Avanan vs Barracuda Email Security Gateway comparison

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Microsoft Logo
12,858 views|10,247 comparisons
97% willing to recommend
Avanan Logo
3,085 views|1,899 comparisons
100% willing to recommend
Barracuda Networks Logo
1,693 views|1,162 comparisons
91% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Sep 7, 2023

We compared Avanan and Barracuda Email Security Gateway across several parameters based on our users' reviews. After reading the collected data, you can find our conclusion below:

  • Features: Avanan is highly praised for its customizability as well as its consistent advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Barracuda Email Security Gateway’s stand-out features include sandboxing, diverse customization options, and a cloud environment.

  • Room for Improvement: Avanan can enhance its alert clearance speed, decrease false positives, and improve scanning and backup options. Barracuda Email Security Gateway users say the solution should add DomainKeys functionality, enhance anti-phishing measures, and introduce the ability to add multiple domains. 

  • Service and Support: Avanan's customer service is consistently commended for its exceptional quality, efficiency, and expertise. Customers have praised the customer service of Barracuda Email Security Gateway for its professionalism, responsiveness, and availability, rating it as good and reliable.

  • Ease of Deployment: Users like Avanan's trouble-free setup and easy updates. The setup process for Barracuda Email Security Gateway is described as simple and intuitive, requiring a few hours or a day to complete.

  • Pricing: Avanan offers affordable, transparent SaaS-based pricing. Users find it cost-effective, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. Users say Barracuda Email Security Gateway is competitively priced.

  • ROI: Avanan has consistently provided positive results by enhancing email network security and contributing to revenue growth. Barracuda Email Security Gateway benefits users by minimizing business disruptions and reducing costs.

Comparison Results: Avanan is praised for its ease of implementation, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness. Users say Avanan could improve by reducing false positives and providing better documentation. Barracuda offers a wide range of capabilities, customizable options, and excellent customer support. Suggestions for improvement are more prevalent for Barracuda, including better pricing, automation, and user interface. Opinions on pricing vary for both products, with some users considering Barracuda to be more affordable.

To learn more, read our detailed Avanan vs. Barracuda Email Security Gateway Report (Updated: January 2024).
768,886 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The email protection is excellent, especially in terms of anti-phishing policies.""Microsoft Defender for Office 365 helps people to work remotely. It is a secure solution. We don't need to use our company's computers or get VPN connections to the networks. I can control how they share screens and what they send to the devices. It keeps our organizations confidential and sensitive information safe.""Defender for 365 is a comprehensive cloud-based solution. The value of the cloud is that you aren't alone. Threat intelligence and analytics are shared in the cloud. We don't have to find the solution alone. If you face an unknown threat with traditional solutions like Trend Micro and Symantec, you need to open a case and send your information to them to analyze forensically and identify the source of the attack.""Defender for Office 365 has helped eliminate having to look at multiple dashboards and that is the aspect I like most about it. It is simpler, effective, and convenient. The users like the process efficiency.""Microsoft Defender for Office 365's most valuable feature is its performance.""Since we have started using the solution, there have been fewer compromises.""There are several features that I consider valuable.""The two main features that prove most beneficial for us are URL scanning and attachment scanning."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Pros →

"The most valuable feature of Avanan is its Anti-Malware solution for Office 365, and box.com.""The most valuable feature of Avanan is its effectiveness. When scanning incoming emails for threats it can in an automated fashion, quarantine suspicious attachments.""The program has reduced the dangers related to phishing, malware, ransomware, and other vulnerabilities.""When we don't understand some functionalities, the customer support staff responds fast to our calls and provides immediate action.""Avanan is a stable software. My company hasn't faced any issues, bugs, or problems with the performance of Avanan.""The ease of installation and the AI capacity of the product are valuable.""It can detect corrupted files and filters out documents with viruses.""It is simple to deploy this platform and interact with the set features."

More Avanan Pros →

"We have found some of the valuable features to be how easy the solution is to configure, the graphic support, and the intuitive dashboard.""We find the product to be scalable.""The product safeguards user mail for gateway defense, data protection, business continuity, AI-based inbox defense, and automated threat detection and incident response.""We find the email security to be valuable.""This product is powerful and quite simple to use.""The spam filtering, in particular, is very important for us. We have a large volume of emails each month, something like 200,000, and Barracuda filters about 85 percent of the spam, malware, and phishing that comes in. It prevents our users from receiving this content on their computers.""I like Barracuda's cloud sandbox feature.""Barracuda Email Security Gateway is very simple to use."

