Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint comparison

Barracuda Networks and Microsoft are both solutions in the Anti-Malware Tools category. Additionally, 100% of Barracuda Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Barracuda Email Threat Scan...

Read 3 Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] reviews

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Defender for Endp...

Read 210 Microsoft Defender for Endpoint reviews

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7,628 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Barracuda Email Threat Scan...

Microsoft Defender for Endp...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 19, 2026

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] are complementary products catering to distinct security domains, with Defender excelling in endpoint security and Barracuda in email threat detection. Features: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides robust integration with Microsoft products, advanced threat intelligence, and automated investigation responses. Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] is effective at identifying hidden email threats, analyzing potential email risks, and offering detailed threat evaluations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint benefits from seamless deployment in Microsoft environments and broad support structures. Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] offers straightforward deployment in email security contexts with focused customer guidance.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offers cost-efficient solutions, particularly advantageous for enterprises using multiple Microsoft services, delivering high ROI through its extensive capabilities. Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] involves investment in specific services but provides substantial value with precise email threat detection, ideal for targeted security objectives.

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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

Barracuda Email Threat Scan...

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Defender for Endp...

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

210

Ranking in other categories

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (2nd), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (3rd), Anti-Malware Tools (1st), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (3rd), Microsoft Security Suite (3rd)

Featured Reviews

Juan Mata

Manager, Information Technology at Friendly House

A highly scalable and easy-to-learn product that blocks phishing and spam emails

The product must improve the features associated with creating a blacklist. Currently, to add a content block, I have to go to a different screen. It seems cumbersome. The solution sells Impersonation as a separate product. I don’t see why it cannot be in the same product like other vendors have.

Read full review

Robert Arbuckle

Security Analyst III at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Automatically isolates threats and integrates with logging to reduce response time

Overall, I would evaluate the Microsoft support level that I receive at probably about a seven, but that depends on the day. It has been spotty. We have had issues where the urgency level of the Microsoft support is not as high as ours, especially during a data breach or potential data breach situation. We have had issues with some of the offshore support being lackluster. One specific thing that comes to mind is we were on a support call with our CISO on the call, and the Microsoft agent, who did not actually work for Microsoft, is one of the vendors that Microsoft uses for support, said, "Just to set expectations, my lunch break is in an hour and I am going to go away then." For us, it was already ten o'clock at night and we had been working on this for a couple of hours, trying to get a security engineer on with us. For him to tell us that he was going to go away and have lunch, it was, "Okay, but go find somebody else if you need to." It was just the lackluster approach, and it seemed like he did not really care. We seem to get a lot of this when we get non-Microsoft support. I can identify areas for improvement with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, as it is kind of a convoluted mess to try to take care of false positives. Especially when they have been identified as false positives but they keep going off over and over again. It is great for my pocketbook because it generates a lot of on-call action, but I would really prefer more sleep at two o'clock in the morning than dealing with false positives. I would say that the unified portal for managing Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is suitable for both teams as they are all in there. It would be great if they would stop moving things around and renaming things, which makes sense. The new XDR portal is pretty nice. Being able to have it central again inside of the regular Security Center without having to open up two windows is helpful. Overall, I think it is pretty good. There is always going to be something that could be improved, such as alerting and the ability to modify alerts would be a little bit helpful to have. Being able to add more data into the alerts and turn off alerts that are not as useful would be beneficial. It is hard to say what the quantitative impact the security exposure management feature has had on our company's security, because a lot of it is kind of subjective. I think we are sitting at around a fifty percent score still, and a lot of it is just kind of unusual circumstances that we cannot really implement without breaking the organization.

Read full review

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 Barracuda Email Threat Scanner is the security it provides by delaying the delivery of suspicious emails until they can be reviewed inside the Barracuda control panel."

"The main benefit that I am getting from this solution is that it filters almost 95% of my spam mail. Some spam mails bypass Barracuda Email Threat Scanner, but when I add those domains or addresses to the filter list, they get blocked. Some users on my premises do not understand which mail attachments or links should be opened. By filtering with Barracuda Email Threat Scanner, we are not getting any type of phishing mails. So, our infrastructure is safer, and as an IT person, I feel relaxed."

"It was easy to learn the product."

"It is quite stable. We have not had any cases, i.e., viruses, that would require a reboot, etc. We have never had a situation where we needed to reinstall the tools as a result of the Defender application or a feature being corrupt."

