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Barracuda Email Security Gateway vs Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade vs Cisco Secure Email comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
1.0
Barracuda Email Security Gateway prioritizes email safety, providing fewer disruptions despite potential ROI concerns for businesses and service providers.
Sentiment score
7.5
Organizations see over 70% ROI using Check Point, noting increased security, reduced spam, and time savings.
Sentiment score
6.4
Cisco Secure Email enhances ROI with robust security, reducing disruptions and downtime from cyber threats, despite perceived high costs.
Since deploying Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade, we are blocking around 70 to 80% of spam and phishing attempts at the gateway.
I have seen a return on investment with Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade, as I have saved money and time.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.5
Barracuda Email Security Gateway customer support is praised for responsiveness and efficiency, though limited by time zones and language.
Sentiment score
6.3
Check Point support is responsive and proficient, praised for effective 24/7 service despite occasional delays and improvement areas.
Sentiment score
7.3
Cisco Secure Email support is praised for its responsiveness and expertise, though experiences can vary based on assigned engineers.
From the vendor, I would give the technical support an eight out of ten.
Sometimes the Check Point support has issues as they do not respond immediately when I log a ticket and sometimes they lag.
Cisco's tech support can be hit or miss, depending on the engineer you get.
The support is pretty decent, with a rating of eight out of ten.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Barracuda Email Security Gateway is scalable for SMBs but may not suit very large enterprises, with varied user opinions.
Sentiment score
7.9
Check Point Anti-Spam scales seamlessly, integrating easily with systems, though some users find expansion costs higher than expected.
Sentiment score
7.2
Cisco Secure Email provides scalable solutions for seamless user migration and system growth, with reliable cloud service options.
The scalability is excellent because it provides real-time licenses for the mailboxes I want to scan.
The scalability of Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade is superb, deserving 10 out of 10.
As our traffic has grown, the solution scales smoothly by simply adjusting the gateway resources and license.
The on-premises hardware is not very scalable, but switching to the SaaS offering is expected to improve scalability.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Barracuda Email Security Gateway is reliable and stable, with quick resolutions for minor issues and high user ratings.
Sentiment score
8.4
Check Point Anti-Spam ensures stable performance, seamless integration, and high availability, with minimal disruptions in various environments.
Sentiment score
8.0
Cisco Secure Email is praised for reliability, consistent performance, easy maintenance, and high user satisfaction with stable uptime.
Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade is very stable and reliable for me.
Based on my experience, the stability of Cisco Secure Email is very strong.
 

Room For Improvement

Barracuda Email Security Gateway needs upgrades in usability, integration, scalability, support, spam filtering accuracy, and anti-phishing measures.
Check Point software needs better UI, integration, support, performance, and AI features, with expanded compatibility and language support.
Cisco Secure Email's high cost, complexity, poor interface, and limited integration impact usability, requiring AI and service enhancements.
When we add mails to email secure Sender Policy Authentication with extended options, all mails must pass this Mail Security Gateway.
Sometimes there are false positive emails coming through, so they should improve further on detection technologies and techniques.
If it's considered a phishing email, it should be blocked for all users, not just some.
The interface is a bit overwhelming with information overload for someone new to it.
More documentation for Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade would be helpful to help new users get started more easily.
A more real-time dashboard would make it easier, and while the detection is strong, false positive tuning is sometimes needed as occasional legitimate emails get flagged as spam and phishing.
The solution should better analyze the actual content rather than only focusing on the email header or origin.
It would be beneficial to have the functionality of the Email Threat Defense integrated into the Email Security Gateway so customers don't have to buy two products for full email protection.
 

Setup Cost

The Barracuda Email Security Gateway is competitively priced, scalable, with varied user opinions and crucial regional market considerations.
Check Point offers competitive pricing with scalable options, though setup and additional licensing costs may increase expenses.
Cisco Secure Email is priced higher, but users find its extensive features and security benefits justify the cost.
Compared with others, Barracuda Email Security Gateway is cheaper.
The setup cost is a little expensive.
The setup cost was minimal beyond the gateway itself.
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade is that it is somewhat costlier, but we are getting the expected output for what we paid.
Its cost is bundled with other Cisco products.
The licensing is a mess and needs sorting out.
The pricing structure is good as it is user-based or email client-based, which is positive for clients.
 

