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ESET Endpoint Protection Platform vs Microsoft BitLocker comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 Protection Pl...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
100
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (11th), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (6th), Anti-Malware Tools (4th)
Microsoft BitLocker
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Encryption (1st), Mobile Data Protection (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Endpoint Security solutions, they serve different purposes. ESET Endpoint Protection Platform is designed for Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) and holds a mindshare of 3.0%, down 3.5% compared to last year.
Microsoft BitLocker, on the other hand, focuses on Endpoint Encryption, holds 40.9% mindshare, up 39.9% since last year.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
Endpoint Encryption
 

Featured Reviews

ManojNair2 - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to set up with good security and rapidly improving capabilities
In terms of stability, the performance parameters do come into play. It's good on the regular office front, however, on the development side, if somebody is using it in a development environment, they need to make some configuration changes in terms of what directories should be excluded from the real-time scanning. I had to do that kind of stuff. I don't do that with the Microsoft product, for example. It runs, and it scans the entire system with no issues. The solution is stable. Regular updates were available in the product versions. They were updated, and they gave regular signature updates also so that the product checked all the boxes.
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 most valuable features of ESET Endpoint Antivirus are the search engine, easy firewall setup, and ransomware scans."
"They do a program where you can renew for three years. It's very reasonable, as far as the cost per year, because you can renew for three years. They will also do multiple computers, so I actually protect all my family computers, as well as my work computers, all under one license. This means I only have to deal with re-upping my license once every three years. That's the big thing for me."
"The pricing, if compared to other products, is cheap."
"This solution blocks the brand new malware threats."
"The pricing is good."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is easy to use and maintain while also being fully encrypted."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the ease of use."
"The software and hardware inventory that you can create by using the console is valuable. It is also very light on hardware resources."
"The platform provides good performance."
"It is easy to use and administer."
"The tool has improved the starting up of our notebooks and end-user devices."
"We use Microsoft BitLocker for our endpoints, including laptops."
"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."
"The product is stable."
"It holds significant value as it reduces the need for extensive IT management to handle security across networks and environments"
"It's a straightforward solution for encryption."
 

Cons

"The integration capabilities might be lacking a bit."
"After we did the initial setup of ESET Endpoint Security, we had to inform users about popups. This solution comes with an in-built software firewall and there can be some popups coming. We must tell the user not to keep, allow, or block anything. That is the main issue on the user side we have faced. The user's experience may not be as good."
"The product could have better integration with third-party products that would help extend functionality."
"ESET Endpoint Security lacks some advanced functionalities and features which would be useful to be interconnected with the solutions we use, such as Microsoft 365."
"The solution could be more user-friendly."
"The console or GUI of ESET Endpoint Antivirus should improve. Additionally, they should provide an addon feature for HyperV and VMware."
"They can improve ransomware protection, and there should be cloud sandboxing for Mac."
"It seems to have some issues with updates. When you do updates, it sometimes requests for a reboot, and even when you do the reboot, it still says that you need to reboot. Currently, on my computer, it says that a new ESET Endpoint Antivirus has been installed, and I need to restart the computer for the changes to take effect, but I've already done that, and the same message is still there, which is a little annoying. It should have a feature similar to the Intercept X feature in Sophos."
"The customizations could be more flexible."
"It is not good for cross-compatibility, so our Mac users are not able to use it."
"The integration between Active Directory and BitLocker could be better."
"It would be good if Microsoft offered improved recovery options or if it could automate the recovery options a bit."
"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 management of the product could be made a little easier."
"The migration itself is a nightmare."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is very good compared to other solutions."
"It's a cost-effective product"
"I rate the product’s pricing a three out of ten. It is neither cheap nor expensive for our clients."
"The price of ESET Endpoint Antivirus could be lower. From a customer's perspective, it is expensive."
"It is subjective. I don't think it is expensive. If you can have 10 user licenses for less than $100, I don't think it is expensive."
"The price of ESET Endpoint Security is in the middle range of price compared to other solutions. For example, BitDefender can be more expensive."
"The price of the solution is reasonable compared to competitors."
"The pricing is pretty good."
"We can activate the product at no cost."
"This solution is included with Microsoft Server and my clients did not have to pay for anything extra."
"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."
"Microsoft BitLocker is a free feature when you are using Microsoft solutions."
"The solution is cost efficient."
"Microsoft BitLocker's pricing is fair; I rate it a four out of ten."
"The product's cost is included in Windows."
"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."
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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
11%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
6%
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 do you like most about ESET Endpoint Security?
ESET Endpoint Security’s most valuable feature is the management console.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ESET Endpoint Security?
I rate the product’s pricing a three out of ten. It is neither cheap nor expensive for our clients. We use the free version, and there are no additional costs involved.
What needs improvement with ESET Endpoint Security?
The product’s AI implementation feature could be better for learning user behavior. There could be a feature to detect unsecured devices in the network similar to its older version. We need additio...
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

Smart Security, ESET PROTECT Advanced, ESET LiveGuard Advanced, ESET PROTECT Platform
BitLocker, MS BitLocker
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ERSTE Group Bank, Miller Solutions, Wesleyan University, The Hospital Center of Luxembourg, Deer Valley USD, SPAR, Industrial Federal Credit Union, Honda, City Hall of Palmela, Hays CISD, Lester B Pearson School Board
ACV, Proaxis Therapy, Choice Hotels International, adnymics GmbH, Intermedia, NMBS/SNCB
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne and others in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP). Updated: March 2025.
842,466 professionals have used our research since 2012.