More Barracuda Email Security Gateway Pros →

Cons
"We need a separate license and we don't know how to get the license that is required.""The GUI is sometimes slow to fetch the device report and could be improved.""We noticed that from time to time, Microsoft's stability does have problems. Sometimes the service goes up and down. Sometimes they change without prior notice.""There is room for improvement in terms of reporting.""About eight months ago, we started to measure the quantity of phishing and spam that we have been receiving, and it has been increasing a lot. That means that protection for our email is not as good as we were expecting.""The visibility for the weaknesses in the system and unauthorized access can be improved.""Microsoft security solutions work as expected. They are constantly updating the solutions to make them better. At the same time, the changes can impact a customer's environment, and we need to adjust settings. Sometimes we aren't aware of the changes, and nothing is pushed from the backend automatically.""In one of the reports I can get the exact place where a vulnerable file resides. But for that, I need to explicitly go into the device and check. If they could include that file part in the report, without my having to go to the device itself, that would help."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Cons →

"The system response in a slow computing device affects performance when sending and receiving emails.""Being cloud first and because we are in the movie business, we use a lot of Macintoshes. So, there is absolutely no reason for us to have Active Directory whatsoever. However, if you are using Office 365, you must have Active Directory in order to reset passwords. Even though we have a single sign-on provider, we must have Azure Active Directory for Office 365, which is really stupid. As a cloud application, you would think that I don't need Active Directory, which I don't need for anything else except Office 365. We have one server inside that space to help us manage Active Directory just for Office 365. This is a very sore point, but it is what it is.""It is very difficult to find the required documentation.""The cost can be reviewed to enable SMEs to acquire it and enjoy great security features.""It is complicated for new users unfamiliar with the modern cloud networking infrastructure.""When sending bulky emails, the system slows down and takes a long time before it responds effectively to our requests.""They should come up with a mobile application so that it can be more flexible.""The overall user interface is not attractive. It needs some improvement."

More Avanan Cons →

"Solution requires regular checking to ensure it's 'keeping up' with spam.""The scalability needs improvement, it's the only feature that is required.""There is room for improvement in the speed of the interface, specifically the cloud interface, is a bit slow.""Its integration with other solutions can be improved. There should be integration for telemetry information, system information, and other types of information with other solutions. Barracuda currently doesn't have that. Barracuda has its own platform. Its integration with firewalls is quite good, and it communicates really well with firewalls, but I have not seen any other integration. Based on what I know, it does have an API at the backend, but I have not used it.""I have noticed that it takes a little time to get familiar with after deploying and some tweaks need to be done as things come up.""There are some times when legit emails are trapped on Barracuda and we are unable to get that information unless we actually log on to the network to find out.""We still have critical threats coming into our environment and delivered to our users. When we compare it with other solutions, these other solutions can already detect those threats.""I would like to have better integration with third-party archival vendors to facilitate moving data in and out."

