Sentaro is the best Abnormal Security alternative for EU teams on Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace: it connects over the Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace APIs in four minutes with no MX change and no agents; its BEC and vendor-fraud verdicts show their reasoning in the console, so you can audit them on your own mail; its App vector, live since Q3 2026, covers OAuth grants and AI tools in the same platform; its price, $6 per protected account per month with every feature included, is published (USD); and it is hosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure, with subprocessors listed in the DPA. Abnormal AI is a strong behavioral platform built for large enterprises; Sentaro keeps the same API-based approach with a price you can see and hosting in Sweden on Microsoft Azure.
- Why Sentaro wins
- same API approach, published terms: Abnormal is quote-based and its hosting region (US or EU, Ireland) depends on the subscription (abnormal.ai subprocessor list, July 2026), while Sentaro publishes $6 per account per month and is hosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure, with subprocessors in its DPA.
- Choose Sentaro if
- you are an EU SME or mid-market firm on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace with a lean IT team.
- Consider Abnormal or Sublime only if
- you need account takeover and identity coverage live today, FedRAMP Moderate, or a SOC that writes its own detection rules.
What you are comparing against: Abnormal AI at a glance
- Name
- Abnormal AI, formerly Abnormal Security; founded 2018
- Approach
- Behavioral AI that baselines every employee and vendor; reads authentication events, calendar activity and internal threads
- Deployment
- API, no MX change; vendor states "Deploy in 60 seconds"
- Products
- Inbound Email Security, Account Takeover Protection, AI Phishing Coach, Email DLP Rules, Security Posture Management for Microsoft 365, AI Security
- Pricing
- Not publicly listed
- EU hosting
- Subprocessor list (updated 31 July 2026): AWS in the US or the EU (Ireland), set by the customer’s subscription
- Customers
- Vendor states over 30% of the Fortune 500; 3,200+ organizations (June 2025)
Why teams look for an Abnormal Security alternative
Abnormal is widely deployed and well regarded. The documented reasons to compare alternatives are about fit rather than quality:
- No published pricing. Abnormal’s pricing and minimum seat count are not public, which makes it hard to budget before a sales process.
- Enterprise orientation. Abnormal’s positioning and references lean toward the Fortune 500. A team with one or two IT staff may want fewer modules and fewer decisions.
- EU data hosting terms. Abnormal’s subprocessor list (updated 31 July 2026) names AWS in the United States or the EU (Ireland), with the location “determined according to the Customer’s chosen subscription”, and Azure OpenAI Service in the US or the EU. EU firms subject to NIS2, DORA or GDPR transfer assessments should confirm in the contract which location applies to them.
- Platform breadth you may not need. Identity, SaaS posture and AI security modules are valuable for large estates, but a smaller team may only need inbound email and OAuth visibility.
What these alternatives have in common
Apart from Microsoft Defender, which is native to Exchange Online, every option below can connect through the Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace APIs. None of them needs an MX change in that mode, so all can be tested next to Abnormal on the same mail. A side-by-side trial on your own traffic is the fairest comparison.
Abnormal Security alternatives at a glance
| Vendor | Type | Deploys via | Public price | Hosting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentaro (our pick) | API (ICES) | Microsoft 365 and Workspace APIs | $6 per account/month | Sweden (Microsoft Azure); see DPA | Our pick: EU teams on Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace |
| Sublime Security | API (ICES) | API; managed or self-hosted | Free to 100 mailboxes; Enterprise quote | EU (Dublin) managed region, or self-host | SOC teams that write rules |
| IRONSCALES | API (ICES) | API at mailbox level | Quote (tiers published) | AWS USA or Germany (subprocessor list) | SMBs and MSPs wanting simulation bundled |
| Check Point Harmony Email | API (ICES), inline option | API, no MX change | Quote | Ireland region option | Inline-via-API and many SaaS apps |
| Material Security | API (ICES) | API | From $4 per user/month | No EU region documented | Workspace-heavy, post-compromise focus |
| Darktrace / EMAIL | API (ICES) | API or API plus journaling | Quote | Not publicly documented | Existing Darktrace customers |
| Defender for Office 365 | Native | Exchange Online mail flow | Plan 1 $2, Plan 2 $5 per user/month | EU Data Boundary | Microsoft 365 tenants already licensed |
| Proofpoint | Gateway and API | MX or Microsoft Graph | Quote | EU or US data centre (API product); some US processing | Enterprises wanting a full suite |
| Barracuda | API (ICES) | API, no MX change | Quote | Gateway: Frankfurt, London; API modules: US | SMBs wanting backup and archive bundled |
| Cloudflare Email Security | Gateway, API or BCC | MX, API or journaling | Quote | Processing region selectable, incl. Germany | Cloudflare Zero Trust customers |
| Mimecast | Gateway and API | MX or API | Quote | Frankfurt data centres (2018) | Archive, continuity, on-prem Exchange |
| Google Workspace built-in | Native | Gmail | Included in Workspace | Europe data region (edition-dependent) | Workspace tenants as a baseline |
The 8 Abnormal Security alternatives in detail
- 1
Sentaro
Our pickBest for: EU teams on Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace that want strong BEC and phishing protection without a gateway project.
