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Trend Micro Vs Windows Defender Antivirus: Pros and Cons (in 2021)

Picking the right anti virus software is no easy task. If you’re at this stage you’re probably aware that both are great choices, and fortunately for you we have the ultimate comparison in this heavy-weight fight.

Key Takeaways

  • Both providers offer antivirus and malware protection but the independent lab tests results had Trend Micro as a 100 percent detection rate in most of the recent tests
  • Windows Defender provides essential features, including real-time protection and a secure firewall, and is a good enough choice for basic protection against malware.
  • Trend Micro works well at protecting against real-world malware, and it avoids erroneously flagging legitimate websites or programs as malicious
  • Windows Defender comes pre-installed on devices that use Windows and it's free
  • Trend Micro also has a low impact on system performance, which means it has a high performance score

We’ll walk through the factors that you should be taking into account while picking up the perfect fit for the endpoint protection of your sensitive data (individual endpoint protection and for each member of the family).

The smart decision doesn’t come easily – you’re required to put your efforts and time into the research. So, the real question here is – do you need to research the pros and cons? The answer is a big fat “NO” since we’ve saved your time by doing the extensive research, courtesy of our professional staff at VSS Monitoring.

Every time we run into any situation, we tend to find the solution online which is a piece of cake for most of the people in this era. However, the internet is not as safe as you think it is. The cyberpunks are getting advanced by using unbeatable algorithms. In your spare time, you should also explain this to your children why the Internet could be a danger for them.

chart of estimated damages from randomware

According to a blog post published by Avira, more than 36% think that the Internet is not a safe place to spend time with someone else. That’s why people are believing in the skepticism with a fear that their identity might be stolen, they can be tricked or worst-case scenario, their data can be modified or destroyed completely.

In order to stay safer at all times while using the Internet, our experts suggest the utilization of the best-in-the-industry antivirus software that features unmatched features, having the upper hands over its competitors like a charm.

Also, be sure to read other Trend Micro comparisons such as:

MacAfee published an article explaining how “Everywhere Malware” recognized as an imminent threat and impacted the Internet badly. Another report state that people have been the victims of backdoors and banking Trojans.

In upcoming years, the situation could get worse than this or previous years. So, what’s the solution to it? Well, the only way to make certain that everything that you do online is private or all of the data that is stored on your system is not being accessed by an unauthorized person is that you need to bank upon a world-class antivirus software.

It’s easy to use “Freeware” or “Freemium” options, however, the downside of them is that they are limited to some very important features. To enjoy unlimited boasts of the product, you’ll be required to switch to a premium antivirus plan for maximum protection.

Windows Defender Vs Trend Micro

: Which is the Best Antivirus Software?

It’s no wonder that we’ve been in the field for a long time and our experts are uniquely distinguished because of their remarkable analyzing ability. They’ve examined almost 100 antivirus suites (packages) and have the hands-on experience of using them.

Our recommendation: McAfee

With so many antivirus products in the market, there is none that’s like McAfee. With over 18.9 billion devices protected on a consistent basis, McAfee’s ability to deal with malware attacks come unmatched! McAfee has a dedicated database that is adept to deal with all sorts of virus attacks whether they may be online or offline. To browse their programs, check out their programs here!

Trend Micro Vs Windows Defender: A Brief Comparison

We’ve already had heard a lot about in favor of Norton, now is the moment to enlighten those who are enthusiastic to have a battle between “Windows Defender and Trend Micro”.

We’ll begin one by one:

Features:

There’s not much to talk about when it comes to Windows Defender’s features since it is freemium and doesn’t offer much of the functionality as Trend Micro does. But it is better to have Windows Defender on Windows operating systems than have nothing. On the contrary, Trend Micro effortlessly gets ahead of the Windows Defender in respect of the availability of additional features such as wireless network validation and online data backup.

Winner: Trend Micro

Trend Micro Logo

Malware Protection:

This is where both Windows Defender and Trend Micro do a solid job. Like any top anti-virus companies, both are constantly working on their malware protection, as well as anti phishing protection, and adding top-notch functionality to improve their customer experience. Both of these choices are solid choices.

