Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender are two widespread small enterprise safety suppliers with a number of merchandise for small groups.
Microsoft Defender can shield your workplace options, like Phrase and Groups, and enterprise endpoint units. Bitdefender performs vulnerability scans in your units and protects your electronic mail accounts.
I’ve in contrast each options that can assist you determine which is a greater match to your small enterprise.
- Microsoft Defender: Higher for giant SMBs and general enterprise wants (begins at $2.00 per consumer monthly)
- Bitdefender: Higher for startups with over 10 workers, id safety wants, and built-in VPN (begins at $6.33 per consumer monthly)
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Staff per Firm Dimension
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Giant (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Micro, Small, Medium Sized Firms
Core Options
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Microsoft Defender overview
Total ranking: 3.7/5
- Pricing: 4.4/5
- Options: 3.4/5
- Ease of use and administration: 3.8/5
- Buyer help: 3.7/5
Microsoft Defender is an endpoint and electronic mail safety suite of merchandise for small to medium-sized companies. It presents options like next-gen antivirus, vulnerability administration, and endpoint detection and response (EDR). Microsoft Defender for Enterprise is for groups with as much as 300 customers; nonetheless, I like to recommend Defender for Endpoint in case your group is bigger than 300 or plans to scale quickly. Defender for Workplace 365 consists of electronic mail safety for SMBs.
Bitdefender overview
Total ranking: 3.4/5
- Pricing: 3.8/5
- Options: 3/5
- Ease of use and administration: 3.4/5
- Buyer help: 4/5
Bitdefender Small Enterprise Safety is a tool and electronic mail safety product that helps shield customers from scams. Its options embody id safety options, a VPN, and a password supervisor. Bitdefender Small Enterprise Safety is designed for SMBs with 25 customers or fewer, so in case you have extra workers, I like to recommend testing Bitdefender GravityZone as an alternative.
If you happen to’re all in favour of studying extra, learn our information to utilizing Bitdefender subsequent.
Higher for pricing: Microsoft
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| Free Trial | 90 days | Solely 30-day money-back assure |
| Least Costly Plan | Defender for Workplace (Plan 1): $2.00/consumer/month | 3 customers: $189.99/yr |
| Mid-Vary Plan | Defender for Enterprise: $3.00/consumer/monthDefender for Workplace 365 (Plan 2): $5.00/consumer/month | 5 customers: $269.99/yr10 customers: $399.99/yr |
| Most Costly Plan | Defender Enterprise Premium: $22/consumer/month | 25 customers: $799.99/yr |
| Go to Microsoft | Go to Bitdefender |
Microsoft Defender has comparatively low month-to-month pricing: Plan 1 begins at $2.00 per consumer when billed yearly. Plan 2, which provides phishing safety, a terabyte of cloud storage, and multi-factor authentication, begins at $5.00 per consumer monthly. I like to recommend that bigger SMBs with 100-200 workers buy Defender, because it has cheap per-user pricing.
Bitdefender’s pricing begins on the excessive finish, significantly for 3 and 5-user plans. For less than 3 customers, you’ll pay $189.99 per yr, which comes out to round $63 per consumer; however when you pay for 25 customers, you’ll solely pay about $32 per consumer per yr. Do not forget that the Small Enterprise Safety product is just for groups with as much as 25 customers, however it may be an important match for startups with restricted workers.
Higher for options: Tie
Microsoft Defender’s function set consists of endpoint safety, risk remediation, and antivirus. Apart from these, Microsoft presents electronic mail safety from phishing and information loss prevention within the Defender Enterprise Premium plan. Internet looking safety and advert blocking are the place Defender falls a bit brief — it’s not clear whether or not the merchandise provide these frequent antivirus options.
Bitdefender’s SMB safety features embody id publicity safety, a VPN, and a password supervisor. Like Microsoft, Bitdefender doesn’t seem to have a lot internet looking or ad-blocking performance, which is one purpose it didn’t rating as nicely in my antivirus evaluation. However it’s nonetheless a strong possibility for startups in search of primary enterprise safety scans and electronic mail safety.
