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Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs N-able EDR 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Endp...
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
197
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (1st), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (4th), Anti-Malware Tools (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (4th)
N-able EDR
Ranking in Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
53rd
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.7
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is 10.5%, down from 13.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of N-able EDR is 0.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
 

Featured Reviews

Sudhen Swami - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to update with good protection and a useful cloud portal
We've mainly used it for endpoints. However, we've also used it for DLP as well. We're also in the process of implementing it for cloud and identity as well. However, it's very good for endpoints, and that's our main focus. The malware protection is good. The visibility it provides is very useful. We can combine visibility with wider security features and alerts around malware, misconfiguration, or any other kinds of threats. The cloud portal is quite good. From there, we are able to see alerts and have colleagues review issues and monitor to see if any patterns arise. It's serving us quite well overall. It allows us to look at other items, like application and browser control. It helps us prioritize threats. We have a process in place now where we can review issues and remediate them effectively. We have been able to integrate a variety of Microsoft security products together. We use Azure AD, for example, and we've begun to implement DLP, among other items. We're looking at labeling and tagging and will expand into that soon. Defender has more stringent system requirements than, for example, Check Point. So when we implemented the Check Point Endpoint agent, that solution didn't mind what version of Windows you were using. When we moved to Defender, Defender had certain system prerequisites that had to be met. So we had to make sure that we're on a minimum version of Windows when we're utilizing Office, and Office has to be a particular version as well. It has more stringent system requirements that have to be met before you can implement it. It works natively together with other Microsoft solutions. Once you get more and more of those different components across the environment, then you start to get better visibility. So, rather than having lots of different solutions, you have fewer solutions and a single vendor solution. That way, you start getting into a position where you get better visibility and integration as well. The standardization is good. It's important. It's helping me with monitoring and learning. Updates and upgrades are quite smooth and seamless. Defender helps us automate routine tasks. Quite a lot of Microsoft is straightforward for us now. Previously, we didn't have enough resources and were unable to look at the alerts. Having this in place makes things a lot more straightforward for us. We have both the technology and the people in place now, alongside the process. We do see the benefits in that, and that's why we're continuing our adoption across the estate in terms of client and server as well. It's helping us avoid looking at multiple dashboards and centralized monitoring. We're not fully there yet. We're getting there. While we haven't witnessed time saving yet, once it's fully deployed, it will. By then, we'll have standardized processes across a single solution. We have saved money, however, as we continue to reduce non-Mircosft systems. Since we won't be using various competing technologies, we can save on licensing costs. We've likely so far saved 15%. While it's hard to estimate exactly how much, the solution has helped us decrease time to detection and time to respond.
Yazan Albaw - PeerSpot reviewer
N-able EDR SentinelOne delivers advanced endpoint protection through real-time threat detection, automated response, and comprehensive visibility to safeguard against cyber threats.
N-able EDR SentinelOne is renowned for its exceptional detection and protection capabilities, ranked number one by Gartner and MITRE ATT&CK. It offers robust defense against various threats, including malware, fileless attacks, phishing, and insider threats. The solution excels in identifying suspicious behavior and promptly notifying engineers of potential threats. A key feature is its auto-response capability. You can configure automatic responses to threats, which significantly reduces the time and effort required to manage incidents. Enhanced by machine learning, these automated responses are both efficient and adaptive. Additionally, N-able EDR integrates seamlessly with RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management), allowing us to monitor EDR performance, detect failures, and oversee network performance from a single, unified dashboard. This integration streamlines management and enhances overall efficiency.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It doesn't cause the slowness of the system, which is one of the reasons why I like it."
"What I like most is the protection against phishing emails and anti-spam."
"The most valuable feature is that we can use the solution right out of the box without too much configuration."
"The most valuable feature is ransomware protection, which can detect malicious activity from IPs or a malicious payload in DLLs, or other things that can corrupt the system."
"It automatically detects intrusion and malware."
"File protection is the most valuable feature. Antivirus security on the Level OS, Microsoft Defender, and Microsoft Guard for 2019."
"It's absolutely free to use."
"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has been secure and there is zero maintenance required because it updates with Microsoft Windows."
"The most valuable feature, which I can describe as the '360 vision' of the inventory device, provides a complete view of all the devices."
"The most valuable features are the rollback feature, it's important for us. The AI models and are good."
"It provides visibility and a storyline to track the virus or malware's activities, showing infected processes and changes made."
"The most valuable feature, which I can describe as the '360 vision' of the inventory device, provides a complete view of all the devices."
 

Cons

"There is room to improve the security of the solution."
"The reporting in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint should improve. The solution has limited features."
"I would like to see the next generation of the tool improved to work with other operating systems, like Linux."
"I wish they would extend the use of the Security Central portal, even for the free option of Defender. Because, as companies grow, it is labor intensive to manage the AV and detection part of it. For companies already subscribed to Office 365, I think this would be a good enhancement."
"The frequency of the patching, and the frequency of the updates, are not included with the free version."
"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint should include better automation that will make it faster to detect the latest threats happening across the world."
"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint does not provide much flexibility in terms of threats."
"The automation could be simpler on the mitigation side. It has a learning curve. Otherwise, it's pretty easy."
"We have a lot of false positives we see in the dashboard. I think this is the only problem we are facing."
"Concerning the license, if I add one more device without a license, it will automatically subscribe to a license. I do not appreciate that."
"I would like to see them add support for both Android and iOS smartphones."
"I would rate the scalability as seven out of ten. The capability is useful. Concerning the license, if I add one more device without a license, it will automatically subscribe to a license. I do not appreciate that."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution. It would be nice if it could be included with the Microsoft Office package."
"We are required to pay for the data we ingest, and increasing the data amount incurs additional expenses."
"The nice thing about Defender and Sentinel is that the cost is based on the data logs that you ingest from the Defender endpoints and data connectors. I don't have to buy a 25- or 50- or 1,000-user or enterprise license. I can buy one license at a time."
"If you don't purchase the advanced threat protection then there is no additional charge."
"The price is higher than others because it is doing more than what the others are doing."
"We have an enterprise agreement so from my perspective, this is a product that ships with Windows and it is not priced standalone."
"For most people, the price of the license is not something that they have to worry about."
"Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is included with a Microsoft E5 license."
"The pricing is average."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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...
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...
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 ...
What needs improvement with N-able EDR?
I do not have any ideas for improvement. It is a good solution, however, I am not an expert, so I do not have more ideas on this.
What is your primary use case for N-able EDR?
I use N-able EDR for monitoring the devices of my company.
What advice do you have for others considering N-able EDR?
The overall solution rating is seven out of ten. Scalability and integration could be improved, particularly with Microsoft tools.
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Defender ATP, Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection, MS Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender Antivirus
No data available
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Petrofrac, Metro CSG, Christus Health
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs. N-able EDR and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.