Cloudflare One vs Mimecast Email and Collaboration Threat Protection comparison

Cloudflare and Mimecast are both solutions in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category. Additionally, 100% of Cloudflare users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Mimecast users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 11, 2026

Mimecast Advanced Email Security and Cloudflare One are two leading solutions in the email security and cloud security market. Mimecast is generally favored for its comprehensive email security features, while Cloudflare One is considered stronger in integration and performance solutions, often seen as providing superior value due to its broad feature set.

Features: Mimecast offers robust email filtering, impersonation protection, and archiving services, noted for sandboxing and smooth integration with Microsoft 365. Cloudflare One integrates multiple security functionalities within a single console, featuring powerful DDoS protection, zero trust network access, and advanced rate limiting tools.

Room for Improvement: Mimecast can enhance customer support responsiveness, simplify its initial setup, and reduce false positives. It also faces challenges with transitioning to other platforms and high data extraction fees. Cloudflare One could benefit from making its initial setup more intuitive and providing better documentation for complex environments, in addition to improving its alert systems and integration with other tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Mimecast supports both cloud and on-premises deployment, though users often find the setup complex and desire more onboarding support. While it has responsive customer service, many rely on its extensive knowledge base. Cloudflare One is generally deployed in public clouds and is valued for its straightforward deployment, despite some initial user navigation challenges. Its customer service is perceived as more consistent.

Pricing and ROI: Mimecast is viewed as expensive with high licensing and support costs but valued for its robust protection capabilities. Cloudflare One is typically more cost-effective with competitive pricing and a broader feature set, suitable for smaller companies or those seeking scalable solutions. Users appreciate Cloudflare One’s transparent pricing model and lower overall costs.

To learn more, read our detailed Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Report (Updated: January 2026).

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January 2026

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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

iboss

Featured Reviews

reviewer2701851

Managing Director

Enhances web security with a single pane of glass and flexible deployment

I don't see any need for improvement; one of the really good things about iboss as a company is that they listen to customer feedback. I have suggested enhancements, and they are responsive, making changes for the better, and they do a lot of testing. To improve iboss, although we haven't used it, we considered the VPN solution that comes with the highest tier licensing, which includes DLP and various other add-ons. We prefer using another product which automatically logs you back onto your network when turning on your PC. With iboss, the connection is manual, which doesn't meet our needs. Additionally, sizing can be tricky because, although the initial recommendations may seem adequate, actual usage may require more gateways than anticipated.

Read full review

Cobe Van Coller

Network Architect at IP Dimension

Cloud security has improved remote access and has reduced costs for smaller client sites

I have used Cloudflare One's Identity-Aware Proxy, and it is quite straightforward from what I have seen so far. The app registration on the Azure side integrates fully into Cloudflare, and I am very satisfied with that part because it is easy to set up. The integration of Cloudflare One's Secure Web Gateway and Zero Trust Network Access works without any issues. That part is pretty automatic, and if you complete the rest of the setup, it comes together by itself with no issues from my side. What makes it nice is that we can actually start replacing on-site firewalls at this stage for the smaller clients because it does not matter if they go to a coffee shop or work from home; they are still secured by the same connection. The hops get shorter and you get better latency. We have done testing to see if it is better. One thing that we did notice with our proof of concept with our current client is that they have people connecting from the UK. When they used their previous VPN solution, uploading CAD drawings and other files to the server took a long time. They mentioned that it is much quicker on Cloudflare One's solution. I definitely believe that is part of the improved performance, and I am satisfied with that as well. What is nice about Cloudflare One is that it makes the setup easier and also easier to train technicians to maintain it. Compared to legacy systems, we do not need to get fancy firewalls in place that are costly. That is definitely also a cost-saver with Cloudflare One.

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Test Logix

Email Security Engineer at Logic Infosecurity

Experience high detection and user-friendly policies with reliable email security implementation

The system is not user-friendly because you have to create policies that are mapped in a dictionary. As an IT engineer, I understand how it works, but explaining it to another IT person can be difficult. Having more user-friendly dashboards would improve the work experience. In Mimecast Email Security, checking policies in the dictionary or gateway is very complicated, and not everyone understands this process. If you examine the Check Point portal, it's user-friendly with easily accessible tabs that anyone can explore. With Mimecast Email Security, making changes might impact existing mailboxes. The portal is complicated compared to Check Point's user-friendly interface.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device."

"Valuable features: Within the filter: Controls (Web categories, applications, and Allow/Block list) and Network (local Subnets). Within the reporter: Logs (Event Log) and Reports."

"Its initial setup was straightforward."

"It was a very easy product to install. It can be deployed very fast."

"We chose iboss for both zero trust and proxy (SWG) because their SWG was superior."

"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device. It operates on the network side and is not device-based. This feature was one of the main reasons why we stayed with them for so long."

"The iboss system is highly reliable. The false positive rates are small compared to some other systems we've experienced through other partner agencies who use competing solutions."

"The solution has massively improved our security posture, giving us full visibility into what our staff does online."

