How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- CrowdStrike Falcon is the most widely deployed enterprise alternative, with published per-device pricing from $59.99 per year.
- SentinelOne suits teams that want autonomous response with ransomware rollback, starting near $69.99 per endpoint per year.
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is the cheapest credible option for Microsoft 365 shops, near $5.20 per user per month standalone.
- Sophos Intercept X is the best small-business value, with deep learning protection from near $28 per user per year.
- Bitdefender GravityZone offers top-rated detection at a lower price than the big enterprise platforms, making it a strong mid-market pick.
Quick comparison
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The best Carbon Black alternatives
Starting price$59.99 per device per year
Free planFree trial
CrowdStrike Falcon is the default enterprise replacement for Carbon Black, and its cloud-native design is the reason. A lightweight sensor streams telemetry to the cloud, where detection, investigation and response happen without on-premises servers. The Go tier starts near $59.99 per device per year for basic antivirus replacement, Pro near $99.99 adds full EDR, and Enterprise near $184.99 adds threat hunting and XDR features.
Falcon Complete adds a managed SOC that monitors and responds on your behalf, at a premium over base EDR. That managed option matters for teams without a 24/7 security staff. The catch is total cost: once you add identity protection, cloud security and managed services, the bill grows well past the entry tier. For large teams that want the most deployed EDR platform, Falcon is the safe choice.
What we like- Cloud-native sensor
- Published pricing
- Managed Falcon Complete option
Watch out for- Enterprise tiers cost far more
- Pricing rises steeply with add-ons
Starting price$69.99 per endpoint per year
Free planFree trial
SentinelOne's pitch is autonomy: its agent detects and responds on the device itself, including rolling back ransomware-encrypted files, without waiting for a cloud round trip. Core starts near $69.99 per endpoint per year, Control near $79.99 adds device and firewall control, and Complete near $179.99 adds full EDR and XDR with rollback and AI assistance. A Commercial tier near $229.99 covers the largest enterprises.
SentinelOne also supports on-premises, sovereign and air-gapped deployments, which matters for regulated industries that cannot send telemetry to a public cloud. The downside is pricing opacity on monthly terms, since SentinelOne publishes annual per-endpoint prices only. For teams that want strong automated response and flexible deployment, SentinelOne is the strongest CrowdStrike rival.
What we like- Autonomous AI response
- Ransomware rollback
- On-prem and air-gapped options
Watch out for- No monthly list price
- Higher tiers jump in cost
#3Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Best for: Microsoft 365 shops4.4/5 on
G2 (312 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit microsoft.com
Starting price$5.20 per user per month
Free planFree trial
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is the cheapest credible alternative for organizations already paying for Microsoft 365. Plan 1 near $3 per user per month covers next-generation antivirus and attack surface reduction, while Plan 2 near $5.20 adds full EDR, automated investigation and threat analytics. For Microsoft 365 E5 customers, Plan 2 is already included, so the incremental cost can be near zero.
The trade-off is platform depth. Defender is deepest on Windows, with broader OS support through the wider Defender family but less polish on macOS and Linux than CrowdStrike or SentinelOne. Its management console also takes learning, since it spans many Microsoft security products. For a Microsoft shop, though, the price and integration advantage is hard to argue against.
What we like- Native Windows integration
- Cheap for E5 customers
- Full EDR in Plan 2
Watch out for- Best on Windows
- Management console is complex
#4Sophos Intercept X
Best for: Small business value4.7/5 on
G2 (837 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit sophos.com
Starting price$28 per user per year
Free planFree trial
Sophos Intercept X is the best value pick for small and mid-size businesses. Entry pricing starts near $28 per user per year, with mid tiers near $4 to $5.67 per user per month, and it combines deep learning malware detection with CryptoGuard anti-ransomware that rolls back encrypted files. A managed threat response option near $5.67 per user per month adds a human SOC for teams without analysts.
The management console feels older than CrowdStrike's or SentinelOne's, and enterprise XDR depth trails the leaders. For a small team that needs strong protection at a low price with an optional managed service, Sophos delivers the most protection per dollar on this list. Larger teams with dedicated analysts may still prefer a leader-tier platform.
What we like- Deep learning plus anti-ransomware
- Low entry price
- Managed MTR option
Watch out for- Console feels older
- Enterprise features trail CrowdStrike
Starting price$77.69 per year
Free planFree trial
Bitdefender GravityZone pairs consistently strong detection results with pricing below the big enterprise names. Entry bundles start near $77.69 per year for three devices, with business tiers scaling by device count and feature set. It covers Windows, macOS and Linux, plus servers and mobile, from one console with EDR and XDR options on higher tiers.
The console packs many features into dense views, which new admins find busy at first. Enterprise deals still involve sales conversations for large counts. For mid-market teams that want detection quality close to CrowdStrike at a lower bill, GravityZone is one of the best compromises available.