More Barracuda Email Security Gateway Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "It's a user-base subscription."
  • "From the pricing point of view, like any other product in the market, there is scope for negotiation."
  • "Defender is a little bit more expensive as compared to others. We are in the manufacturing environment. So, we don't have a high budget for all of our endpoint devices. Its cost is a major concern for us."
  • "For licensing, it's usually a yearly package for customers who are subscribed to Office 365, but they can also pay on a monthly basis."
  • "Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is an add-on to the Office license. Many customers are purchasing this solution."
  • "Microsoft Defender for Office 365 comes with Microsoft Windows. It is free with the operating system."
  • "The solution saves money so we have seen a return on investment."
  • "Defender for 365 comes in various plans and licenses, along with other Microsoft security solutions. Purchasing this kind of package or security bundle gives good value for money, and that's what I recommend."
  • More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Good pricing arrangement as an SaaS offering."
  • "Having the flexibility and modeling to do the pricing that best fits the needs of the organization is incredibly ideal. That is what Avanan does. They know exactly how many users are using it, etc. We can tune the invoicing associated with how we are using the product so we can charge it back to the shows appropriately."
  • "We have a monthly license that is $4 to $8 per user."
  • "The pricing of Avanan is reasonable."
  • "The product is not the cheapest in the market."
  • "Avanan’s price is comparable to Barracuda."
  • More Avanan Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "For overall value and cost, Barracuda came in as most appropriate, price as well as services provided. In terms of price, it's average . It's not the most expensive, it's not the least expensive but it works well."
  • "The price of this solution is very high, but it's working fine."
  • "Our licensing fees are approximately $4,000 per year, and this includes updates for the antivirus and spam signatures."
  • "As far as advanced email security systems, this product is mid-range on the pricing scale."
  • "The pricing for the product is fine."
  • "The licensing fees are part of a bundled support package that we pay for."
  • "We pay between $8 and $10 USD per user per month."
  • "The licensing cost is competitive, it's not too high and not too low."
  • More Barracuda Email Security Gateway Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Threat Explorer is an invaluable tool for me, and it plays a crucial role in helping me discern the origins of various… more »
    Top Answer:The product must provide better malware detection. The detection algorithms don't perform the way I hope they would.
    Top Answer:Spam protection is the most valuable feature.
    Top Answer:Avanan doesn't cover certain tool segments. Barracuda provides backup and retention of emails and Microsoft 365’s backup… more »
    Top Answer:Barracuda Email Security Gateway is very simple to use.
    Top Answer:Barracuda Email Security Gateway is a cost-effective solution.
    Top Answer:Barracuda Email Security Gateway should include ATP in the next release.
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    MS Defender for Office 365
    Barracuda Spam and Virus Firewall, Barracuda Sentinel
    Learn More
    Overview

    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect organizations against advanced threats in their email, collaboration, and productivity environments. It combines the power of Microsoft's threat intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral analytics to provide real-time protection against phishing, malware, ransomware, and other malicious attacks.

    With Microsoft Defender for Office 365, organizations can safeguard their email communication by detecting and blocking malicious links, attachments, and unsafe email content. It employs advanced anti-phishing capabilities to identify and prevent sophisticated phishing attacks that attempt to steal sensitive information or compromise user credentials.

    This solution also offers robust protection against malware and ransomware. It leverages machine learning algorithms to analyze email attachments and URLs in real-time, identifying and blocking malicious content before it reaches users' inboxes. Additionally, it provides advanced threat-hunting capabilities, allowing security teams to proactively investigate and respond to potential threats.

    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 goes beyond email protection and extends its security features to other collaboration tools like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. It scans files and documents stored in these platforms, ensuring that they are free from malware and other malicious content. It also provides visibility into user activities, helping organizations detect and mitigate insider threats.

    Furthermore, this solution offers rich reporting and analytics capabilities, providing organizations with insights into their security posture and threat landscape. It enables security administrators to monitor and manage security incidents, track trends, and take proactive measures to enhance their overall security posture.

    Avanan is a comprehensive cloud security platform that protects organizations from advanced email and collaboration threats. With its multi-layered approach, Avanan provides real-time protection against phishing, malware, data leakage, and account takeover attacks. 

    By integrating with popular cloud applications such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Slack, Avanan ensures seamless security without disrupting user experience. Its advanced AI and machine learning algorithms analyze billions of data points to detect and block threats, while its granular policy controls allow organizations to customize their security settings. 

    Avanan also offers robust threat intelligence and incident response capabilities, enabling organizations to proactively identify and mitigate security risks. 

    With Avanan, organizations can confidently embrace the cloud while keeping their sensitive data and communications secure.

    Barracuda Email Security Gateway is a robust security solution that allows users to protect themselves from external threats as well as from potential data leaks. It can be managed and monitored from a centralized location. Users can efficiently and easily keep track of every aspect of their security suite all at one time. Customized protections can also be set up in a matter of minutes.

