# ESET PROTECT Core

ESET PROTECT Core is an antivirus / endpoint protection (EPP) product from ESET. Source: Endpoint Index product report, https://endpointindex.com/products/eset-protect-core/ (data verified 2 Oct 2026, licensed CC BY 4.0).

## SMB Fit Score

ESET PROTECT Core scores 77 out of 100 on the SMB Fit Score (fit-v1), ranked #2 of the 17 products tracked as of 2 Oct 2026. The score measures fit for a small-business buyer from public evidence, not absolute protection.

- Efficacy: 23 of 35
- Price transparency & level: 20 of 25
- SMB operability: 25 of 25
- Coverage breadth: 9 of 15

## Price

List price, per seat per year, from ESET's own pricing calculator (https://www.eset.com/us/business/subscription-plans/), verified 2 Oct 2026:

| Seats | Per seat per year | Total per year |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $54.90 | $549.00 |
| 25 | $46.70 | $1,167.50 |
| 100 | above the online maximum of 99; sold via sales | not a store price |

## Independent test results

- AV-Test protection: 6 out of 6, round 2025-12. Source: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/business-windows-client/windows-11/december-2025/eset-protect-advanced-12.1-252607/
- AV-Comparatives protection rate: 98.8%, round 2026-H1. Source: https://av-comparatives.org/tests/business-security-test-2026-march-june/
- MITRE ATT&CK Evaluations: took part, round 2025. Source: https://evals.mitre.org/results/enterprise?view=cohort&evaluation=er7&result_type=DETECTION&scenarios=1,2

## What it includes

- EDR: not offered
- 24/7 managed response: not offered
- Ransomware rollback: included
- Device control: included
- Patch management: paid add-on
- Email security: paid add-on
- Identity protection (ITDR): not offered
- Mobile: included
- Linux: included
- macOS: included
- SIEM integration: included
- RMM / PSA integration: included
- MSP multi-tenant: included

## Buying and running it

- Buy online without sales: yes
- Minimum seats: 5
- Needs in-house security staff: no
- Setup time estimate: about 2 hours

## Who it suits

- small no it: ESET PROTECT Core suits a small office that wants prevention without alerts to read. You can buy it online from five devices, try it free for 30 days, and it covers phones as well as computers. AV-Comparatives counted two false positives for ESET's engine in the first half of 2026, so staff are rarely interrupted by wrong alarms. There is no EDR in Core; if you later want someone watching for attacks, ESET sells that as PROTECT Premium with 24/7 MDR.
- msp managed: Few products here name more integrations than ESET. Eleven RMM and PSA tools are listed, from ConnectWise and Kaseya to SuperOps and Atera, alongside Sentinel, Splunk, QRadar and Elastic, so an MSP rarely has to change its stack to add it. The online price falls from $54.90 per device at 10 devices to $46.70 at 25, but the calculator stops at 99 devices, so larger client estates need a quote from ESET.
- regulated: Fine for PCI DSS scope, doubtful for HIPAA. ESET publishes PCI DSS support material and holds SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001, but its Trust Center shows no BAA and no CMMC or FedRAMP position. Core has no EDR, so it records little beyond blocked threats; if an auditor will ask how you investigate incidents, look at ESET PROTECT Premium or an EDR product instead.

## Not for, or worth knowing

- Businesses that need EDR or incident investigation: Core has no detection-and-response module, and ESET does not sell one as a Core add-on on its plans page; detection and response starts with ESET PROTECT Premium (24/7 MDR). (source: https://www.eset.com/us/business/subscription-plans/, verified 2026-10-02)
- Teams under 5 devices: the Core device stepper will not go below 5 devices. (source: https://www.eset.com/us/business/subscription-plans/, verified 2026-09-30)
- No lab has tested ESET PROTECT Core under that name. The results shown are for the same ESET agent in other tiers: AV-Test's December 2025 round tested PROTECT Advanced 12.1, and AV-Comparatives' first-half 2026 business test used ESET PROTECT Entry with ESET PROTECT Cloud. ESET has no AV-Test business result in 2026. (source: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/business-windows-client/manufacturer/eset/, verified 2026-09-30)
- No EDR. Core and its Plus package have no detection-and-response module; ESET's detection and response comes with ESET PROTECT Premium, which adds 24/7 MDR. (source: https://www.eset.com/us/business/subscription-plans/, verified 2026-10-02)
- Patch management, email and Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace protection, and multi-factor authentication are in the Plus package, which costs extra ($164.00 a year at 10 devices). (source: https://www.eset.com/us/business/subscription-plans/, verified 2026-10-02)
- No online price at 100 devices or more: the online calculator stops at 99 devices and sends larger buyers to ESET sales. (source: https://www.eset.com/us/business/subscription-plans/, verified 2026-09-30)

Full report with evidence screenshots: https://endpointindex.com/products/eset-protect-core/