Barracuda Email Protection vs Trend Micro Email Security comparison

Barracuda Networks and Trend Micro are both solutions in the Email Security category. Barracuda Networks is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.8, while Trend Micro is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.1. Barracuda Networks holds a 2.5% mindshare in Email Security, compared to Trend Micro’s 2.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Barracuda Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Trend Micro users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 3, 2024

Barracuda Email Protection and Trend Micro Email Security are competing products in the advanced email protection solutions category. Trend Micro Email Security seems to have the upper hand in overall performance due to its robust features and comprehensive protection.

Features: Barracuda Email Protection offers strong phishing and ransomware defense, link protection, and data loss prevention tools, while Trend Micro Email Security provides advanced threat protection, machine learning capabilities, and cloud-based architecture. Trend Micro stands out for its sophisticated threat detection technologies, and Barracuda is valued for its straightforward email management tools.

Room for Improvement: Barracuda could improve in offering more precise reporting, better integration with other security platforms, and advanced threat analytics. Trend Micro might enhance its deployment simplicity, user interface customization options, and lower initial investment costs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Barracuda Email Protection is praised for its intuitive deployment process and responsive customer service, providing a smooth experience for IT administrators. Trend Micro Email Security offers a slightly more complex deployment model but compensates with comprehensive customer support resources.

Pricing and ROI: Barracuda Email Protection is competitive in initial setup costs, offering solid ROI for budget-conscious organizations. Trend Micro Email Security may require a higher initial investment but is perceived to deliver greater long-term value due to its rich feature set and continuing protection capabilities. Barracuda has an edge in cost-effectiveness, while Trend Micro is favored for its enhanced protection and beneficial long-term ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Barracuda Email Protection vs. Trend Micro Email Security Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Barracuda Email Protection vs. Trend Micro Email Security

April 2025

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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

Microsoft Defender for Offi...

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Email Security category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is 13.1%, down from 19.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Barracuda Email Protection is 2.5%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Trend Micro Email Security is 2.7%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Email Security

Featured Reviews

Tolu Omolaja

Head of Department of Network Communications at Eko electricity

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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LeeMiles

Director, Information Technology at St Albans High School For Girls

Very good threat protection, spam filtering, and cloud backups

Considering it integrates with Azure, I would like to be able to effectively set up policies where people are by default included in certain settings. For instance, for email quarantine, I can't set up a global setting. Users must go through an induction session where I guide them in configuring quarantine alerts rather than having default settings based on group membership. This seems like an oversight since they already use Active Directory details. They should assign policies based on group membership, which configures these settings by default.

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Nadeem Syed

CEO at Haniya Technologies

Offers comprehensive security, easy integration, and good support

It integrated easily. About 99% of the time, we do not face any challenges in integrating any product of Trend Micro with the existing network. It is usually compatible with all kinds of networks. They have recently added AI to all Trend Micro products. It makes life a little bit easier by catching viruses, providing solutions, and helping out whenever you are stuck somewhere. It is one of the very good features they have right now. For example, one of our clients experienced a network attack and became confused about resolving the issues. The AI was helpful by suggesting initial steps to solve the problem.

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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

"The good part is that you don't have to configure it, which is very convenient."

"Defender helps us prioritize threats across our organization."

"The most valuable feature is the integration. It's a single console, so we don't have to switch around between multiple products. Another valuable feature is the ease of operations and maintenance."

"The product's scalability is good."

"The email protection is excellent, especially in terms of anti-phishing policies."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is its spam filter."

"The initial setup was easy."

"Defender is a SaaS platform, so it offers more flexibility. Managing the permissions is easier. The solution's automated detection and response features are scalable."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pros

"I would rate the solution nine out of ten."

"The most valuable aspect includes attempts to spoof or compromise domains from external sources."

"The best feature of Barracuda Email Protection is that it provides protection for Microsoft 365."

"I'm quite satisfied with the graphical user interface for Barracuda products."

"Barracuda email protection is stable. I would give it a nine because of its strong cybersecurity features."

"The most valuable features are security and ease of use."

"The archiving and search features are very good."

"The most helpful aspect for me is the out-of-the-box configuration, which is fairly good."

More Barracuda Email Protection pros

"Trend Micro has inter-domain security features that solutions from other vendors like Forcepoint lack."

"Trend Micro is better than any of its competitors."

"Trend Micro Email Security is a robust solution with quick performance. It works autonomously without the need for an administrator."

"Trend Micro Email Security scans all email attachments because, nowadays, ransomware or malware files are sent through email attachments."

"The interface is really good."

