No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 24, 2026

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
6.8
Check Point Email Security boosts ROI by reducing phishing incidents, minimizing IT reliance, and enhancing operational efficiency.
Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 boosts efficiency, cuts phishing, integrates security, reduces tool costs, and mitigates risk.
The time saved during investigations is significant due to the neat dashboard that organizes everything related to alerts.
Pre Sales Consultant at Redington Group
We have gone from three to four successful phishing attacks every year to a maximum of one.
Network Cyber Security Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
There has been a 70% decrease in phishing emails and data breaches since implementing Check Point Harmony Email Security.
Account Manager at iValue Group
It has also decreased our time to detection and response by about 15 to 20 percent.
Technology support manager at Alfred State College
Overall, cost of owning and operating our system goes down.
Designation Chief Consultant at Avtow
It's hard to quantify the return on investment we've seen from Microsoft Defender for Office 365.
Chief Architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Check Point Email Security offers prompt, knowledgeable support, though some report delays and time-consuming interactions during high-severity issues.
Sentiment score
5.7
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 support is reliable but varies with subscription level and complexity of issues.
Their technical support is proficient at resolving issues within their scope, providing excellent problem-solving assistance and guidance.
Manager, Information Technology at a hospitality company with 201-500 employees
We opted for the 24/7 premium support, which is very responsive and quick whenever we have configuration challenges or other inquiries.
Pre Sales Consultant at Redington Group
We understand that with respect to SLA, but we expect they can go beyond SLA and provide quick support for the client.
Sr. Technical Specialist at Softcell Technologies Limited
Over the past two years, there have been no critical problems.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
we opened tickets, and they typically resolve them quickly.
Chief Architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
With a subscription for Microsoft Defender for Office 365, it is an eight. Without it, it is a six.
Manager at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Check Point Email Security offers seamless scalability for organizations, effortlessly integrating with systems and accommodating growth needs.
Sentiment score
7.8
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 efficiently scales with cloud-native design, ensuring reliable performance and seamless integration for diverse organizations.
I would rate the scalability of Check Point Harmony Email and Collaboration as nine out of ten, indicating high scalability.
Cyber security manager at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
If I want to scale this product to 2,000 users or 5,000 users, it can scale within no time, so that is not an issue.
Cybersecurity And Information Governance Head at Aeren
Scalability is limited, being only integrated with Microsoft Office 365 and G Suite at present.
Technical Specialist at Softcell Technologies Limited
We have never faced scalability problems, and Microsoft manages it effectively.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 scales transparently for us, as we grew from 1,000 users to 3,000 users, and we didn't notice much difference.
Chief Architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 scales with the growing needs of my company well.
Senior Client Director and Advisory Service Leader at Crossfuze
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Check Point Email Security is highly stable, reliable, and effectively manages email threats with minimal downtime and quick issue resolution.
Sentiment score
7.8
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 offers consistently reliable performance with minimal downtime, high user ratings, and manageable minor issues.
The platform is very stable; we have not encountered any downtime or stability-related issues.
Ingeniero en seguridad informática at Elcatex
Over these eighteen months I have been working with the product, it has been very stable, and I would recommend it to most of my peers who have issues related to the email security piece.
Associate Vice President at Novac Technology Solutions
I would rate the stability of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 as 10 over 10 because it's highly available, it works, and it does the job it is meant to do.
Cloud Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
I have not experienced any downtime, crashes, or performance issues because of Defender.
Technology Associate at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
The solution is stable, as we have been using it for the past two years.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
 

Room For Improvement

Check Point Email Security needs better dashboard, deployment, integration, support, reporting, documentation, and more competitive pricing and customization.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 needs improvements in usability, false positive reduction, phishing detection, scalability, and reporting capabilities.
Updates based on AI and reduced administrative overhead by adding or bulk adding new users, along with graphical enhancements to the GUI, would also be beneficial.
Technical Specialist at Softcell Technologies Limited
Enhancing reporting capabilities with customizable and advanced analytics features would greatly improve our ability to detect trends and proactively address emerging threats.
Pre Sales Consultant at Redington Group
The current system, being tied directly to the mailbox instead of requiring MX record verification, allows new mailboxes to function immediately after Microsoft activation.
Manager, Information Technology at a hospitality company with 201-500 employees
The main area for improvement is simplifying the implementation and rollout process.
Infrastructure and Security Lead at Vedanta
Microsoft could improve by offering recommendations for domain spoofing attacks, especially scenarios where DNS records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are not properly published.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
There is a different console for different things; I just want one consolidated console.
Senior Director, Security Architecture & Engineering at a leisure / travel company with 10,001+ employees
 

