ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs VMware Carbon Black App Control comparison

ThreatLocker and Broadcom are both solutions in the Application Control category. ThreatLocker is ranked #1 with an average rating of 9.2, while Broadcom is ranked #4. ThreatLocker holds a 20.2% mindshare in AC, compared to Broadcom’s 12.3% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of ThreatLocker users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

ThreatLocker Zero Trust End...

Read 40 ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform reviews

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97% willing to recommend

VMware Carbon Black App Con...

Read 8 VMware Carbon Black App Control reviews

703 Views
612 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

ThreatLocker Zero Trust End...

VMware Carbon Black App Con...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 11, 2026

VMware Carbon Black App Control and ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform are competing products in the endpoint security category. ThreatLocker appears to be the preferred choice due to its robust features and comprehensive security measures, outweighing VMware's pricing and support advantages.

Features: VMware Carbon Black App Control offers application whitelisting, lockdown capabilities, and open API integration, providing strong control over applications. ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection includes a zero-trust model, application control, and elevation control, offering versatile options for security management, enhanced by ring-fencing and granular visibility.

Room for Improvement: VMware Carbon Black App Control could enhance granularity in threat visibility and improve integration speed with other security tools. Simplifying reporting and extending support for more platforms could also be beneficial. ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection would benefit from simplifying its complex deployment process and reducing the learning curve. Additionally, its reporting tools and granular control settings could be expanded for better user-friendliness.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: VMware Carbon Black App Control is known for its straightforward deployment and reliable customer service, suitable for businesses prioritizing ease of setup. ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection, although offering more features, involves a more complex deployment, supported by dedicated customer service to address implementation challenges.

Pricing and ROI: VMware Carbon Black App Control is recognized for competitive pricing and strong ROI, especially for companies needing basic endpoint security. ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection might involve higher initial costs but promises significant long-term benefits due to its advanced feature set and security model, making it a strategic investment for organizations aiming for comprehensive protection.

To learn more, read our detailed ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs. VMware Carbon Black App Control Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs. VMware Carbon Black App Control

December 2025

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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

ThreatLocker Zero Trust End...

Ranking in Application Control

1st

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Access Control (NAC) (4th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (6th), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (6th), ZTNA (4th), Ransomware Protection (1st)

VMware Carbon Black App Con...

Ranking in Application Control

4th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Application Control category, the mindshare of ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform is 20.2%, up from 10.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Carbon Black App Control is 12.3%, down from 26.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Control Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform	20.2%
VMware Carbon Black App Control	12.3%
Other	67.5%

Application Control

Featured Reviews

Charles Loveland

Supervisor, Client Security at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

World-class support and highly effective for application control and elevation

Their product is solid. I have a hard time complaining much about it because when we do find little things, they are usually interface-related or related to things that would be nice to have. Their idea portal, unlike so many other vendors we deal with, shows movement. At least four to eight features of ThreatLocker exist because I made a request in the last five years, and it became a feature of the actual product. When it comes to improvements, we moved the product as customers, and we got to move the product by making suggestions. They seem to be very reactive to it, so there is not a whole lot that they actively need to change right now. It is one of those situations where when we run into something that would be nice to have, it happens. They make it work.

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Abul Atti M Salem

Cybersecurity Consultant at KAFD DMC

We can isolate problem machines and limit their access

We use App Control to scan the network for virtual machines that have unauthorized applications. We can isolate the problem VMs and control application access. More than two years. I rate Carbon Black App Control 10 out of 10 for stability. I rate App Control six out of 10 for scalability.…

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The sandbox functionality is fantastic."

"Ringfencing is a valuable feature."

"The application control is a key feature of ThreatLocker."

"If all of our vendors would act and support us like ThreatLocker does, we would be happy."

"ThreatLocker has significantly improved numerous techniques that mitigate vulnerabilities and viruses initiated on the back end of a network."

"ThreatLocker saves me a couple of hours per day dealing with threats and encrypting efforts elsewhere."

"Allowlisting, in general, is valuable because it allows us to have a lot more granular control over what is executed on a desktop. We are also able to ringfence known vectors of attack through Office applications, email, browsers, etc."

"ThreatLocker stands out because they understand application whitelisting and elevation controls deeply, addressing real issues effectively."

More ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform pros

"If any malicious activity, like VAT viruses, anything RNE, ZOD malware, or something similar, comes in we know that unless we approve it, it's going to be blocked."

"The visibility, reporting, and the ability to stop or prevent malicious or undesired applications from being installed are the most valuable features."

"We use App Control to scan the network for virtual machines that have unauthorized applications. We can isolate the problem VMs and control application access."

"I use the console to check for threats and I find it to be very user-friendly."

"The API integration is good."

"The visibility is valuable."

"The effectiveness of application whitelisting is very good."

"All the functions within VMware Carbon Black App Control are valuable."

Cons

"It has not reduced helpdesk tickets. It has probably increased them by blocking applications and doing its job, resulting in people raising more tickets to know why they cannot use certain things."

"ThreatLocker's technical support process could be streamlined by reducing the number of steps required to reach a human agent."

"I was discussing with someone the other day, and it seems there is currently no solution for mobile users."

"Something we have come up against a couple of times is that we have two clients that are software developers. They create software that doesn't have digital signatures and that's not easy to categorize or whitelist with ThreatLocker. We have to go in and make custom rules to allow them to do their work and to be protected from malicious threats."

"The support could be quicker. There are times when there is a delay in getting a response. This is problematic when immediate attention is needed."

