Program Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
An excellent well-integrated solution that's stable and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "Defender is integrated into the operating system. It's integrated with everything. You don't have to spend time analyzing what you have to do to be sure that the integration is okay between the security tool and all the other apps. This, from my point of view, is the main advantage."
  • "The solution needs to improve its ransomware. It's not so good. It could also use some general performance optimization for the computers the solution operates on, to ensure it does not slow down the devices."

What is our primary use case?

I primarily use it for myself and my businesses as a protection solution.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the protection given via the antivirus.

What needs improvement?

The solution needs to improve its ransomware. It's not so good. It could also use some general performance optimization for the computers the solution operates on, to ensure it does not slow down the devices.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for five years.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
768,857 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is easily scalable. I'm always trying to increase the usage to maximize the capabilities of the product offering. As soon as new capabilities appear I will expand usage to include them. In terms of physical expansion to other devices, I already have the solution on all of my devices.

How are customer service and support?

I've never needed to contact technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I did previously use a different solution, but it was more convenient to work with Defender. I wanted to use the same provider. I'm using the Microsoft operating system and Microsoft applications. It seemed to be a logical step. 

Defender is integrated into the operating system. It's integrated with everything. You don't have to spend time analyzing what you have to do to be sure that the integration is okay between the security tool and all the other apps. This, from my point of view, is the main advantage.

How was the initial setup?

Initially, a few years ago, the setup was not so easy. Now, with Windows 10, it's automatic. It's already within the system, so now we don't have to worry. Initially, before Windows 10, we had to install it. It was not so complicated, but a bit more complicated than now where you don't have to do anything at all. Originally, the deployment took about 10-15 minutes. You only need one person for deployment and maintenance. With the 2000 version, maintenance is almost nonexistent. You just follow up and approve the updates. It's a fraction of the time.

What about the implementation team?

I implemented the solution myself.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

You have a standard licensing fee. As far as I know, there are no other costs above and beyond this.

What other advice do I have?

We are using the public cloud deployment model of the solution.

I would recommend the solution. I would rate it ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Security Analyst at Ingenium Group
Real User
Has good detection rates, is low on system resources, doesn't interfere or hamper workflows, and it's easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "Ensures that I'm working with a product that gets updated regularly without me having to remember to do it. Since it's a Microsoft product, I'm confident that it requires a low use of system resources. The benefit of that being that my computer isn't constantly being drained."
  • "It would be nice to have a paid upgrade that would provide additional screening of the day-to-day activities."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case centers around blocking viruses on my personal laptop.

How has it helped my organization?

I'm working as a private contractor. In this regard, you can say this tool ensures I'm working with a product that gets updated regularly without me having to remember to do it. Since it's a Microsoft product, I'm confident that it requires a low use of system resources. The benefit of that being that my computer isn't constantly being drained.

What is most valuable?

One of the most valuable features of this product is the ability to "set it and forget it." I don't go in and make any changes to the settings. Another value add is the size of the user base, which is fairly large because it's a free MS product. I would imagine that it would be quite competitive since a blacklisting solution such as this is only as good as the threat intelligence it receives. I'm pretty sure that if the tool discovers something foreign and malicious it will upload that information back to Microsoft. The value of the tool is inherent within the size of the user base, which is fairly large because it's a free product by a trusted company.

What needs improvement?

I'm sure the premium product has extra features, like listing questionable websites. Defender is just an antivirus product. It would be nice to have a paid upgrade that would provide additional screening of the day-to-day activities.

For how long have I used the solution?

Three to five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?


I haven't had any noticeable issues with it. It's quite stable.

How was the initial setup?

It's very easy to set up. With admin rights, it really is very straightforward. All you need to do is install the tool and then download the definitions. 

Deployment was just basically downloading from Microsoft. It was very straightforward.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I'm currently evaluating the performance of Defender against third-party antivirus software products to see if I should continue with third-party products or just use Windows Defender.

What other advice do I have?

My additional advice would be to create a test user group, deploy the software to those test users and then monitor those users as part of a log management operations center and run comparisons over several months. Comparing those users, against other users perhaps using a third-party product, like Symantec, would allow for calculation of performance and progress metrics. Based on that, a decision can be made as to whether to deploy the software across the organization or not.

I'd give this tool a rating of 8 out of 10. It's got good detection rates, low on system resources, doesn't interfere or hamper workflows, and it's easy to use.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
768,857 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Administrator at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Free antivirus solution with basic protection but has limited features
Pros and Cons
  • "It's effective against most types of infection, and the firewall is perfect for protection."
  • "The solution could be more friendly for end-users, with different type of scans or scheduled scans for it."

What is our primary use case?

My primary use case is as an end-user solution. It helps protect the computer against viruses and malware. It has a firewall option and offers basic protection for an end-user and a home user. If you are a home user, it's a very good solution for you.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is that it is easy to use; the solution is already there when you load Windows. It's effective against most types of infection, and the firewall is perfect for protection.

What needs improvement?

One area where the product could be improved is that I don't think it can be used all by itself, if you are working with a business. If you are using the laptop as a business, you need to add an extra protection with this solution.

The solution could be more friendly for end-users, with different type of scans or scheduled scans for it. The antivirus database update could be a cloud protection instead of waiting for the database to be updated every now and then.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution since it launched, around 2014.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and working fine for me. I haven't faced any problem with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't had a crash or problem with Microsoft Defender, so I haven't needed to contact the support.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is a Windows feature, so it's already there when I launch the operating system.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is free with Windows.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. As it's a free solution, it doesn't have a lot of features like paid versions. If you are a home user or don't have a paid version of any other antivirus, Defender will be fine for you.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Manager at a pharma/biotech company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Good support and it comes included with the operating system
Pros and Cons
  • "The biggest benefit to Windows Defender is that it is built-in to the operating system by Microsoft."
  • "I would like to see improvements made to how it secures activities on web pages."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Windows Defender is used to protect against malware.

