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Microsoft Defender for Business vs Symantec Endpoint Security Complete comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Defender boosts ROI by enhancing productivity, consolidating costs, and integrating services for better security and time efficiency.
Sentiment score
4.2
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete's ROI is rated highly by some, yet high costs make benefits assessment challenging for others.
It is pretty good because it offers various features such as Exchange, OfficeSuite, OneDrive, and SharePoint.
Using Microsoft Defender for Business results in cost reductions as it consolidates various features under one product, saving around 20% to 30% of the budget.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.7
Microsoft Defender for Business support is generally effective, though experiences vary in response times, expertise, and communication quality.
Sentiment score
5.5
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete receives mixed feedback, with praise for efficiency but concerns about response times and support consistency.
It is rated ten out of ten for its quality and assistance.
The onboarding support is exceptional, ensuring seamless integration and implementation.
There are challenges with the knowledge and experience of the support staff.
I don't know the current situation with Broadcom, however, it was good when I was involved.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Microsoft Defender for Business is a scalable, cloud-driven solution efficiently supporting diverse organizations and thousands of users, despite some configuration delays.
Sentiment score
7.1
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete displays strong scalability, though opinions vary on license challenges and support in different environments.
The cloud-based nature of the solution ensures high scalability.
The scalability of Microsoft Defender for Business is rated as ten, indicating it is very scalable.
In terms of scalability, I find Microsoft Defender for Business to be good and reliable.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Microsoft Defender for Business is highly stable, reliable, and rated highly for performance, with minimal minor bug issues reported.
Sentiment score
8.6
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete is reliable and stable, though new releases may introduce bugs, earning high user satisfaction.
No customer complaints about its functionality or reliability.
Threat detection capabilities could be improved.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Defender for Business has usability challenges, lacks integration, and needs improved detection, support, and configuration options.
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete requires enhancements in installation, interface, mobility, security features, support, scalability, pricing, and integration.
Features related to Advanced Persistent Threat detection vectors and cyber kill chain integrations are not available out-of-the-box.
Microsoft should provide batch management solutions with the application, integrating pass management with roles.
We face a licensing issue with Windows 11 Enterprise not reflecting in our portal, which affects activation.
They could improve the user interface.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Defender for Business offers competitive security solutions but can be costly for small organizations, with better pricing for nonprofits.
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete pricing varies, seen as cost-effective by some but expensive due to features and complex renewals.
I consider Microsoft Defender to be expensive, however, it offers considerable value for the features provided.
Single-year pricing remains good.
The full suite is quite pricey.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Defender for Business offers strong security, integration, and ease of use, ideal for small and medium-sized businesses.
Symantec Endpoint Security Complete delivers advanced protection and governance with features like threat hunting, sandboxing, and customizable performance.
The threat detection capabilities are robust, with a dedicated research team and a continuously updated threat feed.
The integration and collaboration between Microsoft Sentinel and Defender enable quick mitigation through connected identifications.
Microsoft Defender for Business works well with the Microsoft Azure Security ecosystem, including Defender for Endpoint and Office 365 Cloud.
I have both the antivirus and EDR features constantly, allowing my team's customers to conduct detailed analyses of where attacks have occurred or if any malicious files are present, which devices or files have been targeted.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Busi...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
28th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Microsoft Security Suite (15th)
Symantec Endpoint Security ...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
38th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Business is 1.9%, up from 1.2% 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

Vincent Gagnon - PeerSpot reviewer
Better security with comprehensive features but has a high cost
I have a lot of clients and I use Microsoft Defender for Business when we have certain types of licenses. It comes with Microsoft Business Premium. However, it is not available for many of my clients due to the high license cost, which makes it difficult to sell. I have a couple of clients who use…
Livin Sunil - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides comprehensive protection with a need for a more intuitive interface
Security Complete comes with antivirus plus EDR, which is a convergence of antivirus and EDR. I have both the antivirus and EDR features constantly, allowing my team's customers to conduct detailed analyses of where attacks have occurred or if any malicious files are present, which devices or files have been targeted. It provides a greater level of view, making it easy for my team to mitigate those particular attacks.
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839,422 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Retailer
7%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
20%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
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 package with Business Premium is good for what you get for the price. The standalone license's cost is a bit higher, and I would rate it as an eight out of ten for pricing.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Business?
It is not quick to make exclusions or specific configurations compared to other antiviruses on the market. It is less quick than Microsoft Defender or other antivirus solutions.
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?
They could improve the user interface. Currently, everything is pretty good, however, when it comes to the Maniac and Protection, there could be enhancements.
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Business vs. Symantec Endpoint Security Complete and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
839,422 professionals have used our research since 2012.