We compared Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and ZoneAlarm based on users' reviews in six categories. We reviewed all of the data and you can find the conclusion below.
Features: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint excels in file protection, encryption, and ransomware defense. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft security products. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface and scalability. ZoneAlarm users said the solution is user-friendly and offers comprehensive protection against various threats, including advanced firewall capabilities.
Room for Improvement: Users say Microsoft Defender for Endpoint should improve its central console and auto-recovery feature. Users also requested better reporting capabilities and integration with third-party platforms. ZoneAlarm users would like to see clearer documentation and improved integration with Check Point’s centralization solution.
Service and Support: Microsoft customer service garnered mixed feedback. Some praised the fast response times and expertise of the support engineers, while others were dissatisfied with slow replies and a lack of coordination among the support teams. Some users said that ZoneAlarm's customer assistance could be improved.
Ease of Deployment: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's setup is straightforward. While it can be more complex for larger organizations, it is generally considered simple, particularly for smaller companies or those familiar with Microsoft environments. ZoneAlarm had a simple and fast setup.
Pricing: Reviewers say Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is fairly priced, noting that it is typically included for free with Windows or Microsoft Office 365 subscriptions. However, some users believe that Microsoft's pricing could be more affordable, and others noted that their licensing models can be complex. ZoneAlarm's pricing is considered competitive.
ROI: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint delivers cost savings, enhanced efficiency, and heightened threat management. ZoneAlarm offers a positive ROI through security improvements.
Comparison Results: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offers sophisticated protection against ransomware, easy deployment, and smooth integration with Microsoft solutions. However, Microsoft’s customer support has received middling reviews, and users would like better compatibility with third-party solutions. ZoneAlarm provides comprehensive security measures, easy deployment, and advanced threat technologies. However, it needs better documentation and support.
"I like the real-time protection features. Windows Defender will detect if there's a threat like a Trojan or something like that but Kaspersky lets it run normally."
"We can run the virus scan across our entire environment."
"Defender works in the background monitoring the traffic for viruses."
"The attack surface reduction rules are the most valuable. We're able to have unattended remediation actions when the solution works side by side with a local antivirus like Microsoft Defender or Kaspersky. The attack surface reduction rules help us to proactively block and stop threats."
"Easy to understand and easy to set up endpoint security solution. It's a multifeatured product with web content filtering and automated investigation features. It also has a fantastic vulnerability management dashboard."
"We can react to threats faster and stop them from spreading from one machine to another. It protects from suspicious email attachment downloads. It will lock down the SOC and the workstations."
"The comprehensiveness of Microsoft threat-protection products is great... Today, Microsoft Sentinel by itself is a leading Gartner SIEM tool. It has advantages over competitors because of the ability to integrate with Microsoft solutions and automate continuous monitoring of Microsoft AD and Office 365 data."
"What I like most is the protection against phishing emails and anti-spam."
"The phone access scan stands out as the most valuable feature for me."
"The solution really focused on giving more security than an antivirus."
"ZoneAlarm protects all computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers."
"Personally, I find the Game Mode of the Firewall very useful."
"It gives us security for the users' mobiles and ends up protecting us in a significant way."
"The solution maintains reasonable scalability."
"It is quick and easy to configure."
"It is easy to use through interfaces and easy to configure each of the customizations we created based on the characteristics that we wanted."
"If the solution could be integrated more with Defender for Cloud, to be more unified, that would help. It is good now, but even more integration could be done with Defender for Cloud. We see two different portals. If Defender for Endpoint could be ported to the CSPM, Defender for Cloud, that would make things even easier for us."
"We would like to see more tools for managing on-premises security... Sometimes, we have the tools, like Defender, to manage security in the cloud, but because we are so focused on the cloud, we forget the fact that we need to be sure about the security of the on-premises environment, specifically Active Directory."
"In terms of improvement, they update the platform it seems quite a bit. Every month something is in a new spot or something changed somewhere. There should be less of that."
"I would like to see integrations with other products, such as Spunk and other CM solutions. That would create possibilities for me, and for a SOC, to consolidate all events in an older console, not one provided by Microsoft but provided by a third party, and use it to create more insights."
"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is not as robust, and you cannot customize it much, so that's a challenge."
"It should support non-Windows products better. Microsoft is now one of the leading vendors in the security area. So, they should be product-independent."
"The interface could be improved."
"There's a lot of manual effort involved to configure what we need."
"Some of our users say that the interface is a little bit outdated for 2020, and want it to be more modern and cozy."
"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."
"They should release a single update with all the necessary characteristics to avoid being in a cycle of consecutive updates."
"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."
"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."
"They need to update and improve the features available for Mac."
More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Pricing and Cost Advice →
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is ranked 1st in Anti-Malware Tools with 182 reviews while ZoneAlarm is ranked 15th in Anti-Malware Tools with 11 reviews. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is rated 8.0, while ZoneAlarm is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint writes "Eliminates the need to look at multiple dashboards by automatically providing one XDR dashboard to show the security score of each subscription". On the other hand, the top reviewer of ZoneAlarm writes "A highly stable solution that protects computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers". Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is most compared with Symantec Endpoint Security, Intercept X Endpoint, CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne Singularity Complete and Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks, whereas ZoneAlarm is most compared with Check Point Harmony Endpoint, Malwarebytes, F-Secure Total, Bitdefender GravityZone EDR and Symantec Endpoint Security. See our Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. ZoneAlarm report.
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