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Endpoint protection · October 2026 Edition
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs ESET PROTECT
Three of fourteen models named Microsoft Defender for Endpoint first on the direct prompt; zero named ESET PROTECT. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and ESET PROTECT by nine and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint carries 40 labels and ESET PROTECT 16, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in seven categories this edition.
Named in five categories this edition.
First-choice share22%2%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate5%6%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#1#8A position in a field of 11; printed, not drawn.
Labels4016A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Sophos Intercept X was named alongside these two in ten of the fourteen direct answers. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Bitdefender GravityZone · Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud · Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs CrowdStrike Falcon
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the endpoint protection page.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
Microsoft Defender for EndpointFirst choices, of fourteen modelsESET PROTECT
Direct30
Paraphrase50
Comparative20
Budget-constrained41
Scale-constrained10
Negative022 against Microsoft Defender for Endpoint · 1 against ESET PROTECT
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and ESET PROTECT stood in it.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | | | | ||
| GPT-5.4 mini | | |||||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | | ||||
| Perplexity Sonar | | | | | | |
| Grok 4.1 Fast | | | ||||
| Mistral Small | | | | | ||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | | | ||||
| Llama 4 Maverick | | |||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | | | | ||
| Kimi K2 | | | | | ||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | | | |||
| MiniMax M2.5 | | | | | ||
| GPT-6 Luna | | | | |||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | | |
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint ESET PROTECT first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on the left and ESET PROTECT on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and ESET PROTECT stood in it.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint first, ESET PROTECT not the choice
3 of 14 modelsESET PROTECT was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Grok 4.1 FastMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint alternatives: Bitdefender GravityZone, SentinelOne Singularity, Sophos Intercept X
Qwen 3.7 FlashMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint alternatives: CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X, Trend Vision One
Kimi K2Microsoft Defender for Endpoint alternatives: Bitdefender GravityZone, CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne Singularity
Neither was the first choice, one was named
6 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Claude Haiku 4.5Sophos Intercept X alternatives: Bitdefender GravityZone, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR
GPT-5.4 miniCrowdStrike Falcon alternatives: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X
Perplexity SonarBitdefender GravityZone alternatives: CrowdStrike Falcon, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity, Sophos Intercept X
GLM 4.7 FlashXCrowdStrike Falcon alternatives: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X
MiniMax M2.5Bitdefender GravityZone, CrowdStrike Falcon alternatives: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X
GPT-6 LunaCrowdStrike Falcon alternatives: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity
Neither was named
5 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Gemini 3.5 FlashSophos Intercept X alternatives: Huntress Managed EDR, Microsoft Defender for Business / Defender for Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity
Mistral SmallBitdefender GravityZone, CrowdStrike Falcon alternatives: Acronis Cyber Protect
DeepSeek V4 FlashSentinelOne Singularity alternatives: Bitdefender GravityZone, CrowdStrike Falcon, Microsoft Defender for Business / Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X
Llama 4 MaverickBitdefender GravityZone
Muse Glimmer 30BBitdefender GravityZone Business Security, Microsoft Defender for Business / Defender for Endpoint alternatives: CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne Singularity, Sophos Intercept X
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint leads by three points.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint3%#6 of 12ESET PROTECT0%#8 of 12Mid-marketThe figures above
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint leads by twenty points.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint22%#1 of 11ESET PROTECT2%#8 of 11Enterprise
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint leads by forty-four points.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint44%#1 of 9ESET PROTECT0%#– of 9What the models said about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Two of two in this category shown.
“I'd suggest starting with a pilot of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (if you're in the Microsoft ecosystem) or Bitdefender GravityZone” Kimi K2 · paraphrase prompt · first choice
“Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender are especially recommended for their balance of cost, ease of use, and effectiveness for small businesses.” Mistral Small · budget prompt · first choice
What the models said about ESET PROTECT
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Four of five in this category shown.
“often praised, but the same source flags limited control over Linux endpoints as a drawback to validate” Perplexity Sonar · negative prompt · soft negative
“Prioritize vendors that hold "Product of the Year" or "Certified EPR" status, such as ESET, Bitdefender, SentinelOne, and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint” Qwen 3.7 Flash · negative prompt · first choice
“or basic ESET PROTECT tiers. These options offer a good balance between cost and features” Llama 4 Maverick · budget prompt · first choice
“Prioritize leaders from 2024 tests: ESET PROTECT” Grok 4.1 Fast · negative prompt · first choice
Also compared
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Bitdefender GravityZoneMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint vs Microsoft Defender for CloudMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint vs CrowdStrike FalconMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint vs Sophos Intercept XMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint vs SentinelOne SingularityMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint vs SentinelOne Singularity EndpointBitdefender GravityZone vs ESET PROTECTMicrosoft Defender for Cloud vs ESET PROTECTCrowdStrike Falcon vs ESET PROTECTSophos Intercept X vs ESET PROTECTSentinelOne Singularity vs ESET PROTECTSentinelOne Singularity Endpoint vs ESET PROTECTAll twenty-eight head-to-head pages and the full endpoint protection standing
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.