What we like- Top-rated detection scores
- Good value
- Broad platform coverage
Watch out for- Enterprise sales process
- Interface takes learning
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Palo Alto Cortex XDR suits organizations already invested in Palo Alto firewalls and cloud security, since it correlates endpoint data with network and cloud telemetry in one platform. That cross-domain view helps analysts trace an attack from an endpoint through the network to a cloud workload without switching tools. Approximate list rates run near $14 per month for entry tiers and $18 to $25 for fuller XDR and managed tiers.
Pricing is quote-based for most buyers, and per-device costs run higher than CrowdStrike or SentinelOne. Teams outside the Palo Alto ecosystem get less value from the integration advantage. For a Palo Alto shop consolidating security vendors, Cortex XDR is the natural endpoint choice.
What we like- Full-stack XDR with network and cloud data
- Strong analytics
- Managed options
Watch out for- Quote-only pricing
- Priciest per-device rates here
#7Trend Micro Apex One
Best for: Multi-layer protection4.3/5 on
G2 (116 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit trendmicro.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Trend Micro Apex One covers endpoints, email and servers from one agent and console, which suits teams that want fewer security vendors rather than best-of-breed point tools. Its Vision One platform adds XDR correlation across those layers, with approximate rates near $4 per month for entry and $6 to $8 for fuller tiers. Reviews often note it as friendly for junior teams, with guided investigation workflows.
Pricing is quote-based for most deals, and the console covers so many products that it can feel sprawling. For a mid-size team that wants one vendor across endpoint, email and server security, Trend Micro's breadth is a genuine advantage over a pure endpoint tool.
What we like- Endpoint plus email and server coverage
- Vision One XDR option
- Junior-team friendly
Watch out for- Quote-only pricing
- Console can feel sprawling
Starting price$49.99 per device per year
Free planFree trial
Malwarebytes for Teams is the simplest option here. It installs quickly, manages from a clean console, and starts near $49.99 per device per year, with a 14-day trial. Its remediation engine is well regarded for cleaning infected machines, which is the job small teams most often need.
EDR depth is thinner than CrowdStrike, SentinelOne or Defender Plan 2, and there is no enterprise XDR platform behind it. For a startup or small business that needs reliable protection without a security team to run it, Malwarebytes is the easiest buy. Larger teams should pick a full EDR platform instead.
What we like- Very simple to run
- Low entry price
- Good remediation
Watch out for- Thinner EDR depth than leaders
- No enterprise XDR story
How we chose
We compared platforms on detection quality, response automation, platform coverage, pricing transparency and fit for small, mid-size and enterprise teams. We used vendor pricing pages and recent comparison guides for rates, and we favored platforms with published prices where available. We did not claim hands-on testing. Instead we weighed what each platform detects, how it responds, and what it costs per device per year, so buyers can match a tool to their team size and existing stack.
Switching without a protection gap
Never remove the old agent from every device on the same day you install the new one. Run both in monitoring mode on a pilot group first, confirm that policies, exclusions and firewall rules carry over, and watch for false positives on your core business apps. Carbon Black policies around script control and device control often need manual mapping, since every vendor names those controls differently.
Plan the rollout in waves by department, keeping the old platform active until the new one reports healthy on each wave. Confirm that incident response runbooks still work: who gets alerted, how a device gets isolated, and how rollback happens. A migration that leaves a weekend gap in coverage is worse than a slow migration, so keep overlap until the new platform proves itself on your real endpoints. Record the pilot results for each wave, since they become the evidence that justifies the wider rollout to leadership.
Frequently asked questions
Is Carbon Black still available?
Yes. Carbon Black is now part of Broadcom's VMware portfolio, sold as VMware Carbon Black with enterprise pricing. Many teams evaluate alternatives at renewal because of pricing, support changes or a move to a cloud-native platform.
Which Carbon Black alternative is cheapest?
For Microsoft 365 E5 customers, Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 is effectively free since it is included. Otherwise, Sophos Intercept X near $28 per user per year is the cheapest credible entry point, followed by Malwarebytes near $49.99 per device per year.
Do I need EDR or is antivirus enough?
Antivirus blocks known malware, while EDR records what happened on a device so analysts can investigate, contain and roll back attacks. Any team with sensitive data, regulated workloads or internet-facing staff should run EDR, not antivirus alone.
How long does an endpoint migration take?
A small team can migrate in a week, while an enterprise with thousands of devices should plan four to eight weeks including pilot testing, policy mapping and staged rollout. Keep the old platform running until each wave reports healthy on the new one.
Can I manage endpoints without a security team?
Yes, through managed detection and response. CrowdStrike Falcon Complete, SentinelOne Vigilance and Sophos MTR all add a vendor SOC that monitors and responds for you, at a premium of roughly 40 to 60 percent over base EDR pricing.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.crowdstrike.com
- https://www.sentinelone.com
- https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/endpoint-security
- https://www.sophos.com
- https://www.bitdefender.com
- https://www.paloaltonetworks.com
- https://www.trendmicro.com
- https://www.malwarebytes.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.
CrowdStrike Falcon
SentinelOne
Bitdefender GravityZone
Palo Alto Cortex XDR
Malwarebytes