# Top 11 Email Security Software

> The best email security software is Abnormal Security, followed by Proofpoint and Mimecast.

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- Last verified: 2026-07-04
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## Ranking

### #1 Abnormal Security · 9.2/9.4
- Best for: Enterprises on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace that need to stop business email compromise and vendor fraud without a gateway.
- San Francisco, USA · founded 2018 · $$$ (custom, per-mailbox enterprise pricing)
- Abnormal ranks first because its behavioral AI models normal communication per person and flags identity-based attacks like vendor fraud that signature gateways miss, and it deploys through API in under an hour with no MX record change.
- Pro: The API model reads sending patterns and relationships, so it catches account-takeover and payroll-diversion attempts that carry no malicious link or attachment.
- Con: Pricing is quote-only with no public tier, and the behavioral models need a few days of learning before detection is fully tuned.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #2 Proofpoint · 9/9.4
- Best for: Large regulated enterprises that want a full email gateway with data loss prevention and encryption in one stack.
- Sunnyvale, USA · founded 2002 · $$$ (custom, per-user enterprise pricing)
- Proofpoint ranks second because it pairs a proven MX gateway with data loss prevention, encryption, and threat intelligence, which suits banks and healthcare firms that need one audited stack across email.
- Pro: Its Targeted Attack Protection sandbox and URL rewriting give measurable coverage on weaponized attachments and delayed-detonation links.
- Con: The console is dense and setup can take weeks, so small teams without a dedicated admin find it heavy.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #3 Mimecast · 8.9/9.4
- Best for: Organizations that want email security, archiving, and continuity so mail keeps flowing during an outage.
- London, UK · founded 2003 · $$ (roughly $4 to $9 per user per month)
- Mimecast ranks third because it bundles gateway security with archiving and mail continuity, so a company keeps sending and receiving even when Microsoft 365 has an outage.
- Pro: Its continuity service delivers mail during a provider outage, a capability most pure-play detection tools do not offer.
- Con: Detection is strong but trails the behavioral leaders on novel BEC, and the bundle can cost more than teams that only want filtering.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #4 Microsoft Defender for Office 365 · 8.8/9.4
- Best for: Microsoft 365 shops that want native protection without adding a third-party vendor.
- Redmond, USA · founded 2015 · $ ($2/user/mo Plan 1, $5/user/mo Plan 2, or bundled in E5)
- Microsoft Defender for Office 365 ranks fourth because it is built into the platform most companies already run, with Safe Links, Safe Attachments, and automated investigation included in E5 at no extra vendor cost.
- Pro: Automated investigation and response ties email alerts to the wider Defender XDR signal, which shortens triage for teams already on Microsoft security.
- Con: Native filtering lets more novel phishing through than specialist tools, so many firms still layer a third-party product on top.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #5 Barracuda Email Protection · 8.6/9.4
- Best for: Small and mid-market teams that want strong protection with simple setup and a fair price.
- Campbell, USA · founded 2003 · $$ (roughly $3 to $7 per user per month)
- Barracuda ranks fifth because it pairs API-based inbox defense with gateway filtering at a mid-market price, and its Incident Response tool remediates delivered threats across every mailbox in a few clicks.
- Pro: The bundled Incident Response feature claws back a delivered phishing message from all mailboxes at once, which saves hours of manual cleanup.
- Con: Reporting is lighter than the enterprise leaders, and advanced tiers add cost that narrows the value gap.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #6 Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense · 8.5/9.4
- Best for: Cisco security customers that want email defense wired into their existing Talos-backed stack.
- San Jose, USA · founded 1984 · $$$ (custom, per-user enterprise pricing)
- Cisco Secure Email ranks sixth because its Talos threat intelligence feeds detection and it integrates cleanly with Cisco firewalls and SecureX, which suits shops already standardized on Cisco.
- Pro: Talos intelligence updates give fast coverage on emerging campaigns seen across Cisco's global sensor network.
- Con: Value is best only if you already run Cisco security; as a standalone it costs more than comparable detection.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #7 Trend Micro Email and Collaboration Security · 8.4/9.4
- Best for: Enterprises that want API-based protection extended across email plus Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive.
- Tokyo, Japan · founded 1988 · $$ (roughly $3 to $6 per user per month)
- Trend Micro ranks seventh because its Cloud App Security uses API hooks to scan email and collaboration tools like Teams and SharePoint together, closing a gap that email-only tools leave open.
- Pro: Writing-style analysis and computer vision on QR codes catch phishing that hides in images and quishing attacks.
- Con: The broader Vision One platform is powerful but adds complexity if you only need email filtering.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #8 Fortinet FortiMail · 8.3/9.4
- Best for: Fortinet Security Fabric users that want a gateway available as appliance, virtual machine, or cloud.
- Sunnyvale, USA · founded 2000 · $$ (appliance or per-user cloud, custom)
- FortiMail ranks eighth because it delivers gateway-grade filtering in appliance, virtual, or cloud form and shares threat intelligence across the Fortinet Security Fabric, which lowers cost for existing Fortinet sites.
- Pro: Deployment choice across hardware, virtual machine, and cloud fits regulated sites that must keep mail scanning on-premises.
- Con: The behavioral anti-BEC layer is less mature than the API-first leaders, so identity fraud detection trails.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #9 Sophos Email · 8.2/9.4
- Best for: Mid-market teams already on Sophos Central that want email folded into one console.
- Abingdon, UK · founded 1985 · $$ (roughly $3 to $6 per user per month)
- Sophos Email ranks ninth because it runs inside Sophos Central alongside endpoint and firewall, so a lean team manages email, devices, and network from one dashboard.
- Pro: Shared threat intelligence between email and Intercept X endpoint links an inbound phish to the device it lands on.
- Con: As a standalone email tool it is middle of the pack; the value comes from the Central bundle.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #10 Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration · 8.1/9.4
- Best for: Teams that want inline API protection that catches threats before they reach the inbox.
- Tel Aviv, Israel · founded 1993 · $$ (roughly $4 to $8 per user per month)
- Check Point Harmony ranks tenth because its API model sits inline and blocks malicious mail before delivery rather than clawing it back after, which shrinks the window a user can click.
- Pro: Pre-delivery blocking through the API means fewer threats ever reach the inbox, unlike post-delivery remediation tools.
- Con: Setup of inline mode needs care to avoid delivery delays, and reporting lags the top enterprise consoles.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