Sentaro is the published-price peer to Abnormal: an API-based (ICES) email and SaaS security platform for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, built in Stockholm and hosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure. Strengths: like Abnormal, it reads intent, relationship history and sender infrastructure rather than signatures, and uses existing mailbox history to build baselines quickly; OAuth grant inventory and shadow AI discovery in the same product; $6 per protected account per month, or $68 per account per year; the first account is free. Prices in USD. Where Abnormal is broader today: Abnormal documents account takeover protection as a live product, and its trust center lists third-party certifications; see the roadmap and certification notes below for Sentaro’s status.
Sentaro vs Abnormal Security Best for: Security teams that want transparent, editable detection logic or self-hosting.
Detection-as-code email security. Strengths: rules written in its Message Query Language, with an open-source rule library on GitHub covering BEC, QR codes and lookalike domains; AI agents that triage user reports and write rules; managed cloud free for the first 100 mailboxes; self-hosting in your own AWS or Azure. Limits: managed-cloud hosting regions not publicly documented; best value comes with staff who will work with rules.
Best for: SMBs and MSPs that want API protection plus phishing simulation and training.
Mailbox-level behavioral AI with community intelligence. Strengths: account takeover, encryption and DLP in higher tiers; Human Risk Management for simulation and training; states 18,000+ organizations and 3,000+ MSPs. Limits, per ironscales.com as of 21 October 2026: every plan is quote-based. Its subprocessor list names AWS in the USA and AWS Europe (Germany) for the primary application platform.
Best for: Teams that want inline blocking through the API and wide collaboration-app coverage.
API-based protection, formerly Avanan. Strengths: Check Point says it inspects mail before it reaches the inbox; covers Teams, Slack, OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, Box and Dropbox; Ireland data residency region. Limits, per checkpoint.com as of 18 October 2026: pricing not published; DMARC, archiving and training are add-ons.
Best for: Google Workspace-heavy companies that care about what happens after an account is compromised.
Email and workspace security with a post-compromise focus. Strengths: OAuth app inventory, Drive data exposure and ATO containment; public pricing (Essentials $4 and Advanced $6 per user per month, plus a Shared Drive fee, billed annually). Limits, per material.security as of 21 October 2026: no EU hosting region documented (its subprocessor list names Google Cloud infrastructure in the U.S.A.); ATO Resilience is an add-on.
- 6
Darktrace / EMAIL
Best for: Organizations already using Darktrace for network or cloud detection.
Self-learning email security inside a wider detection platform. Strengths: Darktrace says its model learns from your own organization’s activity rather than a shared cross-customer model; Identity Detection & Response can terminate sessions and force re-authentication; coverage of Teams, Zoom and Slack. Limits, per darktrace.com as of 18 October 2026: Google Workspace support not confirmed; pricing not published. Owned by Thoma Bravo since October 2024.
Best for: Microsoft-only organizations with E5 or a SOC already working in Defender XDR.
Microsoft’s top tier of native email protection. Strengths: Threat Explorer, campaigns, automated investigation and response, and attack simulation training on top of Plan 1; included in Microsoft 365 E5 or $5 per user per month; EU Data Boundary. Limits, per Microsoft Learn as of 18 October 2026: Microsoft 365 only; OAuth app governance is a separate product.
Best for: Large enterprises that want API or inline deployment plus a deep add-on portfolio.
A full email security suite. Strengths: API via Microsoft Graph or inline gateway; add-ons for DMARC, DLP, archiving, training and account takeover. Limits, per proofpoint.com as of 21 October 2026: pricing not published; its Core Email Protection API sheet says tenants go to an EU or US data centre, with some processing and storage in the US.
