# Onex ESS vs Microsoft Defender

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Onex ESS at none against Microsoft Defender's 3. Onex ESS also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). Microsoft Defender's advantage is review sentiment (34% vs 0%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Defender sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Onex ESS asks for nothing beyond the download.

Onex ESS ships an update every 3 months, Microsoft Defender every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 7, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Onex ESS | Microsoft Defender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (21K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-defender-security/id1526737990/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **21K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **34.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#164** |
| Size | 82 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Suraj Rameshwar Dubey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1037576555) | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) |

## What reviewers say

### Onex ESS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onex-ess/id1308166278)

Access your monthly and yearly pay slips, make investment declarations, and view your tax sheet. This app allows employees to manage and track personal payroll-related activities.

**Highlights:** View monthly pay slips, View yearly pay slips, Make investment declarations, View tax sheets, Manage payroll activities

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Microsoft Defender

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-defender-security/id1526737990)

**Currently charting:** #164 Top Grossing · Business, #181 Top Free · Business (US App Store)

This app offers comprehensive online security for individuals and families, providing antivirus scanning, threat monitoring, and identity protection. It helps safeguard personal information by scanning the dark web and offers credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services.

**Highlights:** Antivirus scanning, Threat monitoring, Dark web scanning for identity threats, Credit monitoring, Identity theft restoration, Anti-phishing protection, Multidevice alerts

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $6.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast
- 🔒 Security
- 👍 Ease of use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🔋 High battery drain
- 🔍 Excessive data usage
- 🤖 Compatibility problems
- ⚠️ Disruptive to other apps

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Unexpected app crashes
- Inconsistent behavior after updates

**Requested features**

- Dark mode support
- Customizable VPN settings
- Better integration with other apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Onex ESS free?

Onex ESS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Microsoft Defender free?

Microsoft Defender is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Onex ESS or Microsoft Defender have ads?

Neither Onex ESS nor Microsoft Defender shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Onex ESS or Microsoft Defender?

Onex ESS ships an update every 3 months, and Microsoft Defender every 2 weeks. Most recently, Onex ESS was updated on July 7, 2026 and Microsoft Defender on September 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*