Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 2, 2025
Proofpoint Email Protection and Sophos Phish Threat compete in the email security category. Proofpoint appears to have more comprehensive security features, while Sophos has a strong focus on user education and reliability.
Features: Proofpoint Email Protection offers advanced phishing and spam protection, business email compromise defense, and a robust filtering system. Its capacity to handle complex attachments and provide detailed threat intelligence makes it notable. Sophos Phish Threat is distinguished by its focus on user education, offering training on identifying phishing attempts. It enhances user security awareness, combining a simple interface with effective training tools.
Room for Improvement: Proofpoint could improve by enhancing integration capabilities with complex environments, refining its search functions, and optimizing the user interface. It needs better pricing strategies and enhanced detection of emails with non-malicious links. Sophos Phish Threat could be improved by supporting more languages in training materials, simulating modern phishing scenarios, and advancing AI-based detection. Users also want better integration with other security systems and more detailed reporting features.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Proofpoint provides a range of deployment options including public, private, hybrid, and on-premises cloud configurations, giving organizations flexibility. Though its technical support is generally well-regarded, improvements in response speed and local assistance are suggested. Sophos Phish Threat, favoring public and on-premises cloud setups, is seen as easy to deploy. Its support is responsive but could benefit from improved staffing and technical knowledge.
Pricing and ROI: Proofpoint Email Protection is perceived as costly but its extensive protection features offer a justified return on investment, particularly in preventing expensive attacks like ransomware. Sophos Phish Threat is considered more affordable, providing cost-effective training and security solutions, though some users find its pricing slightly high compared to other training options. Overall, Proofpoint is seen as a premium offering, while Sophos strikes a balance between cost and functionality.
To learn more, read our detailed
Secure Email Gateway (SEG) Report (Updated: November 2025).
