# Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs ESET PROTECT: which do AI models recommend for endpoint protection, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Endpoint protection. Three of fourteen models named Microsoft Defender for Endpoint first on the direct prompt; zero named ESET PROTECT. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/operations/endpoint-protection/microsoft-defender-for-endpoint-vs-eset-protect/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | 22% | #1 of 11 | 5% | 40 | 14 of 14 |
| ESET PROTECT | 2% | #8 of 11 | 6% | 16 | 9 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Grok 4.1 Fast: microsoft defender for endpoint first (first choices: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint) (alternatives: Bitdefender GravityZone, SentinelOne Singularity, Sophos Intercept X)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: microsoft defender for endpoint first (first choices: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint) (alternatives: CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X, Trend Vision One)
- Kimi K2: microsoft defender for endpoint first (first choices: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint) (alternatives: Bitdefender GravityZone, CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne Singularity)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Sophos Intercept X) (alternatives: Bitdefender GravityZone, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither first, one named (first choices: CrowdStrike Falcon) (alternatives: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Bitdefender GravityZone) (alternatives: CrowdStrike Falcon, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity, Sophos Intercept X)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: CrowdStrike Falcon) (alternatives: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Bitdefender GravityZone, CrowdStrike Falcon) (alternatives: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither first, one named (first choices: CrowdStrike Falcon) (alternatives: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither named (first choices: Sophos Intercept X) (alternatives: Huntress Managed EDR, Microsoft Defender for Business / Defender for Endpoint, SentinelOne Singularity)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Bitdefender GravityZone, CrowdStrike Falcon) (alternatives: Acronis Cyber Protect)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither named (first choices: SentinelOne Singularity) (alternatives: Bitdefender GravityZone, CrowdStrike Falcon, Microsoft Defender for Business / Endpoint, Sophos Intercept X)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named (first choices: Bitdefender GravityZone)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither named (first choices: Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security, Microsoft Defender for Business / Defender for Endpoint) (alternatives: CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne Singularity, Sophos Intercept X)

## What the models said about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

- "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

- "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)

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. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.