"The email and the signature based protection is the most valuable feature."

"Since implementing it, we've seen a significant improvement in security. We no longer receive spam emails, and we're protected from various cyberattacks, including ransomware and social engineering."

"Trend Micro constantly releases new versions and patches based on evolving needs."

More Trend Micro Email Security pros

Cons

"The only thing they should improve is the licensing model. They should stop changing it. A year ago, the five features I mentioned were included in one product. Now, three of them are bundled into one product, and you have to pay extra for the other two. I don't mind paying extra, but I don't want them to change it every year or every six months. I need to know what I'm looking at and not worry about it next year."

"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 could improve by giving customers information on techniques to prevent threats. For example, information about best practices on how to protect their own devices against hackers and scammers, such as educational information or training. This would help others have a better understanding of cyber security. Additionally, there can be more security features added."

"Configuring the default strategies and policies in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps generates a lot of noise and false positives."

"You should be able to deploy Defender for every subscription without the need to add servers."

"The GUI is sometimes slow to fetch the device report and could be improved."

"About eight months ago, we started to measure the quantity of phishing and spam that we have been receiving, and it has been increasing a lot. That means that protection for our email is not as good as we were expecting."

"Configuration at the mid-level could be improved for the support team."

"Too many false positives and lacks an accurate capability to detect malicious SharePoint sites."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 cons

"I would like to see better integration with other products."

"The product must enable bulk user management."

"Sometimes it is somewhat laggy, especially on the Archiver side. It should have improved performance on their Message Archiver."

"Considering it integrates with Azure, I would like to be able to effectively set up policies where people are by default included in certain settings."

"The policies are set up in Barracuda by default; we don't have any control over them."

"The technology works on a supervised engine, but it would be better if it ran on an unsupervised engine."

"The solution's graphical user interface (GUI) could be improved visually."

More Barracuda Email Protection cons

"The product must provide better customization features."

"I rate Trend Micro support four out of 10. The support in our region isn't very good. They do not respond quickly when we open up a case."

"While they are good, not 100% of email is protected just yet."

"The initial setup was straightforward. This is a virtual appliance, it takes a short time to deploy the solution. However, it is not difficult if you understand the technology. You must have good knowledge of the email security area to set up the product correctly. There are many features in this solution and a high risk of having mistakes with the configuration."

"Trend Micro Email Security can improve on scam detection. It could use AI in this area."

"The send box needs improvement to match other products."

"In our company, we found out that the solution wasn't well-tested by Trend Micro, resulting in a performance and bandwidth problem."

"It is a bit expensive than the market price."

More Trend Micro Email Security cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is very expensive."

"For large enterprise organizations, they can definitely afford it, but for small and medium organizations, they might struggle to cover the expenses."

"While Microsoft Defender for Office 365 necessitates pricier E3 or E5 subscriptions, the extensive functionality offered by these licenses across various Microsoft products justifies the investment."

"Defender is a little bit more expensive as compared to others. We are in the manufacturing environment. So, we don't have a high budget for all of our endpoint devices. Its cost is a major concern for us."

"Microsoft Defender is expensive. I typically recommend it only if clients have the budget. Otherwise, I would suggest an alternative."

"It's a user-base subscription."

"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."

"I know that the product is incredibly expensive."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pricing and cost advice

"The solution's pricing is moderate, where it is neither cheap nor expensive."

"The product is expensive."

"Price-wise, this product is middle-of-the-road."

"We didn't have to pay a lot for the solution because we got it from a good vendor with a good user volume."

"Barracuda licensing model is good."

"We pay annually. They never charged us for anything else. And they were quite a bit under that $20,000 mark. It was $19,074. And they've been pretty good about not skyrocketing the price or anything like that. It has gone up. It's gone up to $24,000 in 2020."

"The price of Barracuda Essentials is better than some of the competing products."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten."

More Barracuda Email Protection pricing and cost advice

"The price of Trend Micro Email Security is more than Sophos' similar solution."

"Price-wise, it is a cheap solution. I rate the solution's pricing a one on a scale of one to ten, where ten is expensive. Annual payments are made for the licensing."

"I rate the product price a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"Trend Micro Email Security is not an expensive solution."

"The solution's pricing is very optimum, given its quality, features, and stability."

"It is expensive. The cost is per box, and it depends on how big your environment is. Prices range from 11 to 12 dollars for licenses and can fluctuate up and down, but for environments with 4,000 to 5,000 users, it can be between 6 to 8 dollars."

"Trend Micro Email Security's pricing is reasonable."

