ESET or Kaspersky for business: how to choose in 2026
Published:
Short answer: both are mature business protection suites, with a central console, endpoint protection and EDR/MDR options. The right choice is not which is "better" in general, but which fits your size, your compliance obligations and how much you want to manage yourself.
What do they have in common?
Both offer central management from a single console (cloud or on-premises), protection for Windows, macOS, Linux, servers and mobile, anti-phishing, device control and reporting. Both have tiers that add endpoint detection and response (EDR) and managed detection (MDR) for teams without their own SOC.
Where do they differ in practice?
The differences are in the bundles, the console experience and policy. The table below is how we compare them with a customer, not a "winner" ranking.
| Criterion | What to look at |
|---|---|
| Management console | Cloud or on-prem, ease of policies, user roles |
| EDR / MDR | At which tier it unlocks, what MDR covers, response times |
| Platform coverage | Servers, Linux, mobile, disk encryption |
| Compliance & data residency | Where management data is hosted, certifications |
| Support in Greece | Greek invoicing, Greek-language support, speed |
Actual features change by plan and version — we check the current offering before recommending.
Which fits whom?
- Small team without its own IT: weight the simple console and MDR, so someone watches for you.
- Business with servers and mixed systems: look at Linux/server coverage and encryption.
- In scope of NIS2: endpoint protection is one measure, not full compliance — combine it with MFA, backup and a plan.
At ITHACA we supply and support both. We do not push one vendor: we run a short review of your needs and recommend what suits you, with Greek invoicing and support.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from ESET to Kaspersky or the other way?
Yes. The migration is done by phased uninstall and rollout through the new console. We plan it so no device is left unprotected.
Do I need EDR or is classic antivirus enough?
Classic antivirus catches known threats. EDR helps when an attack gets through, because it shows what happened and enables a response. For businesses with sensitive data we recommend it.