Valuable Features

Barracuda Email Security Gateway offers robust spam filtering, advanced threat protection, and user-friendly features for comprehensive email security management.
Check Point software offers comprehensive email security with advanced AI, customizable options, and seamless integration for enhanced protection.
Cisco Secure Email provides comprehensive threat management with advanced filtering, intuitive management, and seamless integration, enhancing email security effectively.
The real-time threat intelligence feature is particularly useful as it detects all kinds of threats identified by incoming mails.
The most valuable feature of Barracuda Email Security Gateway that I have found is advanced threat protection.
The most valuable feature for me is real-time detection and remediation.
The real-time threat intelligence and advanced phishing detection make a big difference in our day-to-day work because since deploying them, we have seen a noticeable drop in the phishing emails reaching end-user inboxes, which reduces the number of security incidents that we need to investigate and saves time for the SOC team.
The best features that Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade offers include a very complete administrative interface, which stands out as better than others.
It also possesses multiple modules for spam detection, malware detection, and threat intelligence, which are valuable in categorizing emails and determining actions.
It is highly effective in catching phishing and spam emails.
It covers everything through email, like antivirus, IDS, and IPS.
 

Mindshare comparison

Secure Email Gateway (SEG) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Barracuda Email Security Gateway6.6%
Microsoft Defender for Office 36527.5%
Proofpoint Email Protection21.0%
Other44.9%
Secure Email Gateway (SEG)
Email Security Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade0.9%
Microsoft Defender for Office 36511.5%
Proofpoint Email Protection8.2%
Other79.4%
Email Security
Email Security Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Secure Email5.8%
Microsoft Defender for Office 36511.5%
Proofpoint Email Protection8.2%
Other74.5%
Email Security
 

Featured Reviews

WalidChowdhury - PeerSpot reviewer
Robust email protection with advanced features such as effective spam filtering, virus and malware defense, phishing protection and high scalability
Our customer faced a significant challenge with spam, leading to increased expenses. The complexity of their email infrastructure added to the issue, with some clients using Microsoft Exchange, others relying on different systems, and some operating on Linux platforms. To address this, we…
AshleyMorales - PeerSpot reviewer
Good filtering and blocking with very good security
Like any technological tool, it must always be at the forefront of the competition and this tool must make improvements in the accuracy of spam detection since it sometimes generates false messages. The ease of use with the user interface could be better as it is very static. A more current interface, on the other hand, could improve performance, and reduce possible latency. It should also improve integration with other security products on the market since this will make it much easier to have a fairly hybrid environment.
Kostas Karidas - PeerSpot reviewer
Helps prevent security breaches but fails to improve in the area of AI
I have not noticed any impressive advanced threat protection mechanisms in the tool. I don't know if there are any AI features in the product. I don't know if there is any other technology embedded in the solution. Cisco Secure Email successfully mitigated potential email threats. My company has seen plenty of scenarios where Cisco Secure Email successfully mitigated potential email threats, spam emails, and fraudulent domains. The product is good for dealing with spam emails, and it can take care of more than 100 spam emails per day. A huge number of spam emails are monitored with the help of Cisco Secure Email. I would not recommend the product to other businesses because you need to have some kind of expertise in configuring and knowing a bit about the tool's GUI. The tool also lacks in the area of AI mechanics. If I would like to have an overview and review another solution, I would go for another product other than Cisco Secure Email. I can definitely suggest others to look at the product and review it, but I would also recommend that they compare it with the other solutions in the market. I wouldn't prioritize Cisco Secure Email over other tools. Either the support partner of the product or I take care of the tool's maintenance phase by looking into the configurations and doing some fine-tuning. I rate the tool a seven to eight out of ten.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
6%
Security Firm
23%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
5%
Computer Software Company
20%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business34
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise13
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise18
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business22
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Barracuda Sentinel?
It not only tackles spam effectively but also incorporates advanced features like ATP and active features which ensu...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Barracuda Sentinel?
I would suggest that pricing for Barracuda Email Security Gateway rates around seven. It is not too expensive, but it...
What needs improvement with Barracuda Sentinel?
Regarding real-time intelligent features of the Barracuda Email Security Gateway, some spam emails are still being re...
What needs improvement with Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade?
There is room for improvement with Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade, particularly with the int...
What is your primary use case for Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade?
My main use case for Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade includes phishing protection, ransomware...
What do you like most about Cisco Secure Email?
Cisco Secure Email is a budget-friendly solution.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Secure Email?
The pricing structure is good as it is user-based or email client-based, which is positive for clients.
What needs improvement with Cisco Secure Email?
The user interface of the Email Security Gateway ( /products/security-gateway-reviews ) should be improved. It would ...
 

Also Known As

Barracuda Spam and Virus Firewall, Barracuda Sentinel
No data available
Cisco Email Security, IronPort, Cisco Email Security, ESA, Email Security Appliances
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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
SF Police Credit Union (SFPCU)
SUNY Old Westbury, CoxHealth, City of Fullerton, Indra
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Abnormal Security, Proofpoint and others in Secure Email Gateway (SEG). Updated: September 2025.
867,821 professionals have used our research since 2012.