Choosing endpoint security software is no longer as simple as comparing antivirus detection rates.

Modern businesses need protection against ransomware, stolen credentials, malicious scripts, fileless attacks, compromised accounts, and attackers who attempt to move between devices after gaining initial access.

Microsoft Defender, CrowdStrike, and SentinelOne all provide modern endpoint protection, but they target different budgets, technical teams, and business environments.

For most small businesses, Microsoft Defender for Business offers the best overall value. It costs substantially less than the comparable CrowdStrike and SentinelOne packages while including endpoint detection and response, automated investigation, attack disruption, and vulnerability-management features.

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise is the strongest choice for organizations that prioritize managed threat hunting and cloud-native security operations.

SentinelOne Singularity Complete is particularly attractive to teams that want autonomous endpoint response, strong investigation tools, and predictable per-endpoint pricing.

This comparison examines pricing, endpoint detection and response, automated remediation, threat hunting, operating-system support, administration, and suitability for small and growing businesses.

Quick Verdict

• Best overall for small businesses: Microsoft Defender for Business
• Best value: Microsoft Defender for Business
• Best for Microsoft 365 customers: Microsoft Defender for Business
• Best for managed threat hunting: CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise
• Best for autonomous endpoint response: SentinelOne Singularity Complete
• Best for dedicated security teams: CrowdStrike or SentinelOne
• Best for organizations without a security analyst: Microsoft Defender or a managed MDR service

Microsoft Defender vs CrowdStrike vs SentinelOne at a Glance

Microsoft lists Defender for Business at $3 per user per month with annual billing, supporting up to 300 users and five client devices per licensed user. The plan includes EDR, automatic attack disruption, automated investigation and remediation, and core vulnerability management.

CrowdStrike currently lists Falcon Enterprise at $184.99 per device annually or $19.99 per device with monthly billing. The bundle includes next-generation antivirus, firewall management, endpoint detection and response, device control, mobile protection, and threat intelligence and hunting.

SentinelOne lists Singularity Complete at $179.99 per endpoint annually. The package includes AI-driven endpoint protection, real-time detection and response, an AI security assistant, and 14 days of standard historical EDR retention.

Pricing note: Published prices are reference prices and may exclude taxes. Regional pricing, reseller discounts, contract terms, support, minimum purchases, and optional modules can change the final cost.

Which Plans Are We Comparing?

A fair security comparison must identify the exact packages being evaluated.

Vendor names alone are insufficient because each company offers several tiers with different capabilities.

Microsoft Defender for Business

Microsoft Defender for Business is designed specifically for organizations with up to 300 users.

It includes:

• Next-generation antivirus
• Attack surface reduction
• Endpoint detection and response
• Automated investigation and remediation
• Automatic attack disruption
• Core vulnerability management
• Centralized incident management
• Mobile threat defense
• 30 days of advanced-hunting data
• Support for five client devices per licensed user

Server protection requires an additional server license. Microsoft currently states that each Windows or Linux server instance requires its own Defender for Business server add-on.

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise is the lowest currently advertised CrowdStrike bundle in this comparison that includes both full endpoint detection and response and threat hunting.

Falcon Go and Falcon Pro cost less, but CrowdStrike’s package comparison indicates that EDR and threat hunting are included in Falcon Enterprise rather than the lower tiers.

Its listed components include:

• Next-generation antivirus
• Device control
• Mobile device protection
• Firewall management
• Endpoint detection and response
• Threat intelligence
• Managed threat hunting
• Express support

SentinelOne Singularity Complete

SentinelOne Singularity Complete combines endpoint prevention and EDR in one package.

Its principal capabilities include:

• AI-driven prevention
• Behavioral detection
• Real-time endpoint response
• Automated remediation
• Storyline investigation context
• Threat hunting
• AI security assistance
• 14 days of historical EDR data
• Windows, macOS, Linux, and cloud-workload support

SentinelOne states that customers can increase historical EDR retention beyond the included 14 days, with upgrade options reaching 365 days.

Is This a Perfect Like-for-Like Comparison?

Not entirely.

