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Proofpoint alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll email spam filters

Top picks

Common reasons people leave Proofpoint: quote-only pricing with no self-serve plan, and built for enterprises; heavy for very small businesses. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Proofpoint, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Mimecast currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Mimecast logoMimecastPaid—NoWeb4 of 468.8
2SpamTitan logoSpamTitanPaid—NoWeb, Self-hosted4 of 464.8
3Proxmox Mail Gateway logoProxmox Mail GatewayOpen source€540/year per hostNoSelf-hosted, Linux4 of 461.8
4Microsoft Defender for Office 365 logoMicrosoft Defender for Office 365Paid$2 per user/month (Plan 1, yearly)NoWeb4 of 442.3
5Barracuda Email Protection logoBarracuda Email ProtectionPaid—NoWeb4 of 442.3
  1. Mimecast logo

    1. MimecastTop pick

    Best for: Companies wanting a hosted email gateway with continuity and archiving in the same contract

    PaidWeb

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Proofpoint

    Similar enterprise gateway with built-in email continuity and archiving, often compared head to head.

    Pros

    • MX gateway or API deployment, for cloud, on-prem or hybrid mail
    • Mail continuity if your own server goes down
    • Archiving, DMARC and training available on the same platform

    Cons

    • No public pricing; quote through sales or partners
    • Feature set and console can be a lot for small teams
    • Advanced modules cost extra on top of core filtering
    Visit Mimecast Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Mimecast a good Proofpoint alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Deployment
    MX-based or API-based
    Checked Nov 8, 2026mimecast.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Supported mail
    Microsoft 365, Google, on-prem, hybrid
    Checked Nov 8, 2026mimecast.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Email continuity
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026mimecast.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Customers
    42,000
    Checked Nov 8, 2026mimecast.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. SpamTitan logo

    2. SpamTitan

    Best for: IT teams and MSPs who want managed spam and phishing filtering in front of Microsoft 365 or a mail server

    PaidWeb, Self-hosted

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Proofpoint

    Simpler, cheaper cloud filtering aimed at SMBs and MSPs.

    Pros

    • Cloud service, so there's no filtering engine to maintain
    • Sandboxing and dual antivirus for attachments
    • Adds a layer in front of Microsoft 365
    • User quarantine reports and per-domain policies

    Cons

    • No public prices; quotes only
    • Closed source, unlike SpamAssassin or Rspamd
    • Aimed at businesses and MSPs rather than individuals
    Visit SpamTitan Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is SpamTitan a good Proofpoint alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Owner
    TitanHQ
    Checked Nov 8, 2026spamtitan.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Microsoft 365
    Integrates
    Checked Nov 8, 2026spamtitan.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Sandboxing
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026spamtitan.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pricing
    By quote
    Checked Nov 8, 2026spamtitan.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Proxmox Mail Gateway logo

    3. Proxmox Mail Gateway

    Best for: Companies running their own mail servers who want a packaged filtering gateway with a web UI

    Open sourceSelf-hosted, Linux

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Proofpoint

    Open-source gateway you run yourself, with no per-user licence for the core product.

    Pros

    • Complete gateway with web UI, quarantine and mail tracking
    • Bundles ClamAV antivirus and SpamAssassin
    • Open source and usable without a subscription
    • Subscriptions cover unlimited users and domains per host

    Cons

    • You run and maintain the gateway yourself
    • Support and the enterprise repository need a paid subscription
    • Relies on SpamAssassin, so it inherits its performance limits
    Visit Proxmox Mail Gateway Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Proxmox Mail Gateway a good Proofpoint alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GNU AGPLv3
    Checked Nov 8, 2026proxmox.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    €540/year per host
    Checked Nov 8, 2026proxmox.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Users and domains
    Unlimited per subscription
    Checked Nov 8, 2026proxmox.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Filtering engines
    Postfix, ClamAV, SpamAssassin
    Checked Nov 8, 2026proxmox.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 logo

    4. Microsoft Defender for Office 365

    Best for: Organisations on Microsoft 365 that want stronger email security without another vendor.

    PaidWeb

    42.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Proofpoint

    Often already included in Microsoft 365 E5 or Business Premium, so it can replace a separate gateway.

    Pros

    • Already included in Business Premium and E5 licences
    • Covers Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive, not just email
    • Plan 2 links into Defender XDR for incident response
    • No MX record changes since it's built into Exchange Online

    Cons

    • Only protects Microsoft 365 mailboxes
    • Investigation and simulation tools need Plan 2
    • Annual per-user billing for the add-on
    Visit Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.312
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Microsoft Defender for Office 365 a good Proofpoint alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $2 per user/month (Plan 1, yearly)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Plan 2 price
    $5 per user/month (yearly)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    90 days (Plan 2)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Included in
    Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3 (Plan 1), E5 (Plan 2)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Barracuda Email Protection logo

    5. Barracuda Email Protection

    Best for: Mid-sized organisations and MSPs wanting email security, archiving and Microsoft 365 backup in one.

    PaidWeb

    42.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Proofpoint

    Mid-market email security with API deployment and bundled Microsoft 365 backup.

    Pros

    • API connection to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace with no MX change
    • Bundles archiving and Microsoft 365 backup
    • Rechecks delivered mail and removes threats later
    • MSP-friendly plans and management

    Cons

    • No public per-user prices on the product page
    • Many separate modules make plans harder to compare
    • More than a small team needs for basic spam filtering
    Visit Barracuda Email Protection Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.312
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Barracuda Email Protection a good Proofpoint alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Deployment
    API connection, no MX change
    Checked Nov 8, 2026barracuda.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Customers
    80,000+ organisations
    Checked Nov 8, 2026barracuda.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Microsoft 365 backup
    Included in bundle
    Checked Nov 8, 2026barracuda.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms protected
    Microsoft 365, Google Workspace
    Checked Nov 8, 2026barracuda.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Proofpoint alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Mimecast logo

Best Proofpoint alternative for most people

Mimecast

Similar enterprise gateway with built-in email continuity and archiving, often compared head to head.

Proxmox Mail Gateway logo

Best Proofpoint alternative for a free option

Proxmox Mail Gateway

Open-source gateway you run yourself, with no per-user licence for the core product.

Proxmox Mail Gateway logo

Best Proofpoint alternative for Linux

Proxmox Mail Gateway

Open-source gateway you run yourself, with no per-user licence for the core product.

SpamTitan logo

Best Proofpoint alternative for working in the browser

SpamTitan

Simpler, cheaper cloud filtering aimed at SMBs and MSPs.

Proofpoint alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Proofpoint?

Mimecast ranks first right now. Similar enterprise gateway with built-in email continuity and archiving, often compared head to head. SpamTitan and Proxmox Mail Gateway follow it in our ranking.

Proofpoint vs Mimecast: what's the difference?

Both Proofpoint and Mimecast are paid products. Both run on Web.

Is Proofpoint free?

Proofpoint is a paid product.

How much do Proofpoint alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked Proofpoint alternatives: Proxmox Mail Gateway, €540/year per host; Microsoft Defender for Office 365, $2 per user/month (Plan 1, yearly). Each price was checked on the app's own site; see each card below for the date and source.

Is there a free alternative to Proofpoint?

Yes. Proxmox Mail Gateway (open source) has a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Proofpoint?

None of the 5 alternatives in this list is open source.

Which Proofpoint alternatives work on Linux?

Proxmox Mail Gateway runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Proofpoint?

The complaints we hear most: quote-only pricing with no self-serve plan; built for enterprises; heavy for very small businesses; many features are split across separately sold modules.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Proofpoint, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.