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MetaDefender vs Symantec Content Analysis comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 15, 2026

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

MetaDefender
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (12th), Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP) (5th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (4th)
Symantec Content Analysis
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
51st
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Anti-Malware Tools category, the mindshare of MetaDefender is 2.0%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Content Analysis is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Anti-Malware Tools Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
MetaDefender2.0%
Symantec Content Analysis0.8%
Other97.2%
Anti-Malware Tools
 

Featured Reviews

RS
Senior Associate at a educational organization with 11-50 employees
File protection has improved and now keeps millions of daily transfers secure and compliant
In my organization, while using this tool, we found that there were a few files flagged as suspicious; however, those were not suspicious and it was a false positive, so that can be improved. False positive results were an issue, and it took time to scan files if the file size was greater than 1 GB. For larger files greater than 1 GB, it needs to be improved. In some cases, the reconstruction of the file led to a failure of code deployment and it flagged a valid file as malicious, which was not effective; however, in other types of files, it was very effective and could scan files properly. We have already covered all the main suggestions; however, it can be improved to reduce false positive results, and scanning could be faster to process more files in a day.
Mel Stevenson - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Consultant at DXC Technology
The solution can be used for malware scanning, but its alerting and reporting could be improved
We use Symantec Content Analysis for malware scanning. Symantec Content Analysis is used to scan for viruses The solution's alerting and reporting are basic and could use some improvement. I have been working with Symantec Content Analysis since 2006. I rate Symantec Content Analysis an eight…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The effectiveness of the solution in blocking or sanitizing any content based on our policies is excellent."
"MetaDefender is 100% stable, making it one of the best cybersecurity solutions we offer, which provides confidence in promoting and recommending it to others."
"MetaDefender is a useful tool for scanning all incoming and outgoing files and keeping our applications and servers in compliance, and I found it useful because we can integrate it with multiple file transfer tools such as Globalscape EFT, GoAnywhere, or Sterling, which is the best feature as it integrates with multiple tools."
"I like the simplicity, the way it works out of the box. It's pretty easy to run and configure. The integration of the network devices with the ICAP server was easily done."
"MetaDefender has positively impacted my organization by reducing the risk of file-based attacks, which has significantly improved our overall defense against phishing and malware delivery techniques."
"MetaDefender is a useful tool for scanning all incoming and outgoing files and keeping our applications and servers in compliance, and I found it useful because we can integrate it with multiple file transfer tools such as Globalscape EFT, GoAnywhere, or Sterling, which is the best feature as it integrates with multiple tools."
"The best features of MetaDefender include its ability to detect malware and vulnerabilities, which I also use at server levels, including production and testing servers, helping me identify and address vulnerabilities by applying patch updates."
"OPSWAT is the best alternative."
"We use Symantec Content Analysis for malware scanning."
 

Cons

"The UI can be more user-friendly, and initial steps and policy tuning take some time."
"The documentation is not well written, and I often need to talk with support."
"In some cases, the reconstruction of the file led to a failure of code deployment and it flagged a valid file as malicious, which was not effective."
"We could enhance the user interface and user experience, as the platform has many security capabilities, but some configuration and policy management tasks can take time to understand, especially for someone using the product for the first time."
"MetaDefender can be improved by upgrading the Linux version, which is using many free tools such as MongoDB, Postgres, and OpenSSL."
"Most of the time, in our experience at Danet Communications, we work with government offices, and they need the CDR. However, because CDR is affecting files such as MSI and EXE files, they are always creating new passes of scanning."
"I would rate it an eight because its interface can be improved and it can improve their integrations as well, so there is room for improvement."
"Reporting still requires improvement, but otherwise the solution is excellent."
"The solution's alerting and reporting are basic and could use some improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We bought a three-year license, and that was pretty expensive. We agreed that it was really worth buying. It could be cheaper, but we understand that quality comes at a price."
"Symantec Content Analysis is a very expensive solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Healthcare Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
10%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise12
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MetaDefender?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that the cost and license fee is increasing every year.
What needs improvement with MetaDefender?
MetaDefender can be improved by upgrading the Linux version, which is using many free tools such as MongoDB, Postgres, and OpenSSL. It can be easily targeted by hackers. If MetaDefender can upgrade...
What is your primary use case for MetaDefender?
My main use case for MetaDefender involves the Central Management Console, core service, and ICAP service. In my day-to-day work, I use MetaDefender to scan endpoint security, but we did not have a...
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Also Known As

OPSWAT MetaDefender, MetaDefender Core
Symantec Content & Malware Analysis, Symantec Content and Malware Analysis
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
OLFA, Ricoh, McKesson, COTA, ABS-CBN, Finastra, KAKUDAI, SGN, Caravel, KORAMIS, Snapper, Budapest Bank, Rockwell Automation
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, SentinelOne, OPSWAT and others in Anti-Malware Tools. Updated: August 2026.
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