Winner: Tie

Trend Micro Logo
Windows Defender logo

System Performance:

The built-in software – Windows Defender – might not be enough to put an end to the vulnerability to the data breach, identity theft protection, and other online malware threats. What’s more: it will slow down your device’s performance your applications running in the background will begin to lag. Trend Micro does a decent job of maintaining system resources while it is running. However, you will still notice a small dip in performance with Trend Micro if you are doing anything CPU intensive such as gaming or video editing.

Winner: Trend Micro

Trend Micro Logo

Accessibility:

What about the user-friendliness? You can’t literally understand the functionality of your antivirus program, unless, of course, you get accustomed to its user interface (UI). A good antivirus will have your back by offering an intuitive and easy-to-understand design or user interface (UI). In this area, Trend Micro brings a more instructive design to life and surpasses Microsoft's Windows Defender, which is a little clunky and not as intuitive.

Winner: Trend Micro

Trend Micro Logo

Pricing:

For each company, the suite’s price is a big deal as it will be putting an impact on purchases made by the user. If we begin comparing Windows Defender and Trend Micro based on their “Cost”, it’s easy to compare paid vs free antivirus software.

Winner: Windows Defender

Windows Defender logo

To Summarize

Having assessed both of the software’s ins and outs by our experts, we’ve decided that Trend Micro is better than Windows Defender, not only because it has won most of the rounds of the above-mentioned brief battle but also it protects more machines (PCs and Hand-held) devices globally than Windows Defender. It’s an easy pick for anyone who doesn’t use Windows, and still worth the money if you do.

Our Recommendation:

First things first. We can’t get enough of “Norton” as it is the daddy of all antivirus software that we have on the market right now. According to a report, Norton had about 500 million users which means that number would have skyrocketed by now for sure.

Windows Defender Vs Trend Micro 

: A Detailed Comparison Battle

So far, we only scratched the surface of whwat each software as a comparison point of view. Now we will be going through a detailed comparison battle that will have you well-versed and you will be a knowledgeable person instantaneously.

Which Antivirus Software delivers More Features?

Windows Defender Antivirus:

Windows Defender comes as a built-in antivirus software installed on Windows machines. Put differently, if you purchase a computer or laptop that uses Windows, you will get a Windows Defender installed on the machine. If you don’t install any third-party application, the Windows Defender will keep on running. On the other hand, if you install one of the Windows 10 antiviruses, Windows Defender will automatically be turned off.

windows defender packages

If you are struggling with finding the Windows Defender for the first time, you can turn it on by going to the “Administrative tools” given under the “Control Panel”.

The two top-of-the-line extra features you will find in Microsoft's Windows Defender are “Firewall” and “Real-time” protection. It offers some protection from all sorts of spyware, malware, threats, virus, etc.

Recently, a “Find my device” has also been added which we used to see in hand-held devices. This is extremely helpful if you have lost your phone or someone has stolen it. In that case, you can erase all of your data with just a few button clicks.

On top of that, if you are a Windows user and want to be more than amazed, meet the brand-new feature called “Windows Hello”. A suite of parental controls is also part of Windows Defender. Parental controls give the parents an advanced way to limit the applications or games or websites being accessed by your children.

Each time you download a file or log on to a website, Windows Defender will ensure that doing so is fully safe for you. Upon detection of a threat, you will be sent back to the previous page instantly by the WD. The definition of the software can be constantly updated so eliminate the overall threats trying to surround you.

The good thing about Microsoft Defender is that you don’t need to download anything from the Internet nor do you need to install anything to run this antivirus – everything comes pre-installed – you just need to turn it on. To find out more fascinating fine points about WD, jump to this page.

However, Microsoft Defender doesn’t catch everything and we find that it is a little annoying with its alerts. The usability isn’t great.

Trend Micro Antivirus Review

Can Trend Micro beat Windows Defender? Does Trend Micro offers better antivirus protection than Microsoft Defender? It definitely does, but by how much better depends on the different security suites that you are able to choose from.

trend micro packages

Antivirus+:

Speaking of the level-wise suites, the entry-level suites is “Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security” that will let you protect your entire PC against the ransomware attacks.

This suite has been built with advanced AI technology. Stay in the safe zone always with the help of “Pay Guard”, which helps if you’re doing an online bank transaction or buying something using a credit card. Say “No” to all spamming getting together in your email inbox, purchase “Antivirus+” and safeguard against all scams.