Microsoft Defender for Business is an SMB-focused package, while CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise and SentinelOne Singularity Complete are closer to enterprise EDR products.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 would be a more direct enterprise comparison. However, Defender for Business is included because it provides many advanced endpoint capabilities at a price specifically designed for smaller organizations.

This distinction is important when evaluating both cost and feature depth.

Pricing Comparison

Microsoft Defender for Business Pricing

Microsoft Defender for Business costs:

$3 per user per month
$36 per user per year

Each licensed user can protect up to five client devices.

For example, a company with ten licensed employees would pay approximately:

10 users × $36 = $360 per year

Those ten licenses could cover up to 50 eligible client devices, although licenses must be assigned to actual users and used according to Microsoft’s licensing terms.

Microsoft Defender for Business is also included with Microsoft 365 Business Premium, which currently has a higher per-user cost but adds productivity applications, identity protection, email security, device management, and cloud storage.

Additional Microsoft Costs

Potential additional costs include:

• Windows or Linux server licenses
• Microsoft Intune when not already included
• Microsoft Sentinel usage
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365
• Managed service provider fees
• Professional deployment assistance

Microsoft states that some advanced policy configuration, including certain attack surface reduction and controlled-folder settings, may require the Intune administration portal.

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise Pricing

CrowdStrike lists Falcon Enterprise at:

$184.99 per device per year

The monthly option is:

$19.99 per device per month

At the annual price, ten endpoints would cost approximately:

10 endpoints × $184.99 = $1,849.90 per year

Twenty-five endpoints would cost approximately:

25 endpoints × $184.99 = $4,624.75 per year

Fifty endpoints would cost approximately:

50 endpoints × $184.99 = $9,249.50 per year

These figures are based on the advertised annual list price before taxes, promotions, reseller discounts, additional modules, or services.

SentinelOne Singularity Complete Pricing

SentinelOne lists Singularity Complete at:

$179.99 per endpoint per year

Ten endpoints would therefore cost approximately:

10 endpoints × $179.99 = $1,799.90 per year

Twenty-five endpoints would cost approximately:

25 endpoints × $179.99 = $4,499.75 per year

Fifty endpoints would cost approximately:

50 endpoints × $179.99 = $8,999.50 per year

Additional historical data, cloud-workload protection, identity security, mobile security, managed threat hunting, and other platform modules can increase the total cost.

Annual Cost Comparison

The following example assumes one licensed Microsoft user or one protected endpoint per employee.

Microsoft becomes even more cost-effective when each user has multiple eligible devices because one user license can protect up to five client devices.

CrowdStrike and SentinelOne generally license each endpoint individually.

Pricing Winner: Microsoft Defender for Business

Microsoft Defender for Business is the clear price winner for small organizations.

However, price should not be the only deciding factor. A company may reasonably pay more for CrowdStrike or SentinelOne when it needs deeper threat-hunting workflows, longer enterprise contracts, specialized integrations, or a platform already familiar to its security team.

Endpoint Protection and Malware Prevention

All three vendors provide modern endpoint protection rather than relying entirely on traditional file signatures.

Modern protection typically analyzes:

• File reputation
• Process behavior
• Scripts and command lines
• Suspicious network connections
• Credential access
• Exploit behavior
• Persistence techniques
• Lateral movement
• Ransomware activity

Microsoft Defender

Defender for Business combines Microsoft Defender Antivirus with cloud protection, behavioral monitoring, attack surface reduction, network protection, web filtering, and EDR.

Microsoft also includes automatic attack disruption, which can contain affected devices or accounts during certain active attacks.

One advantage for Windows-based businesses is that much of the underlying security technology is already integrated with Windows.

The business subscription adds centralized policies, incidents, investigations, vulnerability information, and response capabilities.

CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike Falcon uses a cloud-managed endpoint agent and indicators of attack to identify malicious behavior, including malware-free and fileless activity.

Falcon Enterprise combines prevention with continuous endpoint visibility and prioritized malicious-activity detection. CrowdStrike also includes managed threat hunting in this advertised bundle.

The platform is particularly attractive to organizations that want endpoint telemetry connected with identity, cloud, threat intelligence, and broader security operations.