More iboss pros

"For Cloudflare Access, I am using the free plan...The most valuable feature is their protection."

"The blocking feature is very good."

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform removes the risk of exposing the applications to the public."

"The tool also offers good scalability, and the dashboard, along with real-time analytics, is very good."

"This solution is easy to understand and easy to configure."

"Cloudflare DDoS mitigates DDoS attacks."

"Using Cloudflare One makes my work quite easy because for DDoS protection, all I need to do is understand the OSI model and click; it makes it easier than trying to write a command line or use a Linux command."

"The best feature is rate limiting. If I'm expecting 500 visits per hour, Cloudflare will limit the requests if I suddenly get 50,000."

More Cloudflare One pros

"It offers an easy initial setup."

"We're now certain business-critical mail is perfectly protected in multiple ways."

"Based on overall experience, Mimecast Email Security is the best solution for traditional gateways."

"Due to our specialized use case, that HIPAA dictionary really comes in handy."

"In terms of efficacy, Proofpoint is better than Mimecast, though it's a little difficult to manage."

"It has all the features required for distribution, such as the ability to mail."

"We like the content filtering and secure messaging features."

"Mimecast certainly helped my customers reduce phishing emails."

More Mimecast Email and Collaboration Threat Protection pros

Cons

"Our biggest problem with their service was it did not recognize the device and filtering did not always work correctly."

"If they could implement an extra security layer preventing access to iboss from the open internet, it would be great."

"One thing I would like to see differently with their Zero Trust platform is that some of the AI aspects related to high-risk activities have more false positives."

"I'd like to see them accelerate development on the security side, particularly around data loss prevention."

"Its pricing could be better."

"Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern."

"File integrity monitoring would be very advantageous as an additional feature."

"The dashboards for local use could be better."

More iboss cons

"The free plan has limitations. For example, I can only set up three rules, and the application firewall is unavailable."

"For the topic of improvement, providing some training material is one of my suggestions."

"The response time for support must be reduced."

"From a logging perspective, it is still a bit difficult to see exactly what users are being blocked with the current views."

"Feedback could be enhanced. While I work efficiently with Clover as a partner in Mexico City, sometimes the information and requests are easier to manage with more concrete solutions."

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform needs to improve its documentation. It took time to do the implementation."

"Lacks a VPN feature to provide a secure connection to the data center."

"Feedback could be enhanced."

More Cloudflare One cons

"As for areas for improvement within Mimecast Web Security, I believe there is quite a lot that can be improved."

"The feature that should be included is to remove the block on the encrypted files."

"They should improve the cookies management feature."

"Many of our users complain that the system is blocking too many attachments. It's a good practice from a security perspective, but our users think Mimecast is doing too much. It might be something we'll have to adjust."

"Mimecast need to ensure that the body text format is correctly handled and that images are properly embedded in the body text."

"Certainly, the primary area needing improvement is Mimecast's customer support. Our experience as Mimecast customers has been less than satisfactory. Even when raising a priority ticket, the response time is unacceptably long, often taking around five to six hours. This level of service is disappointing. Additionally, there have been recurring service disruptions in the UK region, leading to extended email delays due to various service issues. This year alone, we've encountered such problems on approximately four occasions."

"The reaction time between a new threat being identified and Mimecast picking it up needs to be narrowed a bit."

"They could provide a unified licensing model, including all the security features."

More Mimecast Email and Collaboration Threat Protection cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"We had the cost of purchasing a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs. However, the following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs."

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"The solution's pricing lacks transparency."

"The prices are slightly expensive."

"The solution is not that expensive."

"My company has to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution. There are no hidden charges apart from the licensing costs of the solution."

"The pricing is somewhere in the middle. I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten."

"The pricing of the solution is cheap. The licensing cost is also very low. I rate the cost and pricing a three out of ten."

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform's pricing is good."

"The price tag is no longer $200,000, but rather $300,000 to $400,000. It's twice."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the pricing a ten."

"For what it is, the product is overpriced."

"I'm always going to say the price needs to be lower, but it's reasonable."

"Two subscription options are currently offered: monthly and yearly. My suggestion is to opt for the yearly subscription as it can give some discount. The pricing isn't high as other cloud solutions are pricier than Microsoft's offerings."

"The price of Mimecast Mailbox Continuity is expensive."

"Compared to the other solutions in the market, Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection's pricing is fine."

"The product price is moderate. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."

"The solution is expensive."

More Mimecast Email and Collaboration Threat Protection pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	13

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for iboss?

Previously when I used iboss, we did the POC for iboss for ExxonMobil. Four or five people wanted to move from our ol...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?

Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern. There are cheaper alte...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access has strong integration with Microsoft, among other platforms. However, when it comes to Kaspersky, ...

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What is your primary use case for Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access provides secure access to internal applications for employees, external members of the organization...

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What advice do you have for others considering Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access is one of the best integrations available. While about two hundred vendors offer similar services, ...

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What do you like most about Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection?

The interface of this solution is very easy to navigate and user-friendly. There is no delivery in email and other co...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection?

