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Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Mimecast Mailbox Continuity comparison

Microsoft and Mimecast are both solutions in the Email Archiving category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5, while Mimecast is ranked #7. Microsoft holds a 31.3% mindshare in EA, compared to Mimecast’s 3.9% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Mimecast users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Defender for Offi...
Read 52 Microsoft Defender for Office 365 reviews
  • 368 Views
  • 292 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
Mimecast Mailbox Continuity
Read 6 Mimecast Mailbox Continuity reviews
  • 150 Views
  • 51 Comparison Views
83% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Mimecast Mailbox Continuity based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Email Archiving solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Mimecast Mailbox Continuity Report (Updated: May 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Mimecast Mailbox Continuity
May 2025
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Helped 857,028 peers since 2012

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

Microsoft Defender for Offi...
Ranking in Email Archiving
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
52
Ranking in other categories
Email Security (1st), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (2nd), Microsoft Security Suite (10th), Secure Email Gateway (SEG) (1st)
Mimecast Mailbox Continuity
Ranking in Email Archiving
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Email Archiving category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is 31.3%, up from 15.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Mimecast Mailbox Continuity is 3.9%, down from 5.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Archiving
 

Featured Reviews

Tolu Omolaja - PeerSpot reviewer
Great URL scanning and attachment scanning, but I would like more proactive threat analysis
The two main features that prove most beneficial for us are URL scanning and attachment scanning. URL scanning involves an automatic scan of links and emails. When a user clicks on a link within an email, the system promptly checks the link's safety. If the link is deemed safe, access is granted automatically. However, if it is flagged as unsafe, we receive feedback and notification to caution us about the potentially harmful link. At this point, we are presented with the option to proceed or return. I have personally witnessed the system identify a few unsafe links, making this the primary advantage of using the solution. The second crucial aspect is the scanning of attachments. When an email containing an attachment arrives, we receive a notification of the new email, along with information that the attachment is being scanned for threats. This additional layer of security provides peace of mind for our organization. While Microsoft Defender for Office 365 offers numerous features, these two stand out as particularly impressive and valuable to us.
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Todd Blake - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides peace of mind and expands well but needs a better interface
It's a hosted solution. I'm not sure which version of the solution Im on at this time. I would advise others to research all the options out there and see what the best fit is. We started this mailbox continuity project before we moved to Office 365. And now that we've moved to Office 365, we kind of don't need this piece of technology in the same way that we used to need it when we had an on-prem exchange. Therefore, make sure that you actually need it and then research to find the best options. Overall, I would rate the solution seven out of ten.
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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I would say that 90% of the spam and phishing attack emails get blocked right off the bat."
"One of the best features of the tool is its capability to aggregate insights from different workloads, basically from the Office 365 and endpoints part."
"Threat Explorer is an invaluable tool for me, and it plays a crucial role in helping me discern the origins of various email campaigns, pinpointing where they emanate from, and identifying the individuals within our organization who are affected."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is the ease of use."
"The initial setup is straightforward. You just add the license, click it, and then you can set up the rules. It is quite simple."
"Defender enables us to secure all 365-related activity from a single place. It gives us visibility into everything happening in Outlook, protecting us against phishing and other email-based threats. Defender helps us detect any suspicious behaviors."
"The most valuable aspect of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is its ability to protect us from malware."
"The good part is that you don't have to configure it, which is very convenient."
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pros
"We're now certain business-critical mail is perfectly protected in multiple ways."
"It has all the features required for distribution, such as the ability to mail."
"Mimecast has some good support services in place."
"The most valuable feature of Mimecast Mailbox Continuity is real-time alerts."
"The security is pretty good, and that's why we're going to upgrade to an even more advanced package. We used it when we had a power issue, and it works. It has been pretty reliable, and the support has been quite good."
"The Large File Send feature comes in handy when you have to send fairly large attachments."
 

Cons

"They can improve their security in a way where a customer can know if all their attachments are safe or not to open through a report. The solution does its job perfectly, but it never reports to the customer whether those attachments have been stopped before or not."
"Microsoft should provide more documentation for users so they can self-educate. I would like to see more documentation for advanced security features."
"It would be better if it were more scalable. It depends on the architecture, but we would like to make it more scalable for both data centers."
"The visibility into threats is not up to the mark, as I do not have control. I rate my experience with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 as six out of ten due to troubleshooting and pricing concerns."
"Configuration requires going to a lot of places rather than just accessing one tab."
"The UI needs to be more user-friendly."
"Too many false positives and lacks an accurate capability to detect malicious SharePoint sites."
"Configuring the default strategies and policies in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps generates a lot of noise and false positives."
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 cons
"The interface isn't the best. How everything works on the back end is confusing."
"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. 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 solution is expensive in comparison to similar solutions."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"From the pricing point of view, like any other product in the market, there is scope for negotiation."
"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."
"The solution could be better by simplifying the business model of their licensing. It was hard to figure out how to get the licensing done for the environment, initially."
"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."
"The pricing is normal. Considering its popularity, it's not overpriced."
"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 comes with Microsoft Windows. It is free with the operating system."
"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is an add-on to the Office license. Many customers are purchasing this solution."
"For large enterprise organizations, they can definitely afford it, but for small and medium organizations, they might struggle to cover the expenses."
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pricing and cost advice
"The price of Mimecast Mailbox Continuity is expensive."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
Threat Explorer is an invaluable tool for me, and it plays a crucial role in helping me discern the origins of various email campaigns, pinpointing where they emanate from, and identifying the indi...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
Microsoft is quite affordable with a lot of features available for any size organization.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
Microsoft could improve by offering recommendations for domain spoofing attacks, especially scenarios where DNS records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are not properly published. It's essential to enhan...
See all answers
Ask a question
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Comparisons

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Compared 7% of the time
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Barracuda Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 5% of the time
Mimecast Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Mimecast Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 5% of the time
Abnormal Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Abnormal Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 5% of the time
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Competitors
No data available
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
May 2025
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 reportDownload Microsoft Defender for Office 365 product report
Buyer's Guide
Email Archiving
May 2025
Mimecast Mailbox Continuity reportDownload Mimecast Mailbox Continuity product report
 

Also Known As

MS Defender for Office 365
No data available
 

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.

Microsoft

Mimecast Mailbox Continuity provides uninterrupted access to live and archive email using Outlook for Windows, the web and mobile applications.

Mimecast
 

Sample Customers

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is trusted by companies such as Ithaca College.
DAC Beachcroft, OceanFirst, Currie & Brown, Alexander Forbes, Lagan Group, Lals Group, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Wedlake Bell, Macmillan Cancer Support, Bech-Bruun
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Mimecast Mailbox Continuity
May 2025
Free Report: Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Mimecast Mailbox Continuity
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Mimecast Mailbox Continuity and other solutions. Updated: May 2025.
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We monitor all Email Archiving 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.