--- title: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Reviews meta_title: 'Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 312 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Microsoft Defender for Endpoint works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.4 review_count: 312 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-07-17' parent_category: name: Endpoint Protection url: https://www.g2.com/categories/endpoint-protection --- # Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Reviews **Vendor:** Microsoft **Category:** [Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/endpoint-detection-response-edr) **Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 312 ## About Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a complete endpoint security solution that delivers preventative protection, post-breach detection, automated investigation, and response. With Defender for Endpoint, you have: Agentless, cloud powered - No additional deployment or infrastructure. No delays or update compatibility issues. Always up to date. Unparalleled optics - Built on the industry’s deepest insight into Windows threats and shared signals across devices, identities, and information. Automated security - Take your security to a new level by going from alert to remediation in minutes—at scale. ## Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users find **Microsoft Defender for Endpoint very easy to use** , appreciating its seamless setup and deployment options. (20 reviews) - Users value the **advanced threat detection** in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, ensuring robust protection against evolving cyber threats. (18 reviews) - Users appreciate the **comprehensive cybersecurity features** of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, ensuring robust protection and innovation. (17 reviews) - Users appreciate the **strong protection against malware and cyber threats** provided by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. (15 reviews) - Users appreciate the **strong protection against malware and cyber threats** provided by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's advanced features. (14 reviews) - Features (11 reviews) - Integrations (10 reviews) - Threat Protection (8 reviews) - Dashboard Usability (7 reviews) - Easy Integrations (7 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users face **compatibility issues** with third-party applications, complicating deployment and overall functionality in some cases. (8 reviews) - Users find the **complex setup and licensing** of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint challenging, especially for newcomers. (8 reviews) - Users struggle with **difficult configuration** , finding policy management and setup overly complex and confusing in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. (7 reviews) - Users find **configuration and navigation cumbersome** , struggling with policy management across multiple Microsoft portals. (7 reviews) - Users face **lack of clarity** in navigating Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's multiple portals and customizing policies effectively. (7 reviews) - Complex Interface (5 reviews) - Configuration Issues (5 reviews) - Users find **difficult navigation** challenging, as the many menus and hidden items complicate the experience for newcomers. (5 reviews) - Expensive (4 reviews) - High Resource Usage (4 reviews) ## Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Reviews ### 1. Reliable, low maintenance endpoint security that just works. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Anas M. | SOC Analyst , Information Technology and Services, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 14, 2026 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** Microsoft Defender for Endpoint seamlessly fits into Microsoft ecosystem, it just works well without needing much extra setup. The UI is clean enough once you get used to it, and performance has been solid with no noticeable impact on devices. The threat detection is actually useful, not overly noisy, and the built-in intelligence helps catch things early. It also feels worth the cost if you are already using Microsoft tools, since everything is integrated. **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** Initial setup and configuration can feel a bit complex, especially if you are new to Microsoft ecosystem. The interface, while clean, isn't aways intuitive, so finding specific settings or detailed reports can take some time. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** It proactively detects and respond to security threats across devices without needing multiple separate tools. It gives better visibility into potential risk and unusual behaviour, which helps us act quickly before issue escalate. The biggest benefit has been saving time on manual monitoring and reducing the chances of missing critical threats, making out overall security management much more efficient and relible. ### 2. Deep Microsoft Ecosystem Integration with Powerful Automated Investigation **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Manufacturing | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 19, 2026 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** What I like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is the depth of integration with the Microsoft security ecosystem. It gives strong visibility across endpoints, ties alerts into Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR, and makes investigation much easier by correlating device, user, identity, and email-related signals. The automated investigation and response features are also valuable because they help reduce manual triage effort and speed up containment. **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** What I dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is that it can be complex to configure and tune properly, especially in larger or more mature environments. Some alerts can require careful suppression or tuning to avoid noise, and the portal experience can feel fragmented because related information is sometimes spread across multiple Microsoft security areas. Reporting and advanced hunting are powerful, but they can take time to learn and use effectively. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** Microsoft Defender for Endpoint helps solve the problem of limited endpoint visibility, inconsistent threat detection, and slow manual investigation. It gives us centralised insight into device health, vulnerabilities, suspicious activity, and active threats across the estate. The main benefit is that it improves our ability to detect, investigate, and respond to endpoint-based attacks quickly. Features such as automated investigation and response, device isolation, vulnerability management, and integration with Defender XDR help reduce triage time, prioritise risk, and strengthen our overall security posture. ### 3. Easy Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Agent Deployment Across Our Environment **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sandip K. | Security Analyst, Computer & Network Security, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 09, 2026 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** We can easily deploy the microsoft defender for endpoints agent throughout the environment **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** Sometimes it shows non complient devices with irrelevant issues. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** we can track the endpoints and also we can easily configure firewalls and we can easily deploy updates and applications. ### 4. Reliable Security with Room for Improvement **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Nic K. | Managing Director, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 07, 2026 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** I like the simplicity of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, its low overhead, and its reliability. It's easy to deploy and provides fundamental security for endpoints. It does a majority of what I need in a simple, lightweight manner. **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** I think they need to reduce its footprint, efficiency, and speed. It's already pretty good, but there is room for improving efficiency. It would be good to see it bundled with other things and having a lightweight version built in. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to manage and secure client devices, providing fundamental endpoint security. It's simple, lightweight, and easy to deploy, meeting the majority of my needs. ### 5. Room to Improve **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Financial Services | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 02, 2026 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** What I like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is its strong integration with the Microsoft ecosystem and its visibility. It provides actionable insights through real-time threat detection, advanced investigation, and automated response capabilities. **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** In more complex environments, advanced configuration and troubleshooting is less intuitive and certain features require navigating multiple portals or having deep Microsoft expertise to use effectively. The real issue is knowing where to go to create a policy. Between Entra, Intune, Defender, and Perview, I have a hard time knowing where to go or how to keep track of my policies. Most significantly though, I've seen way to many tests/comparisons on how Defender performs on Zero Day or viruses and I'm not sure if they are bias or not but Microsoft does not fair well in blocking these attacks. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** We currently use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint primarily as a secondary EDR. While it is included with our E3 licensing, it is not our primary tool for attack prevention. For network-level protection and stronger confidence in blocking advanced threats, we rely on additional third-party EDR solutions. ### 6. Deep Microsoft 365/Azure Integration with In-Depth Telemetry and Automated Response **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Muhammad A. | Sr. System Administrator, Non-Profit Organization Management, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 29, 2026 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** We like that Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is tightly integrated with Microsoft 365, Azure, and Defender XDR. For organizations already running a suite of Microsoft cloud products, it delivers in-depth telemetry, supports automated response, and enables a more unified investigation experience across the environment. **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** Detection quality on macOS and Linux is improving, but it still lags behind Windows. Also, some of the more advanced response capabilities require E5 licensing, which can be a limitation depending on your setup. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** We mainly use it for real-time protection. It also supports our security operations, infrastructure team, and leadership by incorporating relevant insights from our internal environment, which helps us stay aligned with what’s happening across the organization. ### 7. Unified Protection, Limited Integration **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Naresh C. | Sr Network Administrator **Reviewed Date:** November 20, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** I appreciate the deep integration of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint with the Microsoft ecosystem. This integration enhances its automated response capabilities, which is invaluable in providing a comprehensive defense strategy. The solution effectively correlates signals across various services such as endpoints, identities, cloud applications, and email. This unified signal sharing system ensures prompt detection and action, such as instantly connecting the dots when a phishing email detected in Outlook is associated with lateral movement attempts on an endpoint. Moreover, the initial setup of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint was smooth and posed no specific challenges, which makes the onboarding process efficient and hassle-free. **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** I find challenges with third-party integration on non-Microsoft platforms. Additionally, the licensing complexity and limitations in centralized management are areas that I believe need improvement. