Cisco Secure Email vs Mimecast Advanced Email Security comparison

The compared Cisco and Mimecast solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #4 in Email Security , with an average rating of 8.2, and holds a 4.5% mindshare in the category. Mimecast is ranked #3 in SEG , with an average rating of 8.3, and holds a 15.1% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Mimecast users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 29, 2026

Cisco Secure Email and Mimecast Email and Collaboration Threat Protection compete in the email security category. Cisco seems to have the upper hand with its strong integration capabilities and comprehensive security features that outweigh Mimecast's streamlined approach.

Features: Cisco Secure Email offers anti-spam and anti-malware capabilities backed by AMP and threat intelligence. It integrates seamlessly with solutions like IBM QRadar and Active Directory. Mimecast provides URL protection, sandboxing, and robust identity protection, with seamless integration into Microsoft 365.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Secure Email needs a better console performance, a more intuitive user interface, and improved scalability. Mimecast requires a reduction in false positives, a more streamlined administration panel, better API integrations, enhanced identity protection, and improvements in support responsiveness.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Secure Email supports versatile deployment options, making it complex for small businesses but comes with highly rated technical support. Mimecast, operating mainly on public cloud infrastructure, ensures easier deployment. However, it may lack deployment flexibility, and customer service improvements are noted.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Secure Email is considered expensive but offers a solid ROI through robust security features and flexible licensing. Mimecast, similarly priced, may not offer as compelling an ROI for organizations already using enhanced security suites like Microsoft's. Both solutions are premium-priced, with protection and reduced downtime justifying the cost.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Secure Email vs. Mimecast Advanced Email Security Report (Updated: January 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Email vs. Mimecast Advanced Email Security

January 2024

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Cloudflare One

Mindshare comparison

Email Security Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Secure Email	4.5%
Proofpoint Email Protection	6.8%
Microsoft Defender for Office 365	6.3%
Other	82.4%

Email Security

Secure Email Gateway (SEG) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Mimecast Email and Collaboration Threat Protection	15.1%
Proofpoint Email Protection	19.0%
Microsoft Defender for Office 365	16.1%
Other	49.8%

Secure Email Gateway (SEG)

Featured Reviews

Cobe Van Coller

Network Architect at IP Dimension

Cloud security has improved remote access and has reduced costs for smaller client sites

I have used Cloudflare One's Identity-Aware Proxy, and it is quite straightforward from what I have seen so far. The app registration on the Azure side integrates fully into Cloudflare, and I am very satisfied with that part because it is easy to set up. The integration of Cloudflare One's Secure Web Gateway and Zero Trust Network Access works without any issues. That part is pretty automatic, and if you complete the rest of the setup, it comes together by itself with no issues from my side. What makes it nice is that we can actually start replacing on-site firewalls at this stage for the smaller clients because it does not matter if they go to a coffee shop or work from home; they are still secured by the same connection. The hops get shorter and you get better latency. We have done testing to see if it is better. One thing that we did notice with our proof of concept with our current client is that they have people connecting from the UK. When they used their previous VPN solution, uploading CAD drawings and other files to the server took a long time. They mentioned that it is much quicker on Cloudflare One's solution. I definitely believe that is part of the improved performance, and I am satisfied with that as well. What is nice about Cloudflare One is that it makes the setup easier and also easier to train technicians to maintain it. Compared to legacy systems, we do not need to get fancy firewalls in place that are costly. That is definitely also a cost-saver with Cloudflare One.

Read full review

Karthik Sathivel

Technical Associate Network Security at Valuepoint Systems

Email security has protected financial data and provides clear tracking for every branch message

The areas of Cisco Secure Email that could be improved or enhanced are the slowness in the console. I don't think it was a database error or something, but we feel some slowness in configuring DLP and other content filters compared to other consoles. It may have been due to on-premises, but it was much noisy at some times while configuring DLP. When we tried to configure a DLP policy, the console became much slower. In that case, we cannot see what had happened in the mail which was blocked at that time. It may take nearly an hour to get back to normal while configuring policies. That is the major issue in the product.

