Sentaro is the best Proofpoint 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. If inbound protection is the main job Proofpoint does for you, Defender or Google’s filtering plus Sentaro covers it with fewer moving parts.
- Why Sentaro wins
- one price, no add-on line items: OAuth and shadow-AI discovery are in the same $6 plan, while proofpoint.com lists DMARC, DLP, archiving, training and account takeover as add-ons (October 2026).
- Choose Sentaro if
- you are an EU team that wants an API layer for BEC and targeted phishing with published pricing and hosting in Sweden.
- Consider Proofpoint or Mimecast only if
- you depend on a gateway, on-premises Exchange, or archiving, DMARC, DLP and training from one vendor, and have the team to run them.
What you are replacing: Proofpoint at a glance
- Core product
- Core Email Protection, deployed via API or inline; Proofpoint Essentials for SMBs and MSPs
- Add-ons
- Email Fraud Defense (DMARC, lookalike domains), Adaptive Email DLP, Account Takeover Protection, ZenGuide (training), Digital Communications Governance (archiving)
- Platforms
- Microsoft 365, Google Workspace
- Pricing
- Not publicly listed for current packages
- Ownership
- Private, owned by Thoma Bravo since 31 August 2021
- Acquisitions
- Tessian (2023), Hornetsecurity (completed 8 December 2025)
Why organizations look at Proofpoint competitors
Proofpoint has scale few vendors match: it states it protects over 80 of the Fortune 100. The documented reasons teams re-evaluate are about fit, cost structure and architecture rather than detection.
- Many modules, many line items. DMARC, DLP, archiving, training and account takeover are sold as add-ons. A smaller team may only need the core filter.
- The Microsoft baseline is higher than it was. Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 is included in Business Premium and is rolling out to Microsoft 365 and Office 365 E3 from June 2026.
- Prices are not published, so renewals are negotiated case by case.
- Market consolidation. Proofpoint completed its acquisition of Hornetsecurity in December 2025, so buyers who used one as the alternative to the other now find both in the same group.
- EU hosting for email protection. Proofpoint’s Core Email Protection API data sheet (updated 24 July 2026) says each tenant is assigned to a regional data centre, currently in the EU or US, but that some email data and threat indicators may be processed and stored in the US. Its subprocessor list names German and Dutch data centres for Email Protection. EU buyers usually ask which applies to them in writing.
Proofpoint alternatives at a glance
Eleven options across native, gateway and API approaches. Hornetsecurity is not listed because it is now part of Proofpoint.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Mimecast | Gateway and API | MX or API | Quote | Frankfurt data centres (2018) | Archive, continuity, on-prem Exchange |
| Check Point Harmony Email | API (ICES), inline option | API, no MX change | Quote | Ireland region option | Inline-via-API and many SaaS apps |
| Abnormal AI | API (ICES) | API, no MX change | Quote | US or EU (Ireland), by subscription | Large enterprises |
| IRONSCALES | API (ICES) | API at mailbox level | Quote (tiers published) | AWS USA or Germany (subprocessor list) | SMBs and MSPs wanting simulation bundled |
| Barracuda | API (ICES) | API, no MX change | Quote | Gateway: Frankfurt, London; API modules: US | SMBs wanting backup and archive bundled |
| 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 |
| Cloudflare Email Security | Gateway, API or BCC | MX, API or journaling | Quote | Processing region selectable, incl. Germany | Cloudflare Zero Trust customers |
| Libraesva | Gateway plus API | MX or API; cloud or on-prem | Quote | Local or chosen cloud | On-prem or private-cloud gateway in Europe |
| Google Workspace built-in | Native | Gmail | Included in Workspace | Europe data region (edition-dependent) | Workspace tenants as a baseline |
The 7 Proofpoint 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.
For teams that bought Proofpoint mainly for inbound detection, Sentaro is the smaller layer behind Microsoft or Google: API-based email and SaaS security for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, built in Stockholm and hosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure. Strengths: reads intent, relationship history and sender infrastructure; inventories OAuth grants and shadow AI in the same product; runs behind Defender or Google’s filtering. Published price: $6 per protected account per month or $68 per year, first account free (USD). It replaces Proofpoint’s detection, not its add-ons: no gateway, DMARC management, archiving or training.
Sentaro vs Proofpoint Best for: Microsoft 365 tenants that want to consolidate onto what they already license.
Native threat protection inside Exchange Online. Strengths: impersonation protection, Safe Links and Safe Attachments in Plan 1; Threat Explorer, automated investigation and attack simulation training in Plan 2; published SLAs for built-in protection, including 99.999% monthly uptime. Limits, per Microsoft Learn as of 18 October 2026: Microsoft 365 only; no DMARC report management; archiving and DLP are separate Purview products.
