Carbon Black vs Material Security: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Carbon Black and Material Security side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Material Security leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Carbon Black
Endpoint security and threat detection by VMware
Best for you if:
- • You want endpoint security
Material Security
The first detection and response platform built for the cloud workspace.
Best for you if:
- • You want purpose-built for cloud workspaces (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365), not retrofitted
| At a Glance | Carbon Black | Material Security |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Not published | From $4/mo, billed monthly Essentials plan |
Category | Security Developer Tools | Security Security Monitoring |
Rating | 4.4/5 G2 4.4 86 reviews | 4.9/5 G2 4.9 20 reviews |
Free plan | No | No |
Watch out for | Potential minimum seat count requirements | ATO Resilience is an add-on, increasing base cost. |
Choose Carbon Black or Material Security?
Choose Carbon Black if
- You want endpoint security
- You want good protection
Choose Material Security if
- You want purpose-built for cloud workspaces (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365), not retrofitted
- You want provides holistic security across email, files, and accounts from a single platform
In-Depth Analysis
Carbon Black
Endpoint security and threat detection by VMware
Carbon Black's pricing is opaque, as both 'Cloud' and 'Enterprise' tiers require contacting sales for custom quotes.
Watch out
Potential minimum seat count requirements
Strengths
- Pro: Endpoint security
- Pro: Good protection
- Pro: VMware backed
- Pro: Active development
- Pro: Enterprise ready
Weaknesses
- Con: Expensive
- Con: Complex platform
- Con: Learning curve
- Con: Per-endpoint pricing
- Con: Support varies
Key features
Material Security
The first detection and response platform built for the cloud workspace.
Material Security's pricing for Essentials at $4/month and Advanced at $6/month is competitive for the extensive cloud workspace security features offered.
Watch out
ATO Resilience is an add-on, increasing base cost.
Strengths
- Pro: Purpose-built for cloud workspaces (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365), not retrofitted
- Pro: Provides holistic security across email, files, and accounts from a single platform
- Pro: Automates threat detection and response, reducing manual effort and burnout for security teams
- Pro: Offers full lifecycle protection: detection, containment, and resilience
- Pro: Seamlessly integrates into existing workflows and is extensible via APIs and event hooks
Weaknesses
- Con: No free tier or trial explicitly mentioned on the provided pages
- Con: Requires integration with existing cloud workspace environments
Key features
Plans and prices: Carbon Black vs Material Security
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Black |
| carbonblack.com read Oct 3, 2026 |
| Material Security |
| material.security/pricing read Oct 22, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Carbon Black pricing and Material Security pricing.
Key Takeaways
Carbon Black
- Choose if you want endpoint security and threat detection by VMware
Material Security
- Higher user rating: 4.9/5 vs 4.4/5
What the data shows
On the data below, Material Security leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- Material Security has the higher user rating (4.4/5 from 86 reviews for Carbon Black, 4.9/5 from 20 reviews for Material Security).
- Material Security starts at $4/mo, billed monthly; Carbon Black has no public paid plan price on file.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Carbon Black and Material Security compare in 2026?
On the data below, Material Security leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. Material Security has the higher user rating (4.4/5 from 86 reviews for Carbon Black, 4.9/5 from 20 reviews for Material Security). Material Security starts at $4/mo, billed monthly; Carbon Black has no public paid plan price on file.
What are Carbon Black and Material Security used for?
Carbon Black: Endpoint security and threat detection by VMware. Material Security: The first detection and response platform built for the cloud workspace.
What does Carbon Black cost vs Material Security?
Carbon Black has no public paid-plan price on file. Material Security's cheapest paid plan is Essentials at $4/mo, billed monthly. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 22, 2026.
What's the main difference between Carbon Black and Material Security?
Carbon Black's main strength: endpoint security. Material Security's main strength: purpose-built for cloud workspaces (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365), not retrofitted.