Setup Cost

Check Point Email Security offers robust features and flexible licensing, making it attractive and valuable despite higher pricing.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is cost-effective with E5, costly standalone, requiring careful planning for subscription-based licensing.
Pricing is a bit expensive, but it is worth it considering the features that Check Point provides.
Technical Specialist at Softcell Technologies Limited
I consider the pricing to be a bit expensive, similar to other solutions.
Technical Director at Geekz Information Technology
The pricing is lower compared to what I used before.
Cyber security manager at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
We've likely saved 30% of costs.
Designation Chief Consultant at Avtow
Money-wise, it is a part of the Office 365 suite, making it slightly more expensive compared to Trend Micro.
Infrastructure and Security Lead at Vedanta
Microsoft is quite affordable with a lot of features available for any size organization.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
 

Valuable Features

Check Point Email Security offers AI threat intelligence, phishing protection, seamless integration, and enhanced data protection for less manual effort.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 enhances security with AI-driven phishing detection and robust protection across Microsoft 365 services.
I haven't had any users accidentally click on something problematic since implementing the product, which speaks to its efficacy.
Manager, Information Technology at a hospitality company with 201-500 employees
For us, I prefer Check Point before Palo Alto and before other brands because Check Point is most effective in attack mitigation and attack detection.
Cybersecurity & Networking Professional at Quantic Technology
The most valuable feature is spam detection and phishing site prevention, which Microsoft couldn't catch, yet Check Point does.
Head of Operations at DNI
It ranks the threats and allows us to prioritize those hitting us the hardest, such as email threats.
Technology support manager at Alfred State College
It provides end-to-end visibility on email threats such as phishing, extending beyond Exchange Online Protection.
Solution Consultant at BIM Group of Companies
The value of the DLP feature is significant to us because we have internal data, sometimes sensitive, and the users may not always be aware of security and privacy, which might lead them to send out information mistakenly to external parties.
Chief Architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Check Point Email Security ...
Ranking in Email Security
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
99
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (3rd), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (7th)
Microsoft Defender for Offi...
Ranking in Email Security
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
Email Archiving (1st), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (3rd), Microsoft Security Suite (9th), Secure Email Gateway (SEG) (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Email Security category, the mindshare of Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) is 3.9%, down from 5.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is 5.2%, down from 11.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Security Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Office 3655.2%
Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration)3.9%
Other90.9%
Email Security
 

Featured Reviews

Harish (Kumar) - PeerSpot reviewer
Cybersecurity And Information Governance Head at Aeren
Email security has blocked sophisticated phishing and now protects inboxes with AI detection
The only challenge with Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) is that it is an API-based solution. In an API-based solution, the major challenge is that it can read email content and Google Drive content. This presents a data privacy challenge, and we had to mitigate it by signing a Data Processing Agreement and other agreements. Because it is not a traditional in-line solution, Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) connects with Google Workspace using API permission and can access email, attachments, sender, recipient information, links, and all metadata is with Check Point. Data storage and everything else is with Check Point, which is the challenge. This solution has a drawback because of API deployment, while other solutions are traditional secure email gateways that are in-line solutions. In those solutions, we need to change the MX record, but with this solution we do not need to change the MX record, which is a pro of API-based deployment. However, there is also a con in that with API solutions, the email is scanned but after delivery in the mailbox.
Emeka Ndulu - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Improves threat visibility and response while reducing manual tasks and training users against phishing
I appreciate the attack simulation feature whereby I get to train users and educate them on how to identify phishing emails and spam emails, as well as the anti-spam protection. It gives me visibility into my threat environment and threat landscape to ensure that I am one step ahead of any likelihood of threats within my environment. I get to detect it and respond, so the threat intelligence is very effective. Microsoft security solutions save my time. It saves money because once I protect my environment, I don't lose money. It has decreased my detection time and my time to respond.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Email Security solutions are best for your needs.
912,517 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
15%
Computer Software Company
8%
Construction Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business73
Midsize Enterprise24
Large Enterprise37
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business24
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise32
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point Harmony Email & Office?
We are not currently using this product. Six months back, we removed that product due to a few issues. The major issue is naturally the budget, as it is expensive. Our organization is expanding and...
What is your primary use case for Check Point Harmony Email & Office?
The major use case for Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) was Business Email Compromise, CEO fraud, and vendor impersonation. Phishing attacks were also a major...
What needs improvement with Check Point Harmony Email & Office?
The only challenge with Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) is that it is an API-based solution. In an API-based solution, the major challenge is that it can rea...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
My experience with pricing, setup, and licensing is that it's actually quite reasonable even on the licensing side as a standalone product. It's very competitive compared to what competitors are ch...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
I think Microsoft Defender for Office 365 can be improved by creating more educational pieces about not just looking for malware. We are seeing a lot more malware-less emails that Defender for Offi...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
My main use cases for Microsoft Defender for Office 365 include email hygiene.
 

Also Known As

Check Point CloudGuard, Check Point CloudGuard SaaS , Check Point Harmony Email & Office
MS Defender for Office 365
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Helvetia, Denham Capital, Daymark Solutions, Neopharm Group
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is trusted by companies such as Ithaca College.
Find out what your peers are saying about Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
912,517 professionals have used our research since 2012.