SentinelOne

SentinelOne uses behavioral analysis and endpoint automation to detect and respond to suspicious activity.

The platform can automatically terminate processes, quarantine files, isolate devices, and provide investigation context through its Storyline capability.

SentinelOne states that endpoint devices can perform certain detection and response operations autonomously rather than waiting for a complete cloud round trip.

Prevention Winner: No Universal Winner

A responsible comparison should not claim that one product will stop every attack.

All three provide credible modern prevention. The practical result depends on:

• The exact subscription
• Security-policy configuration
• Operating system
• Agent version
• Exclusions
• Administrator response
• User behavior
• The attack technique
• Other security controls

The better product is the one an organization can correctly deploy, configure, monitor, and maintain.

Endpoint Detection and Response

EDR records and analyzes endpoint activity to help identify attacks that bypass initial prevention.

Microsoft Defender EDR

Defender for Business includes an optimized form of Microsoft’s endpoint detection and response technology.

Administrators can:

• Review incidents and alerts
• Inspect affected devices
• View risk and exposure levels
• Run antivirus scans
• Isolate devices
• Start automated investigations
• Review remediation activity
• Stream telemetry through supported APIs

Defender for Business includes 30 days of advanced-hunting retention. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 provides a more extensive enterprise experience and six months of data retention.

CrowdStrike EDR

Falcon Enterprise includes Falcon Insight XDR for endpoint detection and response.

CrowdStrike describes the service as providing continuous endpoint visibility, prioritized malicious activity, and the information required to investigate potential breaches.

The bundle also includes managed threat hunting, giving customers access to analysts who look for subtle indications of intrusion.

This combination is valuable to organizations that do not want endpoint telemetry to depend entirely on their internal analysts.

SentinelOne EDR

Singularity Complete provides:

• Continuous endpoint telemetry
• Real-time detection
• Storyline attack context
• MITRE ATT&CK mapping
• Manual response actions
• Automated response actions
• Threat hunting
• Historical EDR data
• Data export options

SentinelOne includes 14 days of standard historical EDR data. Longer retention can be purchased.

EDR Winner by Use Case

Microsoft Defender wins for small-business value.

CrowdStrike wins for organizations prioritizing managed threat hunting.

SentinelOne wins for teams prioritizing automated endpoint response and clear investigation context.

Automated Investigation and Response

Microsoft Defender

Automated investigation is enabled by default in Defender for Business.

Depending on the threat and policy settings, the platform can take or recommend actions such as:

• Quarantining a file
• Stopping a process
• Isolating a device
• Blocking a URL
• Removing a scheduled task

Administrators can review completed and pending actions through the Action Center.

Microsoft’s automation is particularly useful to a small IT team that cannot manually investigate every alert.

CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike provides endpoint response capabilities through Falcon Insight XDR and the wider Falcon platform.

The advertised Falcon Enterprise bundle adds continuous detection, prioritized activity, managed hunting, and endpoint response over the prevention features available in lower packages.

Organizations requiring hands-on remediation by CrowdStrike personnel should distinguish Falcon Enterprise from Falcon Complete MDR. Falcon Complete is a managed detection and response service rather than simply the standard Enterprise endpoint bundle.

SentinelOne

Automation is one of SentinelOne’s strongest differentiators.

SentinelOne states that Singularity can:

• Kill unauthorized processes
• Quarantine malicious files
• Isolate compromised devices
• Perform automated remediation
• Connect related activity into a Storyline
• Assist analysts during investigation
• Take certain protective actions directly at the endpoint

This can reduce dependence on constant cloud connectivity for every initial detection or response decision.

Automation Winner: SentinelOne

SentinelOne is particularly strong for organizations seeking endpoint-level autonomous response.

Microsoft is a close alternative for small businesses because its automated investigation capabilities are included at a much lower price.

Threat Hunting

Microsoft Defender

Defender for Business provides an optimized EDR experience and 30 days of advanced-hunting data.

Organizations can also use the Defender streaming API to send device, registry, network, file, and sign-in events to services such as Microsoft Sentinel, although Sentinel may introduce additional costs.

