Microsoft Defender alternatives, matched to why you're switching
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Bitdefender Reviews · Updated October 1, 2026 · Grounded in 36 Microsoft Defender for Endpoint reviews
Disclosure: this site reviews Bitdefender GravityZone and earns a commission if you sign up for it through our links. Bitdefender GravityZone is one option below, and we say where it isn't the right fix.
Why businesses look past Microsoft Defender
Most businesses that use Defender chose it because they already owned it. The 36 recent Defender for Endpoint reviews we read (November 2023 to March 2026) say the protection is fine; what wears on them is support (about 10), navigating the portals (about 9), rising cost and licensing complexity (about 6), and handling false positives (about 5).
“We have had issues where the urgency level of the Microsoft support is not as high as ours, especially during a data breach or potential data breach situation.”Robert Arbuckle, PeerSpot, November 2025
“a convoluted mess to try to take care of false positives”Robert Arbuckle, PeerSpot, November 2025
“it is just getting more and more expensive.”UsmanFarooqi, PeerSpot, November 2025
Lab results add one more reason. In AV-Comparatives' Business Security Tests, Defender was compromised 29 times in 2,901 real-world cases from 2023 to 2025. Some IT teams also prefer a security vendor separate from the company that runs their email and identity.
Match the Microsoft Defender alternative to your reason for leaving
| Compared on | Best alternative | Check before switching |
|---|---|---|
| Protection results | Bitdefender GravityZone: 3 compromises in 2,901 AV-Comparatives cases vs Defender's 29 | Heavier on PCs than Defender |
| Nobody watches the alerts | Huntress: keeps Defender and adds a 24/7 SOC | 50-seat minimum outside MSPs |
| Support | Huntress or SentinelOne: both get strong support reviews | Neither is in AV-Comparatives' tests |
| Server licensing | Bitdefender GravityZone: servers count as devices on one license | Up to 30% servers on Small Business Security |
| False positives and exclusions | Bitdefender GravityZone: 11 false alarms in the same 2,901 cases | Its console has a learning curve |
| Linux coverage | SentinelOne: agent for 10 major distributions | Partner-only buying |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-10-01. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
The 5 best Microsoft Defender alternatives
Bitdefender GravityZone
Stronger real-world results, one license with serversIn AV-Comparatives' Business Security Tests from 2023 to 2025, GravityZone was compromised 3 times and Microsoft Defender 29, in 2,901 cases, with fewer false alarms. One per-device license covers servers, the trial needs no card, the console can run on-premises, and Bitdefender is a separate vendor from your email and identity provider. It costs $324.99 a year for 10 devices on Small Business Security. Caveats: it is heavier on PCs than Defender in the same lab's performance tests, and its reviewers complain about support too.
Full Bitdefender GravityZone vs Microsoft Defender comparison →Huntress Managed EDR
Keep Defender, add a 24/7 SOCIf the problem is that nobody watches Defender's alerts, Huntress manages Defender Antivirus for you and adds its own EDR agent and 24/7 analysts, at $7.99 per endpoint per month at 100 endpoints. Support is its best-reviewed feature. Caveats: no lab results of its own, a 50-seat minimum outside MSPs, and no mobile coverage.
Huntress compared →SentinelOne Singularity
Investigation tools, rollback, broad Linux supportOne-click rollback in every tier and support that reviewers rate well. SentinelOne says its agent covers 10 major Linux distributions, which helps teams frustrated by Defender on Linux. From $69.99 per endpoint a year through partners. Caveats: not in AV-Comparatives' tests, and reviewers report false positives.
SentinelOne compared →CrowdStrike Falcon
Threat hunting at a listed priceFalcon Enterprise includes EDR and 24/7 OverWatch threat hunting at $184.99 per device a year, sold online. Strong MITRE 2025 result. Caveats: it costs far more than Defender for Business, and it had 28 compromises and 144 false alarms in the 2023 to 2025 AV-Comparatives tests.
CrowdStrike compared →Sophos Endpoint
If you run Sophos firewallsIntegrates with Sophos firewalls and has one of the largest MDR services. Caveats: no published price, 55 compromises in the 2023 to 2025 AV-Comparatives business tests, and the heaviest footprint in the lab's 2025 performance tests.
Sophos compared →
When to stay with Microsoft Defender
Stay if you are on Microsoft 365 Business Premium or E5 and the main problem is time, not protection: adding a managed service like Huntress on top may fix it for less than a switch. Defender is the lightest of these products on older PCs, scored full protection marks in every AV-TEST business round through August 2026, and ties into Intune and Entra.
If you want stronger real-world results, simpler server licensing, or a vendor separate from Microsoft, Bitdefender GravityZone is the like-for-like alternative, tested by AV-Comparatives in the same rounds. Read its full review record, critical reviews included.
See Bitdefender GravityZone pricingHow we sourced this: on 2026-10-01 we read 36 recent Microsoft Defender for Endpoint reviews on PeerSpot (November 2023 to March 2026) and counted the themes in their improvement, pricing, and support sections; some disclose a vendor partnership or a paid interview. We used PeerSpot because it was the platform where we could read Microsoft and Bitdefender GravityZone reviews like for like for this update. Prices come from each vendor's own page, lab figures from AV-Comparatives and AV-TEST. Quotes are verbatim.
Microsoft Defender alternatives FAQ
What are the best Microsoft Defender alternatives?+
Bitdefender GravityZone for stronger AV-Comparatives results and one license that covers servers; Huntress if you want to keep Defender and add a managed SOC; SentinelOne for rollback and Linux coverage; CrowdStrike for threat hunting at a listed price; Sophos if you run Sophos firewalls.
What do Microsoft Defender reviews say?+
Of 36 recent Microsoft Defender for Endpoint reviews on PeerSpot, about 10 criticize support (often first-line or outsourced), about 9 find the portals hard to navigate, about 6 complain about cost and licensing, and about 5 about false positives and exclusions. PeerSpot rates Defender for Endpoint 4.1 out of 5 from 212 reviews and Defender for Business 3.8 from 20.
Is Bitdefender GravityZone better than Microsoft Defender?+
In AV-Comparatives' real-world business tests, GravityZone was compromised far less often (3 against 29 over three years). Defender is lighter on PCs, scores full marks in AV-TEST, and is free if you already have Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Which is better depends on what you already pay for.
Does Microsoft publish Defender pricing?+
For Defender for Business, yes: $3 per user per month, or included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($22). Microsoft's US pages no longer list standalone Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 and Plan 2 prices, and the Defender for Business servers add-on price isn't shown there either.