Bitdefender GravityZone vs Microsoft Defender for Business
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Bitdefender GravityZone and Microsoft Defender for Business take different approaches to business endpoint security. GravityZone uses a device-focused platform with centralized management, while Defender for Business is available on its own or within Microsoft 365 Business Premium, according to the sources we checked.
Verdict#
Pick Bitdefender GravityZone if you want device-based licensing, centralized endpoint visibility, and the choice of cloud or on-premise management. Pick Microsoft Defender for Business if your team prefers Microsoft 365 Business Premium, which includes Defender for Business alongside productivity, identity, device-management and compliance capabilities.
Feature comparison#
| Area | Bitdefender GravityZone | Microsoft Defender for Business |
|---|---|---|
| Protection | GravityZone Business Security includes modern endpoint protection, network attack defense and risk management. It addresses ransomware, phishing, zero-day exploits and targeted attacks. Bitdefender | Defender for Business provides AI-powered ransomware protection. Microsoft also describes a dashboard with device risk, exposure scores and security recommendations. Microsoft |
| Management | An integrated, centralized console provides a single view of security management components, with risk dashboards and remediation suggestions. Bitdefender | Microsoft shows incident reporting with alerts, devices, security events and an incident graph. Microsoft |
| Endpoint scope | The product page lists laptops, desktops and file servers, with protection for 1 to 100 devices. Bitdefender | The sources checked describe Defender for Business as protecting devices in a hybrid workplace, but do not publish a standalone endpoint limit. Microsoft |
| Additional capabilities | Network Attack Defense checks incoming, outgoing and lateral traffic. Risk Management identifies and prioritizes risky behavior, operating-system issues and software misconfigurations. Bitdefender | Microsoft 365 Business Premium adds Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft Purview capabilities alongside Defender for Business. Microsoft |
| Management location | GravityZone Business Security offers cloud or on-premise management. Bitdefender | The sources checked do not specify a separate deployment choice for Defender for Business. |
Pricing at 3 team sizes#
GravityZone Business Security is licensed by protected devices, not users. Its page covers 1 to 100 devices, so a user-count table is not applicable; the list-price unit is the device rather than headcount, and a numeric license price is not published in the sources we checked. Check Bitdefender pricing
The sources checked do not show a standalone Microsoft Defender for Business price. They do show Microsoft 365 Business Premium without Teams at $18.79 user/month, paid yearly, and that bundle includes Defender for Business. The following calculations are for that bundle, not for standalone Defender for Business.
| Team size | Annual calculation for Microsoft 365 Business Premium without Teams | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 10 users | $18.79 x 10 users x 12 months = $2,254.80 | Microsoft |
| 50 users | $18.79 x 50 users x 12 months = $11,274.00 | Microsoft |
| 200 users | $18.79 x 200 users x 12 months = $45,096.00 | Microsoft |
Microsoft states that Microsoft 365 Business Premium is designed for up to 300 employees. Microsoft
Deployment and admin effort#
GravityZone Business Security uses a centralized management console with a single-pane-of-glass view for security management components. Bitdefender says the console can track, manage and automate cybersecurity events without dedicated servers, additional maintenance or more IT staff. The product supports cloud or on-premise management. Bitdefender
Bitdefender also describes an optional Setup & Go session that includes configuration, user setup and sample deployment on up to 5 endpoints. The session is described as a one-hour engagement with a Bitdefender Professional Services Engineer. Bitdefender
Microsoft presents Defender for Business through a dashboard showing device risk, exposure scores, recommendations and incident information. The sources checked do not publish a step-by-step deployment process or a direct comparison of administrator workload. Microsoft
Migration notes#
Moving from a Bitdefender home product to GravityZone is not described as a direct upgrade in the Bitdefender community discussion. An accepted response says desktop Total Security applications would need to be uninstalled before installing GravityZone, and that the business edition uses a different pricing structure. Bitdefender
The same discussion says that switching between Bitdefender home subscriptions does not require reinstalling Bitdefender on already protected devices. That statement concerns home subscriptions, not a migration from a home product to GravityZone. Bitdefender
The sources checked do not publish a detailed migration procedure between GravityZone and Microsoft Defender for Business. Plan for product-specific assessment, endpoint changes and policy work before changing platforms.
FAQ#
Is GravityZone licensed per user?
No. The Bitdefender discussion describes GravityZone Small Business Security as licensed by the number of endpoints, while the product page refers to protected devices such as laptops, desktops and file servers. Bitdefender
Does Microsoft Defender for Business have a standalone price in these sources?
A standalone price is not published in the sources we checked. Microsoft does publish a price for Microsoft 365 Business Premium without Teams, which includes Defender for Business. Microsoft
What does GravityZone Business Security include?
The listed modules are Modern Endpoint Protection, Network Attack Defense and Risk Management. The product also describes ransomware mitigation, content control and filtering, and centralized management. Bitdefender
Does Microsoft 365 Business Premium include Defender for Business?
Yes. Microsoft lists Microsoft Defender for Business among the security capabilities included with Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Microsoft
Sources
- https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/100035/how-to-upgrade-from-bitdefender-ultimate-security-home-to-gravityzone-small-business-security
- https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/business
- https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/business/smb-products/business-security
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-plans-and-pricing
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/pricing/small-medium-business
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/security/business/endpoint-security/microsoft-defender-business