Businesses needing deeper built-in hunting capabilities and six months of native retention should evaluate Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 instead.

CrowdStrike

Threat hunting is a major reason to choose Falcon Enterprise.

CrowdStrike includes threat intelligence and hunting in the published Enterprise package. The service is intended to identify subtle indications of sophisticated intrusion that automated detections may not immediately classify.

Organizations should verify the exact scope, service level, operating hours, and response responsibilities included in their agreement.

SentinelOne

SentinelOne supports threat hunting through its endpoint telemetry, Storyline context, MITRE ATT&CK mapping, and investigation tools.

The standard 14-day historical EDR window is shorter than many dedicated security teams may prefer, but additional retention can be purchased.

Threat-Hunting Winner: CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise is the strongest of the three compared packages when managed threat hunting is a primary purchasing requirement.

Data Retention

Data retention matters when an attack is discovered days or weeks after the initial compromise.

Microsoft Defender for Business

Microsoft documents:

30 days of advanced-hunting data

Its enterprise Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 provides six months of retention.

SentinelOne Singularity Complete

SentinelOne includes:

14 days of standard historical EDR data

The company provides options to extend historical EDR retention up to 365 days.

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise

CrowdStrike’s public pricing page does not clearly present a universal retention period for every Falcon Enterprise purchase.

Retention can depend on package configuration, region, contract, and additional modules. Buyers should obtain the retention period in writing before signing a contract.

Retention Winner Among Clearly Published Base Terms: Microsoft

Defender for Business provides a clearly documented 30-day advanced-hunting period, compared with SentinelOne Complete’s 14-day standard EDR history.

CrowdStrike buyers should verify their contracted retention.

Device and Operating-System Support

Microsoft Defender for Business

Microsoft supports:

• Windows
• macOS
• Android
• iOS and iPadOS

Each licensed user can protect up to five eligible client devices.

Windows and Linux servers require separate server licenses. Microsoft allows up to 60 Defender for Business server add-on licenses before recommending other server-security plans.

Linux desktop support should not be assumed from server support. Confirm the exact operating-system and workload requirements before deployment.

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise

CrowdStrike provides endpoint protection through its Falcon agent and offers protection across endpoints, mobile devices, cloud environments, and other workloads through the Falcon platform.

The advertised Enterprise bundle includes mobile device protection alongside endpoint protection, device control, firewall management, EDR, and hunting.

Buyers should verify supported versions and licensing for:

• Windows workstations
• Windows servers
• macOS
• Linux distributions
• Android
• iOS
• Virtual machines
• Cloud workloads

SentinelOne Singularity Complete

SentinelOne documents support for:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux
• Virtualized operating systems
• Kubernetes environments
• Physical and cloud workloads

Its operating-system coverage documentation identifies autonomous agents for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Kubernetes.

Mobile protection is available through SentinelOne Singularity Mobile, which supports iOS, Android, and ChromeOS, but buyers should confirm whether it is included in their selected endpoint package or requires separate licensing.

Device-Support Winner

• Best for Microsoft environments: Microsoft Defender
• Best for broad desktop and server coverage: SentinelOne
• Best when combining endpoint and mobile in the listed bundle: CrowdStrike

Deployment and Ease of Management

Microsoft Defender Deployment

Microsoft provides a setup wizard and default security policies for Defender for Business.

Windows devices can be onboarded through:

• A local script
• Microsoft Intune
• Group Policy
• Microsoft Entra registration
• Other supported management methods

The setup wizard can configure administrator access, notifications, Windows onboarding, and default policies.

Microsoft Management Drawback

Administration may involve several portals:

• Microsoft 365 Admin Center
• Microsoft Defender portal
• Microsoft Intune Admin Center

This can be confusing for organizations unfamiliar with Microsoft’s security ecosystem.

CrowdStrike Deployment

CrowdStrike is built around a cloud-managed endpoint agent and unified console.

The architecture is attractive to organizations that want to avoid maintaining an on-premises endpoint-security management server.

CrowdStrike’s platform combines endpoint, identity, cloud, SaaS, data, and threat-intelligence capabilities through its broader cloud platform.

