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Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs Sophos Email comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 3, 2024

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
6.4
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection offers cost-effective email security, reducing incidents and boosting productivity over competitors like Trend and AppRiver.
Sentiment score
7.4
Sophos Email offers strong ROI by improving efficiency, cutting costs, enhancing security, and reducing unsolicited emails, benefiting compliance.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.3
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection customer service is praised for availability but criticized for inconsistent response quality and speed.
Sentiment score
6.7
Sophos Email support responsiveness varies; users report mixed experiences with speed and effectiveness, especially for complex issues.
Microsoft offers excellent 24/7 support.
My team is able to get the help they need when necessary.
The technical support from Sophos Email deserves a rating of 10 out of 10.
When I reported a problem with our firewall, they acted promptly and delivered another piece of equipment.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection offers scalable security solutions despite some limitations, appreciated for ease of use and high satisfaction.
Sentiment score
7.4
Sophos Email is scalable, praised for handling various organization sizes, but faces cost and support issues when scaling.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is reliable, scoring high in stability, with issues mainly from configuration and occasional interface changes.
Sentiment score
7.8
Sophos Email is praised for stability and reliability, deemed a dependable choice for organizations despite minor user suggestions for improvement.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection needs better integration, enhanced security features, improved user experience, and competitive pricing for increased effectiveness.
Sophos Email needs improved security features, integration, user interface, and support to enhance performance, accuracy, and user experience.
Improving the search process by allowing searches with different types of parameters and facilitating searches within emails would be advantageous.
The user interface of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) has room for improvement.
Sophos Email does not work with split delivery.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection offers tiered pricing, seen as high but justified by robust security and scalability features.
Sophos Email offers competitive, flexible subscription pricing with discounts, deemed fair and valuable by most users despite some cost concerns.
The pricing is reasonable.
Microsoft Exchange is more expensive compared to other services like Gmail.
I find the price of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) to be fairly reasonable, and I have no problems with it.
Sophos Email pricing is a bit high, especially since I purchase through a partner, and they sell it at a higher price since they also seek to make a profit.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection offers scalable, user-friendly security features with AI-enhanced threat management and seamless integration with Microsoft tools.
Sophos Email provides advanced security features and easy management, making it a top choice for protecting organizational communications.
We've benefited from the anti-phishing features of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP), as it has been quite accurate and has eliminated most of our phishing emails, making it really impressive.
The security features provided by Microsoft are robust.
It offers more features and better security, making it the best option for corporate environments.
It provides a defense layer for email protection, scanning every incoming and outbound email for malware and spam.
The spam reduction feature in Sophos Email provides comfort when using it.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Exchange Online P...
Ranking in Email Security
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
Anti-Malware Tools (8th)
Sophos Email
Ranking in Email Security
10th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
Office 365 Protection (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Email Security category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) is 5.5%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Email is 2.0%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Security Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)5.5%
Sophos Email2.0%
Other92.5%
Email Security
 

Featured Reviews

Amber Worth - PeerSpot reviewer
Retrieves data from quarantines and easy to read logs with robust security features
Some of the searchability when looking for specifics in Exchange logs is tedious. Although eventually the information is located, it can be difficult if detailed information is lacking. Improving the search process by allowing searches with different types of parameters and facilitating searches within emails would be advantageous. Simplifying interfaces would also be appreciated.
BhanuPrakash - PeerSpot reviewer
Achieving Seamless Email Security and Encryption while Managing Temporary Email Storage Limits
We continue to use Sophos products and remain with the company. For firewall protection, we use XGS systems. We have provided Sophos Email Gateway for one of our clients. We have integrated Sophos Email with our internal email server, using it for both outbound and inbound traffic. Integration with Office 365 protection for Sophos Email Security works smoothly without any challenges. The solution is totally cloud-based. I recommend Sophos Email for mid-sized companies as it is a good option, though it may not be ideal for large-scale or small businesses. I have not tried incorporating AI technology with Sophos Email yet. I am Bhanu Prakash, Technical Head for Systek Services, and can be reached at b.hanu@teamsistek.com. I am a partner with Sophos. Overall rating for Sophos Email: 10/10.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Healthcare Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business24
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise10
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business25
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Exchange Online Protection?
The initial setup was easy. The configuration process is very straightforward.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Exchange Online Protection?
Besides price, the main room for improvement includes the sandbox or something similar; the usability that solutions are focused on. I have not really utilized its anti-phishing features because th...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Exchange Online Protection?
I'm reviewing different solutions because I work for a consulting company, and we are dealing with a review. We use Peer review for that to find some information, which is very useful. I am certifi...
What do you like most about Sophos Email?
The solution's identity proxy feature is very good and reliable.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos Email?
Regarding Sophos Email pricing, I would rate it between six or seven out of ten.
What needs improvement with Sophos Email?
While Sophos Email is generally sufficient, one challenge we face is the 24-hour email storage limitation. This presents an issue when internal systems are down for more than 24 hours. The solution...
 

Also Known As

Microsoft EOP, MS Exchange Online Protection
Sophos Email Security
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Del Monte Foods, Terra Verde, spicerhaart, RIVERLITE, Dataprise, SureBridge, Reed's School, Sayfol International School
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs. Sophos Email and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,370 professionals have used our research since 2012.