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Microsoft Defender XDR vs WatchGuard EPDR comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender XDR
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (5th), Microsoft Security Suite (2nd)
WatchGuard EPDR
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
40th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (46th)
 

Featured Reviews

Desray Liu - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 28, 2023
A time-saving and easy-to-integrate product that needs to offer a control center to users
As a part of Microsoft's attempt to reduce costs, there has been a direct cut down of the local technical support team. Sometimes, you have to use the technical support offered by Microsoft from other countries, but at times, we speak different languages, just like how people speak in Chinese or Mandarin, but there are still some differences between them. The front-line support from Microsoft has only limited technical abilities or access to their internal system. Sometimes, my company cannot even escalate an issue to Microsoft's senior team members. The support team of Microsoft is nice as they attempt to solve the problems together with you, but I believe that due to some cost-related issues, they don't have enough permissions. Sometimes, users might feel blocked when trying to connect with the support team. I rate the technical support a seven out of ten.
CarlosArdila - PeerSpot reviewer
May 14, 2024
Provides endpoint protection with patch management at reasonable pricing
The solution could improve when the solution keeps adding more new functions. Every three months, they launch something new on it. You should activate all features that you need to activate and work with the same client. You don't need to install a different client for something. For example, it's the same client if you have EPP and want to move into EPDR. You activate the license, and it turns into an EPDR. The solution could have improved availability. When I send a notification, it neutralizes immediately. However, this delay doesn't mean it fails to perform on time. Their notifications arrive a bit later.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It gives a lot of flexibility in terms of configuration and customization as per the business requirements."
"A crucial aspect for our team is the inclusion of identity and access management tools from the vendor."
"The incident threat response and its ability to facilitate effective remediation against threats are the standout features."
"The most valuable aspect is undoubtedly the exploration capability"
"The portal is quite user-friendly. There is integration with Office, Intune, and other products from the same portal. From there, we can see which policies are installed on a particular machine. We also can manage devices, groups, and tagging."
"I like that it's fully integrated with Windows, Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, and Outlook. It is better than other antivirus solutions because it's fully integrated with all Microsoft products. It's easy to integrate them and onboard all Windows devices from SCCM."
"The Endpoint Manager is incredible; it has a very straightforward interface and is exceedingly easy to use. Pulling out and deploying different tags or resources is a simple task across various departments with different levels of security. The notifications are also simple and satisfying; it's great to see the bubble informing us which devices are compliant and which are waiting to update."
"We can use Defender to block and monitor for security purposes without needing multiple other products to do different tasks."
"WatchGuard EPDR improves organization primarily by supporting the IT team rather than the end users directly. It helps IT teams accomplish more with fewer people. One of its standout features is the patch management solution, which allows companies without up-to-date services like WSUS to manage patches for Windows and Linux systems. Additionally, it provides the usual endpoint protection features such as virus and malware protection, application control, and website control."
"The reporting feature is valuable."
"The product's most valuable features are the zero-trust application service and its capability to detect threats and attacks."
 

Cons

"It would be highly beneficial if CoPilot could identify anomalies within the network and notify the IT team."
"The only issue I've had is, when it comes to deployment, the steps I must take around policy setup. That is challenging."
"There are a few technical issues with Defender XDR that can be improved. Sometimes, the endpoint devices are not reporting properly to the Defender 365 portal. When you're getting all the information from the Microsoft portal, the devices are sometimes not in sync. We have hundreds of endpoint devices, some needing to be onboarded again."
"One of the biggest downsides of Microsoft products, in general, is that the menus are often difficult to find, as they tend to move from place to place between versions."
"The initial time spent setting up and configuring Defender XDR is a bit longer than the other solutions. If everything were on one portal, the platforms for managing policies or alerts would be simpler. We must automate and manage policies on Intune rather than the same portal."
"At times, when we have an incident email and we click on the link for that incident, it opens a pop-up, but there is nothing. It has happened a couple of times."
"The solution could enhance the threat Intelligence feature by making it more relevant to specific industries. Much of the threat intelligence information isn't directly applicable to our environment. It would be beneficial if the threat intelligence were tailored to the industry, such as healthcare or fintech, where the solution is being used."
"Customers say they want absolutely seamless integration between other Microsoft solutions and Defender XDR, including the ability to change device settings within the Defender portal. They need to contact the IT team responsible for the device management tools to change some settings. They would prefer that those changes be initiated directly from the Defender portal or applied from Intune without involving the IT operations team."
"The product is available at a very high price, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The AV and scanning features could be a little bit better."
"WatchGuard EPDR does have areas for improvement. One significant gap is the lack of a virtual patching feature integrated into the endpoint security. This would be particularly useful for endpoints running operating systems that are no longer supported, such as Windows 7."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft Defender XDR is included in our license."
"Defender XDR is included in the E5 license, but it's a bit too expensive."
"I believe that the pricing of the licensing is fair."
"It is 15 dollars per server per month. It is worth it, but it can be costly. It depends on the company's size."
"Microsoft Defender XDR's licensing is complicated."
"Microsoft should provide lower-level licensing options. They should do it in such a way that even an individual could purchase a license, and it should be entirely flexible."
"365 Defender is billed per account. I don't know the exact price, but my supervisor told me that Microsoft Defender is cheaper than the alternatives. It's bundled, so you get all the features in one place."
"Microsoft Defender XDR is expensive."
"The price is excellent."
"The product is available at a high price."
"The solution's pricing is better compared to other products."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
17%
Computer Software Company
12%
Retailer
7%
Media Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft 365 Defender?
Microsoft Defender XDR provides strong identity protection with comprehensive insights into risky user behavior and potential indicators of compromise.
What needs improvement with Microsoft 365 Defender?
The solution could enhance the threat Intelligence feature by making it more relevant to specific industries. Much of the threat intelligence information isn't directly applicable to our environmen...
What do you like most about WatchGuard EPDR?
The product's most valuable features are the zero-trust application service and its capability to detect threats and attacks.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WatchGuard EPDR?
The solution's pricing is better compared to other products.
What needs improvement with WatchGuard EPDR?
WatchGuard EPDR does have areas for improvement. One significant gap is the lack of a virtual patching feature integrated into the endpoint security. This would be particularly useful for endpoints...
 

Also Known As

Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Threat Protection, MS 365 Defender
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Accenture, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, General Electric, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and many others.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender XDR vs. WatchGuard EPDR and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.