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Bitdefender Total Security vs Symantec Endpoint Security comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.9
Businesses achieve 80% ROI with Bitdefender Total Security, benefiting from cost-effective protection and 20% time savings over three years.
Sentiment score
7.5
Symantec Endpoint Security delivers positive ROI by enhancing virus protection, reducing downtime, and improving operational efficiency with minimal disruption.
Symantec Endpoint Security filled gaps in our toolset, particularly with the ability to control network firewall on hosts remotely, which was greatly appreciated.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.3
Bitdefender Total Security offers extensive support with responsive service, though faster response times and clearer communication are desired.
Sentiment score
7.2
Symantec Endpoint Security's support is praised but varies post-Broadcom, with delays and regional differences affecting effectiveness.
There could be improvements in communication, especially for users who are not very familiar with technology.
In some cases, it rates as high as ten out of ten, while in others, it can be as low as eight.
There is no support in the German language, which is a problem for many public tenders.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Bitdefender Total Security scales well for small businesses, praised for efficiency, easy device addition, and robust protection.
Sentiment score
7.8
Symantec Endpoint Security is scalable, user-friendly, and ideal for large organizations, effortlessly integrating with existing systems.
The scalability of Bitdefender Total Security is impressive, and I would rate it a nine out of ten due to its strong capabilities.
Symantec Endpoint Security is quite scalable, and it is very important for large clients.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.6
Bitdefender Total Security is praised for its stability and reliability, with users experiencing smooth updates and no major issues.
Sentiment score
7.8
Symantec Endpoint Security is generally reliable, though updates and operating system variations can occasionally disrupt stability and resource usage.
The stability of Bitdefender Total Security is high, and I would rate it at nine out of ten.
I have encountered issues where I had to uninstall and reinstall the product on end users' computers to view the logs again.
 

Room For Improvement

Bitdefender Total Security needs enhancements in stability, resource usage, ransomware flexibility, and better online privacy, support, and VPN options.
Symantec Endpoint Security faces performance issues, complex management, insufficient threat detection, and compatibility problems affecting usability and support.
There is a commercial aspect where having an unlimited VPN would enhance the product.
It is cumbersome to use, particularly in handling firewall management.
Device management is not very good and I am not enabling it in my organization due to security reasons.
I would like to see improvements in the scanning part of the solution, specifically to enhance the CPU and hard disk usage during scanning and updates to prevent disruption during work hours.
 

Setup Cost

Bitdefender Total Security offers value with moderate pricing, strong features, and flexible license options, despite mixed affordability opinions.
Symantec Endpoint Security is valued for its cost-effective pricing, flexible plans, and discounts for long-term or special contracts.
The pricing is considered to be a good value for money.
It seems to be half the cost or more affordable than other solutions.
I rate the pricing, setup cost, and licensing around nine out of ten.
Symantec Endpoint Protection and Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise are quite affordable, with Symantec Endpoint Security Complete costing about four times the Endpoint Protection price, still comparable to other EDR products.
 

Valuable Features

Bitdefender Total Security offers comprehensive protection and enhancement features, including a VPN, password manager, and centralized management console.
Symantec Endpoint Security provides comprehensive protection with device control, intrusion prevention, anti-virus, centralized management, and cross-platform integration.
It also offers robust protection against next-generation threats like ransomware and phishing.
One important feature is the EDR function, necessary for many public customers due to upcoming laws in Germany, which is available through Symantec Endpoint Security Complete.
The incident response capabilities allow me to resolve authentication and support issues promptly, ensuring the system operates without downtime.
A valuable feature of Symantec Endpoint Security is the ability to remotely isolate a computer from the network if it's compromised, either physically or digitally.
 

Categories and Ranking

Bitdefender Total Security
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
16th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Symantec Endpoint Security
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
12th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
144
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Bitdefender Total Security is 2.8%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Endpoint Security is 4.0%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

Sandeep Ramachandran Nair - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhances my daily operation, protects me from online threats and doesn't slow down my system
I haven't used any of the extra add-on modules, even though they have VPN and things like that. But, I really like the warnings I get when I visit low-rated websites. This protects me because the ratings let me know those sites aren't safe, which was something I was missing in my previous antivirus solutions. I found Bitdefender Total Security easy to use. The interface is straightforward, and it runs silently in the background. Bitdefender has features like a password manager, parental controls, and a VPN – even though I don't use them. It seems like Bitdefender Total Security has everything.
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.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Comms Service Provider
17%
Healthcare Company
6%
Government
5%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Bitdefender Total Security?
I found Bitdefender Total Security easy to use. The interface is straightforward, and it runs silently in the background.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Bitdefender Total Security?
I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with Bitdefender Total Security?
I would find it more useful to receive notifications more often than just reporting on what's happening. I’d like updates on recent changes, new threats, or events in the cybersecurity landscape.
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.
 

Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Audio Visual Dynamics, Red Deer Advocate, Asia Pacific Telecom Co. Ltd., Kibbutz Ein Gedi, and AMETEK, Inc.
Find out what your peers are saying about Bitdefender Total Security vs. Symantec Endpoint Security and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,712 professionals have used our research since 2012.