Its main management challenge is not basic agent installation but the depth of available features. Organizations may need trained administrators or a managed service to obtain full value.

SentinelOne Deployment

SentinelOne uses a centralized platform and endpoint agents across Windows, macOS, Linux, cloud workloads, and supported virtual environments.

Its automated response features can reduce the number of routine manual actions, but an organization still needs someone capable of reviewing incidents, validating remediation, and changing policies.

The platform’s depth may be excessive for a very small business that only needs basic malware prevention.

Ease-of-Use Winner

Microsoft Defender is easiest for companies already using Microsoft 365 and Intune.

CrowdStrike offers a strong cloud-native console for mature security teams.

SentinelOne offers powerful automation but may require greater EDR knowledge.

Firewall and Device Control

Microsoft Defender

Defender for Business includes firewall and attack-surface-reduction capabilities.

Device control is available, but Microsoft notes limitations. Certain custom rules and macOS device-control configurations may require Intune or Jamf.

CrowdStrike

Falcon Enterprise includes:

• Firewall management
• USB device control
• Mobile device protection

CrowdStrike’s pricing comparison lists firewall management in Falcon Pro and Enterprise, with EDR and threat hunting added in Enterprise.

SentinelOne

SentinelOne Complete includes endpoint firewall-control capabilities and device control within the wider endpoint platform.

SentinelOne documents native operating-system firewall control for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Firewall and Device-Control Winner: CrowdStrike or SentinelOne

Both provide centralized controls aimed at security teams.

Microsoft remains capable, but certain configurations can require additional Microsoft management services.

Vulnerability Management

Microsoft Defender

Core vulnerability-management capabilities are included with Defender for Business.

Administrators can view device exposure, security recommendations, missing updates, and identified weaknesses through Microsoft’s security portal.

The full Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management product provides additional capabilities beyond the core tools included with Defender for Business.

CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike offers exposure and vulnerability-management capabilities through additional Falcon platform products and modules.

Buyers should not assume that every vulnerability-management capability is included solely because they purchased Falcon Enterprise.

SentinelOne

SentinelOne offers wider exposure, identity, cloud, and vulnerability-related capabilities through the Singularity platform and additional packages.

The exact modules included in Singularity Complete should be confirmed in the vendor quote.

Vulnerability-Management Winner for the Base Package: Microsoft

Microsoft Defender for Business includes useful core vulnerability-management features without requiring an enterprise-priced endpoint package.

Microsoft 365 and Ecosystem Integration

Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Defender provides the strongest integration for organizations using:

• Microsoft 365
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Microsoft Intune
• Windows 11
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365
• Microsoft Sentinel
• Microsoft Purview
• Microsoft 365 Lighthouse

Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Defender for Business, Intune Plan 1, Entra ID Plan 1, and Defender for Office 365 Plan 1, making it a compelling security and productivity bundle for small organizations.

CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike is better suited to organizations building a vendor-neutral or CrowdStrike-centered security stack.

The broader Falcon platform can combine endpoint, identity, cloud, data, and intelligence capabilities from one cloud-delivered platform.

SentinelOne

SentinelOne combines endpoint, cloud, identity, AI security, and security-operations functions through the Singularity platform.

It also supports third-party data ingestion and integrations, allowing customers to use SentinelOne alongside existing IT and security tools.

Ecosystem Winner

• Microsoft-first business: Microsoft Defender
• CrowdStrike security stack: CrowdStrike
• Automation-focused heterogeneous environment: SentinelOne

Which Product Is Best for Small Businesses?

Choose Microsoft Defender for Business When:

• You have fewer than 300 users
• Your business already uses Microsoft 365
• You need affordable EDR
• Employees use multiple devices
• You want automated investigation
• You want core vulnerability management
• You use Windows and Microsoft cloud services
• You have a limited security budget

The per-user licensing model is particularly valuable when employees use both desktop and laptop computers.

