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Endpoint protection · October 2026 Edition
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Three of fourteen models named Microsoft Defender for Endpoint first on the direct prompt; zero named Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and Microsoft Defender for Cloud by eight and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint carries 40 labels and Microsoft Defender for Cloud 12, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in seven categories this edition.
Named in fourteen categories this edition.
First-choice share22%17%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate5%8%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#1#3A position in a field of 11; printed, not drawn.
Labels4012A 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 CrowdStrike Falcon · Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Sophos Intercept X
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 modelsMicrosoft Defender for Cloud
Direct301 against Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Paraphrase52
Comparative20
Budget-constrained48
Scale-constrained10
Negative002 against Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
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 Microsoft Defender for Cloud 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 Microsoft Defender for Cloud first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on the left and Microsoft Defender for Cloud on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Microsoft Defender for Cloud stood in it.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint first, Microsoft Defender for Cloud not the choice
3 of 14 modelsMicrosoft Defender for Cloud 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 Cloud leads by forty-seven points.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud50%#1 of 12Microsoft Defender for Endpoint3%#6 of 12Mid-marketThe figures above
The order flips: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint leads at mid-market.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint22%#1 of 11Microsoft Defender for Cloud17%#3 of 11Enterprise
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is not named for this buyer.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint44%#1 of 9Microsoft Defender for Cloud—not namedWhat 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 Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Two of two in this category shown.
“My top advice: If you are not already using Microsoft 365, Microsoft Defender for Business is still a strong contender because it is the most cost-effective way” GLM 4.7 FlashX · budget prompt · first choice
“If you want the best value and least friction for a mid-size B2B firm already in the Microsoft ecosystem, start with Microsoft Defender for Business” GLM 4.7 FlashX · paraphrase prompt · first choice
Also compared
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Bitdefender GravityZoneMicrosoft 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 EndpointMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint vs ESET PROTECTBitdefender GravityZone vs Microsoft Defender for CloudMicrosoft Defender for Cloud vs CrowdStrike FalconMicrosoft Defender for Cloud vs Sophos Intercept XMicrosoft Defender for Cloud vs SentinelOne SingularityMicrosoft Defender for Cloud vs SentinelOne Singularity EndpointMicrosoft Defender for Cloud 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.