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Microsoft BitLocker vs Symantec Endpoint Encryption comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 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

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)
Symantec Endpoint Encryption
Ranking in Endpoint Encryption
5th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
36
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Endpoint Encryption category, the mindshare of Microsoft BitLocker is 40.2%, up from 39.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Endpoint Encryption is 9.5%, down from 10.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Encryption
 

Featured Reviews

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.
Bharath Kumar Gajula - PeerSpot reviewer
Robust data protection with user-friendly deployment, competitive pricing, and comprehensive features like customizable alerts and effective detection capabilities but needs GUI improvements
The stability is relatively good. Occasionally, certain clients may experience disconnection from the management servers, requiring a manual process to rectify. Even in instances where the link is severed, restoring client connectivity can be challenging, sometimes necessitating the uninstallation and reinstallation of the software. Additionally, when clients go out of sync, we do not receive alerts, indicating an area for potential improvement. I would rate it seven out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Microsoft BitLocker's most valuable features are stability and simplicity in terms of usage."
"Being able to encrypt an entire hard disk has been most valuable."
"The most valuable feature is the authentication process which is very fast."
"The most valuable feature is the simplicity and integration with the Microsoft Clouds platform."
"Integration with System Center Configuration Manager (C: and D: logical drives are encrypted before installing Windows via SCCM)."
"The manageability of it is a valuable feature."
"We have not seen any bugs or glitches, so the stability is good."
"The product is stable."
"One notable aspect is the ability to customize alerts and other settings."
"It helps us put antivirus solutions in place and prevent malware from getting to our machines."
"I like the management aspect of this solution. You don't want to have end-users tweak or set it themselves, so the fact that you could do it from a central point helped us a lot."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of use."
"The solution is easy to use."
"The most valuable feature is that it works in the background so that the end-users are not aware of what is happening on the laptop."
"This product is a solid, all-in-one solution for enterprise data management."
"The initial setup was easy."
 

Cons

"The console GUI could be better."
"There is room for improvement in stability."
"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."
"The management of the product could be made a little easier."
"The integration between Active Directory and BitLocker could be better."
"At the end of it all, we are looking for something that can be easier to manage."
"The solution lacks the ability to allow its user to provide limited access to someone."
"More customization options would have been nice, such as password selection, actions when the screen is locked, etc."
"The UI could be improved."
"The program's disk encryption is not very friendly with Microsoft OS updates. We have a problem with updates failing unless we use a time-consuming work-around."
"Upgrades from one version to another may only sometimes be straightforward, especially if one needs a clearer understanding of the process."
"I think that they should improve the on-premises version to include the manageability and simplicity that is available on the cloud."
"I do not find the environment to be very user-friendly."
"There are some issues with the single sign-on with the active directory. We had a few problems related to the synchronization between the active directory and the login features of the Symantec products because the users made many password changes during the day. The time for synchronization with the solutions can be improved. I would like to see mobile encryption. There should be a possibility to include all the mobiles of a company in the console. Many customers are asking about encryptions for tablets or cell phones, but we don't have any product that we are comfortable with to recommend to our customers."
"I can only patch monthly. I don't know what the solution is there, besides being vulnerable for three weeks out of four. But there's got to be an option somehow."
"It's a bit difficult to get good support. Their response times are really bad."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product's cost is included in Windows."
"BitLocker is included in our license and doesn't cost us anything extra."
"It operates on a subscription model on an annual basis."
"We can activate the product at no cost."
"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."
"We didn't pay for additional licenses since the solution is built into Windows."
"For reasons unknown, Microsoft products seem to be getting more expensive."
"We hold an annual license, and their pricing is competitive, falling into the affordable range."
"Depending on how many modules you will use (up to five) the licensing will be more expensive."
"The cost of this solution is a little on the higher side."
"They have two solutions for encryption including Symantec Endpoint Encryption and PGP Endpoint Encryption. With one PGP license, you can deploy the two solutions. The PGP license gives you two options."
"Considering the fluctuation in exchange rates in our part of the world, we find it generally affordable."
"The license is not very expensive."
"It can be expensive. However, if you plan to scale or are at a large enterprise company, this product could be what you need."
"There is a license required for this solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What do you like most about Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
Antivirus, URL filtering, and firewall protection are the most effective features for data protection.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
I am not sure about the pricing and licensing cost of Symantec Endpoint Encryption.
What needs improvement with Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
I would like to see some features or functionality enhanced in Symantec Endpoint Encryption.
 

Also Known As

BitLocker, MS BitLocker
Symantec Drive Encryption
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ACV, Proaxis Therapy, Choice Hotels International, adnymics GmbH, Intermedia, NMBS/SNCB
Citrix Systems Inc., City of Lansing, Commercial & Industrial Property, France T_l_visions, Fujian Mobile Co. Ltd., Group Lotus plc, Hall Booth Smith & Slover, P.C. (HBSS), Portugal Telecom, PostFinance, Public Pension Agency
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft BitLocker vs. Symantec Endpoint Encryption and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.