Choose CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise When:

• Managed threat hunting is a major requirement
• You have a security or IT operations team
• You prefer per-device licensing
• Your organization already uses CrowdStrike products
• You need a cloud-native endpoint platform
• Your budget supports enterprise endpoint pricing
• You want to combine endpoint, identity, and cloud security

Choose SentinelOne Singularity Complete When:

• You want automated endpoint response
• Your team needs detailed attack context
• You operate Windows, macOS, and Linux devices
• You have administrators capable of using EDR
• You want predictable per-endpoint list pricing
• You prefer SentinelOne’s unified endpoint and cloud platform
• You are comfortable purchasing additional data retention when needed

Which Is Best for a Company With 10 Employees?

For most ten-person companies, Microsoft Defender for Business is the most rational choice.

At the published price, ten user licenses cost approximately $360 per year and can protect up to 50 eligible client devices.

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise and SentinelOne Complete would cost approximately $1,850 and $1,800 respectively for ten endpoints before optional services and taxes.

A small company should only select the more expensive platforms when it has:

• Strict contractual security requirements
• Sensitive regulated data
• A skilled administrator
• A managed security provider
• An established CrowdStrike or SentinelOne environment
• A documented need for deeper hunting or response features

Which Is Best for 25 to 100 Employees?

Microsoft remains the best value for companies with up to 300 users.

CrowdStrike becomes more compelling when the organization develops a dedicated security function or purchases a managed CrowdStrike service.

SentinelOne becomes more attractive when the company wants automated EDR across a diverse device environment and has someone available to investigate incidents.

Which Is Best for More Than 300 Employees?

Defender for Business is not designed for organizations exceeding 300 users.

Larger organizations should compare:

• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2
• CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise
• SentinelOne Singularity Complete or Commercial

That would produce a more direct enterprise-level comparison.

Pros and Cons

Microsoft Defender for Business

Pros

• Lowest published price
• Up to five client devices per user
• EDR included
• Automated investigation included
• Automatic attack disruption
• Core vulnerability management
• Strong Microsoft 365 integration
• 30-day advanced-hunting retention
• Suitable for companies without a large security team

Cons

• Limited to 300 users
• Servers require extra licenses
• Administration may involve multiple portals
• Some advanced policies require Intune
• Less extensive threat hunting than Defender for Endpoint Plan 2
• Best suited to Microsoft-centered environments

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise

Pros

• Full endpoint detection and response
• Managed threat hunting included in advertised bundle
• Cloud-native architecture
• Centralized firewall and device control
• Strong endpoint telemetry
• Extensive Falcon platform
• Suitable for mature security teams

Cons

• High per-device cost
• Every endpoint requires licensing
• Advanced platform modules can increase total cost
• May be excessive for a very small company
• Falcon Complete MDR is a separate service
• Public retention details should be confirmed in the contract

SentinelOne Singularity Complete

Pros

• Strong automated endpoint response
• EPP and EDR in one package
• Clear annual per-endpoint list price
• Storyline investigation context
• Support for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• On-device autonomous security capabilities
• Flexible data export and retention upgrades

Cons

• Expensive for small companies
• Only 14 days of standard historical EDR data
• Mobile security may require another package
• Requires someone capable of reviewing incidents
• Additional modules can raise total costs
• More complex than basic small-business antivirus

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Microsoft Defender Better Than CrowdStrike?

Microsoft Defender for Business is better for most small companies when price, Microsoft integration, multiple devices per user, automated remediation, and core vulnerability management are priorities.

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise may be better for organizations that prioritize managed threat hunting, cloud-native security operations, and the wider Falcon platform.

Is CrowdStrike Better Than SentinelOne?

CrowdStrike is often more attractive to organizations that want managed threat hunting and already use the Falcon platform.

SentinelOne may be preferable for teams prioritizing autonomous endpoint response, Storyline investigation, and a slightly lower published annual endpoint price.

The better choice depends on the required modules, operating systems, contract terms, and internal security expertise.

Is Microsoft Defender for Business a Full EDR Platform?

Yes. Microsoft Defender for Business includes an optimized EDR experience, automated investigation and remediation, automatic attack disruption, and 30 days of advanced-hunting data.

It is not identical to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, which provides deeper enterprise capabilities and six months of retention.

Does CrowdStrike Falcon Go Include EDR?

