Email remains a popular initial access point, with attackers using phishing campaigns and business email compromise (BEC) to target organizations. Malicious attachments and emails sent from compromised accounts can also evade traditional email security filters.
Email security software helps organizations identify suspicious messages before they reach inboxes. Modern solutions also offer post-delivery detection and remediation to address threats that evade initial screening.
I evaluated six email security solutions from Check Point, Sophos, TrendAI (Trend Micro), Bitdefender, ESET, and Fortinet based on their threat protection capabilities.
Best email security software for 2026 compared
Vendor | Best for | Key security capabilities |
| Check Point | Advanced phishing and BEC protection | AI-based phishing detection, attachment analysis, account takeover protection |
| Sophos | Integrated email and endpoint security | Phishing protection, malicious URL detection, centralized security management |
| TrendAI | Email threat investigation and response | Email threat detection, centralized investigation, automated remediation |
| Bitdefender | Layered email threat protection | Phishing and BEC detection, malware protection, post-delivery remediation |
| ESET | Mail server security and malware prevention | Mail server protection, antispam filtering, advanced threat defense |
| Fortinet | Flexible email security deployment | Secure email gateway, impersonation protection, malware analysis |
Check Point Email Security
Best for advanced phishing and BEC protection
Overall score: 4.43/5
- Pricing: 3.2/5
- Core features: 4.8/5
- Additional features: 4.7/5
- Ease of use and administration: 4.5/5
- Customer support: 4.5/5
*All category ratings contribute to the weighted overall score. Individual category ratings are shown to one decimal place, while the overall score is rounded to two decimal places.
Check Point Email Security provides cloud-based protection against phishing and business email compromise. It uses AI-powered analysis to detect suspicious messages, including impersonation attempts and malicious links that may evade traditional email filters.
Its threat prevention capabilities include URL emulation to analyze suspicious links and sandboxing to examine potentially malicious attachments. Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) provides another layer of protection by removing or neutralizing potentially unsafe content from supported files.
Check Point also offers account takeover protection to identify suspicious activity involving compromised email accounts. This helps organizations detect threats sent from legitimate accounts that attackers have gained access to.
The platform supports Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Organizations can extend protection to collaboration applications through additional packages, while certain subscription tiers provide data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities.
Pros
- Advanced phishing and BEC detection
- Sandboxing and attachment sanitization
- Account takeover protection
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace integration
Cons
- DLP availability depends on subscription tier
- Collaboration security may require additional licensing
Pricing: Check Point provides custom quotes for Email Security and offers a free 14-day trial. AWS Marketplace lists the Harmony Email and Collaboration Advanced plan at $83.46 per user annually.
Pro tip: Use account takeover monitoring alongside phishing detection. Investigate unusual mailbox activity and suspicious sign-ins, even when messages originate from trusted internal accounts.
Final verdict: Check Point Email Security provides layered protection against phishing and impersonation attacks. Its attachment inspection and account takeover capabilities make it a solid option for organizations prioritizing advanced email threat prevention.
Sophos Email
Best for integrated email and endpoint security
Overall score: 4.38/5
- Pricing: 3.5/5
- Core features: 4.6/5
- Additional features: 4.5/5
- Ease of use and administration: 4.5/5
- Customer support: 4.5/5
Sophos Email protects business email environments against phishing and malware. It also analyzes suspicious links to help prevent malicious messages from reaching employees.
The platform combines threat intelligence with message analysis to identify email attacks. Sandboxing provides additional inspection of suspicious attachments, helping detect malware that conventional scanning methods might miss.
Sophos Email integrates with Sophos Central, allowing organizations to manage email security alongside other Sophos security products. Administrators can configure security policies and review quarantined messages through the same interface, simplifying administration for businesses already using Sophos endpoint protection.
Pros
- Centralized management through Sophos Central
- Phishing and malicious attachment protection
- Integration with Sophos endpoint security
- Cloud-based email security deployment
Cons
- Advanced capabilities may require additional licensing
- Integration benefits favor existing Sophos customers
Pricing: EnterpriseAV lists Sophos Email starting at $63.61 annually for its 1–9-user licensing tier. Sophos provides custom quotes directly and offers a 30-day free trial.
Pro tip: Connect Sophos Email with your existing Sophos security environment to simplify investigations. Review suspicious email detections alongside endpoint alerts to identify users who may have interacted with malicious content.
Final verdict: Sophos Email combines email threat prevention with centralized administration. Its integration with Sophos Central makes it a practical option for organizations seeking coordinated security management across email and endpoints.
