CrowdStrike Falcon vs ESET PROTECT

Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: 11 Best Endpoint Protection Software 2026. Last verified July 4, 2026.

The short answer

CrowdStrike Falcon ranks higher on Top 11 (#1 vs #8) for IT and security leaders. One lightweight agent, leading detection and managed hunting.

At a glance

CrowdStrike FalconESET PROTECT
Top 11 rank#1 / CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: 11 Best Endpoint Protection Software 2026#8 / CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: 11 Best Endpoint Protection Software 2026
Score (out of 9.4)9.38.4
Best forBest overall for EDR and threat huntingBest for light footprint and flexible hosting
Pricing$$$ (roughly $60 to $185 per endpoint per year by tier)$$ (roughly $40 to $85 per endpoint per year)
HQAustin, USABratislava, Slovakia
Founded20111992

Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.