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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
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft BitLocker
Ranking in Endpoint Encryption
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
Mobile Data Protection (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Endpoint Encryption category, the mindshare of ESET Endpoint Encryption is 19.9%, up from 12.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft BitLocker is 40.2%, up from 39.9% 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

"ESET Endpoint Encryption works as an antivirus system."
"It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The tool does not slow down the computer."
"I have used it in the past because it works quite well for encryption."
"The usability is the most valuable feature."
"The most valuable feature of ESET Endpoint Encryption is the high level of encryption protection."
"The setup is getting easier."
"The initial setup is easy."
"It maintains security on my computer. Since I travel a lot, it gives me confidence that if, for some reason, my computer is lost, my data won't be compromised."
"It comes bundled with other Microsoft solutions."
"As a Microsoft shop, we find this product easy to use."
"One significant aspect is that without the BitLocker key, you can't log in to the user's laptop. I appreciate the capability to encrypt the user's hard drive, ensuring access only with the recovery key. In an enterprise setup, we store all BitLocker keys on our server. So, whenever a user attempts to log in, the architecture authenticates with the key. This ensures that our data is secure. Even if the user's laptop is lost, we have confidence that the data remains inaccessible. So far, our user data is well-protected."
"We use Microsoft BitLocker for our endpoints, including laptops."
"Being able to encrypt an entire hard disk has been most valuable."
"Microsoft BitLocker's most valuable features are stability and simplicity in terms of usage."
"The most valuable feature is the simplicity and integration with the Microsoft Clouds platform."
 

Cons

"The solution should have better synchronization with active directory users and passwords for use in the 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 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."
"The initial setup could be made easier."
"The overall compatibility of the device is an area where the solution lacks."
"If you have issues with your network, you can't get updates, which is a problem."
"There should be more frequent updates."
"Sometimes the server console is very slow, so the performance could be improved."
"There could be an option for users to restart the system without a password."
"Microsoft BitLocker needs to be an all-inclusive solution. For example, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) cryptoprocessor is required to use Bitlocker with your computer which keeps Bitlocker from adoption beyond Windows."
"In future releases, I would like to see a feature where I can have a view of each device that has BitLocker to see if these machines are encrypted or not. So, I just want a view or a dashboard that can tell us so that I can remediate and add BitLocker to those systems or devices."
"For improvement, as it is now, I do not have any support from anyone. There should be a web interface to manage BitLocker. But for now, all I do is just install a new product on the user's machine and create it. I would like to be able to see everything that is happening, even if it is just through a web interface. I would also like to be able to see how many users are provisioned, which users are using BitLocker, and how to disable or enable it. That's what I would like to see."
"They should offer better login capabilities that are more secure."
"If the encryption was faster then it would make the experience more pleasant."
"My experience with the billing system at Microsoft was very frustrating."
"At the end of it all, we are looking for something that can be easier to manage."
"Technical support has not been very good."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We paid for an annual subscription, and it was reasonable."
"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."
"Instead of installing ESET on each machine at each location, we just do it remotely. This has been a time saver for us."
"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."
"It is neither very expensive, nor cheap. Overall it is affordable and there is a long term arrangement between our company and the solution providers for license."
"The pricing is mid-ranged and could be more cost-effective."
"There are some inexpensive products compared to ESET Endpoint Encryption, but they lack the essential features."
"This solution is included with Microsoft Server and my clients did not have to pay for anything extra."
"We can activate the product at no cost."
"I think it's reasonably priced because I've never heard any complaints from my company about its costs."
"Microsoft BitLocker is a free feature when you are using Microsoft solutions."
"It's not about pricing, because we are working with Enterprise companies that already have Windows Enterprise, so BitLocker comes already included as a Windows feature. It's free for Enterprise users. The price is only for deployment. The customer will pay for McAfee, however."
"The solution is cost efficient."
"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."
"It operates on a subscription model on an annual basis."
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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
16%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Government
8%
Retailer
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
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?
My problem is that there's a technical glitch and they don't have a fix for it. It's not working with the latest version of Windows, which is a problem. My hands are kind of tied.
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
 

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: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.