We compared Check Point Antivirus and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint based on users' reviews in six categories. We reviewed all of the data and you can find the conclusion below.
Features: Check Point Antivirus impressed users with its diverse set of valuable features like sandboxing, real-time detection, and integration with analytics solutions and the cloud. 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.
Room for Improvement: Check Point Antivirus requires quicker customer assistance, better performance of the graphical user interface, enhanced defense against zero-day attacks, and more budget-friendly pricing options. 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.
Ease of Deployment: Some users found Check Point’s setup process to be uncomplicated and fast, while others noted that it required several engineers and took around a week to finish. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's setup is straightforward, especially when it’s preloaded on Windows 10. While it can be more complex for larger organizations, it is generally considered simple, particularly for smaller companies or those familiar with Microsoft environments.
Pricing: The price of Check Point Antivirus may vary depending on partnerships and negotiations. Some users consider Check Point's pricing to be expensive but say it is cost-effective. However, it may not be affordable for small or medium-sized companies unless they have sufficient capital. 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.
ROI: Check Point Antivirus provides added features like a sandbox and VPN licenses, enhancing its value. Users have experienced improved protection and promising growth with Check Point Antivirus, delivering a better ROI than other security options.
Service and Support: User reviews have provided no information about the customer service of Check Point Antivirus so far. 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.
Comparison Results: Check Point Antivirus offers advanced features like sandboxing, real-time detection, and scalability. At the same time, some users say Check Point could be more affordable and improve its GUI performance. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides 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.
"The virus detection models orchestrate real-time monitoring of data with reliable reporting information."
"With Check Point, we can implement security measures to control access to the network and systems, which helps prevent unauthorized access."
"There is a lot of documentation to be able to use this security feature in the best way using the best practices indicated by the manufacturer."
"What I like best about Check Point Antivirus is that it's a strong tool for preventing malicious traffic and threats from entering the environment."
"It is a very reliable antivirus."
"The feature that we find most valuable is the easy way of configuring it via the SmartConsole on Check Point. The configuration is very straightforward and although it has some impact on the firewall CPU and memory, it doesn't impact the IPS, for example. It allows for the scanning of downloaded files from the internet. Scanning files that our users have downloaded to check if they have any virus is the most important thing."
"This solution helps make sure that we can patch and keep security going without having to talk to everyone for change management."
"They have a better endpoint catchment rate due to their reliability."
"The solution can scale as needed."
"It doesn't cause the slowness of the system, which is one of the reasons why I like it."
"I find the vulnerability management section of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to be very useful for organizations."
"Defender is stable. The performance is good."
"It's absolutely free to use."
"Defender works in the background monitoring the traffic for viruses."
"I like Defender's reporting and logging features. The email alerts are also helpful. It's hard sometimes to sift through the email, especially if you're an IT firm managing hundreds if not thousands of endpoints, but we find email reporting useful. For example, last Tuesday, we learned of new vulnerabilities that were discovered as a result of the previous patches. The endpoints without those patches triggered alerts in Defender."
"This is not an inventory solution, but it helps you take count of how many workstations you have, as well as what software is installed on each of them."
"When there are many devices, it is more costly since each device requires unique login credentials."
"I would like to see them implement a system that would enable us to do certain things from our mobile like applying policies, opening up and blocking ports, and restricting connection. It is because IT personnel are not always around on the premises. We can instantly do these things from our mobile. They should also consider the price so that many people will go for the solution."
"It may be interesting to improve this solution against zero-day attacks, as they happen very frequently and are clearly a severe threat."
"I think that the pricing for the Check Point products should be reconsidered, as we found it to be quite expensive to purchase and to maintain."
"I'm not very happy with the support, even in terms of the website. They don't offer much."
"The biggest thing would be the ability to update the SMO's and gateways through Gaia instead of always completing it through the command line."
"The pricing is really extremely high in comparison to the rest of the market."
"We would like to see the URL filtering functionality improved in this solution, so that we can exclude domains, rather than just single site URL's."
"I had some cases a while back and told an agent my issue. When I called the next day, I had to explain everything again to a different person, so I found it annoying to repeat myself all over."
"This solution is not secure, which is why I have moved to Linux."
"There are alternative solutions that offer a greater range of dashboard insights when compared to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint."
"Where we stand right now, compared to other products that are there in the market, they still have to work on their threat intelligence and the overall maturity of detecting the malware."
"It could be easier when it comes to managing exceptions."
"Reporting could be improved. I would like to see how many security incidents occurred in the last six months, how many devices were highly exposed to security risks, and how many devices were actually compromised."
"The integration and effectiveness of email security could be better. It's already built-in to the solution and checks emails, scans the links they contain etc."
"In the next release, I would like to see better management reporting."
More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Pricing and Cost Advice →
Check Point Antivirus is ranked 6th in Anti-Malware Tools with 49 reviews while Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is ranked 1st in Anti-Malware Tools with 182 reviews. Check Point Antivirus is rated 8.6, while Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Check Point Antivirus writes "Compatible, cost-effective, and highly customizable". On the other hand, 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". Check Point Antivirus is most compared with CrowdStrike Falcon, ESET Endpoint Protection Platform, VirusTotal and Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP), whereas Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is most compared with Symantec Endpoint Security, Intercept X Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity Complete, CrowdStrike Falcon and Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks. See our Check Point Antivirus vs. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint report.
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