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Microsoft Defender for Business vs Symantec Endpoint Security Complete comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 29, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Busi...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
38th
Average Rating
7.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
Microsoft Security Suite (18th)
Symantec Endpoint Security ...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
34th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Business is 1.9%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Endpoint Security Complete is 0.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

Tim_Howard - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides good protection against viruses but support needs improvement
The product's initial setup phase wasn't too bad. The product's installation phase wasn't terrible, but it could have been good to club the things in the process, especially for the ones who are doing it for the first time, and it would be good if Microsoft offered users, someone, to talk to who knows the product. You will be gambling if you use Google for the tool because who knows if it really knows what Microsoft Defender for Business is all about. On a scale of one to ten, if ten is the easiest, I rate the setup phase as an eight out of ten. The setup phase was straightforward. As the tool was needed in a small shop, the solution's deployment was done in a couple of days. The solution was deployed in my company with the help of a small team of ten people. I had my head of IT help me in rolling it out in our company.
Nikhilesh Verma - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers in-application policies and device blocking and easy to deploy
There are some limitations from the cloud security point of view. Symantec is not a cloud-based security, which means if any endpoints move to different locations, they cannot connect directly. It has to reconnect via VPN through the organization. So remote client control, I don't think Broadcom has developed that as of now, compared to Trend Micro.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is scalable."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its central console."
"The security features are valuable because they come with more capabilities that other licenses do not have, including the enterprise license like E3."
"The solution includes attack-savvy service and risk protection, part of data center management, and offers an effective single-dashboard view with Microsoft 365."
"Microsoft Defender for Business stands out due to its ease of use, particularly due to the fact that many of my customers already use Microsoft and Azure."
"Microsoft Defender for Business is good for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers solid security flexibility and integration with tools like Microsoft Lighthouse and some other software. It takes some of the features of Defender for Endpoint EDR and provides those services for small and medium-sized business environments."
"The solution is effective, continuously improving, and highly regarded, especially with Microsoft's leadership in the industry."
"If you're an Intune user, you can bring in certain capabilities like system-hardening policies, which further enhances the security."
"Setting up Symantec is straightforward. Our DevOps team handled the installation, so I wasn't involved, but it wasn't that complicated. They are competent people with certifications in anti-virus management. They didn't need any training or help from the vendor."
"One of the most valuable features includes elements such as host libraries."
"The feature I like the most is the Adaptive Protection... And it does not negatively affect users' activities because we can adapt it and allow binaries that are executed regularly, while forbidding those that are not executed within the company."
"The solution prevents any damage from viruses and provides risk mitigation for virus threats."
"Endpoint security platform that provides protection for Active Directory environments, file servers, etc., and offers excellent technical support."
"The solution's most important feature is its reliability. It is not heavy on the workstation."
"In reference to zero-day attacks, we immediately get signatures from the Symantec site. That is good."
"One feature I found most valuable in Symantec Endpoint Security Complete is the firewall feature on the endpoint. The firewall feature helps users handle virus outbreaks."
 

Cons

"The user interface has a lot of features which can make it complex and hard to adapt to for some users."
"Talking with the tool's technician about any problem is very complicated."
"Defender's reporting is rather scattered, and its URL filtering mechanism doesn't really work."
"The user interface has a lot of features which can make it complex and hard to adapt to for some users."
"Additionally, the pricing policy poses a challenge, particularly in multi-year contracts, where other solutions like Trend Micro offer more affordable options."
"Microsoft should provide batch management solutions with the application, integrating pass management with roles."
"We faced some issues while running some applications on Mac."
"Defender's threat protection should be fine-tuned to reduce false positives. It could be more targeted, reflecting a continuous evolution in detecting. Also, it could be easier to integrate into other environments."
"Symantec could have better support for iOS and Android mobile devices."
"An area for improvement in Symantec Endpoint Security Complete is that it needs to be developed more because competitors have started providing EDR and XDR functionalities, but in the product, those are still missing. Another area for improvement in Symantec Endpoint Security Complete is that it needs to be lightweight. Currently, the product is very heavy when compared to other vendors. It takes up too much space on the hard drive and the memory."
"Symantec Endpoint Security Complete could improve by integrating more easily with other Symantec security products."
"Symantec Endpoint Security Complete does not cover everything on the cloud. It does not cover the workstation emails. There are risks associated with it."
"The deployment of Symantec components could be improved."
"The solution should include automatic updates."
"The product’s scalability must be improved."
"There are some limitations from the cloud security point of view."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Defender for Business is included by default with an Office 365 premium subscription."
"Since we're a nonprofit, we get pretty good discounts on the tool."
"The tool's cost has been a little high, but I do not think it was terrible."
"The tool is cheap, while some other solutions are more expensive. I remember the tool cost about five euros for a workstation or for a user on a monthly basis."
"It has to get more competitive because we are starting to see some of the competitors providing better pricing, and some of it, of course, is to gain market share. The Defender product pricing is probably a little higher than the competitors."
"It's cost-effective and well-suited for smaller to midrange companies."
"The pricing is good. It's good value for the money."
"The product's pricing is dependent on partnership levels. The solution's price is competitive compared to other solutions."
"In terms of costs, Symantec Endpoint Security Complete has become costlier compared to how much it was in the past. The cost of the product is very high now. The customer needs to pay extra for additional features, but not for technical support. For example, if you need an email gateway or if you are looking for URL filtering, you have to pay extra, and that's where the costs for Symantec Endpoint Security Complete become higher."
"License renewal is not a straightforward process. I have a three-year subscription. It takes a long time to renew the license after three years. It is not proactive on that. The solution is expensive for the coverage that it does. I have to include other products to complement the protection that Symantec Endpoint Security Complete does not cover. We have to pay 18 euros. There are no additional support or maintenance costs."
"Symantec Endpoint Security Complete is not expensive."
"I'm recommending going with three-year licensing, rather than the yearly licensing option for this product."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Government
6%
Retailer
6%
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Defender for Business?
A few things are valuable. One is the alerting we see when any kind of intrusion is happening, any kind of malware is being deployed across the endpoints, or any kind of suspicious activity is goin...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Business?
The pricing of Microsoft Defender for Business is competitive compared to its peers, though some competitors offer more favorable terms on multi-year contracts. However, single-year pricing remains...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Business?
Microsoft should provide batch management solutions with the application, integrating pass management with roles. Right now, Intune has limitations. Additionally, the pricing policy poses a challen...
What do you like most about Symantec Endpoint Security Complete?
The solution prevents any damage from viruses and provides risk mitigation for virus threats.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Endpoint Security Complete?
Symantec Endpoint Security Full/Complete license is not expensive and advise using the full feature.
What needs improvement with Symantec Endpoint Security Complete?
Instead of the updates, the tool needs to come up with a concept similar to zero trust.
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Business vs. Symantec Endpoint Security Complete and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,052 professionals have used our research since 2012.