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Proofpoint Email Protection vs Sophos Phish Threat comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 2, 2025

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

Proofpoint Email Protection
Ranking in Security Awareness Training
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
51
Ranking in other categories
Email Security (3rd), Digital Risk Protection (3rd), Office 365 Protection (1st), Secure Email Gateway (SEG) (2nd)
Sophos Phish Threat
Ranking in Security Awareness Training
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Security Awareness Training category, the mindshare of Proofpoint Email Protection is 9.0%, down from 14.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Phish Threat is 4.9%, down from 5.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Security Awareness Training
 

Featured Reviews

AhmedRamadan - PeerSpot reviewer
Optimize email security with effective sandboxing and auto Pull for quarantine
Proofpoint is used as an email security gateway for big enterprises, primarily for their on-premises servers. Many customers also use it alongside Office 365 Proofpoint offers a complete solution for email security with features like DLP, email archiving, and encryption. The most valuable…
Shaun Gordon - PeerSpot reviewer
Identifies vulnerable employees through customized simulations
Sophos Phish Threat effectively identifies susceptible employees. It depends on knowing my staff. For example, if I receive an email claiming my Facebook account is compromised, I immediately recognize it as suspicious, as I don't have Facebook. If I know my staff use LinkedIn, I utilize the LinkedIn simulation. Similarly, if they bank with Absa, I use the Absa simulation. There isn't a single 'one size fits all' approach. Sophos Phish Threat ensures users do not click on dodgy emails or dodgy links within an environment.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Proofpoint Email Protection is the dashboards and their visibility, easy configuration, and artificial intelligence. Additionally, the reports are very important and helpful."
"It was easy to set up."
"The most valuable features of Proofpoint Email Protection are the performance from being on the cloud."
"URL scanning and online relay service are the most valuable features of Proofpoint Email Protection."
"The setup was easy."
"The solution scales quite well."
"The Tap and Trap features. They are the best features."
"Proofpoint is the main tool for blocking spam because it denies the connection altogether."
"The most valuable features of Sophos Phish Threat are internal web filtering and security."
"The scalability is very good."
"Sophos Phish Threat effectively identifies susceptible employees."
"The installation is straightforward. You only need to upload the user's email address to the cloud and you can start using it."
"It is easy to use."
"I have found the implementation process to be simple and straightforward."
"Sophos Phish Threat is valuable as it is easy to use and effectively educates end users on the threats they may face and how to identify them."
"The solution is easy to integrate because it is on the cloud. We have been able to limit users to only accessing the Sophos platform by modifying the firewall and Sophos platform settings. The dashboard gives us detailed reports allowing us to be able to manage better."
 

Cons

"Some use cases haven't been dealt with yet."
"Unfortunately, the whole product is going downhill right now, ever since they were sold to Thoma Bravo. We're constantly having problems with stability and the product in general."
"Proofpoint Email Protection could improve the Mail Trace feature and make navigation easier."
"The support team was a bit slow."
"In terms of improvement, the price could be better. Additionally, more security could be implemented."
"The accessibility of Proofpoint Email Protection, particularly access to product trials, could be improved. It's hard to get a trial for Proofpoint Email Protection, and many customers prefer not just to do the POC or demo but try the product out."
"The Secure Mail aspect should have an Outlook add-in, instead of an external dashboard that outside users have to access."
"The solution could lower its price."
"Integration with other products could be improved."
"There is a need for improvement regarding false negatives dealing with Office 365."
"I would like to see more manager-level training that teaches what needs to be done after a phishing email attack is found."
"The pricing of Sophos Phish threat can be improved."
"Sophos Phish Threat can improve load balancing."
"The solution could be much more secure."
"The security could be simplified within the product."
"The security of the solution could improve."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution uses a licensing model that is reasonable compared to other products."
"The end customer is buying our solution, which can be for monthly or annual usage depending on our payment and business model."
"Proofpoint Email Protection has comparable pricing."
"I rate the price of Proofpoint Email Protection a four out of five."
"The solution charges per user per month to use it. There are not any additional fees in addition to the standard living fees."
"The licensing model for Proofpoint Email Protection is simple. It's based on the number of users. Price-wise, Proofpoint Email Protection is a five out of ten because it's a pretty expensive solution."
"It is on a yearly basis. Their floor for SMB doesn't matter. The user count is 100 users and below at $2,500 a year. Its cost is higher than other solutions. It is probably about 20% to 30% higher than what you would get with Microsoft. There are no additional costs. All costs are factored in. It can be improved pricing-wise so that it is affordable for the SMB market."
"It is expensive."
"The pricing is very good, and some of my customers who have used other vendors say that Sophos is priced well within the market."
"Licensing fees are paid annually."
"The license for the product comes with the firewall offered by Sophos, so a user need not buy it separately."
"There is a license required for this solution and the cost depends on the number of users."
"There are monthly and annual subscriptions available to use Sophos Phish Threat. The price is reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
27%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
21%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Real Estate/Law Firm
11%
Construction Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Proofpoint Email Protection?
In terms of pricing, it is okay compared to others. I would say it is normal. Additional costs do come in, but it enhances security.
What needs improvement with Proofpoint Email Protection?
In terms of improvement, the price could be better. Additionally, more security could be implemented.
What do you like most about Sophos Phish Threat?
I find the solution's reports very valuable.
What needs improvement with Sophos Phish Threat?
There is a need for improvement regarding false negatives dealing with Office 365. The issue stems from policies in Office 365 that prevent scanning certain elements, which might trigger errors. I ...
What is your primary use case for Sophos Phish Threat?
I use Sophos Phish Threat to test employee security awareness. Essentially, my clients utilize Phish Threat to ensure that users are not clicking on suspicious emails or links. It is a simulated ca...
 

Also Known As

Proofpoint Enterprise Protection, Cofense PhishMe, Proofpoint Digital Protection
Phish Threat
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Blocket, University of Waterloo, Lincoln Memorial University, WellSpan Health, U-Haul, Carestream Health, Westinghouse
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Proofpoint Email Protection vs. Sophos Phish Threat and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,475 professionals have used our research since 2012.