AppRiver Email Security vs Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) comparison

AppRiver Email Security vs. Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

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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 AppRiver Email Security is 0.9%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) is 6.8%, down from 9.4% 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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John Zupancic

Vice President / Branch Manager / Senior Technician at Aperion Information Technologies, Inc.

Pricing that is competitive, excellent technical support, and email security

They do a better job of distinguishing between what's real and what's not than most of the other solutions we've tried. They are very easy to use. We don't have as many problems with email security. They have some areas that could be improved. For example, we also use Zix email Encryption for email encryption, which was clunky and could be improved, but the email security itself has been excellent.

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Nur Mohammad

Deputy Manager at B-Trac Technologies Ltd.

An effective email security solution that provides DLP, Safe Attachment, and Safe Links

If you want extensive email security, you need to purchase a Plan 2 license. Plan 1 and Plan 2 are the two plans for Microsoft Exchange Online Protection. Some customers hesitate to purchase this product because it adds some costs to them, which is necessary for them. It would be helpful for customers if Plan 1 features were included with EOP. However, they still need to purchase Plan 2 for advanced security features. One of our clients recently requested to compare Zimbra's features with Microsoft Exchange Online Protection. Zimbra is open source, while Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is not. When I compare both the products, many free features are available in Zimbra because it is open-source software. It makes no sense to request Microsoft Exchange Online Protection add all the features people get on open-source software like Zimbra. Hence, I would say whatever features Microsoft Exchange Online Protection has are enough. Microsoft has a dedicated research team that should research and add new techniques like phishing and spamming solutions to the product.

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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."

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

"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 is not resource-intensive."

"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 helps people to work remotely. It is a secure solution. We don't need to use our company's computers or get VPN connections to the networks. I can control how they share screens and what they send to the devices. It keeps our organizations confidential and sensitive information safe."

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

"The stability of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is fantastic."

"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 has improved my organization's security. It makes it easier to manage the infrastructure without the help of third-party applications."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pros

"It's easy to use and user-friendly. Users can also easily release spam emails."

"They are very easy to use."

"The email policy configuration options in Microsoft EOP are satisfactory."

"We use the solution to receive emails. We do not use the calendar function as our clients are slow adaptors to the latest features."

"It is scalable."

"In general, my company is happy with Microsoft support...My company hasn't faced any stability issues with the solution."

"It provides security to both on-premises and Azure infrastructures."

"I like the product's ZAP feature."

"Microsoft EOP's most valuable feature is a shared mailbox."

"It's all running in the backend, so it doesn't affect the app functionality."

More Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) pros

Cons

"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 should improve the troubleshooting tools. It's unclear whether the device is blocked at the firewall level or at the device itself. The granularity needed for troubleshooting is currently lacking. From my perspective, Microsoft should address this issue to benefit many users who likely share the same sentiment."

"This product's effectiveness could be improved, in terms of detecting unwanted spam or even malware between the emails, compared to other products."

"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."

"Microsoft security solutions work as expected. They are constantly updating the solutions to make them better. At the same time, the changes can impact a customer's environment, and we need to adjust settings. Sometimes we aren't aware of the changes, and nothing is pushed from the backend automatically."

"Several simulation options are available within 365, and the phishing simulation could be better."

"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 must improve the overall management style, including the GUI. It also needs to change the filters so that it is easy to whitelist and blacklist data."

"Microsoft wants its well-paying customers to finish testing some of its half-baked products, find bugs, and report bugs back to Microsoft's team, which is a little frustrating for those who have to manage it and roll it up to thousands of people across the organization."

"The XDR dashboard has room for improvement."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 cons

"It needs to make sure that the application is up to date with new attacks. They should also send us the demo or introductions for their new incoming features."

"Email security checks contain a small number of false positives."

"The product could be more stable. Microsoft products could be more stable because sometimes, even though they are updating some things, we cannot find those updates."

"The licensing can be on the expensive side, especially in the cloud space."

"The price of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection could be reduced to make it more competitive."

"We have experienced issues while migrating from on-prem to the cloud. The tool needs to improve its stability."

