Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
Systems Administrator at The Port Authority of Jamaica
Real User
Feb 4, 2021
Delivers comprehensive, ongoing, and real-time protection against a number of threats
Pros and Cons
  • "The antivirus features are very useful."
  • "We encountered some issues when we were trying to enable automatic updates from our group policy."

What is our primary use case?

Within our company, there are roughly 400-500 users of this solution.

What is most valuable?

The antivirus features are very useful.

What needs improvement?

We encountered some issues when we were trying to enable automatic updates from our group policy.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have onboarded a number of machines without any issues.

We find that Microsoft Defender Antivirus is very stable. We've experienced complications with other solutions in the past and found that this is one of the most stable solutions. It's also very scalable, too.

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.

How are customer service and support?

Marine data systems also handle our support. If we have any issues, we come to them first. Their support has been really good.

How was the initial setup?

At first, the initial setup was a bit complex, but after we had some experience with it, it wasn't a problem.

What about the implementation team?

Marine data systems is a partner of ours and they helped us with deployment — they're excellent.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have evaluated and used Mindset before. We also evaluated Kaspersky. We decided to go with Microsoft Defender Antivirus because of its onboarding capabilities and automatic updating.

What other advice do I have?

Before settling on this solution, you should explore more than one form of ATP. Overall, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is a very good application.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Director at Darknext
Real User
Jan 3, 2021
A stable, easy-to-setup ransomware and malware protection solution with live detection capabilities and comes included in Windows 10
Pros and Cons
  • "The features I have found most valuable are the ransomware and malware protection. The solution detects malware live and whenever it detects suspicious activity, it quarantines it."
  • "With regards to the interface, a challenge I found was that there was not enough documentation on how to tune it. I had to read multiple sources on the internet to learn how to configure the tool appropriately."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case of this solution is to protect our endpoints from malware.

A lot of our work involves exchanging files with clients, both via the internet, by email and by USB. Therefore, we are susceptible to malware and ransomware attacks. We are using this solution to protect against these attacks.

What is most valuable?

The features I have found most valuable are the ransomware and malware protection. The solution detects malware live and whenever it detects suspicious activity, it quarantines it. 

We set our protection to the tightest possible settings, which prevents non-approved applications from making any changes to our computers'.

What needs improvement?

One area of improvement for this solution is to have a faster turnaround time on updating definition files. Since there are usually various ransomware variants, this solution may not pick it up in time like other commercial antivirus solutions. However, we have not encountered an issue like this yet with definition updates.

With regards to the interface, a challenge I found was that there was not enough documentation on how to tune it. I had to read multiple sources on the internet to learn how to configure the tool appropriately.

In the next release, I would like to see the solution have a backup feature were my data could be saved to a Microsoft OneDrive account or an equivalent cloud platform so that, in the event of a ransomware or malware attack, I can easily retrieve my data.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for about a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In the past, I have used other solutions from Symantec, McAfee, and RSA.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward. It is just the configuration that takes more time as many features are not very intuitive. As a result, you have to read through what a specific feature does and whether you want to implement it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is an open source version and comes free with a paid version of Windows 10.


What other advice do I have?

I would highly recommend Microsoft Defender Antivirus for an individual looking to protect their endpoints.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1473762 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head Of Information Technology at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Dec 17, 2020
Integrates well with Microsoft applications and endpoints and has a good antivirus
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution integrates very well with Windows applications and Microsoft endpoint products."
  • "The pricing could be a bit better."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for MDM, MAM, and Find Point.

What we did is we replaced our antivirus with Microsoft Defender. There are three products that we implemented, including the Endpoint Defender, which is deployed to all of our end points.

What is most valuable?

The antivirus and their Office Defender are pretty good, although we are still processing that. It seems to be really great at protecting office documents.

The solution integrates very well with Windows applications and Microsoft endpoint products.

The product doesn't take up too many resources. You don't have to install it in different areas. It's very easy to implement and use.

What needs improvement?

