SMB Endpoint Protection -- CrowdStrike Alternatives
Small and mid-sized businesses need endpoint protection that balances strong detection with easy management and affordable pricing. While CrowdStrike Falcon sets the industry benchmark, its enterprise pricing and complex tiered packaging can be prohibitive for SMBs. These alternatives deliver excellent protection efficacy, simpler management consoles, and significantly lower per-device costs without sacrificing core security capabilities.
From $20.99/device/year (Business Security) / Enterprise custom
Best overall value for SMBs with top-rated detection efficacy at less than half the cost of CrowdStrike, plus integrated patch management and risk analytics.
From $21/device/year (PROTECT Entry) / Enterprise custom
Ideal for organizations with older or resource-constrained endpoints, offering the lightest system footprint in the industry with reliable detection and very low false positives.
From $28/user/year (standard) / Enterprise custom
Best choice for SMBs that also use Sophos firewalls, with Synchronized Security linking endpoint and network defenses for automated threat containment.
Unified endpoint security with top-rated protection efficacy and low performance impact
From $20.99/device/year (Business Security) / Enterprise custom
SMBs and mid-market organizations seeking top-rated protection at competitive pricing
Lightweight multilayered endpoint security with 30+ years of threat research
From $21/device/year (PROTECT Entry) / Enterprise custom
Organizations needing reliable endpoint protection with minimal system resource usage
Endpoint protection with deep learning AI and synchronized security ecosystem
From $28/user/year (standard) / Enterprise custom
Mid-market organizations wanting integrated endpoint and network security from a single vendor
Compare all 3 CrowdStrike alternatives side-by-side across pricing, deployment, and key capabilities.
| Feature | Bitdefender GravityZone 4.4/5 | ESET PROTECT 4.2/5 | Sophos Intercept X 4.3/5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per-device subscription | Per-device subscription | Per-user subscription |
| Open Source | -- | -- | -- |
| Cloud-Hosted | + | + | + |
| Self-Hosted | + | + | + |
| Best For | SMBs and mid-market organizations seeking top-rated protection at competitive pricing | Organizations needing reliable endpoint protection with minimal system resource usage | Mid-market organizations wanting integrated endpoint and network security from a single vendor |
| Key Features |
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| Website | Visit | Visit | Visit |
CrowdStrike offers a Falcon Go tier starting at $59.99/device/year, but many small businesses find that alternatives like Bitdefender GravityZone or ESET PROTECT provide comparable protection efficacy at 50-65% lower cost. The advanced threat hunting and intelligence features that justify CrowdStrike's premium are most valuable for organizations with dedicated security teams.
Bitdefender GravityZone consistently achieves top scores in independent testing from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives, often matching or exceeding CrowdStrike in pure detection metrics. ESET PROTECT also scores very well with the added benefit of exceptionally low false positive rates, which reduces alert fatigue for small teams.
Yes, all three recommended alternatives offer MDR options. Sophos includes its Managed Threat Response in higher tiers, Bitdefender offers MDR as an add-on service, and ESET provides ESET Detection and Response Ultimate with 24/7 monitoring. These services help SMBs without dedicated security teams get enterprise-grade monitoring.
All three alternatives offer tiered product lines that scale from small offices to mid-enterprise. Bitdefender GravityZone Ultra and ESET PROTECT Complete add advanced EDR and XDR capabilities as needs grow. Sophos Intercept X scales through its Central management platform and can incorporate firewall, email, and cloud security as the organization expands.
Unified endpoint security with top-rated protection efficacy and low performance impact
ComparisonLightweight multilayered endpoint security with 30+ years of threat research
ComparisonEndpoint protection with deep learning AI and synchronized security ecosystem
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