"If a company wants to put in line back-to-back anti-spam solutions, they need to work on that part because Microsoft recommends either you use EOP as a front line or you don't use it."

"The security compliance features need to be improved. Sometimes, a client's mailbox becomes full because of retained information and not because of mail. I would like to see improvement in block rules as well."

"The solution needs to improve its backup."

"It doesn't protect against everything. We do need protection for, for example, endpoints."

More Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is much more expensive than using another solution because we have had to include some options and upgrade our license."

"It's a user-base subscription."

"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."

"The license is expensive because the cost is based on the number of users."

"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is an add-on to the Office license. Many customers are purchasing this solution."

"The pricing has become expensive."

"The product is very expensive."

"I know that the product is incredibly expensive."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pricing and cost advice

"They're fairly inexpensive, but they're right in the ballpark of most of the other online products like that."

"I can rate it five out of ten because there are different platforms that also offer the same services for lower prices. But AppRiver is more flexible."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is very expensive, I rate the pricing a six. For licensing, we can make monthly or yearly payments. Right now, we pay 5 USD per month to secure a person's license."

"The price of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is reasonable."

"The solution falls on the higher or more expensive side of the spectrum."

"The solution is expensive but is backed by Microsoft's reputation."

"The price could be lower."

"It is a low-price solution."

"It's a high price."

"The solution's pricing is subscription-based rather than a yearly licensing cost. Pricing is based on the size of the environment and company and can be expensive."

More Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) 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

15%

Construction Company

Non Profit

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

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 variou...

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

I don't have detailed specifics on pricing, setup cost, or licensing.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Office 365?

I am generally satisfied with how it currently is. If I could improve anything, I would reduce the cost.

What do you like most about AppRiver Email Security?

It's easy to use and user-friendly. Users can also easily release spam emails.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AppRiver Email Security?

I can rate it five out of ten because there are different platforms that also offer the same services for lower price...

What needs improvement with AppRiver Email Security?

It needs to make sure that the application is up to date with new attacks. They should also send us the demo or intro...

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?

Some of the searchability when looking for specifics in Exchange logs is tedious. Although eventually the information...

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Exchange Online Protection?

I use the tools to protect customers' emails, mostly utilizing Defender products to protect emails and links from Sha...

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Product Reports

Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Download Microsoft Defender for Office 365 product report

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 report

Email Security

Download AppRiver Email Security product report

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

Download Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) product report

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) report

Also Known As

MS Defender for Office 365

AppRiver Advanced Email Security

Microsoft EOP, MS Exchange Online Protection

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

AppRiver’s Email Security Solution is a cloud-based Anti Phishing and malware filter that’s designed to keep your inbox clean and your network safe. A simple MX Record change routes your mail through the Email Security servers before it ever reaches your network, which ensures that the mail that reaches your network doesn’t pose a threat. While our solution contains numerous adjustable settings, it is designed to work efficiently and optimally with little or no interaction from administrators.

AppRiver

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) is a comprehensive email filtering and security service designed to protect organizations from spam, malware, and other email-based threats. It provides advanced threat protection, anti-malware and anti-spam filtering, and data loss prevention capabilities.

With EOP, organizations can ensure the security and integrity of their email communications. It uses multiple layers of filtering and scanning to detect and block malicious content, including phishing attempts, viruses, and ransomware. EOP also leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to continuously improve its threat detection capabilities.

In addition to its robust security features, EOP offers advanced anti-spam filtering to reduce unwanted and unsolicited emails. It uses a combination of reputation-based filtering, content filtering, and sender authentication techniques to identify and block spam messages.

EOP also includes data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities to prevent sensitive information from being leaked or shared inappropriately. It allows organizations to define policies to detect and prevent the transmission of sensitive data, such as credit card numbers or social security numbers, via email.

Furthermore, EOP integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange Online and other Office 365 services, providing a unified and integrated email security solution. It can be easily managed through the Exchange admin center, allowing administrators to configure and monitor security settings, review reports, and manage quarantined emails.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

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

IHMC

Information Not Available

AppRiver Email Security vs. Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)