Best for: Organizations that want a like-for-like suite with gateway, archive and on-premises support.
A gateway-and-API suite. Strengths: Cloud Gateway (MX) or Cloud Integrated (API); DMARC Analyzer, Email Archive and training; supports on-premises and hybrid Exchange; 42,000+ organizations (vendor-stated). Limits, per mimecast.com as of 18 October 2026: pricing not published; current EU data-centre footprint not re-confirmed since the 2018 Frankfurt announcement.
Best for: Teams already on Check Point, or that need wide collaboration-app coverage.
API-based protection with optional inline prevention. Strengths: no MX change; shadow IT detection and account takeover in all tiers; 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: Enterprises that want a behavioral API platform with a large reference base.
Behavioral API email security. Strengths: baselines each employee and vendor; states over 30% of the Fortune 500 are customers; 60-second API deployment claim; account takeover and posture products. Limits, per abnormal.ai as of 21 October 2026: pricing not published; hosting on AWS in the US or the EU (Ireland), set by subscription (subprocessor list, July 2026); no gateway or archive.
Best for: SMBs and MSPs that want API protection plus phishing simulation in one tier.
Mailbox-level API protection with community intelligence. Strengths: works alongside an existing gateway; simulation and training in higher tiers; states 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: SMBs that want the widest bundle per contract, including backup.
An API-first bundle. Strengths: DMARC reporting, encryption and DLP in every plan; Microsoft 365 backup from Premium; archiving and training in Premium Plus. Limits, per barracuda.com as of 21 October 2026: pricing not published; its trust center lists Frankfurt and London regions for Email Gateway Defense but only US regions for Impersonation Protection and Incident Response. Owned by KKR investment funds since 2022.
Proofpoint and the alternatives side by side
| Capability | Sentaro | Proofpoint | Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast | Check Point Harmony Email | Abnormal AI | IRONSCALES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment and platforms | |||||||
| Deployment | API, no MX change | API or inline gateway | Native to Exchange Online | Gateway (MX) or API | API with inline prevention | API, no MX change | API, alongside a gateway |
| Microsoft 365 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Workspace | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| On-premises Exchange | NoCloud mailboxes only | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | PartialStandalone EOP | YesOn-premises and hybrid | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented |
| Threat coverage | |||||||
| BEC and impersonation | YesMessage vector, live | Yes | YesImpersonation protection (Plan 1) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| QR-code phishing | YesDecoded and destination analyzed | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | YesSafe Links (Plan 1) | Yes | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Yes | Yes |
| OAuth apps and shadow IT | YesApp vector, live | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | NoSeparate product: Defender for Cloud Apps | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | YesShadow IT detection | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented |
| Suite extras | |||||||
| DMARC report management | NoReads DMARC posture as a signal only | Paid add-onEmail Fraud Defense | NoEnforces DMARC; no report management | Paid add-onDMARC Analyzer | Paid add-on | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented |
| Archiving | No | Paid add-on | NoSeparate product: Purview | YesEmail Archive | Paid add-on | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented | Not publicly documentedNot publicly documented |
| Awareness training | NoNot offered by design | Paid add-onZenGuide | YesAttack simulation training (Plan 2) | Paid add-on | Paid add-on | YesAI Phishing Coach | YesHuman Risk Management |
| Buying and data | |||||||
| Public pricing | Yes$6 per account/month | NoQuote-based | YesPlan 1 $2, Plan 2 $5 | NoQuote-based | NoQuote-based | NoQuote-based | NoTiers published, prices on quote |
| EU hosting documented | YesHosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure; see DPA | PartialEU or US data centre (API product); some US processing | YesEU Data Boundary | PartialFrankfurt data centres (2018) | YesIreland region option | PartialUS or EU (Ireland), by subscription | PartialAWS USA or Germany (subprocessor list) |
“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 a Proofpoint alternative
| Your situation | Look at |
|---|---|
| You use Proofpoint mainly for inbound phishing and BEC on Microsoft 365 | Defender for Office 365 plus an API layer (Sentaro, Abnormal, IRONSCALES, Check Point) |
| You need an MX gateway for outbound relay or on-premises Exchange | Mimecast, Libraesva, Cloudflare Email Security |
| You want archiving, DMARC, backup and training from one vendor | Barracuda, Mimecast |
| You run Google Workspace or both platforms | Sentaro, Check Point, Abnormal, IRONSCALES, Barracuda, Mimecast |
| You have a SOC that writes its own detections | Sublime Security (open, rule-based) |
| You need hosting documented in the EU for NIS2 or DORA | Ask for the DPA first. See European email security alternatives |
Budget is the other filter. Among the dedicated email security vendors we compared, only Sentaro, Material Security and Sublime Security publish prices. Microsoft and Google publish theirs as part of their suites. Everyone else is quote-based.
