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ESET Endpoint Encryption vs Microsoft BitLocker comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

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

ESET Endpoint Encryption
Ranking in Endpoint Encryption
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft BitLocker
Ranking in Endpoint Encryption
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.9
Number of Reviews
64
Ranking in other categories
Mobile Data Protection (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Endpoint Encryption category, the mindshare of ESET Endpoint Encryption is 18.8%, up from 11.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft BitLocker is 41.2%, up from 39.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Encryption
 

Featured Reviews

Lucky  Lushaba - PeerSpot reviewer
Has an user-friendly UI which even a non-technical person can use
The product should be more responsive regarding feedback if it detects something in our infrastructure. I believe there's a backend that their engineers use to detect viruses in our system. We would appreciate it if they could promptly provide feedback and give us recommendations on how to better protect our infrastructure beyond their system. Additionally, we hope for improved integration with the other systems we currently use. It would be beneficial if they could collaborate to create something that facilitates integration between these systems.
Douglas Curry - PeerSpot reviewer
Users can easily deploy and manage it
The solution's most valuable feature is that it is simple to deploy and manage. I can't say what features of the tool I like since it is very much a deploy-and-forget product. We don't use any advanced features of the tool in my company. The tool's recovery options are good, especially since it integrates with Active Directory, making everything a simple process. The product's integration capabilities are good.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The Remote Administrator is the most valuable feature that ESET offers for us. Centralized management of our ESET environment is what I like about the Remote Administrator."
"The tool does not slow down the computer."
"It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The most valuable feature is that everything is done on the server."
"The most valuable feature of ESET Endpoint Encryption is the high level of encryption protection."
"This solution can be centrally managed."
"The setup is getting easier."
"The solution's UI is user-friendly. Even a non-technical person can use it."
"The platform provides good performance."
"It is free and native to the OS. We don't have to worry about upgrades or maintaining the product. You encrypt the disk, and you save the recovery key. That's it. The person puts their password in, and after that, it is up to them. If they forget their password, they have to bring it in to get it unlocked."
"It is easy to implement and has AD integration."
"The most valuable feature is the TPM (Trusted Platform Module), which makes the PC security stronger because somebody who is not from the team cannot access the PC without the decryption PIN."
"The manageability of it is a valuable feature."
"I like the fact that you can get a BitLocker encryption key out of OneDrive."
"I liked the way it works with our Microsoft tools. As we roll out Intune, we can validate if the device has been encrypted, and if not, we can push it down. It is pretty simple to deploy."
"It is easy to use and administer."
 

Cons

"Integration with central management needs improvement."
"The initial setup could be made easier."
"ESET Endpoint Encryption needs to improve pricing and security."
"I would like to see better compatibility with mobile devices."
"There should be more frequent updates."
"I would like more robust reporting as part of the Remote Administrator."
"The overall compatibility of the device is an area where the solution lacks."
"There could be an option for users to restart the system without a password."
"I often have to make multiple attempts to log in."
"The implementation of BitLocker is not simple. There are many prerequisites and hours of study and testing."
"The pricing should be improved."
"The primary aspect for improvement lies in expanding our developer base, which would accelerate the development process and bring these enhancements to fruition"
"If integration with Active Directory are not mandatory for him, I think that there are many other solutions in the market that equal or are much stronger than Microsoft."
"The solution’s user interface could be improved."
"There is room for improvement in stability."
"The visualization could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We paid for an annual subscription, and it was reasonable."
"The pricing is mid-ranged and could be more cost-effective."
"The National University System dedicates 500 of their 5000 licenses to us, which is $14/yr per device. Most companies are paying $99 or $120 per device a year."
"There are some inexpensive products compared to ESET Endpoint Encryption, but they lack the essential features."
"Licensing costs are on a yearly basis."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is the lowest and ten is the highest, I rate its pricing a two."
"ESET Endpoint Encryption is moderately priced."
"Instead of installing ESET on each machine at each location, we just do it remotely. This has been a time saver for us."
"BitLocker is included in our license and doesn't cost us anything extra."
"Microsoft BitLocker is a free feature when you are using Microsoft solutions."
"I think it's reasonably priced because I've never heard any complaints from my company about its costs."
"The tool is cheap compared to the products offered by competitors. If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price as one."
"The solution is cost efficient."
"The solution is priced low. I would rate the product's pricing one out of ten."
"It is free. It is enabled as part of the operating system. Once you have an operating system license, you're licensed for Bitlocker."
"We can activate the product at no cost."
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Answers from the Community

TK
Jan 11, 2022
Jan 11, 2022
Are you in a regulated industry? If so using the native BitLocker is not enough to prove compliance. You will need to use something like BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) which is part of MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack) or another tool that will manage Bitlocker and give you proof the device is encrypted in the event of a lost or stolen device. You also need to enforc...
See 2 answers
MB
Jan 11, 2022
I guess the solution depends upon a couple of things for us and how we currently approach this for our clients.   We have both in place around a variety of small clients. As 99% of our systems have Windows Pro, they have BitLocker, therefore this would now be the first choice.   However, if the client requires centralised management and control we would then advise ESET.  And that is the core to this for us, if they need central management, control, recovery - ESET every time.   If it is just encryption and there is no need to control/recover and a simple reformat would work (and loss of history/data is not an issue), then BitLocker is ok.
James OConnor - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 11, 2022
Are you in a regulated industry?  If so using the native BitLocker is not enough to prove compliance.  You will need to use something like BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) which is part of MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack) or another tool that will manage Bitlocker and give you proof the device is encrypted in the event of a lost or stolen device.  You also need to enforce secure password management, user training on passwords and regular password changes. If you have Microsoft 365 Business premium you have additional controls over Bitlocker; or, M365 E3/E5, Windows Enterprise E3/E5 all have MDOP... Other Bitlocker management can be found with SOPHOS and I believe TrendMicro as well. Another tool to consider, especially for laptops, is ABSOLUTE software.  It is built into the BIOS of the major laptop brands and just needs the key to activate it... Also, ESET is a quality product for encryption.  It gives you additional options for less than some of the Microsoft alternatives.   BitLocker is just not FREE if you are in a regulated industry since it needs management to truly be secure the device and prove compliance. I hope some of this helps.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Government
8%
Retailer
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with ESET Endpoint Encryption?
The product should be more responsive regarding feedback if it detects something in our infrastructure. I believe there's a backend that their engineers use to detect viruses in our system. We woul...
What should one take into account when replacing PGP with Microsoft BitLocker?
Beware to make backup of useful data, then use reverse decryption policy from Symantec panel/McAfee ePO to decrypt the DE partitions while it is sometimes more straightforward and faster to reinsta...
Would you choose Microsoft BitLocker or McAfee Complete Data Protection?
Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive encryption and successfully fulfills regulatory needs in terms of data protection....
How does Microsoft BitLocker compare with Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive encryption and it successfully fulfills regulatory needs in terms of data protecti...
 

Also Known As

No data available
BitLocker, MS BitLocker
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

CCS Media Limited, Mercury Engineering, Unigarant, Pinewood Healthcare
ACV, Proaxis Therapy, Choice Hotels International, adnymics GmbH, Intermedia, NMBS/SNCB
Find out what your peers are saying about ESET Endpoint Encryption vs. Microsoft BitLocker and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.