What is most valuable?

The biggest benefit to Windows Defender is that it is built-in to the operating system by Microsoft.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see improvements made to how it secures activities on web pages.

Web security in general should be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Windows Defender for three years.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support from Microsoft is good.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user964356 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Help Desk at Elsewedy Electric Algerie
Real User
Useful real-time protection features and excellent updates
Pros and Cons
  • "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."
  • "The system can always be simplified and have a better integration check. More detailed reports would be good. When it does the integrated check, it just shows if the system is okay but I want to know what happened."

What is most valuable?

I find the layer protection and real-time protection very useful because when I launch a program, I always have a notification and an alarm. Sometimes I am on a program on Windows Defender and sometimes on Kaspersky and it shows up on whatever I am using. 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.

What needs improvement?

This solution is not perfect. Sometimes it detects something and it's not a threat. The good news is that you can restore something and analyze it better and you can restore the file and copy it or disable the defender and run it again.

The system can always be simplified and have a better integration check. More detailed reports would be good. When it does the integrated check, it just shows if the system is okay but I want to know what happened.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for three to four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable but sometimes when you do a security update when it starts, you see the hinge process in Task Manager. It also sometimes corrupts the PC. You need to either start it or recalibrate. If the installation happened without it starting, like patching without starting, it's better.

With Windows Defender, it will want to do these updates so that when you install an update it has to be done with a Windows update and then you can start. If you can manage it easily in a natural phase like updating security, ejecting and installing, it's better. Like checking a box.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I'm not sure about scalability. I think if you have an enterprise license and more features in an enterprise package it will be good. We have about 200 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't personally used technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy. It's easy to install and maintain.

What other advice do I have?

The majority of the updates are really good. 

I would rate this solution eight out of 10.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
QA Test Lead at a insurance company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Stable with good safeguarding against threats; additional security would be helpful
Pros and Cons
  • "Offers good protection."
  • "Additional security would be beneficial."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution mainly for safeguarding online use of laptops. 

What is most valuable?

For the end user it's good to know that everything is safe and well protected. 

What needs improvement?

I think the solution needs to be more on par with other antivirus products in the market. It should be able to deal with any threats so additional security would be helpful. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for nearly three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I've been using this solution for three years and haven't had any problems. 

How was the initial setup?

Installation came together with the operating system and I was able to implement on my laptop.  

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There are no licensing costs connected to this solution. 

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution and rate it a seven out of 10. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user1305759 - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Easy to use with great anti-malware features and quite stable
Pros and Cons
  • "It's absolutely free to use."
  • "The anti-ransomware features need to be improved upon."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use it due to the fact that it comes with the Windows 10 bundle and is free. We use it for security purposes. It scans for viruses and malware for us.

What is most valuable?

The solution was highly ranked in the Gartner Report.

It's absolutely free to use.

The anti-malware features are great.

It doesn't use up a lot of resources on my laptop, so it's not slowing anything down.

The product is very easy to use.

What needs improvement?

The anti-ransomware features need to be improved upon.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about a year. I switched over when I updated my computer to Windows 10.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. So far I haven't had any issues on my laptop. It uses very little resources. It doesn't crash or freeze. There aren't bugs or glitches that I have noticed.  It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I'm currently only using it on my laptop. I'm not sure if the solution can scale per se.

I will continue to use the solution, regardless of its scalability potential.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never had a reason to reach out to technical support, as the solution runs very well. As I've never contacted them, I can't speak to the quality of their service at this time.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I did previously try to use the free version of Avast. It's not really user friendly like Defender and it used to use a lot of my laptop's resources. I switched to Defender as it was also free and came with my Windows 10.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not complex. It's very straightforward. When you download Windows 10 it comes pre-loaded and ready to go. It's a default now. Previously, it was a little more difficult.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is free. Once a user downloads Windows 10, they automatically get the product.

What other advice do I have?

I'd recommend the solution. Why not, after all? It's already there within Windows 10 and is part of a user's Microsoft bundle. 

Overall, I'd rate the product eight out of ten. If it had more ransomware protection, I'd rate it higher. As it is, the solution offers great malware features, is ranked pretty highly in Gartner and is easy to implement and use. Plus, it doesn't drain a lot of your machine's resources, which is a bonus.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Head - IT Operations & Enterprise Systems Support at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Few false positives and comes bundled with the operating system, but it needs a comprehensive dashboard
Pros and Cons
  • "The fact that it's from Microsoft, you don't have many false positives, unlike products from other vendors might have."
  • "I would like to have a dashboard that shows an overview of the results for the enterprise."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use is for protection against malware.

What is most valuable?

What I like best is that it is part of the operating system, as opposed to a third-party application.

The fact that it's from Microsoft, you don't have many false positives, unlike products from other vendors might have.

Updates occur frequently throughout the day.

What needs improvement?

I would like to have a dashboard that shows an overview of the results for the enterprise.

For how long have I used the solution?

We just began using Windows Defender in the company.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have premium support, which is part of our enterprise agreement with Microsoft.

How was the initial setup?

The deployment takes place with the operating system, so it was not complex.

What about the implementation team?

We used a Microsoft consultant to assist with our implementation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This product is included in the pricing for Windows.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.