Why Sentaro is our pick
Why Sentaro wins
- No gateway project: 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. It can run next to your current gateway before you move MX.
- Payload-free fraud, auditable: 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.
- Apps in the same plan: 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.
- Hosting in writing: Hosted in Sweden on Microsoft Azure, with every subprocessor listed in the public DPA (sentaro.com/en/legal/dpa).
- You use Proofpoint mainly for inbound detection and want a smaller, published-price layer behind Microsoft or Google.
Consider another option only if
- 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 account-takeover monitoring or a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certificate today; see the roadmap and certification notes on this page.
How to move off Proofpoint
- 01
Map modules to owners
For each Proofpoint module you pay for, decide: replace, move to Microsoft or Google, or drop. DMARC and archiving usually need their own plan.
- 02
Read the renewal terms
Note the notice period and whether add-ons are co-termed. Ask whether a partial renewal is possible.
- 03
Run the alternative in parallel
API tools connect without touching MX. Sentaro connects over API in four minutes, with historical visibility within 15 minutes.
- 04
Compare results, not dashboards
Review what each engine caught on the same traffic for two to four weeks, with attention to supplier fraud and payload-free BEC.
- 05
Cut over mail flow if you used inline mode
Point MX back to Microsoft or Google, update SPF, and remove connectors that only accept mail from Proofpoint. Turn on Defender preset policies or Gmail’s advanced phishing settings.
- 06
Close out
Export logs and archives you need for audits, then update your subprocessor register and NIS2 or DORA ICT third-party records.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Proofpoint alternative?
Sentaro. For EU teams on Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, Sentaro is our pick as the best Proofpoint 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 depend on Proofpoint’s gateway, archiving or DLP add-ons, Mimecast or Barracuda are the closest suite alternatives.
Who are Proofpoint’s main competitors?
In email security, Proofpoint’s main competitors are Microsoft Defender for Office 365, Mimecast, Abnormal AI, Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration, IRONSCALES, Barracuda, Cloudflare Email Security and Sublime Security. European-headquartered options include Libraesva, Retarus, NoSpamProxy and Sentaro. Hornetsecurity is now part of Proofpoint.
Is Proofpoint better than Mimecast?
Both are full suites with gateway and API options, archiving, DMARC and training. Proofpoint has the larger add-on portfolio and enterprise footprint; Mimecast supports on-premises and hybrid Exchange and bundles its archive. The better choice depends on which modules you need. See our Proofpoint vs Mimecast comparison.
Does Proofpoint publish its pricing?
No. Proofpoint does not list current prices on its website. Old Essentials price sheets circulate online, but they date from 2021 and should not be used for budgeting. Ask for a quote with the same modules you would buy elsewhere.
Who owns Proofpoint?
Proofpoint has been privately owned by Thoma Bravo since 31 August 2021, after a take-private deal of about $12.3 billion. Proofpoint completed its acquisition of Hornetsecurity on 8 December 2025.
Can an API-based tool replace a Proofpoint gateway?
For inbound threat detection on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, often yes, combined with native filtering. An API tool will not replace outbound relay, archiving, DLP or on-premises Exchange protection. List those dependencies first.
Which Proofpoint alternative is best for small businesses?
Sentaro, on top of what you already license. For small businesses on Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 is already included; Sentaro adds an API layer for BEC and supplier fraud at $6 per protected account per month, with the first account free. Prices in USD. Barracuda and IRONSCALES also target SMBs.
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.
- Proofpoint: Core Email Protection (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Thoma Bravo: Completes acquisition of Proofpoint (2021)
- Proofpoint: Proofpoint completes acquisition of Hornetsecurity (December 2025)
- Proofpoint: Expands data security capabilities in Europe (Frankfurt data centre)
- Microsoft Learn: Why do I need Microsoft Defender for Office 365? (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Microsoft Learn: Built-in security features for all cloud mailboxes (EOP) (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)
- Mimecast: Email Security (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Datacentre News: Mimecast opens two Frankfurt data centres (2018)
- Check Point: Harmony Email & Collaboration (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Check Point: Harmony Email & Collaboration admin guide, data residency
- Abnormal AI: Inbound Email Security (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Abnormal AI: About (accessed 2026-10-18)
- IRONSCALES: Home page (accessed 2026-10-18)
- IRONSCALES: Pricing (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Barracuda: Email Protection plans (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Business Wire: KKR completes acquisition of Barracuda (2022)
- Sublime Security docs: Installation (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Cloudflare docs: Email Security setup and deployment modes
- Libraesva: Home page (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Retarus: Email Security (accessed 2026-10-18)
- NoSpamProxy (Net at Work GmbH): Home page (accessed 2026-10-18)
- Material Security: Pricing (accessed 2026-10-18)
- 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)