Trend Vision One Email Security
Best for email threat investigation and response
Overall score: 4.41/5
- Pricing: 3.5/5
- Core features: 4.7/5
- Additional features: 4.8/5
- Ease of use and administration: 4.3/5
- Customer support: 4.5/5
Trend Vision One provides email security through its Email and Collaboration Security capabilities. The platform protects organizations against phishing and malware while detecting business email compromise.
Its email protection supports API-based deployment for cloud email services and gateway-based filtering. These options allow organizations to secure Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace environments based on their deployment requirements.
Integration with Trend Vision One XDR enables email-related detections to be correlated with broader security activity. This helps analysts determine whether a malicious message is connected to suspicious events elsewhere in the environment. Cross-layer correlation requires the appropriate package or XDR entitlement.
Trend also provides sandboxing to analyze potentially malicious content. Post-delivery investigation capabilities help security teams identify threats that evade initial screening. Additional controls include DLP and advanced URL analysis, depending on the package.
Pros
- Cross-layer email threat investigation
- API-based and gateway deployment options
- Advanced phishing and malware protection
- Automated threat response through XDR integration
Cons
- Advanced capabilities may require additional licensing credits
- Full XDR benefits depend on broader platform integration
Pricing: TrendAI offers a free 30-day trial of Email and Collaboration Security, with custom quotes available for subscriptions. CDW lists the Essentials edition at $37.99 per user for a volume tier of 2,001–5,000 licenses.
Pro tip: Correlate email detections with endpoint activity when investigating phishing incidents. This can help security teams determine whether a malicious message led to additional suspicious activity.
Final verdict: TrendAI Vision One Email and Collaboration Security combines email threat prevention with investigation and response capabilities. Its integration with XDR makes it helpful for security teams seeking greater visibility into email-based attacks, provided the appropriate capabilities are licensed.
Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Email Security
Best for layered email threat protection
Overall score: 4.32/5
- Pricing: 3.2/5
- Core features: 4.7/5
- Additional features: 4.5/5
- Ease of use and administration: 4.3/5
- Customer support: 4.5/5
Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Email Security provides multilayered protection against phishing and malware. It also detects business email compromise using machine learning and threat intelligence to identify suspicious messages.
The solution supports secure email gateway and API-based protection. Gateway filtering examines messages before delivery, while API-based protection helps identify and remediate threats that have already reached Microsoft 365 mailboxes.
Its detection capabilities include impersonation protection to identify fraudulent messages. Email authentication checks using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC provide additional protection against spoofing attempts.
Extended Email Security integrates with GravityZone, allowing administrators to access email security management through GravityZone Control Center. This supports coordinated security administration for businesses already using Bitdefender products.
Pros
- Gateway and API-based email protection
- AI-assisted phishing and BEC detection
- Post-delivery threat remediation
- Integration with GravityZone security management
Cons
- Availability depends on eligible GravityZone licensing
- Broader XDR functionality may require additional licensing
Pricing: Bitdefender provides custom quotes for GravityZone Extended Email Security. CDW lists a one-year subscription at $27.99 per license for a volume tier of 250–499 licenses.
Pro tip: Consider combining gateway and API-based protection to address threats before and after delivery. Confirm that your selected GravityZone package supports both deployment methods.
Final verdict: Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Email Security provides layered protection against email-borne threats. Its flexible deployment options and post-delivery remediation capabilities make it a practical choice for organizations seeking stronger email security.
ESET PROTECT Core Plus
Best for mail server security and malware prevention
Overall score: 4.20/5
- Pricing: 4.0/5
- Core features: 4.5/5
- Additional features: 4.0/5
- Ease of use and administration: 4.2/5
- Customer support: 4.0/5
ESET PROTECT Core Plus incorporates the mail server security capabilities previously offered through ESET PROTECT Mail Plus. It combines malware detection with phishing protection to help organizations secure business email communications.
Its multilayered defenses include antispam filtering and malicious attachment detection. Email authentication checks help identify potentially spoofed messages.
ESET LiveGuard Advanced provides additional analysis of suspicious files through cloud-based sandboxing, helping detect threats that conventional scanning methods might miss.
ESET PROTECT supports centralized security management through cloud-based or on-premises administration. Administrators can monitor protected mail servers and manage security policies, while quarantine and notification controls support ongoing email security operations.
Pros
- Dedicated mail server malware protection
- Advanced threat defense capabilities
- Mail quarantine and policy management
- Cloud and on-premises administration
Cons
- Primarily designed for supported mail servers
- Fewer cloud-native mailbox remediation options
- Advanced settings may require technical familiarity
Pricing: ESET PROTECT Mail Plus is now included in ESET PROTECT Core Plus, which starts at $356.50 annually for five devices. ESET also offers a 30-day free trial.