SEE: Antivirus Coverage (TechRepublic Premium)
Higher for ease of use and administration: Microsoft
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| Desktop Working Programs | macOS, Home windows, Linux Server | macOS, Home windows |
| Cellular Working Programs | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Consumer Documentation/Data Base | Sure | Sure |
| Coaching Movies | No | No |
| Go to Microsoft | Go to Bitdefender |
Microsoft’s supported working techniques embody macOS, Home windows, Android, iOS, and Linux Server. Microsoft has a few of the greatest consumer documentation within the business, with plentiful and well-designed data base articles. One space the place Microsoft lacks is in coaching movies for the Defender for Enterprise and Defender for Workplace merchandise; I didn’t see any good choices offered by Microsoft itself.
Bitdefender helps macOS, Home windows, iOS, and Android working techniques. Nevertheless, Small Enterprise Safety doesn’t at present help Linux. Bitdefender has a number of assist heart articles, however like Microsoft, I didn’t see any strong how-to video choices for purchasers. Bitdefender additionally acquired a barely decrease rating on this class as a result of the SMB Safety product didn’t have adequate buyer evaluate presence or rankings, which was certainly one of my subcriteria for ease of use.
Higher for buyer help: Bitdefender
Microsoft has cellphone and stay chat help channels for its enterprise clients. It’s much less clear whether or not electronic mail responses can be found from the help staff. Microsoft’s neighborhood can also be accessible to clients, the place they’ll take part in discussions and ask questions on their merchandise.
Bitdefender presents its clients electronic mail and chat help channels. It additionally has a buyer discussion board the place customers can put up questions and be a part of discussions. Whereas it’s not clear whether or not Bitdefender Small Enterprise Safety falls below the enterprise help mannequin, Bitdefender does provide cellphone help for enterprise clients. Nevertheless, you will have higher entry to this with GravityZone as an alternative.
High 3 alternate options to Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender
Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender are good antivirus and electronic mail safety options for small companies, however they could not suit your staff greatest. Think about Norton, McAfee, or Development Micro when you’re all in favour of different choices.
Norton Safety
Norton Safety’s plans for SMBs are perfect for single places of work and startups. The Small Marketing strategy consists of safe looking, an encrypted vault for passwords and bank cards, and darkish internet monitoring. Small Enterprise Premium provides 24/7 help for purchasers and social media account monitoring.
The Small Marketing strategy begins at $79.99 for 3 workers, and Small Enterprise Premium begins at $199.99 per yr for as much as 5 workers. Every plan is capped at 10 customers, so in case you have extra workers, take a look at Development Micro as an alternative.
McAfee
McAfee Enterprise Safety is a software program resolution accessible on Dell computer systems. As much as 5 customers can obtain the software program, so it’s an excellent possibility for small startups with just a few staff members. Options embody a VPN, id monitoring, anti-phishing, and risk safety.
McAfee doesn’t present a public pricing web page for the Enterprise Safety software program. Contact McAfee to ask for prices for the Dell software program subscription.
Learn our comparability of Bitdefender and McAfee when you’re debating between the 2 merchandise.
Development Micro
If your corporation has extra workers, take a look at Development Micro’s Fear Free Providers. This suite of endpoint and electronic mail safety consists of file evaluation, information loss prevention, and disc encryption. If you happen to want superior safety, Fear Free presents prolonged detection and response (XDR) providers.
Development Micro doesn’t present public pricing for the Fear Free Providers Suite. Contact Development Micro for annual pricing and consumer limits.
How I in contrast Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender
To match Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender, I created a product evaluate rubric with 4 main classes: pricing, options, ease of use and administrative options, and buyer help. Every class was weighted primarily based on its significance, and I assigned a number of subcriteria to every class, which have been additionally weighted individually.
How nicely every product met every of the subcriteria decided its class rating:
- Pricing winner: Microsoft (4.4/5 stars)
- Options winner: Microsoft (3.4/5 stars)
- Ease of use and administration: Microsoft (3.8/5 stars)
- Buyer help: Bitdefender (4/5 stars)
Backside line: Microsoft Defender vs Bitdefender
Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender every provide antivirus and electronic mail safety options for small companies, however they’ve totally different audiences.
Microsoft is a more sensible choice for bigger SMB groups, particularly those that already use Microsoft’s options. It protects many extra staff members than Bitdefender. Bitdefender is extra appropriate for small companies with 15-20 workers, in addition to groups that want to guard different electronic mail platforms like Gmail — Defender for Workplace 365 secures Microsoft Workplace merchandise, whereas Bitdefender can shield a bigger vary of software program. If neither feels like an excellent match, learn our information to the greatest antivirus options for a pair extra choices.
