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Symantec Endpoint Security vs ZoneAlarm 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

Symantec Endpoint Security
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
144
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (12th)
ZoneAlarm
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Anti-Malware Tools (20th)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Endpoint Security solutions, they serve different purposes. Symantec Endpoint Security is designed for Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) and holds a mindshare of 4.0%, down 4.9% compared to last year.
ZoneAlarm, on the other hand, focuses on Anti-Malware Tools, holds 2.2% mindshare, up 1.7% since last year.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
Anti-Malware Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Hakeem_Abdulkareem - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution has given us visibility into compliance within our whole system and helped us ensure everything is updated
Symantec's application security module needs some improvement. You need to create a lot of fingerprints for application security. For instance, let's say I have different brands of ATMs in my environment, like Wincor and NCR. I use GRG to deploy an application control to whitelist some applications. I have to get the exact image of the different models of ATMs. When I tested in the past, some machines would not connect to the server without that. Only the approved software on the ATM should run. Anything outside that should not even come up at all. We did this so that an outside person doesn't introduce malicious software to the ATM. That's the essence of locking down with application control. Using Symantec for application control has been hectic, so I use Carbon Black to do the lockdown. Checking that data security will work fine with Carbon Black. Carbon Black worked fine. Setting up approval in Carbon Black works differently than Symantec. In Symantec, we first need the fingerprints of the applications running underneath. Before setting up Carbon Black, you first install the agent, allowing it to learn the environment. It will analyze all the software's behavior and provide recommendations for what should be allowed. It's more straightforward, whereas configuring application control in Symantec is a bit cumbersome.
Nagendra Nekkala - PeerSpot reviewer
A highly stable solution that protects computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers
ZoneAlarm doesn't require much maintenance. You only need to update the application when there are any latest updates. ZoneAlarm is deployed on-cloud in our organization. With an increase in the bring your own device concept, ZoneAlarm should be part of every device to help us make the operational work very easy. Overall, I rate ZoneAlarm a nine 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

"The most valuable feature of Symantec Endpoint Security is the protection of our systems."
"The most valuable features of this solution are that it is really easy to use, and it is secure."
"Stability-wise, it is very good and we have had no trouble."
"We never expect downtime. There is also great ease of use for my admins."
"SEP, the entire suite of components, provides good endpoint protection."
"It is very easy to use and keeps us secure."
"I like the firewall and the intrusion prevention features, and just the basic anti-malware and anti-virus seems to be pretty effective as well."
"Endpoint Protection is the next generation. It covers antivirus, spamware, ransomware..."
"The solution maintains reasonable scalability."
"This antivirus is regularly updated, and the updates can be scheduled."
"It is easy to use through interfaces and easy to configure each of the customizations we created based on the characteristics that we wanted."
"It is quick and easy to configure."
"Personally, I find the Game Mode of the Firewall very useful."
"ZoneAlarm protects all computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers."
"It gives us security for the users' mobiles and ends up protecting us in a significant way."
"The phone access scan stands out as the most valuable feature for me."
 

Cons

"Symantec isn't good in terms of updating customers about updates. You'd normally have to search it out. Sometimes, the update process for the administration and management console can be a bit intimidating, and it can be quite inconvenient to get the updates. That's because when you have to do the update, you have to update the management console, and then you need to update the clients. Their application that's installed on desktops and servers needs to go hand in hand with the management console. Sometimes, it's a bit unwieldy to see that process through."
"I would like to see even more customization, the possibility to do whitelisting. It needs to be a little bit more liberal on whitelisting, even to use the name if needed, instead of hashes."
"The support needs to be better. When we upgrade, we can run into issues, and it's hard to get the help we require."
"The Symantec Endpoint Manager is very difficult to use and extremely old."
"Symantec's application security module needs some improvement. You need to create a lot of fingerprints for application security. For instance, let's say I have different brands of ATMs in my environment, like Wincor and NCR. I use GRG to deploy an application control to whitelist some applications. I have to get the exact image of the different models of ATMs. When I tested in the past, some machines would not connect to the server without that."
"It would be nice to see more antivirus features for USB control."
"They provide the updates of the client, and those clients need a reboot after the upgrade, which is something we don't like. We don't like to reboot the server after the upgrade because we have live applications. If we do a reboot, it can impact the business as well."
"They should work on making the virus definition file lighter."
"They need to update and improve the features available for Mac."
"Some of our users say that the interface is a little bit outdated for 2020, and want it to be more modern and cozy."
"The solution's efficiency in threat containment and overall protection needs improvement."
"Perhaps the primary area for potential enhancement is to make it faster, ensuring a more seamless experience while maintaining robust security features."
"The support is not always so effective."
"I would like it to be integrated with the Check Point centralization solution like Infinity Portal. It would be great to be able to manage it through the same website."
"Currently, the client is only available for the Windows Operating System but it would be good if it were released for Mac OS as well."
"We'd like better performance of the network equipment. There are high-speed environments where an immediate response is required."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I’d say SEP deserves the money."
"Symantec Endpoint Security's pricing is okay. It is cheaper compared to other products."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"The licensing is okay. Symantec has a very granular licensing model, so you only buy what you need."
"Zero-day threat or advanced attacks should be part of the endpoint. The product should not require you to buy a separate license."
"When it comes to pricing, Sophos is preferrable to Symantec."
"I rate the product's pricing a six out of ten."
"The problem is Symantec is more expensive than other vendors."
"The pricing is reasonable, with a yearly renewal license costing seventy dollars."
"We use the free version of the software, but it can be upgraded to the paid Extreme Security edition."
"This is a freeware product and I recommend using it."
"We have to pay a yearly licensing fee for ZoneAlarm, which is cheap."
"I rate the product pricing a seven out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
20%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Hospitality Company
6%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Cortex XDR or Symantec End-User Endpoint Security?
Aqua Security is easy to use and very manageable. Its main focus is on Kubernetes and Docker. Security is a very valuable feature and their speed of integration is very good. The initial setup was ...
Which offers better endpoint security - Symantec or Microsoft Defender?
We use Symantec because we do not use MS Enterprise products, but in my opinion, Microsoft Defender is a superior solution. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security s...
What do you like most about Symantec End-User Endpoint Security?
Symantec have everything – documentation, videos, data sheets.
What do you like most about ZoneAlarm?
ZoneAlarm protects all computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers.
What needs improvement with ZoneAlarm?
As for improvements, ZoneAlarm enhances Check Point’s solution by having a very efficient engine. The engine checks all components of the device, such as the memory process, to detect and stop thre...
 

Also Known As

Symantec EPP, Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP)
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Audio Visual Dynamics, Red Deer Advocate, Asia Pacific Telecom Co. Ltd., Kibbutz Ein Gedi, and AMETEK, Inc.
Terma, Optix, Samsung Research Amercia, SF Police Credit Union, Independence Care System, Mattias Thomsen, Carmel Partners, Desert Research Institute, CRIF, FXCM Inc, US State Agency
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne and others in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP). Updated: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.