Endpoint IndexTwo prevention products, and neither is EDR
Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security and ESET PROTECT Core are both prevention products: next-generation antivirus, firewall, web and device control and ransomware file recovery, run from the vendor's management console. ESET PROTECT Core replaced ESET PROTECT Advanced in ESET's US line-up; ESET's old Advanced page now says "We've improved our portfolio" and points buyers to Core.
Neither product includes EDR. ESET lists EDR as not offered for Core, and Bitdefender lists it as not offered for Business Security. The routes up differ. ESET's next plan, ESET PROTECT Premium, adds 24/7 managed detection and response run by ESET's analysts. Bitdefender's detection and response starts at Business Security Enterprise; the tier in between, Business Security Premium, adds more prevention layers but, in Bitdefender's own words, comes "without additional detection and response capabilities".
What each includes before any add-on
The base plans differ more than their price gap suggests. ESET PROTECT Core includes ESET Mobile Threat Defense for iOS, iPadOS and Android, and ESET Full Disk Encryption. Bitdefender sells both mobile security and full disk encryption as add-ons, and lists mobile as a paid add-on.
Patch management is extra with both. ESET bundles it into a Plus package with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace protection, mail server protection and multi-factor authentication; at 10 devices on a one-year term the Plus package added $164.00. Bitdefender sells patch management, email security and encryption as separate add-ons.
The lab record, round by round
Bitdefender takes this on evidence. In AV-Comparatives' Business Security Test covering March to June 2026, Bitdefender blocked 99.8% of real-world threats with 4 false positives and was named an Approved Business Security Product. ESET blocked 98.8% with 2 false positives in the same round, so ESET raised fewer false alarms but let more through.
At AV-Test the two look identical on paper: 6 out of 6 for protection, 5.5 for performance and 6 for usability, both from the December 2025 round, and we hold no 2026 AV-Test business result for either. Neither lab tested these exact plans. AV-Test ran ESET PROTECT Advanced 12.1 and Bitdefender's Enterprise-branded agent; AV-Comparatives ran ESET PROTECT Entry. Each vendor ships one agent across its plans, so the results describe the engine you get, not the plan name.
MITRE ATT&CK tells a different story. ESET took part in the 2025 round (ER7), though we hold no analytic coverage figure for it. Bitdefender detected 58 of 80 substeps in the 2024 round (ER6) on MITRE's default results and skipped 2025, so its result is now dated. MITRE measures detection and response, which neither of these plans includes.
What the seat count does to the bill
Both vendors cut the per-seat price as the order grows.
| Product | Per unit per month | 10 seats / yr | 25 seats / yr | 100 seats / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security | $3.21 /endpoint/mo | $384.99 | $854.99 | $3,064.99 |
 ESET PROTECT Core | $4.58 /endpoint/mo | $549.00 | $1,167.50 | Via sales (online up to 99) |
Bitdefender is cheaper at both seat counts where ESET publishes a price. Bitdefender's calculator starts at 3 endpoints, and ESET's online store will not take an order below 5 devices. ESET's online calculator also stops at 99 devices, so at 100 you need a quote from ESET sales. Bitdefender's calculator was showing a 30% promotion when we checked; the table uses list prices, so the gap on a first invoice may be wider than shown.
Mistakes we see with this pair
- Reading ESET's platform marketing as included. ESET's site talks about detection, response and MDR throughout, but on Core none of it is in the plan. A buyer whose insurer asks for EDR is shopping for ESET PROTECT Premium, not Core.
- Comparing Core on its own with Bitdefender plus add-ons. If you need encryption and phone protection, add Bitdefender's add-on prices before concluding it is cheaper.
- Letting both auto-renew unexamined. Both subscriptions auto-renew by default. ESET refunds in most cases if you cancel within 14 days of purchase; after that you are in for the term.
Which one, for whom
Buy Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security if you run fewer than five machines, if price is the main constraint, or if you want the higher protection rate of the two.
Buy ESET PROTECT Core if staff phones need protection or laptops need full disk encryption without extra purchases, or if your MSP runs NinjaOne, N-able, Atera or SuperOps, all of which ESET lists and Bitdefender's published list (ConnectWise, Datto RMM, Kaseya VSA, HaloPSA) does not name. ESET also offers a 30-day self-service trial of Core.
Skip both if you already know you need EDR. Buying a prevention plan and upgrading within months costs more than starting on an EDR product.
Questions for the vendor
Ask ESET for a quote if you are near 100 devices, since the online price stops at 99, and ask whether it will sign a business associate agreement, since its Trust Center lists none. Ask Bitdefender whether the promotional price holds at renewal, and ask it the same BAA question: its HIPAA page refers BAA requests to the account manager.