Abnormal and the alternatives side by side
| Capability | Sentaro | Abnormal AI | Sublime Security | IRONSCALES | Check Point Harmony Email | Material Security | Darktrace / EMAIL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment and platforms | |||||||
| Deployment | API, no MX change | API, no MX change | API; managed or self-hosted | API, alongside a gateway | API with inline prevention | API | API, or API plus journaling |
| Microsoft 365 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not publicly documentedNot confirmed |
| Threat coverage | |||||||
| BEC and impersonation | YesMessage vector, live | Yes | YesOpen detection rules | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| QR-code phishing | YesDecoded and destination analyzed | Yes | YesOpen detection rules | Yes | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented |
| OAuth apps and shadow IT | YesApp vector, live | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | YesShadow IT detection | YesOAuth app inventory | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented |
| Suite extras | |||||||
| DMARC report management | NoReads DMARC posture as a signal only | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Paid add-on | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented |
| Awareness training | NoNot offered by design | YesAI Phishing Coach | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | YesHuman Risk Management | Paid add-on | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented |
| Buying and data | |||||||
| Public pricing | Yes$6 per account/month | NoQuote-based | PartialFirst 100 mailboxes free; Enterprise on quote | NoTiers published, prices on quote | NoQuote-based | YesFrom $4 per user/month | NoQuote-based |
| EU hosting documented | YesHosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure; see DPA | PartialUS or EU (Ireland), by subscription | PartialEU (Dublin) managed region, or self-host | PartialAWS USA or Germany (subprocessor list) | YesIreland region option | Not publicly documentedNo EU region documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented |
“Not publicly documented” means we could not find it in the vendor’s public material on 18 October 2026, not that the capability is missing. Add-on means sold separately or in a higher tier.
- Yes
- Partial
- No
- On roadmap
- Paid add-on
- Not publicly documented
How to choose an Abnormal alternative
| Question | Points toward |
|---|---|
| Do you need prices before talking to sales? | Sentaro ($6 per account/month), Material Security (from $4 per user/month), Sublime Security (first 100 mailboxes free), Defender (Plan 2 $5) |
| Do you run Google Workspace? | Sentaro, Sublime, IRONSCALES, Check Point, Material. Defender is Microsoft-only; Darktrace’s Workspace support is not confirmed |
| Do you need EU hosting documented? | Sentaro (Sweden, DPA), Check Point (Ireland region), Defender (EU Data Boundary), Sublime (EU managed region or self-hosted); Abnormal offers EU (Ireland) by subscription |
| How big is your security team? | One to five people: Sentaro, IRONSCALES, Defender. A SOC that writes rules: Sublime, Darktrace, Abnormal |
Why Sentaro is our pick
Why Sentaro wins
- Relationship-aware detection from day one: The Message vector, live since Q2 2026, scores intent, sender identity and relationship signals before interaction, including vendor-compromise and thread-hijack detection, and every verdict shows its reasoning in the console, so you can audit its BEC calls on your own mail.
- Email plus the apps behind it: The App vector, live since Q3 2026, inventories every app, AI tool and OAuth grant within 15 minutes of connecting, blocks consent phishing and revokes risky grants in one click.
- Price published: $6 per protected account per month, or $68 per year, every feature included, published on sentaro.com/en/pricing; the first account is free, so you can test it before talking to sales. Prices in USD.
- Four-minute setup: Sentaro connects over the Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace admin APIs in four minutes, with no agents and no MX change (your MX record stays where it is, which you can check in DNS), and shows historical mail within 15 minutes.
- Hosting in writing: Hosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure, with every subprocessor listed in the public DPA (sentaro.com/en/legal/dpa).
Consider another option only if
- You need account-takeover monitoring or a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certificate today; see the roadmap and certification notes on this page.
- You need an MX gateway, archiving, encryption, backup or DMARC report management. Sentaro does none of these.
- You run on-premises Exchange. Sentaro supports Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace only.
- You need FedRAMP or a long list of third-party certifications today.
How to evaluate an alternative next to Abnormal
- 01
Pick two or three candidates
Use the decision table above. More than three trials at once is hard for a small team to review properly.
- 02
Connect them in tag or monitor mode
All API tools here connect without MX changes. Sentaro connects in four minutes and shows historical mail within 15 minutes.
- 03
Compare on the same mail for two to four weeks
Look at BEC, supplier fraud and QR-code lures that each tool flagged, and at what admins had to review by hand.
- 04
Check the paperwork
Ask each vendor for its DPA, subprocessor list and hosting regions. Sentaro’s are in its public DPA.