### #11 [WILDCARD] Sublime Security · 7.9/9.4
- Best for: Security teams that want to write and share their own email detection rules instead of trusting a black box.
- Washington, D.C., USA · founded 2020 · $ (free community tier, paid plans custom)
- Sublime Security ranks eleventh as the wildcard because it exposes detection as open, editable rules so a SOC can tune email defense like code, with a free community tier that few enterprise tools offer.
- Pro: Its Message Query Language and open rule library let a team write custom detections in hours and share them publicly.
- Con: It expects security engineering skill to shine, so lean teams without a SOC get less from it than from a managed tool.
- Risk signals (none, checked 2026-07-04): No material public risk signals as of 2026-07-04.

## FAQ

**What is the best email security software?**

The best overall is Abnormal Security, because its behavioral AI stops business email compromise and account takeover that signature gateways miss, and it deploys through API in under an hour. Proofpoint and Mimecast lead for regulated enterprises that need archiving, encryption, and data loss prevention in one stack.

**What is the best email security for Microsoft 365?**

For Microsoft 365, the native option is Defender for Office 365 at $2 to $5 per user per month, and it is included in E5. Most security teams layer an API tool like Abnormal or Barracuda on top to catch the novel phishing native filtering lets through.

**How much does email security software cost?**

Per-user pricing runs from about $2 per user per month for Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 up to $9 or more per user per month for bundled enterprise suites. Behavioral leaders like Abnormal and Proofpoint use quote-only enterprise pricing.

**Do I still need email security if I use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?**

Yes. Native filtering in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 blocks bulk spam and known malware, but independent tests show it lets more targeted phishing and business email compromise through, which is why most organizations add a specialist layer.

**What is the best free email security tool?**

Sublime Security offers a genuine free community tier with an open detection-rule library, which suits security teams comfortable writing their own rules. For most companies, the value tier is native Microsoft Defender for Office 365, which is included in the E5 license they may already own.