting there. While we haven't witnessed time saving yet, once it's fully deployed, it will. By then, we'll have standardized processes across a single solution. We have saved money, however, as we continue to reduce non-Mircosft systems. Since we won't be using various competing technologies, we can save on licensing costs. We've likely so far saved 15%. While it's hard to estimate exactly how much, the solution has helped us decrease time to detection and time to respond.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Before we used this solution, our mail was blacklisted. Now we are white listed by all organizations, including Google. Also the security of our institution has really improved."
"It's easy to scale as needed."
"We love that we don't have to upgrade it anymore. They take care of that."
"We were under an attack in our environment, and the Check Point response was good because we didn't lose anything."
"The license plans are also very nice and distributed - allowing for a separation between types of users with more basic or more advanced options."
"Information is easily managed and protected (which is particularly useful in lost or stolen endpoints)."
"The graphical interface is very easy to use and intuitive, which greatly facilitates the work and greatly facilitates the work and the location of threats on the users' computers."
"It prevents the most imminent threats to the endpoint such as ransomware, phishing or drive-by malware, while quickly minimizing breach impact with autonomous detection and response."
"One of the main features is the solution is very light on resources and we do not have any problems with it."
"Defender is a part of Windows; you just need to enable it. There is no need to install anything."
"The solution's latest features for threat analysis are updated to provide us with future protection against the latest threats worldwide."
"I enjoy using the live response feature, which allows me to remotely access different endpoints and investigate malicious files, such as malware that people may have downloaded, and other related issues."
"The performance of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has been good."
"The intelligence mechanisms are good."
"It does not make Windows slow, as compared to all of the third part antiviruses."
"Endpoint's most valuable feature is deep analysis."
 

Cons

"As I understand there will be a URL filtering feature included with the browser agent in the future. This will allow URL filtering without the need for a Gateway Device. This is something I am looking forward to and would be a great addition to list of features."
"We have observed some policies are not working as expected."
"The heartbeat interval must be improved."
"Off the top of my head, I can't think of a way it has improved my organization."
"There was a learning curve for our general population of employees (the user)."
"It blocks safe URLs sometimes when there are network interruptions."
"Some of the less tech-savvy users sometimes find it difficult in adjusting and learning how to use the platform."
"Check Point Harmony Endpoint's GUI is old. It needs to have a modern dashboard for logging activities. Compared to other products, the solution is slow in terms of deep scanning."
"A challenge is that it is not a multi-tenant solution. Microsoft's tenant is a licensed tenant. I'm an MSSP. So, I have multiple customers. In Microsoft's world, that means that I can't just buy an E5 license and give that out to all my customers. That won't work because all of the customer data resides within a single tenant in Microsoft's world. Other products—such as SentinelOne, Palo Alto Cortex, CrowdStrike, et cetera—are multi-tenant. So, I can have it at the top of the pyramid for my analyst to look into it and see all the customers, but each customer's data is separate. If the customer wants to look at what we see, they would only see their data, whereas in the Microsoft world, if I've got multiple customers connected to the same Microsoft tenant, they would see everybody else's data, which is a privacy problem in Europe. It is not possible to share the data, and it is a breach of privacy."
"It would be nice to have a paid upgrade that would provide additional screening of the day-to-day activities."
"A single dashboard would be a significant improvement."
"It should support non-Windows products better. Microsoft is now one of the leading vendors in the security area. So, they should be product-independent."
"If the solution could be integrated more with Defender for Cloud, to be more unified, that would help. It is good now, but even more integration could be done with Defender for Cloud. We see two different portals. If Defender for Endpoint could be ported to the CSPM, Defender for Cloud, that would make things even easier for us."
"The central console needs improvement. Both McAfee and Symantec antivirus have dashboards. These integrate with a server and work on my antivirus or some other product. However, with Microsoft Defender, you use Microsoft Group Policy Object. Defender does not provide a central console. Therefore, if you implement Defender, then maybe use another tool for the central view."
"If a threat actor comes in, and creates a global administrative account, they can gain access to everything and whitelist then block everything else. Having everything, including Defender, under one brand is like having all of your eggs in one basket."
"Phishing and Malware detection could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"In terms of licensing, have a buffer zone around your projects in terms of the amount of endpoints that you want to have. You can always have more, but it is best to leave room for a little increase or growth."
"I bought them for 12 months and I genuinely cannot remember what I paid for them. I think it's about 100 pounds per user per year, so about 10 pounds a month per person."
"Check Point Harmony Endpoint is an expensive solution. My company's clients pay INR 1,000 for each user of the product, while Check Point also provides an option to pay INR 2,300 for three years."
"The product is averagely priced. The product price is neither very high nor too low. The tool is not really expensive."
"One of the key factors that made us go with this solution was the pricing. On the licensing part, there was an initial complementary set of licenses offered in the initial onboarding package, either 15 or 20. Then, we had some complementary licenses in the initial purchase of the package. That was pretty useful."
"There are three different licensing models including basic, advanced, and complete, and it needs to be selected according to the endpoint."
"The cost is huge compared to other products that are available on market."
"The price of Check Point Harmony Endpoint is comparable to SonicWall. The price could be a bit lower."
"The license for Microsoft Windows covers Microsoft Defender for Endpoint."
"The licensing costs for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint are reasonable."
"Its price is fair. It has approximately the same price as the other products such as Kaspersky. It is much cheaper than Malwarebytes."
"The license cost is around $35 per machine, which is not expensive compared to other products."
"I recently switched from education to private business, and all I can say is that private business licensing from Microsoft is not cheap until you hit certain quantities or scale. That does not mean that it is not comparable to other industries. It is similar pricing, but it is still crazy to me how much you pay for a client. I feel it is high, but it is in line with other vendors."
"The price is higher than others because it is doing more than what the others are doing."
"There is an annual license required."
"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is more affordable compared to some other endpoint solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
26%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Check Point Harmony Endpoint?
It scans all the endpoints in your cloud and on-premises for vulnerabilities, threats, and malware attacks.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point Harmony Endpoint?
The pricing is okay. It is in the enterprise range. It is not middle range. It is not so costly, but it is an enterprise.
What needs improvement with Check Point Harmony Endpoint?
The only drawback is the integration process. For example, I want to integrate with my source platform. It took some time. That's the only concern regarding the integrations. Check Point Harmony En...
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 ...
 

Also Known As

Check Point Endpoint Security, Endpoint Security, Check Point SandBlast Agent
Microsoft Defender ATP, Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection, MS Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender Antivirus
 

Interactive Demo

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Boston Properties, Independence Care System, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), Courtagen Life Sciences, Carmel Partners
Petrofrac, Metro CSG, Christus Health
Find out what your peers are saying about Check Point Harmony Endpoint vs. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and other solutions. Updated: November 2024.
815,854 professionals have used our research since 2012.