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Test Logix

Email Security Engineer at Logic Infosecurity

Experience high detection and user-friendly policies with reliable email security implementation

The system is not user-friendly because you have to create policies that are mapped in a dictionary. As an IT engineer, I understand how it works, but explaining it to another IT person can be difficult. Having more user-friendly dashboards would improve the work experience. In Mimecast Email Security, checking policies in the dictionary or gateway is very complicated, and not everyone understands this process. If you examine the Check Point portal, it's user-friendly with easily accessible tabs that anyone can explore. With Mimecast Email Security, making changes might impact existing mailboxes. The portal is complicated compared to Check Point's user-friendly interface.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cloudflare One has assisted in securing my remote workforce through a SASE solution with Cloudflare One and the Workers part, although I am not currently using the Workers component."

"Cloudflare, in my opinion, was easy to implement."

"Using Cloudflare One makes my work quite easy because for DDoS protection, all I need to do is understand the OSI model and click; it makes it easier than trying to write a command line or use a Linux command."

"Enables me to work from two locations."

"The tool also offers good scalability, and the dashboard, along with real-time analytics, is very good."

"The solution has different options that can be used to differentiate DDoS attacks."

"It's the endpoint exposition. We don't need to expose our VPN server to the internet and need a zero-test solution. I can apply some conditional access to the endpoint that's connecting to our network to check their security policies or the security condition of their workstation. Once the workstation is trying to connect to my internal network, then I would like to check the discrete condition of these endpoints that are trying to access my internal network. We created some conditional access. We have CrowdStrike, to check if the CrowdStrike is installed, to check if it's updated, and to check for Windows updates. We created some conditional policies to check it."

"We mostly use Cloudflare WAF, and gets basic Cloudflaire DDoS, caching as extra bonus . We like the factor these features are all integrated into 1 console, simple to manage."

More Cloudflare One pros

"For what you get for the product, the support, and the overall stability, it is definitely a good return on investment."

"Users were able to do a check by themselves on quarantined emails. They could check if a valid email had been stopped, if it matched up with the SPF certification."

"There is a huge return compared to if we didn't have a gateway appliance, as far as blocking malicious emails."

"The most significant enhancement we've gained is in terms of security through the upgrade we received."

"Comparing Microsoft Defender and Cisco's Email Secure service, partners have noted that while Microsoft Defender offers email security, the tool's additional layer of protection provides further defense against threats like spam and phishing emails."

"The product blocks spam emails."

"The logs are easily readable and help diagnose problems, although they can be difficult to find initially. The solution addresses our email security, but for the rest of our security, we would use multiple vendors. It covers everything through email, like antivirus, IDS, and IPS."

"The return here is more security and fewer interruptions; it's more stability and productivity versus less productivity, and you could say that you're minimizing your costs by $65,000."

More Cisco Secure Email pros

"It's good, it keeps the spam out, and it does a really good job at not allowing threats through."

"URL inspection works pretty well."

"Mimecast Mailbox Community is an email gateway required for every organization, regardless of size."

"If I had to mention one or two things that bring the biggest benefit, I would say the security of the emails and dealing with everything."

"In terms of technical superiority and the product itself, there are no complaints."

"It's really quite user-friendly. In terms of technical superiority and the product itself, there are no complaints. It is really cutting edge."

"The solution is scalable."

"I have always found Mimecast to be very responsive; for example, if we see something come through, they address it and it helps to sort out the issues."

More Mimecast Advanced Email Security pros

Cons

"There are premium tier live service and lower tier live service, so we opted for the lower tier. But there is no medium tier where we pay a little extra and get a bit more service. So if that can be improved."

"The response time for support must be reduced."

"When there are any dynamic changes in complex applications, the tool takes a lot of time, making its analytics-related area a major matter of concern where improvements are needed."

