Endpoint IndexBest Sophos Alternatives for Small Business (October 2026)
Sophos protects well, but its quote-only pricing and separate server, phone and EDR licences push many small offices elsewhere.
Sophos EndpointSophos · Antivirus · buy via sales · min 1 seatFull product report ›Contents
- Executive summary
- Why do small businesses look for a Sophos alternative?
- Which Sophos alternative fits your situation?
- How do the Sophos alternatives compare?
- When is Sophos still the right choice?
- What should you check before switching from Sophos?
- Frequently asked questions
- Methodology and caveats
- Sources
Executive summary
The best Sophos alternative for a small business depends on what Sophos is not giving you: a published price, EDR in the same licence, or servers and phones without extra subscriptions. For a self-serve price with strong lab results, Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security at $38.50 per endpoint per year is the closest swap. For EDR without a partner quote, Microsoft Defender for Business includes it at $36.00 per user per year. For someone else to answer the alerts, ThreatDown Elite includes 24/7 managed response at $99.00 per endpoint per year. Sophos itself remains a good choice for an office happy to buy through a partner: it scored 6 out of 6 for protection in AV-Test's August 2026 business round.
Why do small businesses look for a Sophos alternative?
Sophos Endpoint has four traits that send small buyers to other vendors.
- No published price. Sophos sells through partners and quotes, plus its own AWS Marketplace listing, which the Sophos pricing guide sets out. A five-person office often wants to see a price and pay by card.
- No EDR in Sophos Endpoint. EDR is not offered: Sophos's feature matrix keeps detection and investigation tools for Sophos EDR, the next product up.
- Servers, Linux and phones cost extra. Linux and Windows Server need Sophos Workload Protection, and phones need Sophos Mobile.
- A performance flag. AV-Comparatives did not approve Sophos in its March to June 2026 business test, despite 98.3% protection, because its performance impact went over the lab's limit. Older PCs are where that shows.
Which Sophos alternative fits your situation?
| Your situation | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want a price you can see and pay online | Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security | Self-serve from 3 devices, Linux included, and its engine scored 99.8% in AV-Comparatives' current business test |
| You want EDR without a partner quote, on Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Defender for Business | EDR included, licensed per user, with current AV-Test and AV-Comparatives results |
| You want EDR, rollback and patching outside Microsoft | ThreatDown Advanced | One agent with all three, sold online from 5 devices |
| Nobody will answer alerts | ThreatDown Elite | 24/7 managed response included in the list price |
| An MSP runs your IT and wants one multi-tenant console | ESET PROTECT Core | MSP console, Linux and phones in the licence, online to 99 devices |
| You need a signed HIPAA BAA | SentinelOne Singularity Control | SentinelOne says it may sign one; Sophos's pages do not say |
How do the Sophos alternatives compare?
| Product | EDR | 24/7 managed response | Ransomware rollback | Linux | Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security | Not offered | Not offered | Included | Included | Add-on |
 ESET PROTECT Core | Not offered | Not offered | Included | Included | Included |
 Microsoft Defender for Business | Included | Not offered | Not offered | Add-on | Included |
 ThreatDown Elite | Included | Included | Included | Included | Add-on |
| ThreatDown Advanced | Included | Not offered | Included | Included | Add-on |
| Sophos Endpoint | Not offered | Not offered | Included | Add-on | Add-on |
Prices at 10, 25 and 100 seats, where the vendor publishes them:
| Product | Per unit per month | 10 seats / yr | 25 seats / yr | 100 seats / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender for Business | $3.00 /user/mo | $360.00 | $900.00 | $3,600.00 |
| 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) |
| ThreatDown Advanced | $6.58 /endpoint/mo | $790.00 | Via sales (online up to 20) | Via sales (online up to 20) |
| ThreatDown Elite | $8.25 /endpoint/mo | $990.00 | Via sales (online up to 20) | Via sales (online up to 20) |
Sophos is not in the price table because it publishes no price on its own site. Lab results for the same products:
| Product | AV-Test protection | AV-Comparatives protection | MITRE ATT&CK Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security | 6.0/6 2025-12 | 99.8% 2026-H1 | 72.5% coverage 1 of 80 not evaluated 2024 Dated |
| ESET PROTECT Core | 6.0/6 2025-12 | 98.8% 2026-H1 | 24.4% coverage 36 of 90 not evaluated 2025 |
| Microsoft Defender for Business | 6.0/6 2026-08 | 98.8% 2026-H1 | 83.8% coverage 2024 Dated |
| ThreatDown Advanced | No public result | No public result | 23.7% coverage 2024 Dated |
| Sophos Endpoint | 6.0/6 2026-08 | 98.3% 2026-H1 | 73.3% coverage 2025 |
The trade-off is plain in the last table. Sophos, Bitdefender, Microsoft and ESET all have current lab results; ThreatDown has none from the last 18 months, so choosing it for its included features means accepting less recent outside evidence.
When is Sophos still the right choice?
Sophos suits a small business that already works with a Sophos partner, wants strong protection scores and has PCs with enough headroom for the agent. It also suits a business planning to grow into managed response, because Sophos MDR is sold by the same vendor as a separate product. The SentinelOne vs Sophos comparison covers the most common head-to-head.
What should you check before switching from Sophos?
- Find your Sophos renewal date and terms; the licence agreement allows fixed-term or auto-renewing subscriptions, so it depends on your partner's paperwork.
- Count servers, Linux machines and phones separately, because the alternatives license them differently.
- Uninstall the Sophos agent cleanly before deploying the new one; two endpoint agents on one machine cause conflicts.
- Trial the replacement on your slowest PC if performance was the reason for leaving.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Sophos for a small business?
Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security for a direct swap with a published price and strong lab results, or Microsoft Defender for Business if you also want EDR and use Microsoft 365.
Sophos or Bitdefender for a small office?
Bitdefender, if you want to buy online at a published price: it is self-serve, includes Linux and has the higher AV-Comparatives protection rate in the current round. Sophos, if you buy through a partner and value its full AV-Test score and its route to managed response.
Does Sophos have a cheaper alternative with EDR?
Yes. Microsoft Defender for Business includes EDR at $36.00 per user per year, and ThreatDown Advanced at $79.00 per endpoint per year. Sophos's own EDR is a separate product sold on quotes.
Why did AV-Comparatives not approve Sophos?
Because its performance impact score went over the lab's limit in the March to June 2026 business test, even though its protection rate was 98.3%. AV-Comparatives approves products only when both protection and performance pass.
Methodology and caveats
Each product's price, capabilities and lab results come from its product page on Endpoint Index, every value sourced and dated. Sophos's capability states follow its own tech-spec matrix, which withholds EDR features from Sophos Endpoint even though its product page describes detection and response. Prices are list prices per seat per year; partners may quote differently. The SMB Fit Score ranks fit for a small buyer, not protection strength.
Sources
- Sophos. Endpoint tech specs and How to buy.
- AV-Comparatives. Business Security Test 2026 (March to June).
- AV-Test. Business Windows client tests, August 2026 round.
- Endpoint Index. Product pages for each alternative named, with per-value sources. Latest price check: 2026-10-02.
Related research
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