This package is only accessible on a single device – 1 PC only.

If you’re a Mac user, you could purchase the “Antivirus Security for Mac®”

Internet Security:

Running antivirus on only one device is not the safest practice. Fortunately, they have packages to connect more than one device to maximize your safety. As a Windows user, you could make the most out of this suite that allows you to connect up to 3 personal computers (PCs).

All of the security features of “Antivirus+” have been included in this bundle. In the package, not only you but also your children will be safe from accessing a website they should not. You’ll be able to monitor their activity, blacklist sites, and have more advanced internet security with this option.

Maximum Security:

As the “Recommended” or “Editor’s Choice”, this is an ultimate choice that won’t even let you down. It protects you on up to 5 devices simultaneously. This is a real bad boy as it enables you to stay safe everything, everywhere whether you’re on Windows, iOS, Mac or an Android device – the only choice that extends beyond Windows.

Keeping track of every single password could be a pain in the neck, but there’s a solution to it. That’s why “Smart Password Manager” was introduced where you can keep track of all of your passwords without letting any third-party to get access to them. Everything that you get in the previously mentioned packages (see above) has been included in this suite making it great for business use cases. You also won’t need to pay for a password manager like Last Pass.

Business Solutions

Windows Defender vs Trend Micro: Which antivirus offers better Malware Protection?

When it comes to technology, one of your top priorities should be safeguarding your PC from different types of malware and other attacks happening every single second around the world.

To conclude which is better i.e. Trend Micro or Microsoft Defender for this task, we’d be diving into some technical aspects. With that intention, we’ll be taking the results of AV-Test and AV-Comparatives (two independent major IT-security firms) for granted as they are what you can bank upon.

This will conclude which antivirus software performs exceptionally well by analyzing the overall score in each run. The score will be given out of 6. If the software gets a 6 out of 6, that means it as good as it gets. These tests run by AV-test are highly comprehensive and to get the ins and outs of it, you need some technical knowledge. We’ll summarize the most important factors here.

Windows Defender’s Protection:

windows defender protection chart

Trend Micro’s Protection:

Trend Micro Protection

Trend Micro or Windows Defender: Which Antivirus Software has Minimal Impact on System Performance?

Despite the fact that antivirus should deliver great malware protection, it must not lag your system while running in the background or foreground. There’s no denying that we use our PCs for manipulating different tasks or jobs at the same time which means that increases the requirement for smoothness.

We compared both Microsoft Defender and Trend Micro in this comparison and see which put less impact on system’s performance. After the examination ended, the results were again and the same. Both of the antiviruses got the same score – i.e. 5.5 out of 6 score which is a quite good score, but not a perfect one.

Then, we used the data from the tests run by AV-comparatives in April of this year. That proved that Trend Micro is capable of getting the upper hands over Microsoft Defender antivirus in terms of performance. So, on the whole, the TM aka Trend Micro is ahead of the race if you dig a little deeper and what’s what we did.

Windows Defender’s Performance:

windows defender performance

Trend Micro’s Performance:

trend micros performance charts

Winner: Trend Micro, but not by much.

Trend Micro Logo

Trend Micro or Microsoft Defender: Which is more User-friendly?

Is the antivirus you’ve been relying upon was too complicated? The user interface (UI) makes a huge difference as great UI offers a clear and concise way to use the program. This better allows the user to easily click and manage malware protection. The welcoming screen of the antivirus software should be too bright – there should be some dark colors as well in there so that you don’t have to strain your eyes and it should highlight the most important elements.

Plus, the best software won’t require much effort and will get the work done within just a couple of clicks. The interface or design must be intuitive and elegant. There must be an “Indicator” that will show if your data currently on the safe side or not. It should also allow the “Personalization” so that you could set the settings right in accordance with your needs.

Trend Micro or Microsoft Defender: Signup and Installation

Trend Micro’s website is designed in a way that makes it easy to move between pages and learn more about each product. The checkout procedure is equally simple, and downloading and installing the software took just a few minutes. Trend Micro programs come with an uninstall tool that allows you to delete the software from your computer.

Microsoft Defender comes pre installed when you get a new device and start up Windows for the first time. The antivirus protection that is your default security app and automatically runs in the background checking for threats. This means there is no signup or installation process to go through when relying on Microsoft Defender.