"Feedback could be enhanced. While I work efficiently with Clover as a partner in Mexico City, sometimes the information and requests are easier to manage with more concrete solutions."

"Cloudflare DDoS has poor technical support."

"The onboarding process can be improved a little bit."

"Cloudflare One is not very powerful, but for what we require, it is basic and sufficient."

"The pricing is an area that can be improved. Pricing, as far as I recall, was the source of our problems."

More Cloudflare One cons

"One of the things that Cisco could improve on with IronPort is the support. Cisco doesn't really have enough engineers who have full, hands-on knowledge of IronPort. Knowledge of it is not something you can find easily compared to other security appliances."

"Cisco is already providing a very good environment with the IronPort solution, but there could be some more integration with other products. For instance, an integration with the EDR solution could be there to raise an alert."

"While Cisco offers excellent solutions and innovations, the pricing may not be suitable for everyone. The cost of the software is relatively high. In the current market, there are numerous competitive alternatives that focus on security, enterprise networks, and various other aspects. Cisco, being a comprehensive provider, extends its expertise across data, servers, storage, and security, making them a preferred choice for many enterprises. However, when it comes specifically to security solutions, there are other vendors that specialize solely in this domain, offering competitive options."

"I would rate the stability a six out of ten. We had multiple issues with the stability."

"The product's GUI for the dashboard needs improvement."

"The initial setup was complex because I have two sites with physical clusters."

"We have occasionally had hardware problems because we are using an appliance-based solution, but that might change. We may consider going to virtual systems."

"I would like more functionality and how to use it for Level 2 type staff."

More Cisco Secure Email cons

"The price of the solution is expensive. It can improve by reducing the price."

"Technical support has been slower than it was in the past, likely due to the pandemic."

"The interface and the documentation could be improved."

"The interface and the documentation could be improved. They can also include some more training resources and content like video. While setting things up, I had to search for the information quite a bit. It took me time to find the correct way to do something. The information is there, but it is sort of all over the place. They can create a better help knowledge base or help portal. It retains your email for 45 days. They can maybe increase this duration."

"The reaction time between a new threat being identified and Mimecast picking it up needs to be narrowed a bit."

"The differentiation between bulk spam mail and campaign-related mail could be improved."

"Mimecast need to ensure that the body text format is correctly handled and that images are properly embedded in the body text."

"Mimecast needs to reduce the number of false positive emails; a big pain point for us."

More Mimecast Advanced Email Security cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform's pricing is good."

"The pricing is somewhere in the middle. I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten."

"The solution's pricing lacks transparency."

"My company has to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution. There are no hidden charges apart from the licensing costs of the solution."

"The solution is not that expensive."

"The pricing of the solution is cheap. The licensing cost is also very low. I rate the cost and pricing a three out of ten."

"The prices are slightly expensive."

"The price tag is no longer $200,000, but rather $300,000 to $400,000. It's twice."

"Cisco Secure Email is not expensive, and licensing costs are yearly."

"You're going to get what you pay for. If you're not willing to pay the price of Cisco, you're not going to get a product that's as good as Cisco. I don't think Cisco is overpriced, because for the last two years I've been comparing it to Microsoft and Cisco has been cheaper and given us more features."

"It's adapted to the market. It's similar to other vendors. We at least don't have many problems regarding that because Cisco is adaptable on that side. When we present the solutions to the customers, we tend to achieve the goals that the customer has in terms of the budget for such implementations."

"It is a reasonably priced solution."

"The pricing is good."

"It is a super big router that costs a few hundred thousand dollars."

"The pricing for the Cisco Email Security Appliance involves recurring costs for licenses based on the contracted time frame, such as one year, three years, or five years. Renewals are required after the license expires."

"We do annual licensing for Cisco Secure Email Gatewayand SMA together, and possibly SmartNet support. Packaged together, the cost is just under $38,000."