"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."

"One of the best features of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is called Threat and Vulnerability Management, TVM, which provides real-time visibility of vulnerabilities and misconfiguration at our endpoint level and helps prioritize and remediate based on risk information."

"The solution can scale as needed."

"Real-time detection and cloud-based delivery of detections are highly efficient."

"The integration with all variations of Microsoft Defender, for Endpoint, 365, and Cloud is valuable."

"The attack surface reduction capabilities stand out as the feature I appreciate most, particularly the manner in which they can be customized to organizational functions, such as having separate policy elements and provisions for finance versus IT versus standard end users."

"It integrates very well with all Windows workstations or other Microsoft Endpoint products. It also works quite well. So far, I have not had any issue that hasn't been sorted out. It doesn't use too many resources, so you don't have to install different things."

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pros

Cons

"The product must improve the features associated with creating a blacklist."

"We had an incident last month where the PCs of one or two colleagues, who were outside of our factory and were using a defined network, got infected by some kind of malware. From their PCs, more than 1,000 mails were produced per hour, causing spamming on our mail server. Barracuda blocked the full mail communication. Only one to two accounts were compromised, and for that, Barracuda blocked all incoming and outgoing mails. It created a great problem for other users and our office activities. Our server was blocked for three days, which we did not expect. Technically, only one or two accounts should be blocked. When a domain or IP is blocked, communication becomes tough. It may be a configuration issue at our provider's end, where there was a mistake in configuring Barracuda. It could also be a problem related to Barracuda."

"If the price were lower, perhaps we could purchase our own."

"There are likely some technical improvements or features that could be added, however, I cannot say, off the top of my head, what they would be."

"The detection of viruses could be a little bit better."

"The GUI is very complex and could be more user friendly."

"Something that is unique to Microsoft is its licensing model. When you go out and you buy McAfee or Symantec, you know what you're getting out of the box, but with Microsoft, often, when you're looking to achieve a certain set of capabilities, those capabilities are spread across different products. You might try to do something you could do with CrowdStrike, but then find out that you also need to purchase Microsoft Defender for Identity or Microsoft Defender for Azure. You realize that when they talk about what they can offer within the Microsoft platform, it's really the suite of investments. So, sometimes, you may find yourself buying Defender for Endpoint thinking that it matches CrowdStrike, but then you find that Microsoft really needs to sell you something else. One plus one will equal three, but when you have a very concise platform, such as CrowdStrike, you know what you're going to get."

"It's not easy to create special allowances for certain groups of users. It can be a little heavy-handed in some areas where Microsoft has decided to lock a feature out, meaning they make it hard to make an exception... One company we work with needed to use about 20 different thumb drives for about 20 users. To make that exception for them was very difficult. In fact, you can't really make an exception. But what you can do is allow them to use it and, while it will still alert, you can actually suppress those alerts."

"I would like to be able to set up any kind of protection I want in the firewall, any IP address or any number."

"Our team's knowledge of the solution needs to be improved, and Microsoft could do a better job conveying the necessary information to users. We could proactively use the tool more and explore capabilities we are not yet utilizing."

"Initially, I experienced performance issues that hampered our servers. However, after setting appropriate exclusions, everything seemed to work fine."

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is a bit expensive."

"Barracuda Email Threat Scanner is provided by our IT service provider, who also provides all the support. The licensing fee that we pay to our provider is $200 per month, that is, $1 per user. There is no additional cost. Before taking the subscription from our provider, I researched the market for Barracuda. The cost is between $5,000 to $8,000 for three years. After that, the same cost is there for renewal. If you have 200 to 500 users, it is better to take a subscription from a provider. If you have more than 500 users, then you can own the Barracuda server through the cloud or on-premises deployments. It is costly for a lesser number of users. If you increase the usage or the number of users, then the overall cost decreases. They can reduce the cost of Barracuda Email Threat Scanner for a small number of users. We could not and would not have used this solution if we had not got the renting or subscription option."

"You don't need to worry about the renewal and purchase of antivirus products. It is bundled with Windows 10, so you don't need to worry about separately purchasing any antiviruses."

"The cost is competitive and reasonable because most of the expense is log analytics, storage, and data consumption and ingestion. These things can be throttled and controlled, so they are highly flexible. Defender has a lot of advantages over competing products."

"The cost is high for E5 licenses, but if we go with the E3 license, most of the features are not covered."