"It's a VPN solution. Trend Micro is reasonably priced."

More Trend Micro Email Security pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

17%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 variou...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Office 365?

Money-wise, it is a part of the Office 365 ( /products/office-365-reviews ) suite, making it slightly more expensive ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Office 365?

The main area for improvement is simplifying the implementation and rollout process. There are many conditions to be ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Barracuda Email Protection?

Barracuda Email Protection is easy to deploy and maintain. It doesn't require a specialized resource to manage this t...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Barracuda Email Protection?

Their list price is too high, but in India, the selling price is affordable at around $10 per user per year. Despite ...

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What needs improvement with Barracuda Email Protection?

Considering it integrates with Azure, I would like to be able to effectively set up policies where people are by defa...

See all answers

What do you like most about Trend Micro Email Security?

The tool provides a strong defense against attacks. It is also easy to use. Trend Micro Email Security's integration ...

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What needs improvement with Trend Micro Email Security?

There is room for improvement in mobile device management. The company also needs to work on pricing because it is qu...

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What advice do you have for others considering Trend Micro Email Security?

I would definitely recommend it. Trend Micro is better than any of its competitors. I would rate it a nine out of ten...

See all answers

Comparisons

Proofpoint Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Compared 14% of the time

Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Compared 7% of the time

Mimecast Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Compared 5% of the time

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Compared 5% of the time

Cisco Secure Email vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Compared 4% of the time

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Competitors

Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration vs Barracuda Email Protection

Compared 23% of the time

Abnormal Security vs Barracuda Email Protection

Compared 9% of the time

Avanan vs Barracuda Email Protection

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs Barracuda Email Protection

Compared 5% of the time

Perception Point Advanced Email Security vs Barracuda Email Protection

Compared 2% of the time

More Barracuda Email Protection Competitors

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs Trend Micro Email Security

Compared 12% of the time

Trend Micro InterScan Messaging Security vs Trend Micro Email Security

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiMail vs Trend Micro Email Security

Compared 9% of the time

Proofpoint Email Protection vs Trend Micro Email Security

Compared 7% of the time

More Trend Micro Email Security Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Office 365

March 2025

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 report

Download Microsoft Defender for Office 365 product report

Buyer's Guide

Barracuda Email Protection

April 2025

Download Barracuda Email Protection product report

Buyer's Guide

Trend Micro Email Security

March 2025

Download Trend Micro Email Security product report

Also Known As

MS Defender for Office 365

Barracuda Essentials

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

The popularity of Microsoft 365 means criminals test and design their attacks to bypass its native security features. And that means you need additional layers of defense. With Advanced Threat Protection enabled, Barracuda uses multiple layers of detection, including signature, static, and behavioral analysis, along with CPU-emulation sandboxing to accurately detect and block zero-hour targeted attacks and ransomware.

Traditional email gateways use static rules and policies—reputation analysis, block lists, and malicious payloads—to determine if an email is malicious.

Barracuda protects your Microsoft 365 inbox against evasive threats with a powerful AI engine that learns the unique communication patterns within your organization through access to internal and historical emails. Once it understands what legitimate emails looks like for each user, it can detect anomalies that signal malicious intent. This context-based detection is more effective at blocking targeted attacks, which are designed to bypass traditional rule-based email security.

Barracuda Networks

Trend Micro Email Security is a comprehensive solution designed to protect organizations from email-based threats. With advanced threat intelligence and machine learning algorithms, it provides real-time protection against spam, phishing, malware, and other email-borne attacks.

This product offers multi-layered security, including content filtering, URL reputation analysis, and attachment scanning, ensuring that malicious emails are blocked before they reach the users' inbox. It also includes data loss prevention capabilities, preventing sensitive information from being leaked via email.

Trend Micro Email Security is easy to deploy and manage, with a centralized management console that allows administrators to set policies, monitor email traffic, and generate reports.

With its robust security features and user-friendly interface, this product is an essential tool for organizations looking to safeguard their email communications.

Trend Micro

Sample Customers

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is trusted by companies such as Ithaca College.

ACT Government, Acumen Group, AGIP, Delta Dental Plans Association, Desai/Nasr Consulting Engineers, Inc., Equinox Information Systems

MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Air21, Azra Solutions, CBOSS, De Montfort University, Depaeuw, DHR Health, Fukui University Hospital

Buyer's Guide

Barracuda Email Protection vs. Trend Micro Email Security

April 2025

Free Report: Barracuda Email Protection vs. Trend Micro Email Security

Find out what your peers are saying about Barracuda Email Protection vs. Trend Micro Email Security and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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