As I've only used the product for three months, I haven't really had time to explore the entire solution. However, I haven't found anything that is lacking just yet. Currently, we're actually behind on the current feature offerings and need to explore the system quite a bit more. It fits our needs so far.

The pricing could be a bit better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for three months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite stable. It goes well with Windows applications. We haven't had any issues with it so far. It doesn't crash or freeze or glitch. However, we haven't tried the app just yet. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is quite scalable. We've found it to be very easy to expand as needed. If a company needs to scale the solution, they can do so.

Currently, we have 151 people using the solution in our organization. We do plan to continue usage.

How are customer service and technical support?

I personally haven't had any experience with technical support just yet. Only my colleagues have spoken with them. Therefore, I can't speak to their level of knowledge or responsiveness.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using a different product previously, however, I can't recall the name of it at this time. It might have been number three on the market in 2019. I can't recall precisely.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not complex at all. There was really not much that we had to do due to the fact that we have Intune. Therefore, it was very easy to deploy.

It did not take long to deploy. We did it directly on the control panel, then the rest deployed to the other machines. What took longer was onboarding all the machines to Intune. Once they were there, they were all protected.

We have a partner that handles the maintenance for us. We have two technicians handling that aspect of the product.

What about the implementation team?

We had a partner that helped us with the deployment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product pricing is definitely in the same range as other products. It's therefore not too expensive, however, it's also not too cheap. It could be better, however, it's Microsoft and they can pretty much set their pricing how they like.

What other advice do I have?

We're just a customer and an end-user. We don't have a business relationship with Microsoft.

We're using the latest version of the solution.

I would recommend this product to other organizations. In fact, I already have.

Currently, I'd rate it an eight out of ten. That's with the knowledge gap I have, as a user that just started working with the solution recently.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1473762 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head Of Information Technology at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Dec 17, 2020
Integrates very well with all Windows workstations, works very well, and has good stability and scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "It integrates very well with all Windows workstations or other Microsoft Endpoint products. It also works quite well. So far, I have not had any issue that hasn't been sorted out. It doesn't use too many resources, so you don't have to install different things."
  • "Its price could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We replaced our antivirus with Microsoft Defender, and we are implementing three products. We have Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, which is deployed on all our endpoints. We also have Microsoft Defender for Office, which works very well to protect Office documents. 

We are using this solution for MDM and MAM for the endpoints. We are using its latest version.

What is most valuable?

It integrates very well with all Windows workstations or other Microsoft Endpoint products. It also works quite well. So far, I have not had any issue that hasn't been sorted out. 

It doesn't use too many resources, so you don't have to install different things.

What needs improvement?

Its price could be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using it for three months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable for Windows. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It has very good scalability. We have 151 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not directly interacted with them. My colleagues have interacted with them.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using another solution that was number three in the market according to Gartner 2019.

How was the initial setup?

There wasn't really much that we had to do because we have Intune, so it was very easy to deploy. We used the Control Panel, and it was deployed on the rest of the machines. What took longer was the onboarding of the machines to Intune, but once they were there, they were all protected. We, of course, had to remove the old antivirus.

What about the implementation team?

We used a partner. We had two people for this.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is within the same range as other products. It is not too expensive, and it is also not cheap. Its price can be better, but, well, it is Microsoft.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. I have a lot of good things to say about it. We are still navigating through it, and it has been working very well. We will absolutely keep on using it. 

I would rate Microsoft Defender for Endpoint an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1464093 - PeerSpot reviewer
Co-Founder at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Dec 6, 2020
Stable, easy to use, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "It is stable and very easy to use."
  • "It can be more secure."

What is our primary use case?

It is installed on my personal computer. I use it to protect my personal computer.

What is most valuable?

It is stable and very easy to use.

What needs improvement?

It can be more secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for more than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

I didn't use their technical support.

How was the initial setup?

It came with Microsoft Windows.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I got it with the Microsoft Windows license.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. It is very easy to use.