Windows Defender’s UI:

windows defender user interface screen

Trend Micro’s UI:

trend Micro UI

Winner: McAfee

Yes, this is all about preference and there is no quantitative score, but I think it’s safe to say that Trend Micro is much more attractive and modern.

Trend Micro Logo

Trend Micro Vs Windows Defender: Customer Support

Customers may contact Trend Micro through the company’s website in many ways. Each product has its own technical support page with different FAQs, search options, and directories. For live help, you may contact the phone number.

Premium 24/7 coverage is only offered to Trend Micro customers who have bought Maximum Security.

Microsoft Defender has a basic FAQ on the Microsoft Website, but I found it difficult to find much else in the way of technical support beyond that.

Trend Micro Vs Windows Defender: Which is Less Expensive?

Since Micrisoft Defender comes pre-installed on devices that use Windows, it doesn’t require anything to be installed nor does it require you to pay for the license as it is freeware. The Trend Micro, contrariwise, requirements the submission of the payment every annum.

But still, considering the pricing model brought to life by Trend Micro, it is a great deal for you. The entry-level plan of Trend Micro starts at as low as $29.95 per year and the best level protection you are going to get is at $53.95, also per annum.

The best plan will help you connect and stay safe at all platforms, be it Windows, iOS, Android, or Mac.

Let’s shed light on different suites of Trend Micro below:

Trend Micro Antivirus SuitesPrice
Trend Micro Antivirus+ SecurityLatest Price
Trend Micro Internet SecurityLatest Price
Trend Micro Maximum SecurityLatest Price
Trend Micro Premium SecurityLatest Price
Trend Micro Business ProductsLatest Price

What is the Difference Between Trend Micro Maximum Security and Premium Security?

The main difference is that Trnd Micro Premium Security is for up to 5 users or devices, and Trend Micro Maximum Security for up to 3. Trend Micro Maximum Security and Premium Security provide the complete security solution for protecting your PC, Mac, or mobile devices. Both of them include a complimentary copy of Trend Micro Password Manager.

Final Thoughts Trend Micro Vs Windows Defender

Microsoft Defender is not a bad choice if you want basic protection for your device, however, if you want to stop hacker from getting access to your device at all cost, you’d definitely be headed to “Trend Micro”. Not only that, it will have minimal impact on your system performance and will safeguard you on the internet, which the free Microsoft Defender doesn’t do.

Our recommendation: McAfee

From phishing scams to malware attacks, security threats grow increasingly by the day. Although the products we mentioned are very good, it cannot beat the likes of McAfee. With McAfee it has protection on all sorts of devices ranging from phones to even cars! It’s extensive product line-up has protected over 18.9 billion devices to this day. We are sure that you will come across a package that is perfect for you, to check out their line-up, click here!

FAQs

1. Is Trend Micro better than Microsoft Defender?

I would say that Trend Micro is better than Microsoft Defender. I have used both programs and found that Trend Micro provides better protection against malware and other advanced threats.

2. Should I turn off Windows Defender if I have Trend Micro?

I would recommend turning off Microsoft Defender if you have Trend Micro. Microsoft Defender can conflict with some antivirus programs and cause them to not work properly.

3. Is Trend Micro a good antivirus?

Yes, Trend Micro is a good antivirus. It has been protecting computers from viruses and malware for over 25 years. The company has a large team of experts who are constantly updating the software to protect against the advanced threats.

4. Do I need Windows Firewall if I have Trend Micro?

Yes, it is recommended that Windows Firewall be enabled while Trend Micro is running. You can actually enable the Trend Micro program's Firewall Booster feature. On the other hand, it is recommended that Windows Firewall be enabled.

5. Does Trend Micro work with Windows 10?

Yes, Trend Micro products are compatible with Windows 10. On August 13, 2019, Trend Micro released a critical patch for Trend Micro Portable Security (TMPS) 2.0 Service Pack 4. This critical patch is compatible with the May 2019 Update for Windows 10.

About Dusan Stanar

I'm the founder of VSS Monitoring. I have been both writing and working in technology in a number of roles for dozens of years and wanted to bring my experience online to make it publicly available. Visit https://www.vssmonitoring.com/about-us/ to read more about myself and the rest of the team.

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