--- title: "Microsoft Defender for Business Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Microsoft Defender for Business Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Endpoint Detection and Response products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/253101/Microsoft-Defender-for-Business/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- # Microsoft Defender for Business Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on September 24, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Microsoft Defender for Business ## What is Microsoft Defender for Business? Comprehensive endpoint security solution for Windows clients, Windows servers, and MacOS devices, providing enterprise-grade security for small and mid-size businesses. Microsoft Defender for Business includes automated device onboarding, endpoint detection and response, threat and vulnerability management, automated investigation and response, attack surface reduction, and more. ## What is Microsoft Defender for Business used for? [Computer Security](https://www.capterra.com/computer-security-software/)[Endpoint Protection](https://www.capterra.com/endpoint-protection-software/)[Endpoint Detection and Response](https://www.capterra.com/endpoint-detection-and-response-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 20 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 85% Neutral 15% Negative 0% Starting price $3 Per User, Per Month Free trial available Free version not included Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... 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Do you work for Microsoft Defender for Business?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-microsoft-defender-for-business/claim_requests/new?auto=true) Rating Breakdown 4.4 +− Features4.5 Value for Money4.4 Ease of Use4.3 Customer Service4.3 Rating Breakdown 4.4 Features4.5 Value for Money4.4 Ease of Use4.3 Customer Service4.3 ## Microsoft Defender for Business Reviewers Verdict Updated September 2026 AI summary - Microsoft Defender for Business suits small organizations seeking integrated endpoint protection within the Microsoft ecosystem. - Positive feedback centers around its smooth integration with Microsoft 365, strong security features, and centralized device management. - It helps IT teams monitor, detect, and respond to threats efficiently while minimizing disruption to daily operations. - Buyers may need to accept some trade-offs around a less intuitive interface, limited customization, and a learning curve for new users. - It fits businesses already invested in Microsoft platforms, but may be less ideal if ease of use or custom workflows are top priorities. ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Microsoft Defender for Business 4.4 (20) VS. [4.6 (1,865)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170018/ManageEngine-Desktop-Central/reviews/) Starting Price $3 Per User, Per Month Starting Price $104 Flat Rate, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.4 (20) Ease Of Use 4.5 (1,864) Value For Money 4.4 (18) Value For Money 4.5 (1,710) Customer Service 4.3 (17) Customer Service 4.5 (1,706) ## Microsoft Defender for Business alternatives Highest Rated [4.9 (493)](https://www.capterra.com/p/181954/Iru/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 99% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.2 (253)](https://www.capterra.com/p/13803/N-central/reviews/) Starting price $1.75 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 85% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [ESET Endpoint Security](https://www.capterra.com/p/151915/ESET-Endpoint-Security/) [4.7 (1,171)](https://www.capterra.com/p/151915/ESET-Endpoint-Security/reviews/) Starting price $396.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/151915/ESET-Endpoint-Security/) [SentinelOne](https://www.capterra.com/p/152564/Endpoint-Protection-Platform/) [4.8 (116)](https://www.capterra.com/p/152564/Endpoint-Protection-Platform/reviews/) Starting price $179.99 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/152564/Endpoint-Protection-Platform/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/253101/Microsoft-Defender-for-Business/alternatives/) ## FAQs about Microsoft Defender for Business Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Microsoft Defender for Business? Microsoft Defender for Business is most used by IT administrators, systems managers, and technical support teams that need endpoint protection, threat detection, and device management. Business owners, executives, and operations leads use it to reduce security risk, while marketing, HR, customer service, and product teams benefit from safer daily collaboration and data access. Answer based on 20 reviews Overview ### What company size and industries is Microsoft Defender for Business built for? Microsoft Defender for Business is built for small businesses with up to 300 employees, matching its core audience and 65% of reviewers. It is used most in Computer Software, Information Technology and Services, and Human Resources, each at 10%, with computer security as the most common use case at 44%. Answer based on 20 reviews Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Microsoft Defender for Business? Microsoft Defender for Business offers endpoint protection and endpoint management, plus anti virus, anomaly and malware detection, and vulnerability scanning. It includes continuous and real-time monitoring, alerts and notifications, incident management, remediation management, threat response, access controls and permissions, activity dashboards, event logs, and reporting and analytics. Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does Microsoft Defender for Business integrate with? Microsoft Defender for Business integrates with Avast Premium Business Security and supports security-focused connections for business endpoint protection. The catalog data provided here includes this Avast integration, giving Microsoft Defender for Business one confirmed third-party integration in the available dataset. Answer based on 9 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Microsoft Defender for Business offer? Microsoft Defender for Business provides Email/Help Desk, Knowledge Base, and Phone Support. No reviewer feedback about support quality is available, so no claims can be made about response times, helpfulness, or common frustrations. Users should evaluate these channels directly to judge fit for their support needs. Security ### How does Microsoft Defender for Business handle data security and access control? Microsoft Defender for Business protects data with anti-phishing, email protection, real-time monitoring, continuous file scanning, endpoint threat protection, EDR, timely alerts, endpoint isolation, and a live response console for investigation and remediation. It also supports secure device enrollment. Some reviewers say alert handling and device management can feel confusing or lack context. Answer based on 10 reviews ## Features AI summary Based on 553 Endpoint Detection and Response reviews Capterra data shows that buyers of Endpoint Detection and Response rank the following features as their top priorities: - **Anomaly/Malware Detection** (**65%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Continuous Monitoring** (**50%**) - **Endpoint Management** (**48%**) Microsoft Defender for Business supports all three of the features reviewers rate most highly: **Anomaly/Malware Detection**, **Continuous Monitoring**, and **Endpoint Management**. Combined, these capabilities help businesses detect threats early, keep watch over devices at all times, and manage endpoints more effectively, allowing teams to improve security coverage and respond to issues faster. Anomaly/Malware Detection 4.5 (11) 72.73% of 11 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Automatically identify and flag unusual behaviors and malicious software Continuous Monitoring 4.6 (5) 80.00% of 5 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Conduct tracking and assessment of application and device behavior without breaks or interruptions Endpoint Management 3.5 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track status, assign actions, and control access to systems for devices within the organization Remediation Management 5.0 (2) 100.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Identify and orchestrate execution of actions needed to restore systems to optimal conditions Alerts/Notifications 4.6 (8) 75.00% of 8 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges Alerts/Escalation 4.4 (16) 68.75% of 16 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important System alerts about the need to escalate an issue or request Microsoft Defender for Business 21 features ### All Features - Access Controls/Permissions: Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems - Activity Dashboard: Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities - Activity Tracking: Track and document all activities across devices, networks, and other systems - Alerts/Escalation: System alerts about the need to escalate an issue or request - Alerts/Notifications: Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges - Anomaly/Malware Detection: Automatically identify and flag unusual behaviors and malicious software - Anti Virus: Prevents, detects and removes malware - Continuous Monitoring: Conduct tracking and assessment of application and device behavior without breaks or interruptions - Data Visualization: Graphical representation of data - Endpoint Management: Track status, assign actions, and control access to systems for devices within the organization - Endpoint Protection: Protect users working remotely and provide secure environments for personal devices to access company programs - Event Logs: A chronological record of actions or occurrences within a network, software, or process - Incident Management: Manage and track all disruptions and incidents - Monitoring: Observe and track the demand, usage, progress or quality of a system, product, or user - Network Security: Prevent and monitor unauthorized access, misuse, modification, or denial of a computer network and network-accessible resources - Real-Time Monitoring: Active monitoring of systems, applications, or networks - Real-Time Notifications: Notifications that are delivered to users as soon as an event occurs - Remediation Management: Identify and orchestrate execution of actions needed to restore systems to optimal conditions - Reporting/Analytics: View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data - Threat Response: Identifying, analyzing, and mitigating security issues and taking appropriate action to protect systems and data from potential harm - Vulnerability Scanning: Discover patch statuses and vulnerabilities --- Features 4.5 (20) 4.5 Based on 20 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.4 (18) Free Trial Basic $3.00 Per User,Per Month Value for money 4.4 (18) 4.4 Based on 18 reviews ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.3 (17) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.3 (17) 4.3 Based on 17 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.4 Based on 20 reviews Filter by rating 5(11) 4(6) 3(3) 2(0) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent EH Eric H. Account Manager II Human Resources ### "Great protection" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 31, 2026 My overall experience has been great and I feel that my system is as protected as possible for an affordable price. Pros What I like most is knowing that my browsing is protected while completing my cases that involve sensitive information Cons There really isn't much I dislike, this was a great switch for the last provider my company used and we are satisfied with the results. Switched from [Norton AntiVirus](https://www.capterra.com/p/648/Norton-Security/) We made the switch roughly two years ago. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. JK Jonathan K. Chief Marketing Officer Insurance ### "Good Protection, but the Interface Needs Work" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 July 20, 2026 Overall, my experience with Microsoft Defender for Business has been average. It provides solid protection against everyday threats and integrates well with Microsoft 365, which is convenient if you're already using Microsoft's ecosystem. However, the interface isn't the most user-friendly, and managing devices or responding to alerts can take more time than expected. It's a capable security solution, but I think it could be easier to use and manage. Pros What I liked most about Microsoft Defender for Business was that it integrates well with the Microsoft ecosystem and provides solid protection against common viruses and malware. Having security management built into Microsoft 365 makes it convenient, and the alerts help identify potential threats before they become bigger problems. Once everything is set up, it offers a good level of protection without requiring a separate antivirus solution. Cons What I liked least was that the interface can be confusing, especially when trying to manage devices or investigate security alerts. Some settings are buried in different Microsoft admin portals, which makes navigation more complicated than it needs to be. It does a good job with basic protection, but there are times when the alerts can be overwhelming or don't provide enough context to quickly understand what needs attention. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. GG Glen G. IT Support Tier III Oil & Energy ### "An easy, lightweight, powerful EDR solution at a great value" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 28, 2026 We've found Microsoft Defender for Business to be a thorough and effective EDR solution that gives us results without any extra cost to our existing Microsoft stack. It is lean on our endpoints, ensuring user productivity isn't affected by the deployed security software. The alerts are timely and the automatic and live-console investigations in tandem with the ability to isolate endpoints from the network makes handling active incidents easy. Pros Microsoft Defender for Business has become a critical part of our security infrastructure. It's a sensible choice for our enterprise's EDR since we are Microsoft-based, and our Microsoft 365 Business Premium licensing comes with Defender built-in. This means that there's no cost delta on top of the services we're already using with Microsoft. We choose to keep using Microsoft Defender for Business because it delivers results: it has successfully blocked multiple instances of malware and network compromises. The alerts are excellent, and the interface is intuitive. Once an alert emerges, we get an email notification that takes us to a thorough but easy-to-parse analysis of what happened. The map and log of commands run effectively builds the event timeline for us, which allows us to jump right onto remediation procedures. The endpoint isolation feature and live response console are MASSIVE benefits to our security practices: we can take a device-under-attack out of the network in seconds but retain the ability to conduct investigation and remediation through the live console securely. Device enrollment can be handled natively through Intune, by script deployment, or by using the "deployment tool" with a secure key. Cons Our only "complaint" with Microsoft Defender for Business is how the alerts about email reports are delivered in tandem with far more concerning EDR-based alerts. Since email reports are far and away the #1 cause for alerts, this can cause alert overload. But we found that it's easy enough to set up a notification rule that filters out email reports so that our eyes are on EDR risks when they emerge. Alternatives considered [Harmony Endpoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/231636/Harmony-Endpoint/) [SentinelOne](https://www.capterra.com/p/152564/Endpoint-Protection-Platform/) Reasons for choosing Microsoft Defender for Business Microsoft Defender for Business was available to our enterprise at a $0 cost delta with our existing Microsoft stack. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. DS Darren S. Product Owner Computer Software ### "A Microsoft solution for Microsoft Windows devices." 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 December 28, 2025 Can be an economical plug and play solution if you have Windows devices on 365, once you master how to set it up for your environment. Pros Good integration with Microsoft 365. Good value for money as a 365 add on. One dashboard for all devices keeps things centralised. Endpoint threat protection works well. Cons Set up can be complex and difficult. Works well with Windows devices, but other operating systems can be challenging. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. CK Cam K. Director of Youth Development Health, Wellness and Fitness ### "Defender for Business defends its title as our best security software. " 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 December 15, 2025 It’s good. It does what it needs to do, and it doesn’t well. I do t worry about our systems being attacked at all. The only real complaint I have is with the difficulty of engaging some of the features. That said, there are plenty of features to be engaged. It also helps with the Microsoft programs we run. They play very well together. Pros It’s easy to integrate, it works in symphony with M365 and it works just as well, and in many ways better than Crowdstrike and the like. It has a ton of nice features regarding content filtering, and attack defense, and surface prevention. Cons Of all of the great features, it’s not super user friendly to navigate the interface to toggle all of these settings. It would be nice to train my IT assistants, but we spent a good bit on just the overly difficult UI. Switched from [CrowdStrike](https://www.capterra.com/p/147662/CrowdStrike-Falcon/) Cost, and ease of deployment. It was just a better option for us, and we are running Microsoft programs. They work well together, for obvious reasons. Alternatives considered [NordLayer](https://www.capterra.com/p/203059/NordLayer/) [SentinelOne](https://www.capterra.com/p/152564/Endpoint-Protection-Platform/) Reasons for choosing Microsoft Defender for Business Cost Efficiency, user reviews, ease of deployment and the fact it’s Microsoft. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. MS Melissa S. Marketing Manager Import and Export ### "Great Security Management Tool" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 6/10 November 5, 2025 its a great overall security management system with advanced features in threat protection and it integrates perfectly within the Microsoft eco system. Pros Most appreciate the centralised management, cost effectiveness and of course strong integration throughout Microsoft apps Cons it requires a deep learning curve as the management console and the overall navigation requires some practice especially for new users Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. SW Steve W. I.T. Systems Administrator Entertainment ### "A Great Product For Incoming Threat Management" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 January 6, 2025 We switched from Webroot, and it's been a great experience so far. Any issues have been handled by support quickly and with little issue. Integration and setup was quite simple comparitively to Webroot as well. Pros Absolutely amazing product that takes care of our incoming threat management with a great integration with our Office365 software. Cons Threat Mangement Incident Alerts are sometimes vague or require digging to figure out exactly who/what is affected. Switched from [OpenText Core Endpoint Protection​](https://www.capterra.com/p/166552/Webroot-SecureAnywhere-Endpoint-Protection/) Webroot had issues for over a year that they were unable or unwilling to resolve so we had to give up and move to another product Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AN Anonymous User IT DIRECTOR Information Technology and Services ### "Security with integration" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 September 15, 2023 Its greatest functionality from my point of view is the ability to stop Ramsonware-type threats. It is highly recommended. Pros It has a high degree of security and integration with Windows platforms, in addition to a very complete administration console in its functions. Cons Report management could be more complete. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. LC Lucia C. RRHH Human Resources ### "El antivirus más económico" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 March 29, 2023 Mi experiencia ha sido buena con este antivirus ya que a parte de ser más barato que muchos de los antivirus que he usado anteriormente, este me ofrece más seguridad y mejores resultados por lo que realmente estoy muy satisfecha con mi compra. Pros Lo que más me gusta de este antivirus es que es muy simple de instalar y usar, además es muy económico y no supone una gran complicación su instalación. Es una buena opción para la gente que está acostumbrada a usar los programas de Microsoft ya que es similar a otros. Cons Creo que es muy buen antivirus para la gente como yo que uso el ordenador para cosas sencillas, pero creo que para gente que usa el ordenador para gestiones más serias o complicadas, se queda corto y debería usar un software más potente. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. GW Gifty W. owner Accounting ### "Microsoft defender for business review" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 February 25, 2023 Microsoft Defender has helped me from gifting away sensitive information or downloading malicious software. Microsoft Defender for Business affords safety against phishing assaults, which include e-mail protection and anti-phishing skills and helping me protect my business and vital information Pros I like Microsoft defender because of its comprehensive protection. Microsoft Defender for Business presents complete safety towards a number threats, which includes malware, viruses, ransomware, and phishing assaults. I also like it for its real-time tracking. The solution provides real-time tracking of endpoints, network traffic, and user behavior, which allows to pick out potential threats and respond fast. lastly,Integration with different Microsoft merchandise. Microsoft Defender for Business integrates with different Microsoft merchandise, such as Microsoft 365 and Azure, that may assist agencies to streamline their security management. Cons I do not like the fact that it has limited cross-platform help. While Microsoft Defender for Business may be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux gadgets, the answer's competencies are confined on non-Windows structures.It also has limited customization options. Microsoft Defender for Business can be confined in terms of customization alternatives, that can make it tough to tailor the answer to the particular needs of an employer. lastly,Limited reporting abilities: Microsoft Defender for Business presents fundamental reporting abilities, but a few customers like myself have noted that those reviews may be difficult to customize and might not offer the level of detail wanted for greater in-depth evaluation. Alternatives considered [CrowdStrike](https://www.capterra.com/p/147662/CrowdStrike-Falcon/) Reasons for choosing Microsoft Defender for Business Microsoft Defender for Business affords complete safety against a number of threats, which include malware, viruses, ransomware, and phishing attacks. This can assist businesses to minimize the danger of cyber attacks and guard touchy statistics. Falcon additionally affords comprehensive safety, however may additionally require extra modules or capabilities to gain the same level of protection. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/253101/Microsoft-Defender-for-Business/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. Popular comparisons [ESET Endpoint Security vs Microsoft Defender for Business](https://www.capterra.com/compare/151915-253101/ESET-Endpoint-Security-vs-Microsoft-Defender-for-Business)