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
Best Endpoint Security & EDR Software · 2026
ESET PROTECT vs 
Sophos Intercept X ESET PROTECT vs Sophos Intercept X: on our data-weighted scoring, Sophos Intercept X edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.9/10). ESET PROTECT starts at Custom quote and is best for teams wanting lightweight, reliable endpoint protection; Sophos Intercept X starts at Custom quote and is best for SMBs/MSPs wanting strong EDR plus optional MDR from one vendor. Choose Sophos Intercept X 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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Sophos Intercept X
8.0/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.6/5 (~350 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- SMBs/MSPs wanting strong EDR plus optional MDR from one vendor
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 | ESET PROTECT | Sophos Intercept X |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 7.9 | 8.0 |
| User reviews | 9.2 | 9.2 |
| Adoption | 7.7 | 6.7 |
| Affordability | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Feature breadth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of trial | 6.0 | 6.0 |
ESET PROTECT vs Sophos Intercept X: head-to-head
| ESET PROTECT | Sophos Intercept X | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Pricing model | per device | per user |
| Free trial / tier | 30 days | 30 days |
| Best for | Teams wanting lightweight, reliable endpoint protection | SMBs/MSPs wanting strong EDR plus optional MDR from one vendor |
| Deployment | Cloud + on-prem | Cloud |
| G2 rating | 4.6/5 (800) | 4.6/5 (350) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 7.9 | 8.0 |
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
Choose Sophos Intercept X if…
You need smbs/msps wanting strong edr plus optional mdr from one vendor.
✓ Pros
- Strong anti-ransomware
- Central console
- Easy MDR upgrade path
✕ Cons
- Quote pricing
- Best value within Sophos stack
- Tiering complexity
In depth
Pricing
Both solutions use quote-based pricing with no published rate cards, making direct comparison difficult.
| Aspect | Sophos Intercept X | ESET PROTECT |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Per-user | Per-device |
| Free Trial | 30 days | 30 days |
| Free Tier | No | No |
Sophos’s per-user model favors organizations with stable headcount, while ESET’s per-device approach suits environments with floating or BYOD endpoints. Sophos requires quotes for MDR add-ons; ESET’s EDR (Inspect) is a paid tier upgrade.
Features & Deployment
Sophos Intercept X emphasizes integrated threat response:
- Deep-learning antivirus + EDR/XDR in one agent
- CryptoGuard anti-ransomware (strong point)
- Unified Sophos Central console
- Cloud-native; optional managed MDR service
ESET PROTECT prioritizes efficiency and choice:
- Lightweight agent (~40 MB footprint)
- EDR capabilities via separate Inspect module
- Full-disk encryption built-in
- Cloud or on-premises deployment
- Minimal resource overhead
Verdict on deployment: Sophos wins for organizations wanting integrated EDR+MDR from day one. ESET suits resource-constrained environments and hybrid deployments.
Ratings
| Source | Sophos Intercept X | ESET PROTECT |
|---|---|---|
| G2 Score | 4.6/5 (350 reviews) | 4.6/5 (800 reviews) |
ESET’s larger review pool (2.3× more) suggests broader market adoption. Both score identically, though ESET’s customer base is wider—a proxy for stability across organization sizes.
Verdict
Choose Sophos Intercept X if:
- You need strong native ransomware defense
- You want EDR + potential MDR from one vendor
- You operate primarily in cloud environments
- You prioritize integrated threat intelligence
Choose ESET PROTECT if:
- Your infrastructure is resource-constrained
- You value lightweight agents and low CPU overhead
- You need flexibility between cloud and on-prem
- You prefer modular tiers (buy EDR only when needed)
Overall: Sophos edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.9) for midmarket/MSP environments needing mature EDR+MDR integration, but ESET (7.9) is the smarter pick for lean ops teams and hybrid infrastructures. Pricing is parity—both require vendor contact, so trial each in your environment.
Frequently asked questions
- ESET PROTECT vs Sophos Intercept X: which is better?
- ESET PROTECT vs Sophos Intercept X: on our data-weighted scoring, Sophos Intercept X edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.9/10). ESET PROTECT starts at Custom quote and is best for teams wanting lightweight, reliable endpoint protection; Sophos Intercept X starts at Custom quote and is best for SMBs/MSPs wanting strong EDR plus optional MDR from one vendor.
- Is ESET PROTECT cheaper than Sophos Intercept X?
- ESET PROTECT starts at Custom quote and Sophos Intercept X starts at Custom quote (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: eset.com, sophos.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.