Pro tip: Enable ESET LiveGuard Advanced to analyze suspicious attachments and review quarantine policies regularly. Confirm compatibility with your mail server version before deployment.
Final verdict: ESET PROTECT Core Plus combines dedicated mail server protection with advanced malware detection. Its centralized management capabilities help organizations strengthen mail server security while simplifying administration across their environments.
Fortinet FortiMail
Best for flexible email security deployment
Overall score: 4.38/5
- Pricing: 3.3/5
- Core features: 4.8/5
- Additional features: 4.7/5
- Ease of use and administration: 4.2/5
- Customer support: 4.6/5
Fortinet FortiMail uses machine learning and threat intelligence to detect suspicious email activity, including impersonation attempts and messages sent from compromised accounts. Its multilayered defenses help organizations identify threats before they reach employees.
FortiMail supports cloud-based deployment alongside virtual and hardware appliance options. This flexibility allows organizations to protect email systems across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments.
The platform provides inbound and outbound email inspection. Its data loss prevention capabilities help identify sensitive information leaving the organization, while email encryption provides additional protection for outbound communications.
FortiMail integrates with Fortinet Security Fabric to support coordinated threat investigation. These integrations can also enable automated response workflows across compatible Fortinet security products.
Pros
- Cloud, virtual, and hardware appliance deployment options
- Advanced phishing and BEC protection
- Outbound DLP and email encryption
- Integration with Fortinet Security Fabric
Cons
- Advanced configurations may require technical expertise
- Hardware appliances require ongoing maintenance
Pricing: Fortinet provides custom quotes for FortiMail and offers a free product demo. CDW lists the FortiMail Workspace Ultimate Email, MS Package, and Web Security Bundle at $97.99 for a one-year subscription renewal covering the 25–100-user licensing tier.
Pro tip: Choose a deployment model based on your email infrastructure and administrative resources. Cloud-hosted protection can reduce maintenance requirements, while virtual and hardware appliance deployments offer greater infrastructure control.
Final verdict: Fortinet FortiMail combines advanced email threat prevention with flexible deployment options. Its integration with Fortinet Security Fabric supports coordinated threat detection and response across complex email environments.
How I evaluated the best email security software for 2026
I evaluated each email security solution across five weighted categories using published product information and technical documentation. Pricing and customer support also contributed to each product's overall rating.
The ratings reflect my editorial assessment of documented capabilities rather than hands-on testing.
Evaluation criteria
Core features (30%): I evaluated each product's documented protection against phishing and BEC. Malware detection and impersonation protection were also considered, along with malicious attachment analysis. Particular attention was given to threat prevention and post-delivery remediation capabilities.
Ease of use and administration (25%): I assessed deployment requirements and centralized management capabilities. I also reviewed documented policy configuration and quarantine management features. Products with flexible deployment options and documented administrative capabilities received stronger consideration.
Pricing (15%): I compared publicly available subscription costs and licensing structures, including reseller pricing where available. The assessment also examined whether advanced protections require higher-tier packages or additional subscriptions. I considered how clearly vendors communicate pricing and licensing requirements.
Additional features (15%): I evaluated capabilities beyond standard email threat prevention, including DLP and encryption. XDR integration and account takeover protection were also considered, along with their role in supporting threat investigation and response.
Customer support (15%): I reviewed vendor-published technical documentation and support channels. I also considered access to 24/7 assistance and whether priority support requires additional licensing.
Frequently asked questions
What is email security software?
Email security software protects organizations against phishing and malicious attachments. Many solutions also detect impersonation attempts and business email compromise.
Advanced platforms may provide account takeover detection to identify suspicious activity involving compromised accounts. Post-delivery remediation adds another layer of protection by identifying and quarantining or removing threats that evade initial screening.
Do Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace need additional email security?
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace include native email security protections. However, organizations may benefit from additional capabilities depending on their security requirements.
Third-party solutions can offer specialized phishing detection and broader investigation capabilities. Organizations should assess whether these features address gaps in their existing protections before investing in additional software.
What should businesses look for in email security software?
Businesses should evaluate a solution's documented phishing and BEC protection capabilities. Malware detection and post-delivery remediation are also important considerations.
Deployment compatibility and ease of administration should align with existing email infrastructure. Organizations should also compare licensing costs and customer support options before selecting a solution.
Bottom line
Choosing email security software requires understanding how different solutions fit an organization's existing infrastructure. Detection capabilities and deployment requirements vary, making it important to identify which protections complement current security controls.
Organizations should consider whether cloud-native mailbox protection or traditional secure email gateways better suit their environment. Some solutions support both approaches, while integration with existing security platforms can help improve administration and incident response.
To further strengthen your defenses, explore our guide to improving email security and protecting your organization against email-based threats.