- 05
Switch enforcement, then disconnect
Turn on blocking in the new tool, confirm results for a week, then remove Abnormal’s app consent from your tenant.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Abnormal Security alternative?
Sentaro. For EU teams on Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, Sentaro is our pick as the best Abnormal Security alternative: it connects over API in four minutes with no MX change, catches BEC and vendor fraud before interaction, blocks OAuth consent phishing in the same platform and costs $6 per protected account per month (USD), hosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure. If you need account takeover coverage live today or FedRAMP Moderate, Abnormal remains strong; if your SOC writes its own rules, look at Sublime Security.
Who competes with Abnormal Security?
Abnormal AI’s direct competitors are other API-based email security vendors: Sublime Security, IRONSCALES, Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration, Material Security, Darktrace / EMAIL, Sentaro and Fortinet’s FortiMail Workspace Security. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Proofpoint compete for the same budget.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Abnormal Security?
Abnormal does not publish prices, so a direct comparison needs a quote. Alternatives with public pricing include Sentaro at $6 per protected account per month (first account free), Material Security from $4 per user per month, and Sublime Security, whose managed cloud is free for the first 100 mailboxes.
Who owns Abnormal Security?
Abnormal AI is a venture-backed private company. Its Series D in August 2024 raised $250 million at a $5.1 billion valuation, led by Wellington Management. We found no later round or IPO as of October 2026.
Is there an Abnormal Security alternative hosted in the EU?
Sentaro is hosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure, with subprocessors listed in its DPA. Check Point documents an Ireland data residency region. Sublime lists an EU (Dublin) managed-cloud region and can be self-hosted in your own cloud region. Microsoft 365 falls under the EU Data Boundary for EU and EFTA tenants. Abnormal itself offers AWS hosting in the EU (Ireland) by subscription, per its subprocessor list (July 2026).
What are the key differences between Proofpoint and Abnormal Security?
Abnormal is API-only and built around behavioral baselines per employee and vendor. Proofpoint can run inline as a gateway or via API, and sells a wide range of add-ons including DMARC, DLP and archiving. Neither publishes pricing.
Can I run an Abnormal alternative alongside Microsoft Defender?
Yes. API-based tools are designed to run behind Microsoft’s built-in filtering and Defender for Office 365. Sentaro runs with Defender or Google’s built-in protection rather than replacing them.
Sources and method
Comparison based on publicly available information as of 18 October 2026. Product capabilities change; check each vendor’s current documentation. Trademarks belong to their owners. Corrections: contact Sentaro.
- Abnormal AI: Inbound Email Security (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Abnormal AI: About (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Business Wire: Abnormal Security Series D, August 2024
- Abnormal AI: Trust center (certifications)
- Sublime Security docs: Installation (accessed 2026-10-18)
- GitHub: sublime-security/sublime-rules detection rules
- IRONSCALES: Home page (accessed 2026-10-18)
- IRONSCALES: Pricing (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Check Point: Harmony Email & Collaboration (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Check Point: Harmony Email & Collaboration admin guide, data residency
- Material Security: Pricing (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Darktrace: Darktrace / EMAIL (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Thoma Bravo: Completes acquisition of Darktrace (October 2024)
- Fortinet: FortiMail Workspace Security (formerly Perception Point)
- Microsoft Learn: Why do I need Microsoft Defender for Office 365? (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Microsoft: Defender for Office 365 pricing (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Microsoft Tech Community: Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 rolling out to Microsoft 365 E3 (2026-06-17)
- Microsoft Learn: EU Data Boundary (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Proofpoint: Core Email Protection (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Barracuda: Email Protection (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Cloudflare docs: Email Security setup and deployment modes
- Mimecast: Email Security (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Datacentre News: Mimecast opens two Frankfurt data centres (2018)
- Google Workspace pricing (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Google Workspace Admin Help: Data regions (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Sentaro Data Processing Agreement and subprocessor list
- Abnormal AI: Subprocessors (updated 31 July 2026; accessed 2026-10-21)
- IRONSCALES: List of current sub-processors (PDF, December 2024; accessed 2026-10-21)
- Material Security: Subprocessors (updated 12 June 2025; accessed 2026-10-21)
- Proofpoint: Data privacy information sheet, Core Email Protection API (updated 24 July 2026; accessed 2026-10-21)
- Sublime Security docs: Sublime Cloud regions (accessed 2026-10-21)
- Barracuda Trust Center: Data center locations (accessed 2026-10-21)
- Cloudflare docs: Email Security regional processing (accessed 2026-10-21)