"When customers haven't deployed the solution and don't have licenses, it can be expensive to start from scratch."

"It is so expensive. It isn't cheaper than McAfee or other solutions."

"I pay for it through the Windows Professional or Standard license. It is a one-time cost for me, and I use the same license."

"The price was a problem for me three years ago, but they improved their E3, E5, and a la carte licensing. In other words, you have to get all of E5. That used to be a problem because you had E3, Defender, and guardrails, but you needed an E5 license to get the management suite and the analytics. It's more flexible now. You can switch from a la carte to the entire suite when it starts to make sense. It's becoming more economically competitive to go that route."

"The cost is high, compared to other products in the market, if you look at it as a separate product. If you look at the cost where it is part of a bundle, the cost is okay."

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Performing Arts

11%

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	80
Midsize Enterprise	40
Large Enterprise	92

Questions from the Community

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How is Cortex XDR compared with Microsoft Defender?

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security solution. The tool reduces the attack surface, applies behavioral-based endpoint protection and response, and includes risk-ba...

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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...

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How does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint compare with Crowdstrike Falcon?

The CrowdStrike solution delivers a lot of information about incidents. It has a very light sensor that will never push your machine hardware to "test", you don't have the usual "scan now" feature ...

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Comparisons

Huntress Managed EDR vs Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL]

Compared 18% of the time

TitanHQ SpamTitan vs Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL]

Compared 16% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL]

Compared 15% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL]

Compared 12% of the time

VirusTotal vs Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL]

Compared 9% of the time

More Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] Competitors

HP Wolf Security vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Compared 5% of the time

Symantec Endpoint Security vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Compared 5% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Compared 4% of the time

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Compared 4% of the time

F-Secure Total vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Competitors

Product Reports

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January 2026

Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] report

Download Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

January 2026

Download Microsoft Defender for Endpoint product report

Also Known As

No data available

Microsoft Defender ATP, Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection, MS Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender Antivirus

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Barracuda Networks

Microsoft

Overview

Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] offers a comprehensive analysis of email threats by integrating seamlessly into existing systems, providing a detailed threat assessment for enterprise-level security.

Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] is known for its precise detection capabilities and effective threat analysis, enhancing email security. It quickly identifies risks without affecting workflow, making it essential for businesses focused on safeguarding their communication channels. Its proactive scanning enhances security by identifying latent threats.

What features make Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] effective?

Comprehensive Threat Analysis: Thoroughly evaluates incoming emails for potential threats.
Seamless Integration: Easily integrates with existing email systems without disruption.
Real-time Alerts: Provides immediate notifications for detected threats.
Advanced Reporting: Offers detailed insights into threat patterns and vulnerabilities.
User-Friendly Interface: Designed for ease of use with minimal technical expertise required.

Why consider Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] for email security?

Increased Protection: Boosts overall email security by identifying hidden threats.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces potential financial impact by preventing security breaches.
Time Savings: Automates threat detection, freeing up valuable IT resources.
Enhanced Compliance: Helps meet industry-specific compliance requirements.
Business Continuity: Ensures uninterrupted business operations by preventing email-based attacks.

In finance, healthcare, and retail, Barracuda Email Threat Scanner [EOL] is often implemented to meet strict regulatory and security standards, mitigating risks linked to confidential client data breaches and transaction fraud. It aids industries in maintaining secure communications, essential to safeguarding sensitive information.

Barracuda Networks

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a comprehensive security solution that provides advanced threat protection for organizations. It offers real-time protection against various types of cyber threats, including malware, viruses, ransomware, and phishing attacks.

With its powerful machine-learning capabilities, it can detect and block sophisticated attacks before they can cause any harm. The solution also includes endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities, allowing organizations to quickly investigate and respond to security incidents. It provides detailed insights into the attack timeline, enabling security teams to understand the scope and impact of an incident.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint also offers proactive threat hunting, allowing organizations to proactively search for and identify potential threats within their network. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft security solutions, such as Microsoft Defender XDR, to provide a unified and holistic security approach. With its centralized management console, organizations can easily deploy, configure, and monitor the security solution across their entire network.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a robust and scalable security solution that helps organizations protect their endpoints and data from evolving cyber threats.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Entisys 360,

Petrofrac, Metro CSG, Christus Health

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, SentinelOne, Check Point Software Technologies and others in Anti-Malware Tools. Updated: January 2026.

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