"If you have a thousand computers with ThreatLocker agents on them, when you approve or create a new policy saying that Adobe Reader that matches this hashtag and meets certain criteria is allowed to be installed, it applies at the top level or the organization level. It applies to every computer in the company. When you make that new policy and push it out and it goes out and updates all of the clients. Unfortunately, at this time, it does not look like they stagger the push-out."

"ThreatLocker would benefit from incorporating an antivirus feature or comprehensive 24-hour log monitoring, a valuable enhancement for both business and enterprise-level users."

"A valuable addition to ThreatLocker would be a column in the audit page displaying a VirusTotal score for each file."

More ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform cons

"The solution should have overhead in keeping lists of applications that you want don't want to run."

"The reporting is not good and needs to be improved."

"Its setup is very complex, and it requires guidance from the support team, but it is well worth the effort."

"Carbon Black does not use the database for identifying the file, the fields, or malware."

"I rate App Control six out of 10 for scalability."

"The initial setup is somewhat complex."

"Another issue is that even sometimes if you approve, for example, Adobe as a publisher, you say any product or anything that's from Adobe has to run. It generally runs, but especially in a large environment and with a lot of users, sometimes, due to some certification validation issues or some other issue, it might stop the process from running. Genuine processes like Adobe and Chrome can get blocked. so that needs to be improved."

"I would like to see the addition of some more features that are in other, similar solutions."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"ThreatLocker's pricing seems justifiable."

"Although the pricing seems good, there have been inconsistencies in contract negotiations."

"The price of ThreatLocker Allowlisting is reasonable in the market, but it is not fantastic."

"The pricing is fair and there is no hard sell."

"I do not deal with pricing, but I assume it is cost-effective for us. We choose a solution based on functionality and affordability."

"The pricing is pretty fair, considering other solutions. Licensing-wise, it did not take long."

"I can't complain. Cheaper would always be nice, but I think it's reasonable compared to other software in the cybersecurity market."

"I do not know about the licensing and price as it comes bundled from our MSP. However, it seems fairly reasonable for us, which is why we chose it."

More ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform pricing and cost advice

"Its price is reasonable and what is expected for these types of products."

"The pricing for this product is competitive and our customers who told us that often, Carbon Back is the cheaper solution."

"We pay a fee for support, which is renewed annually."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

22%

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	32
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ThreatLocker Allowlisting?

The interface is clean and well-organized, making it simple to navigate and find what we need.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ThreatLocker Allowlisting?

Pricing, setup costs, and licensing have been pretty accessible and manageable. It was not too expensive to get started, especially at a small scale for a smaller MSP. It is very accessible, easy t...

See all answers

What needs improvement with ThreatLocker Allowlisting?

Going with the theme of ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform being a one-stop shop where they have just about everything, and they have a really good product stack as is. However, t...

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Comparisons

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SentinelOne Singularity Complete vs ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform

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Compared 2% of the time

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Compared 29% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

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Compared 12% of the time

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Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs VMware Carbon Black App Control

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform

January 2026

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform report

Download ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware Carbon Black App Control

January 2026

Download VMware Carbon Black App Control product report

Also Known As

Protect, Allowlisting, Network Control, Ringfencing

CB Protection, Carbon Black CB Protection

Overview

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform empowers organizations with application control, selective elevation, and ring-fencing to enhance security and prevent unauthorized access.

ThreatLocker provides comprehensive security management using application allowlisting to ensure only approved software operates across servers and workstations. The platform's centralized management simplifies security processes by consolidating multiple tools, and its robust capabilities align with zero-trust strategies by actively blocking unauthorized applications and ensuring compliance. Users note intuitive features such as mobile access, helpful training resources, and responsive support, which effectively reduce operational costs and help desk inquiries. The managed service providers prefer ThreatLocker to maintain network integrity by preventing malicious scripts and unauthorized access attempts. However, users identify room for growth in training and support flexibility, the interface, and certain technical challenges like network saturation from policy updates.

What are the most important features?

Application Control: Ensures only approved applications can be executed, minimizing security risks.
Selective Elevation: Provides granular control over application permissions without compromising security.
Ring-Fencing: Isolates applications to limit possible damage from compromised software.
Comprehensive Blocking: Blocks unauthorized applications, supporting zero-trust strategies.
Centralized Management: Offers a unified platform for managing security tools efficiently.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Intuitive Interface: Simplifies complex security processes, making them manageable for non-expert users.
Reduced Operational Costs: Minimizes resource expenditure through effective security management.
Enhanced Security: Provides robust protection against unauthorized access and malicious scripts.
Responsive Support: Offers quick and effective assistance to minimize downtime and issues.

Organizations utilize ThreatLocker for application allowlisting, ensuring only authorized software operates to prevent unauthorized access efficiently. Deployed across servers and workstations, its features support zero-trust principles and are favored by managed service providers for application management and network integrity.

ThreatLocker

Carbon Black is a leading provider of next-generation endpoint security. Carbon Black serves more than 3,700 customers globally, including 33 of the Fortune 100. As a cybersecurity innovator, Carbon Black has a strong heritage of innovative technology leadership in multiple endpoint security categories, including application control, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and next-generation antivirus (NGAV). Leveraging its big data and analytics cloud platform - the Cb Predictive Security Cloud - Carbon Black solutions enable customers to defend against the most advanced cyber threats, including malware, ransomware, and non-malware attacks. Deployed via the cloud, on premise, or as a managed service, customers use Carbon Black solutions to lock down critical systems, hunt threats, and replace legacy antivirus.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Kaas Tailored, Core-Mark, Indeed, Hologic, Landmark Credit Union, Project Worldwide

Buyer's Guide

ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs. VMware Carbon Black App Control

December 2025

Free Report: ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform vs. VMware Carbon Black App Control

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