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** Microsoft Defender for Endpoint blocks basic threats, unidentified applications, and vulnerabilities while integrating deeply with the Microsoft ecosystem to automate responses and correlate signals across multiple platforms for a robust defense. ### 8. Microsoft Endpoint Security Management - Honest review **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Shivam B. | Global Administrator, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 15, 2026 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** Endpoint security has become easier to manage. **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** Complex to set up. Requires expert help. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** Non compliance devices easily identified. ### 9. Effortless Management and Robust Threat Protection **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Aarti N. | Software Engineer, Information Technology and Services, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 10, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** It's easy to manage across our organization, it offers strong protection against malware and cyber threats with advanced threat detection. **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** The setup and configuration can be complex, especially for new users. Otherwise it's all good. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helps us detect and respond to security threats quickly, reducing risk and improving compliance. It also simplifies endpoint protection by centralizing security management. ### 10. Microsoft Defender - Most preferred for Endpoint users **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Waqas F. | Sales Specialist - Microsoft D365/Business Central , Information Technology and Services, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 30, 2025 **What do you like best about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** It comes built-in with your Microsoft Windows OS so no need for additional program installation. Not only that, is has also become one of the most preferred endpoint for the users as it detects the threats very quickly. **What do you dislike about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?** Too many notifications which makes it dislikable and also if you are using any linux based system you will not able to configure it with full support. **What problems is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solving and how is that benefiting you?** Detecting threats and phishing. Not too expensive and comes with all the features free of cost which other endpoint products has. ## Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Discussions - [when scheduled scan starts it consume 100% CPU, can you kindly provide solution for it.](https://www.g2.com/discussions/37198-when-scheduled-scan-starts-it-consume-100-cpu-can-you-kindly-provide-solution-for-it) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [can i use this for my video games?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/32645-can-i-use-this-for-my-video-games) - 2 comments, 1 upvote - [What is Endpoint Defender?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-endpoint-defender) - 1 comment - [Which feature in Microsoft Defender for endpoint?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/which-feature-in-microsoft-defender-for-endpoint) - 1 comment - [View Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-defender-for-endpoint/reviews/microsoft-defender-for-endpoint-review-7562927?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-07-20+19%3A32%3A13+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=7807ba18-0481-44da-93fb-7509dcd4295e&secure%5Btoken%5D=aedcb6c7bf938a2f19b8761fbd3ee4ee15cd6d69d38a0f4247f1af602f634af7&format=llm_user) ## Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Integrations - [Azure Active Directory Domain Services](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-active-directory-domain-services/reviews) - [Microsoft Defender for Identity](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-defender-for-identity/reviews) - [Microsoft Enterprise Mobility and Security](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-enterprise-mobility-and-security/reviews) - [Microsoft Secure Score](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-secure-score/reviews) - [Microsoft Sentinel](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sentinel/reviews) ## Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Features **Administration** - Compliance - Web Control - Application Control - Asset Management - Device Control **Generative AI** - AI Text Generation - AI Text Summarization **Services - Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) ** - Managed Services **System Control** - Device Control - Web Control - Application Control - Asset Management - System Isolation **Functionality** - System Isolation - Firewall - Endpoint Intelligence - Malware Detection **Vulnerability Prevention** - Endpoint Intelligence - Firewall - Malware Detection **Analysis** - Automated Remediation - Incident Reports - Behavioral Analysis **Security Management** - Incident Reports - Security Validation - Compliance ## Top Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Alternatives - [ESET PROTECT](https://www.g2.com/products/eset-protect/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (962 reviews) - [Sophos Endpoint](https://www.g2.com/products/sophos-endpoint/reviews) - 4.7/5.0 (791 reviews) - [CrowdStrike Falcon Endpoint Protection Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/crowdstrike-falcon-endpoint-protection-platform/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (417 reviews)