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McAfee Complete Data Protection vs Symantec Endpoint Encryption comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

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

McAfee Complete Data Protec...
Ranking in Endpoint Encryption
4th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Symantec Endpoint Encryption
Ranking in Endpoint Encryption
5th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
36
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Endpoint Encryption category, the mindshare of McAfee Complete Data Protection is 7.6%, down from 10.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Endpoint Encryption is 9.5%, down from 10.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Encryption
 

Featured Reviews

ObaseunAwoyinfa - PeerSpot reviewer
Encrypts the hard drive, offers data protection policies and effective part of DLP strategy
The only thing that I think could be improved is the data classifier. It's not a very robust classifier, which is where its limitation lies. For example, you see a lot of higher-end solutions where people can classify data more effectively, adding labels like transcription labels and such. McAfee’s classifier doesn't handle all those tasks. It doesn’t offer the same level of functionality as other data classification tools. You can't do things like fingerprinting and other advanced classification methods. However, if you were to make it more robust, the product could become too heavy to run effectively on endpoints and servers. So, to be honest, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head that could be added. I think it's a great solution as it stands. If anyone wants extended data classification, they can leverage other tools like Titus, Fortra's Classifier Suite (previously known as Boldon James Classifier), or even Microsoft AIP if they have the budget. You can also leverage Trellix to enhance your data protection. From my point of view, McAfee Complete Data Protection is one of the best solutions out there, if not the best, to be honest.
Bharath Kumar Gajula - PeerSpot reviewer
Robust data protection with user-friendly deployment, competitive pricing, and comprehensive features like customizable alerts and effective detection capabilities but needs GUI improvements
The stability is relatively good. Occasionally, certain clients may experience disconnection from the management servers, requiring a manual process to rectify. Even in instances where the link is severed, restoring client connectivity can be challenging, sometimes necessitating the uninstallation and reinstallation of the software. Additionally, when clients go out of sync, we do not receive alerts, indicating an area for potential improvement. I would rate it seven out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I am satisfied with the customer service/technical support."
"The most valuable feature is security."
"The McAfee Threat Protection and McAfee Web Protection are valuable aspects of the solution. They're better than other features that come with the endpoints."
"I have found the USB part most valuable."
"I don't need to have any interaction with this product, which means that it is very, very good, and it is doing its job."
"The solution is excellent for protecting users from data being exploited. It's also great for preventing data leakage."
"With proper policies and configuration, it prevents sending corporate data to both cloud storage or to flash drives and data extraction."
"The server software console is exquisitely designed and organized for handy access and manipulation by the administrator."
"We have been very satisfied with the solution's security capabilities."
"It is fairly stable."
"It helps us put antivirus solutions in place and prevent malware from getting to our machines."
"We can extend it to all of the critical endpoints and the servers, and we can ensure the confidentiality of the data."
"The solution’s installation was easy."
"The solution was used to find harmful files and viruses on laptops."
"I like the solution for its encryption."
"It has reduced the number of incidents related to the loss of information."
 

Cons

"It is difficult to manage."
"The dashboard is not user-friendly"
"The price is a little high and could be better."
"They could be better in terms of Complete Data Protection."
"This solution does not do as well at protecting the end-user against unknown viruses."
"The UI could be improved a bit."
"The solution should be more user-friendly."
"They need to segregate McAfee Complete Data Protection for endpoints and servers."
"Its remote deployment should be improved. Currently, there is no remote deployment for Symantec Endpoint Encryption. You have to install it manually. There are some issues with AD integration and the time taken to reflect a password on the Endpoint Encryption Manager when a new user has changed the password, but they are already working on these issues, and these will be resolved in the next release."
"The product can be expensive. Price was a factor in moving away from the product."
"The GUI could use some enhancement, particularly in making option sets easier to locate on client machines."
"It's difficult to integrate the solution with the DLP"
"I can only patch monthly. I don't know what the solution is there, besides being vulnerable for three weeks out of four. But there's got to be an option somehow."
"The solution does slow down the device a little bit, once it's installed."
"The solution does not have endpoint control."
"I would like to have less frequent updates."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing is yearly."
"The price of this solution needs to be improved."
"When it comes to pricing, I've observed an increase recently."
"The pricing of the cloud offering seems confusing."
"The solution is more expensive than one of its competitors."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price and ten is a high price, I rate the solution a seven."
"I think the price could be a little bit less."
"The pricing is better than that of some competing products."
"Symantec Endpoint Encryption is not expensive."
"Considering the fluctuation in exchange rates in our part of the world, we find it generally affordable."
"The cost of this solution is a little on the higher side."
"The licensing costs yearly are $5000."
"We hold an annual license, and their pricing is competitive, falling into the affordable range."
"The pricing is fair but there is variability in our area that needs to be addressed."
"The license is not very expensive."
"Depending on how many modules you will use (up to five) the licensing will be more expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Government
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Would you choose Microsoft BitLocker or McAfee Complete Data Protection?
Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive encryption and successfully fulfills regulatory needs in terms of data protection....
What do you like most about McAfee Complete Data Protection?
It worked for me: it's easy to use and has been very effective.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for McAfee Complete Data Protection?
The huge problem I see is pricing. We understand that DLP is not cheap anywhere in the world, but we constantly lose our protection because of pricing. Sometimes, this is because end users prefer t...
How does Microsoft BitLocker compare with Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive encryption and it successfully fulfills regulatory needs in terms of data protecti...
What do you like most about Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
Antivirus, URL filtering, and firewall protection are the most effective features for data protection.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Endpoint Encryption?
I am not sure about the pricing and licensing cost of Symantec Endpoint Encryption.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Symantec Drive Encryption
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Xcel Energy
Citrix Systems Inc., City of Lansing, Commercial & Industrial Property, France T_l_visions, Fujian Mobile Co. Ltd., Group Lotus plc, Hall Booth Smith & Slover, P.C. (HBSS), Portugal Telecom, PostFinance, Public Pension Agency
Find out what your peers are saying about McAfee Complete Data Protection vs. Symantec Endpoint Encryption and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.