Independent, hands-on reviews of the tools protecting real SMBs in 2026 — from endpoint defense to backups. No fluff, no paid rankings, no vendor spin.
Editor's Picks
Industry-leading endpoint protection with one of the lowest false-positive rates on the market.
European-built endpoint protection trusted by 400,000+ companies worldwide.
Zero-knowledge password manager built for teams by Nord Security.
Deep Dives
Industry-leading endpoint protection with one of the lowest false-positive rates on the market.
European-built endpoint protection trusted by 400,000+ companies worldwide.
Zero-knowledge password manager built for teams by Nord Security.
Business VPN and ZTNA built on NordVPN's proven infrastructure.
Lightweight anti-malware that catches what traditional antivirus misses.
Simple, unlimited cloud backup at a price any small business can justify.
More Options
Not in our top 5, but worth considering depending on your needs.
Unlimited devices, predictable pricing — cloud backup that scales with your team.
From $99.50 / year
Get IDrive Business ↗Browser-based security that blocks phishing, malware and scam sites before they load.
From $10 / user / mo
Try Guardio Free ↗The enterprise-grade password manager trusted by 100,000+ businesses worldwide.
From $7.99 / user / mo
Try 1Password Business ↗Local, hybrid and cloud backup with full disaster recovery for business workstations.
From $39.95 / device / year
Get EaseUS Todo Backup ↗No admin console or team management, but unlimited device connections at one of the lowest prices on the market — a solid fit for freelancers and very small teams who don't need full ZTNA.
From $2.49 / mo
Try Surfshark ↗Learn
Compliance · 8 min read
Security · 5 min read
Ransomware · 10 min read
Full Comparison
All 11 tools we've tested, ranked by category. Updated quarterly with real-world testing data.
| Tool | Category | Score | Starting price | Free trial | GDPR-ready | Centralised mgmt | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
🛡️ Bitdefender GravityZoneEndpoint Security |
Endpoint Security | ★ 4.8 | €7.19 / device / yr | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Try free ↗ |
🔒 ESET Business SecurityEndpoint Security |
Endpoint Security | ★ 4.6 | €7.90 / device / yr | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Try free ↗ |
🔑 NordPass BusinessPassword Management |
Password Mgmt | ★ 4.7 | $1.79 / user / mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Get it ↗ |
🌐 NordLayerNetwork Security / ZTNA |
Network / ZTNA | ★ 4.6 | $8 / user / mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Try free ↗ |
🦈 SurfsharkVPN / Network Security |
Network / VPN | ★ 4.4 | $2.49 / mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Try free ↗ |
🦠 Malwarebytes for TeamsAnti-Malware |
Anti-Malware | ★ 4.5 | $4.17 / device / mo | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | Try free ↗ |
💾 Backblaze Business BackupBackup & Recovery |
Backup & Recovery | ★ 4.6 | $7 / user / mo | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | Try free ↗ |
📦 IDrive BusinessBackup & Recovery |
Backup & Recovery | ★ 4.3 | $99.50 / year | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Get it ↗ |
🛡️ GuardioBrowser & Email Security |
Browser Security | ★ 4.2 | $10 / user / mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Try free ↗ |
🔐 1Password BusinessPassword Management |
Password Mgmt | ★ 4.4 | $7.99 / user / mo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Try free ↗ |
💿 EaseUS Todo BackupBackup & Recovery |
Backup & Recovery | ★ 4.3 | $39.95 / device / yr | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Get it ↗ |
* Prices shown are starting tiers. Some links are affiliate links — we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores based on 30-day independent testing.
Blog & Guides
Practical guides, tool comparisons, and compliance resources written for people running small businesses — not security researchers.
We ran both solutions on the same 15-device test environment for 30 days, measuring detection rates, false positives, system impact, and management overhead. Here's what we found.
September 2026A practical, step-by-step checklist covering the 12 areas GDPR auditors look at first — with tool recommendations for each.
September 2026The tools, the order of rollout, and how to handle the one employee who will push back hardest.
August 2026Hour-by-hour response guide: who to call, what not to touch, and how to decide whether paying the ransom ever makes sense.
July 2026Price, security architecture, admin controls, and onboarding friction compared for SMB teams of 5–50 people.
July 2026The 3-2-1 backup rule explained for small teams, with specific product combinations that cover all three layers.
June 2026When a traditional VPN is enough, and when your setup has outgrown it. Includes a cost breakdown for NordLayer vs legacy VPN solutions.
June 2026Real examples collected from SMB incident reports in 2025–2026, with the red flags to teach your team to spot.
May 2026