CrowdStrike Falcon
8.3/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $59.99/device/yr
- Reviews
- 4.7/5 (~290 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 15 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- Organizations wanting best-in-class cloud-native EDR + threat intel
Best Endpoint Security & EDR Software · 2026
CrowdStrike Falcon vs 
ESET PROTECT CrowdStrike Falcon vs ESET PROTECT: on our data-weighted scoring, CrowdStrike Falcon edges ahead (8.3 vs 7.9/10). CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $59.99/device/yr and is best for organizations wanting best-in-class cloud-native EDR + threat intel; ESET PROTECT starts at Custom quote and is best for teams wanting lightweight, reliable endpoint protection. Choose CrowdStrike Falcon for the stronger overall track record; consider ESET PROTECT if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
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ESET PROTECT
7.9/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.6/5 (~800 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Deployment
- Cloud + on-prem
- Best for
- Teams wanting lightweight, reliable endpoint protection
Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | CrowdStrike Falcon | ESET PROTECT |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.3 | 7.9 |
| User reviews | 9.4 | 9.2 |
| Adoption | 6.5 | 7.7 |
| Affordability | 2.2 | 5.0 |
| Feature breadth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of trial | 6.0 | 6.0 |
CrowdStrike Falcon vs ESET PROTECT: head-to-head
| CrowdStrike Falcon | ESET PROTECT | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $59.99/device/yr | Custom quote |
| Pricing model | per endpoint | per device |
| Free trial / tier | 15 days | 30 days |
| Best for | Organizations wanting best-in-class cloud-native EDR + threat intel | Teams wanting lightweight, reliable endpoint protection |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud + on-prem |
| G2 rating | 4.7/5 (290) | 4.6/5 (800) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.3 | 7.9 |
Choose CrowdStrike Falcon if…
You need organizations wanting best-in-class cloud-native edr + threat intel.
✓ Pros
- Elite detection + threat intel
- Lightweight agent
- Strong analyst tooling
✕ Cons
- Modules add up quickly
- Premium pricing
- 2024 outage reminder of agent risk
Choose ESET PROTECT if…
You need teams wanting lightweight, reliable endpoint protection.
✓ Pros
- Very light agent
- Reliable detection
- Flexible deployment
✕ Cons
- EDR is higher tier
- Quote pricing
- Smaller US channel
In depth
In Depth
Pricing
| Aspect | CrowdStrike Falcon | ESET PROTECT |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Per-endpoint, annual | Per-device, cloud + on-prem |
| Free Trial | 15 days | 30 days |
| Entry Tier | $59.99/device/yr (Falcon Go) | Custom quote |
| Mid Tier | $99.99/device/yr (Falcon Pro) | Custom quote |
| Top Tier | $184.99/device/yr (Falcon Enterprise) | Custom quote |
Verdict: CrowdStrike publishes transparent pricing with clear tier progression; you pay more as you add EDR, XDR, and threat intel modules. ESET requires custom quotes, making budget planning harder but potentially allowing negotiation. For a small team, CrowdStrike’s entry at ~$60/device/yr is predictable; larger deployments may find ESET’s opaqueness a procurement friction point.
Features & Deployment
CrowdStrike Falcon is cloud-only and module-focused. You get NGAV as baseline, then layer EDR/XDR, threat graph, and identity protection modules on top of Enterprise tier. The agent is notably lightweight, and the threat intelligence engine is industry-leading.
ESET PROTECT offers both cloud and on-premises deployment. Core offering includes lightweight AV, full-disk encryption, and cloud console out of the box; EDR (Inspect) sits in a higher tier. The agent footprint is among the smallest in the industry, making it ideal for resource-constrained environments.
Winner for flexibility: ESET (hybrid deployment). Winner for threat hunting: CrowdStrike (threat graph, advanced tooling).
Ratings
| Platform | Score | Review Count | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| CrowdStrike | 4.7/5 | 290 reviews | High concentration of expert/enterprise users |
| ESET | 4.6/5 | 800 reviews | Broader base; slightly lower but still strong consensus |
Both are rated highly. CrowdStrike edges ESET slightly on G2, but ESET’s larger review pool reflects wider adoption across SMBs.
Verdict
CrowdStrike Falcon is the cloud EDR gold standard: elite detection, strong threat intel, and sleek tooling—but pricing compounds quickly as you build your stack. Best if threat hunting and advanced XDR use cases justify the premium.
ESET PROTECT is the pragmatist’s choice: lightweight, reliable, and flexible on deployment. You won’t get the same threat intelligence breadth, but you’ll pay less and consume fewer system resources. Best for organizations prioritizing operational stability and TCO over bleeding-edge threat correlation.
Our scores: CrowdStrike 8.3/10 | ESET 7.9/10
Frequently asked questions
- CrowdStrike Falcon vs ESET PROTECT: which is better?
- CrowdStrike Falcon vs ESET PROTECT: on our data-weighted scoring, CrowdStrike Falcon edges ahead (8.3 vs 7.9/10). CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $59.99/device/yr and is best for organizations wanting best-in-class cloud-native EDR + threat intel; ESET PROTECT starts at Custom quote and is best for teams wanting lightweight, reliable endpoint protection.
- Is CrowdStrike Falcon cheaper than ESET PROTECT?
- CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $59.99/device/yr and ESET PROTECT starts at Custom quote (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: crowdstrike.com, eset.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.