More layers than built-in filters, full control that cloud-only vendors can't offer, and no per-user pricing.
Built-in filters (Gmail, Office 365) stop at basic spam. Cloud vendors (Proofpoint, Mimecast, Barracuda) route all your mail through their servers and bill per user. MailThreatZero gives you a full multi-layer stack you control, at a flat per-domain rate.
| Capability | MailThreatZero | Cloud vendors Proofpoint · Mimecast · Barracuda |
Built-in Gmail · Office 365 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent scanning layers | 10+ (ClamAV, Maldet, Oletools, SpamAssassin, Rspamd, Pyzor/Razor2, RBL, GeoIP, auth, phishing/header/content) | Proprietary, varies | 2–3 (spam + basic AV) |
| Optional AI / LLM detection | Yes — bring your own key, zero markup | Add-on, bundled cost | No |
| Authentication-aware scoring (fewer false positives) | Yes | Partial | No |
| SPF / DKIM / DMARC enforced (not just logged) | Yes | Yes | Checked, often delivered anyway |
| Office macro / VBA scanning (Oletools) | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Per-message filter breakdown & live tracking | Yes — every score, every message | Limited reporting | Delivered/blocked only |
| Test mode (safe policy testing) | Yes | Separate environment | No |
| Custom rules you can edit yourself | Yes — fuzzy/regex, per domain | Vendor-defined | Minimal |
| On-premise control / data sovereignty | Yes — mail stays on your infra | No — routed through vendor cloud | No |
| Pricing model | Flat per domain — unlimited users | Per user / mailbox | Bundled w/ subscription |
| Vendor lock-in | None — standard SMTP/MySQL/REST | High (proprietary) | High (ecosystem) |
| Typical setup time | < 1 hour (MX / relay) | Days–weeks | Included |
Competitor capabilities are generalized from publicly available information and vary by plan/tier. Yes · Partial · No.
Flat per-domain fee (from ~$28–$34/domain/month), unlimited users. You pay your AI provider directly at list price — no markup. A 500-user domain costs the same as a 5-user domain.
Typically $3–$15 per user per month. For 100 users that's $3,600–$18,000/year — before add-ons. Most require a sales call for a real quote.
"Free" with your mail subscription, but limited to basic spam/AV with little visibility, weak authentication enforcement, and no advanced threat or BEC detection.
See the interactive pricing calculator for exact numbers.
A multi-layered approach with 10+ independent security layers plus optional AI, a two-phase architecture that runs AI only when it can change the outcome (cutting AI cost 60–80%), and authentication-aware scoring that keeps legitimate mail out of quarantine.
✓ 10+ vs 2–3 security layers (adds Rspamd neural nets, Maldet, RBL, GeoIP, phishing/header/content, optional AI)
✓ Weighted threat scoring vs binary pass/fail, with per-domain thresholds
✓ Modern web UI vs editing config files and reloading daemons
✓ Real-time per-message tracking with full filter breakdown
✓ Test mode for safe policy changes
✓ AI-powered BEC / executive-impersonation detection
✓ Full data sovereignty — mail never routes through a vendor cloud (GDPR/HIPAA friendly)
✓ No per-user licensing — flat per-domain, unlimited users
✓ Complete customization — edit any rule/filter yourself, instantly
✓ Zero vendor lock-in — standard SMTP / MySQL / REST
✓ Lower latency — on-prem processing vs 5–15s cloud round-trips
✓ No dependence on a vendor's uptime
✓ Multi-layered protection well beyond spam
✓ Real-time threat intelligence (RBL, reputation, GeoIP)
✓ Strict SPF/DKIM/DMARC enforcement — not just checked and delivered anyway
✓ Detailed analytics and per-message reporting
✓ Granular per-domain policies, whitelists/blacklists, and quarantine workflow
✓ Multi-tenant architecture with isolated data
✓ Per-domain policies with inheritance
✓ User + admin quarantine with release workflow
✓ Role-based access control & 2FA (TOTP)
✓ API-first design for integration
✓ Authentication-aware scoring for fewer false positives