More Cisco Secure Email pricing and cost advice

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the pricing a ten."

"The product has good pricing in terms of return on investment."

"The solution is expensive."

"Two subscription options are currently offered: monthly and yearly. My suggestion is to opt for the yearly subscription as it can give some discount. The pricing isn't high as other cloud solutions are pricier than Microsoft's offerings."

"The licensing costs are per-user for the product that you get with them."

"Its price is in the middle range. It is a structured licensing model where there are various components that you can add or choose to add or not."

"The product price is moderate. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."

"For what it is, the product is overpriced."

More Mimecast Advanced Email Security pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

19%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	12

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	22
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	26

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	13

Questions from the Community

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What is your primary use case for Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access provides secure access to internal applications for employees, external members of the organization...

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What advice do you have for others considering Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access is one of the best integrations available. While about two hundred vendors offer similar services, ...

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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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco Secure Email?

The areas of Cisco Secure Email that could be improved or enhanced are the slowness in the console. I don't think it ...

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What is your primary use case for Cisco Secure Email?

We are using Cisco Secure Email to monitor the outgoing and incoming mail traffic in our financial institute. We have...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection?

Do you know anything about the pricing and cost of the Mimecast Email Security?

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What needs improvement with Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection?

There is room for improvement since new threats are emerging. Considering the availability of new features would be w...

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What is your primary use case for Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection?

I have been working with Mimecast Email Security.

See all answers

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 17% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

Barracuda Email Protection vs Mimecast Advanced Email Security

Compared 6% of the time

Perception Point Advanced Email Security vs Mimecast Advanced Email Security

Compared 2% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One

May 2026

Download Cloudflare One product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Email

May 2026

Download Cisco Secure Email product report

Buyer's Guide

Mimecast Advanced Email Security

May 2026

Download Mimecast Advanced Email Security product report

Also Known As

Cloudflare Area 1 Email Security, Cloudflare Bot Management, Cloudflare Gateway, Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform, Cloudflare DDoS, Cloudflare SASE & SSE Platform

Cisco Email Security, IronPort, Cisco Email Security, ESA, Email Security Appliances

Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection, Mimecast Web Security, Mimecast Mailbox Continuity, Email and Collaboration Threat Protection

Overview

Cloudflare One is a comprehensive platform for security, performance, and connectivity. It provides features like rate limiting, DDoS protection, and application access, tailored to enhance user experience while securing internet access and accelerating communications.

Designed to integrate security measures with ease of use and scalability, Cloudflare One offers a secure web gateway and zero trust network access. These features ensure seamless setup and operation, making connectivity reliable and protected. Users appreciate its integrated console, intuitive interface, and the ability to manage risk effectively. It offers straightforward deployment, improves latency, and boasts cost-effectiveness. While its onboarding process and documentation need enhancement, its value in content delivery and application shielding is notable. Despite challenges in integrating Cloudflare Access with existing VPNs and the need for better automation and support, it remains vital for DNS and infrastructure protection.

What features make Cloudflare One stand out?

Rate Limiting: Controls the traffic rate to prevent abuse.
DDoS Protection: Shields applications from distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Secure Web Gateway: Provides secure internet access with seamless operation.
Zero Trust Network Access: Ensures secure, application-based connectivity without relying on traditional VPNs.
Access for Connectivity: Facilitates access to internal applications securely.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Security: Robust measures for DNS and browsing protection.
Performance: Enhanced site accessibility and communication speed.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing for its features.
Ease of Deployment: Straightforward and efficient setup process.

In industries like finance, retail, and technology, Cloudflare One is crucial for enabling secure remote access and protecting web applications against dynamic threats. It supports compliance access policies and enhances content delivery, playing a key role in safeguarding digital infrastructure.

Cloudflare

Cisco Secure Email provides email security with advanced threat protection, spam filtering, and easy integration with Cisco Talos, ensuring comprehensive protection against cyber threats like phishing and malware.