    Benefits of Barracuda Email Security Gateway

    Some of the benefits of using Barracuda Email Security Gateway include:

    • Provides users with a comprehensive and robust suite of security features. Barracuda Email Security Gateway employs a suite of security features to keep users safe. It has an email filter that scans outgoing emails to keep sensitive data from being sent to the wrong parties. Additionally, its software allows users to keep an eye on potential threats in real time. Users can stay ahead of malicious actors and preserve the integrity of their systems.
    • Designed for easy deployment. Barracuda Email Security Gateway makes it easy for users to secure themselves. The solution comes pre-configured for quick rollout and use. Users can benefit from it fully without devoting a significant level of resources to deployment.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Barracuda Email Security Gateway is an email security tool that stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are the high level of flexibility that it gives to users and the solution’s powerful filtering feature. Barracuda Email Security Gateway offers users the ability to enact customizations that enable them to align the solution with their specific needs. It is highly flexible and allows for the completion of many different tasks. Additionally, it employs a powerful spam filter feature that gives users the ability to stop a large percentage of the threats to their devices before they get anywhere near their machines.

    Mohammed N., the assistant general manager at CoLoCity Data Center, writes, “There are many customizable options:

    • Attachment filtering, where we are filtering attachments according to our requirements.
    • IT-based configurations, where we allow domains. We are blacklisting domains that we do not want to pass through.
    • Rate Control feature, where we have the user license for 10,000 incoming and outgoing emails. Therefore, 10,000 users can use this device.

    The client has the option to blacklist or whitelist any email address or domain based on the sender and recipient filters. If they want, they can restrict any IP addresses so email won't be received from those IP addresses. Another interesting feature of Barracuda Email Security is the content filtering. If there is any word or sentence that we or our customers want to block, then we can add that thing in Barracuda Email Security Gateway. The content contained in the email will not be delivered or received by the recipient. Maximum customization options are available.”

    Igor G., the information security officer and data protection officer at a manufacturing company, writes, “The spam filtering feature, in particular, is very important for us. We have a large volume of emails each month, something like 200,000, and Barracuda filters about 85 percent of the spam, malware, and phishing that comes in. It prevents our users from receiving this content on their computers.”

    Sample Customers
    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is trusted by companies such as Ithaca College.
    Bethel School District, ServiceSource, Capital Caring
    Evolution Recruitment Solutions, Evans Delivery Company, Osoyoos Credit Union, Synovis Life Technologies, Camden County Technical Schools, DEK, Evans Delivery Company, Colgate Rochester Crozer, Hemmera, South Carolina Heart Center, Ferma Corporation, Major League Baseball (MLB), Healy Brothers Automotive Group
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Manufacturing Company16%
    Computer Software Company16%
    Comms Service Provider13%
    Government6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Government7%
    REVIEWERS
    Security Firm19%
    Recruiting/Hr Firm19%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Energy/Utilities Company6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization47%
    Computer Software Company8%
    Manufacturing Company5%
    Construction Company4%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm20%
    Comms Service Provider14%
    Manufacturing Company14%
    Construction Company9%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization43%
    Computer Software Company10%
    Government5%
    Financial Services Firm4%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business42%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise42%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise51%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business33%
    Midsize Enterprise33%
    Large Enterprise33%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business19%
    Midsize Enterprise57%
    Large Enterprise24%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business58%
    Midsize Enterprise20%
    Large Enterprise22%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise53%
    Large Enterprise25%
    Buyer's Guide
    Avanan vs. Barracuda Email Security Gateway
    January 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Avanan vs. Barracuda Email Security Gateway and other solutions. Updated: January 2024.
    768,886 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Avanan is ranked 6th in Email Security with 21 reviews while Barracuda Email Security Gateway is ranked 2nd in Secure Email Gateway (SEG) with 51 reviews. Avanan is rated 9.2, while Barracuda Email Security Gateway is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Avanan writes "We've noticed a significant decline from people accidentally or intentionally clicking on things". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Barracuda Email Security Gateway writes "Robust email protection with advanced features such as effective spam filtering, virus and malware defense, phishing protection and high scalability". Avanan is most compared with Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration, IRONSCALES, Perception Point Advanced Email Security and Abnormal Security, whereas Barracuda Email Security Gateway is most compared with Fortinet FortiMail, Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP), Proofpoint Email Protection, Cisco Secure Email and Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade. See our Avanan vs. Barracuda Email Security Gateway report.

    We monitor all Email Security reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.