Microsoft Defender Offline vs ESET Online Scanner

Microsoft Defender Offline9.4Visit ESET Online Scanner9.2Visit

Higher score Microsoft Defender Offline #1 in Malware Removal Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Learn about Defender

vs

ESET Online Scanner #2 in Malware Removal Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit ESET

• Microsoft Defender Offline fits best

  Free Windows offline remediation

• ESET Online Scanner fits best

  Free, straightforward Windows malware scanning

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Side by side

Feature	Microsoft Defender Offline 9.4/10 Visit ↗	ESET Online Scanner 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.2
Ranking	#1 in Malware Removal Software	#2 in Malware Removal Software
Best for	Free Windows offline remediation	Free, straightforward Windows malware scanning
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Support	Docs, Community	Email, Live chat, Phone, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Microsoft Defender Offline 2/3 · ESET Online Scanner 2/3
Threat quarantine	✓	✓
Bootable rescue media	✓ (best)	—
Scheduled scans	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Scan modes	Offline	Not checked yet
Operating systems	Windows	Windows
Remediation automation	Automatic	Automatic
Our review
Pros	Scans outside normal Windows to target persistent malware and rootkits Offers quick, full, custom, quarantine, and removal controls Supports Windows Security, PowerShell, WMI, and bootable media	Full, quick, and custom scan modes Quarantine with restore capability and saved scan logs Automatic monthly scans with archive and unwanted-application detection
Cons	Windows-only platform support Offline scans restart the device automatically Bootable media applies to older supported Windows versions	Windows-only coverage No continuous real-time protection Remediation is assisted rather than fully automated
Our verdict	Microsoft Defender Offline is an on-demand malware scanner integrated into Windows Security. It is designed for Windows users who need to scan outside the normal operating environment, particularly when persistent malware or rootkits may… Read the review →	ESET Online Scanner is a free, on-demand malware removal utility for Windows computers. It is intended for people who want a straightforward way to check a PC for malware alongside existing antivirus software, whether for a one-time review… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Microsoft Defender Offline — where it wins

  • Scans outside normal Windows to target persistent malware and rootkits
  • Offers quick, full, custom, quarantine, and removal controls
  • Supports Windows Security, PowerShell, WMI, and bootable media

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only platform support
  • Offline scans restart the device automatically
  • Bootable media applies to older supported Windows versions

• ESET Online Scanner — where it wins

  • Full, quick, and custom scan modes
  • Quarantine with restore capability and saved scan logs
  • Automatic monthly scans with archive and unwanted-application detection

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only coverage
  • No continuous real-time protection
  • Remediation is assisted rather than fully automated

• Microsoft Defender Offline9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free Windows scanner for persistent malware, rootkits, and offline remediation.

  Learn about DefenderFull verdict →
• ESET Online Scanner9.2/10 · Free plan

  A straightforward free scanner for periodic Windows malware checks and removal.

  Visit ESETFull verdict →