No. CrowdStrike’s published package comparison places EDR in Falcon Enterprise.

Falcon Go provides next-generation antivirus, device control, and mobile protection, while Falcon Pro adds firewall management.

Does SentinelOne Work Without Internet Access?

SentinelOne performs important behavioral detection and response functions through its endpoint agent.

Some local protective actions can continue without waiting for a cloud response, but cloud connectivity is still required for complete management, telemetry synchronization, updates, and centralized investigation.

Which Product Has the Best Ransomware Protection?

All three provide ransomware-protection capabilities.

Microsoft includes attack disruption and automated remediation. CrowdStrike provides behavioral endpoint detection and managed hunting. SentinelOne emphasizes autonomous process termination, quarantine, isolation, and remediation.

No endpoint product guarantees protection against every ransomware attack. Businesses must also maintain tested, isolated backups and strong identity security.

Which Platform Is Cheapest?

Microsoft Defender for Business is substantially cheaper based on published list prices.

Its user-based license also protects up to five eligible client devices per user, while CrowdStrike and SentinelOne generally price the compared plans per endpoint.

Do I Still Need Backups With EDR?

Yes.

EDR is not a replacement for backup. Maintain:

• Offline or immutable backups
• Multiple backup versions
• Separate administrator credentials
• Regular restoration tests
• Protection for Microsoft 365 and cloud data
• A documented ransomware-recovery plan

Can These Products Protect Servers?

Yes, but server licensing differs.

Microsoft requires separate Defender for Business server licenses. CrowdStrike and SentinelOne license servers or cloud workloads according to their selected packages and agreements.

Always request a written quote that separates employee endpoints, servers, virtual machines, and cloud workloads.

Final Verdict

Best Overall: Microsoft Defender for Business

Microsoft Defender for Business is the best choice for most small organizations in 2026.

At $3 per user per month with annual billing, it delivers exceptional value by including:

• Next-generation antivirus
• Endpoint detection and response
• Automated investigation and remediation
• Automatic attack disruption
• Core vulnerability management
• Mobile threat defense
• 30 days of advanced-hunting data
• Protection for up to five client devices per user

Its primary disadvantages are the 300-user limit, separate server licensing, and the complexity of Microsoft’s administrative portals.

Best for Managed Threat Hunting: CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise

CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise is the strongest option when an organization values managed threat hunting, continuous endpoint visibility, and the wider Falcon security platform.

Its published price is much higher than Defender for Business, but the additional cost may be justified for companies with mature security requirements.

Best for Autonomous EDR: SentinelOne Singularity Complete

SentinelOne Singularity Complete is a strong alternative for organizations that prioritize behavioral detection, autonomous response, investigation context, and broad desktop and server operating-system coverage.

Its $179.99 annual endpoint price is slightly lower than CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise’s published annual price, although organizations may need to pay more for longer retention and additional services.

Our Recommendation

Choose Microsoft Defender for Business when your organization:

• Has fewer than 300 users
• Uses Microsoft 365
• Needs strong endpoint protection at a low cost
• Does not have a dedicated security operations center

Choose CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise when your organization:

• Prioritizes managed threat hunting
• Uses the Falcon platform
• Has a larger endpoint-security budget

Choose SentinelOne Singularity Complete when your organization:

• Prioritizes automated endpoint response
• Has technical staff capable of using EDR
• Operates a diverse Windows, macOS, and Linux environment

Before purchasing, run a limited trial using non-critical devices. Evaluate deployment time, policy management, system performance, alert quality, investigation workflows, and the time required from your administrators.

The best endpoint platform is not merely the one with the longest feature list. It is the platform your organization can correctly configure, continuously monitor, and rapidly respond to when a real incident occurs.

Editorial Disclosure

This article is intended for general informational purposes. It does not guarantee that any security platform will detect or prevent every cyberattack.

Prices and product details were reviewed in July 2026 and may change according to region, taxes, promotions, contract terms, resellers, device counts, and optional services.

CyberWise Business does not claim to have conducted a controlled malware laboratory test of these products. Feature comparisons are based on official vendor documentation and publicly available package information.