I would rate Microsoft Defender Antivirus an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1432815 - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Director at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Dec 2, 2020
Quite effective for preventing virus infections, data leak, or other security breaches
Pros and Cons
  • "I am using it for very simple purposes. It is perfect and quite effective. I have been using it for a while, and I have never had any virus infection, data leak, or other security breaches. It works fine for standalone purposes. If you log on to OneDrive, it has ransomware protection."
  • "Windows Firewall is integrated with Windows Defender. Over the last few days, I have had a problem with defining a wildcard on Windows Firewall. For example, I wanted to pull out the connection of my program and install a software package with a lot of executable files. I wanted to prevent it from accessing the internet. I could not select executables by using a wildcard. I had to select a single executable with its full name."

What is our primary use case?

Windows Security Essentials is available on Windows 7 and Windows 10. I'm using Windows Defender, and the agent is deployed on-premises on my laptop. I don't know if it has some background cloud services.

I use it for flash memories, portable memories, real-time scanning, threat protection, and capturing the data downloaded from the internet.

What is most valuable?

I am using it for very simple purposes. It is perfect and quite effective. I have been using it for a while, and I have never had any virus infection, data leak, or other security breaches.

It works fine for standalone purposes. If you log on to OneDrive, it has ransomware protection.

What needs improvement?

Windows Firewall is integrated with Windows Defender. Over the last few days, I have had a problem with defining a wildcard on Windows Firewall. For example, I wanted to pull out the connection of my program and install a software package with a lot of executable files. I wanted to prevent it from accessing the internet. I could not select executables by using a wildcard. I had to select a single executable with its full name.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for five years or more. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't know about scalability because I have always used it on a single laptop, but I'm sure that there are business options, and you can use it on Windows 7 computers. It must be very scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

I live in Iran, and there is no product support in Iran. If there is a technical issue, I prefer to use online information and resources, such as forums and Wiki pages, to resolve the issue. 

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy to install. It is preinstalled when you install Windows. If you install other antiviruses, you have to deactivate it in order to use third-party products.

What other advice do I have?

Microsoft has started to integrate the interface with new Windows 10 settings. Previously, there was a lack of information. Users weren't aware of the status of the product in terms of what it was doing on your computer and whether it was actually protecting you or not. In the background, it must have been doing its job, but you couldn't be very well aware of the status of the software. All those issues are now resolved. The information now is very handy, and the user interface is also great. I would recommend this solution to others.

I would rate Microsoft Defender Antivirus a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1185051 - PeerSpot reviewer
Director, IT at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Real User
Nov 24, 2020
Flexible, well-integrated with Microsoft products, and the security profile it provides is insightful
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are that it is flexible, and it is integrated with Microsoft products."
  • "I would like to have additional features such as DNS lookup, which would help for detecting malicious sites."

What is our primary use case?

We have this security solution activated on 10 different Windows PCs, and we have it for Office 365 products as well.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are that it is flexible, and it is integrated with Microsoft products. That gives us peace of mind.

I like the security center, as well as the full picture of our security profile and insights.

What needs improvement?

I would like to have additional features such as DNS lookup, which would help for detecting malicious sites. This is a key part that I would like to have, and other products already have it implemented.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Defender for approximately five months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Defender is a stable product and we plan to continue using it in the future.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable solution. We have between 120 and 140 users right now.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not had any problem with the support from Microsoft.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used a different product prior to this one, but I switched because I have a unified security overview of the corporation. The Security Center is key for being able to work everything from one console.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy and the installation for the cloud-deployment took no more than an hour.

What about the implementation team?

We deployed with our in-house team. We have two people, not full-time, who take care of deployment and maintenance. They are engineers.

What other advice do I have?

This is a good product and I can recommend it to others.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1442253 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at a pharma/biotech company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Nov 9, 2020
Good support and it comes included with the operating system
Pros and Cons
  • "The biggest benefit to Windows Defender is that it is built-in to the operating system by Microsoft."
  • "I would like to see improvements made to how it secures activities on web pages."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Windows Defender is used to protect against malware.

What is most valuable?

The biggest benefit to Windows Defender is that it is built-in to the operating system by Microsoft.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see improvements made to how it secures activities on web pages.

Web security in general should be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Windows Defender for three years.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support from Microsoft is good.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.