Cisco Secure Email offers a comprehensive platform for organizations seeking robust email security. With advanced threat protection and seamless integration with Cisco Talos, it enhances threat intelligence. The tool provides easy-to-use spam blocking and granular policy customization. Effective ransomware, phishing, and malware protection ensures stable network performance. It includes logging and reporting features, along with Active Directory integration, delivering enhanced security without extra hardware. Although it addresses threats efficiently, improvements in synchronization with reporting tools and phishing detection are needed. Organizations find cost and licensing complexities challenging for smaller networks and seek more intuitive configuration, advanced AI threat detection, and comprehensive reporting. Enhanced support, documentation, and cross-platform compatibility are desirable for better management and scalability.

What are the most important features?

Advanced Threat Protection: Guards against cyber threats like malware and phishing
Spam Blocking: Efficiently filters unwanted emails to maintain inbox integrity
Policy Customization: Allows granular control over email security policies
Integration with Cisco Talos: Enhances threat intelligence with global insights
Active Directory Integration: Simplifies user management and enhances security

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Ease of Use: Intuitive interface provides a straightforward user experience
Network Performance: Maintains speed and reliability while securing emails
Comprehensive Reporting: Offers detailed insights into email threats and responses
No Additional Hardware: Provides complete email security without hardware costs
Enhanced Email Security: Protects against a wide range of email-based threats

In industries like finance, healthcare, and IT, Cisco Secure Email is key to securing email communications. It serves as the primary email gateway in datacenters, scanning and filtering emails to defend against phishing, malware, and spam. Many organizations integrate it with Sophos Antivirus and Talos Threat Intelligence for heightened protection. It plays a crucial role in outbound message control and data loss prevention, ensuring compliance with security policies.

Cisco

Mimecast Advanced Email Security offers advanced features like sandboxing, email archiving, and phishing protection. It's known for integration with Microsoft 365 and user-friendly admin management, making it a robust choice for secure communications.

Focused on safeguarding emails, Mimecast Advanced Email Security integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, providing features such as sandboxing, spam filtering, and email archiving. It delivers comprehensive protection against phishing, identity threats, and impersonation attempts. Administrators benefit from the ability to monitor external communications and customize configurations, enhancing email security. Users appreciate the intuitive admin console and responsive support team. Although it faces challenges in threat detection rates and administration complexity, its capabilities in email monitoring, spam filtering, and URL inspection remain valued by enterprises seeking reliable email security that supports compliance needs.

What key features should users explore?

Sandboxing: Analyzes attachments in a secure environment to detect threats.
Email Archiving: Provides secure long-term storage of emails for compliance.
Spam Filtering: Prevents unsolicited emails from clogging the inbox.
URL Inspection: Checks links in emails for malicious content.
Phishing Protection: Guards against deceptive tactics to protect sensitive data.

What benefits can impact ROI?

Regulatory Compliance: Facilitates adherence to standards such as HIPAA.
Integration: Enhances existing systems with seamless Microsoft 365 integration.
Support: Offers a responsive support team to resolve issues promptly.
Email Security: Improves threat prevention with effective spam and phishing protections.

Mimecast Advanced Email Security is implemented across industries to protect against email threats like phishing, spam, and malicious attachments. It serves as both a gateway and an archiving tool, supporting compliance in healthcare and finance by offering features like URL protection and data loss prevention. Enterprises leverage its capabilities to secure inbound and outbound communications effectively.

Mimecast

Sample Customers

23andMe

SUNY Old Westbury, CoxHealth, City of Fullerton, Indra

Azizi Developments, Affinity Credit Union, Aftercare, Al Abbar Group

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Email vs. Mimecast Advanced Email Security

January 2024

Free Report: Cisco Secure Email vs. Mimecast Advanced Email Security

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Email vs. Mimecast Advanced Email Security and other solutions. Updated: January 2024.

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