Do you know anything about the pricing and cost of the Mimecast Email Security?

See all answers

What needs improvement with Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection?

There is room for improvement since new threats are emerging. Considering the availability of new features would be w...

See all answers

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Compared 11% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One

February 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Mimecast Email and Collaboration Threat Protection

January 2026

Mimecast Email and Collaboration Threat Protection report

Download Mimecast Email and Collaboration Threat Protection product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

Cloudflare Area 1 Email Security, Cloudflare Bot Management, Cloudflare Gateway, Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform, Cloudflare DDoS, Cloudflare SASE & SSE Platform

Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection, Mimecast Web Security, Mimecast Mailbox Continuity, Mimecast Advanced Email Security

Overview

Iboss offers a comprehensive cloud-based security platform valued for its scalability and autonomous features, ensuring robust security with easy deployment and management capabilities.

Renowned for its robust security architecture, Iboss integrates seamlessly within diverse networks, delivering efficient granular filtering and advanced content categorization. Its single pane of glass console provides ease of management, allowing rapid scalability suitable for rapidly deploying environments. Operates in BYOD setups due to inline filtering without device installation. Integration with cloud-based applications enhances user control, and features like SASE, SSL inspection, and ChatGPT risk protection stand as highlights. Despite its strengths, users have pointed out areas for enhancement like direct navigation in reports, SSL decryption, and better cloud integration while having room to improve data loss prevention.

What are the most important features of Iboss?

Scalability: Supports rapid deployment across diverse networks.
SASE: A consolidated approach to secure access.
SSL Inspection: Ensures safe data transmission.
Granular Filtering: Detailed control over accessible content.
Single Pane Management: Unifies control through a centralized console.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing with robust features.
Autonomous Operation: Reduces management overhead.
Responsive Support: Provides assistance when needed.
Flexible Deployment: Available for both cloud and on-premises environments.

The usage of Iboss spans educational institutions, specifically K-12, to enforce internet policies, protect data, and support remote work environments. It provides web filtering and security frameworks to ensure safe browsing. Its platform-as-a-service model offers flexibility for both cloud-based and on-premises requirements, integrating seamlessly to deliver enhanced security features suitable for various deployment needs including zero trust, CASB, and network security for work-from-home setups.

iboss

Cloudflare One is a comprehensive platform for security, performance, and connectivity. It provides features like rate limiting, DDoS protection, and application access, tailored to enhance user experience while securing internet access and accelerating communications.

Designed to integrate security measures with ease of use and scalability, Cloudflare One offers a secure web gateway and zero trust network access. These features ensure seamless setup and operation, making connectivity reliable and protected. Users appreciate its integrated console, intuitive interface, and the ability to manage risk effectively. It offers straightforward deployment, improves latency, and boasts cost-effectiveness. While its onboarding process and documentation need enhancement, its value in content delivery and application shielding is notable. Despite challenges in integrating Cloudflare Access with existing VPNs and the need for better automation and support, it remains vital for DNS and infrastructure protection.

What features make Cloudflare One stand out?

Rate Limiting: Controls the traffic rate to prevent abuse.
DDoS Protection: Shields applications from distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Secure Web Gateway: Provides secure internet access with seamless operation.
Zero Trust Network Access: Ensures secure, application-based connectivity without relying on traditional VPNs.
Access for Connectivity: Facilitates access to internal applications securely.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Security: Robust measures for DNS and browsing protection.
Performance: Enhanced site accessibility and communication speed.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing for its features.
Ease of Deployment: Straightforward and efficient setup process.

In industries like finance, retail, and technology, Cloudflare One is crucial for enabling secure remote access and protecting web applications against dynamic threats. It supports compliance access policies and enhances content delivery, playing a key role in safeguarding digital infrastructure.

Cloudflare

Mimecast Advanced Email Security offers advanced features like sandboxing, email archiving, and phishing protection. It's known for integration with Microsoft 365 and user-friendly admin management, making it a robust choice for secure communications.

Focused on safeguarding emails, Mimecast Advanced Email Security integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, providing features such as sandboxing, spam filtering, and email archiving. It delivers comprehensive protection against phishing, identity threats, and impersonation attempts. Administrators benefit from the ability to monitor external communications and customize configurations, enhancing email security. Users appreciate the intuitive admin console and responsive support team. Although it faces challenges in threat detection rates and administration complexity, its capabilities in email monitoring, spam filtering, and URL inspection remain valued by enterprises seeking reliable email security that supports compliance needs.

What key features should users explore?

Sandboxing: Analyzes attachments in a secure environment to detect threats.
Email Archiving: Provides secure long-term storage of emails for compliance.
Spam Filtering: Prevents unsolicited emails from clogging the inbox.
URL Inspection: Checks links in emails for malicious content.
Phishing Protection: Guards against deceptive tactics to protect sensitive data.

What benefits can impact ROI?

Regulatory Compliance: Facilitates adherence to standards such as HIPAA.
Integration: Enhances existing systems with seamless Microsoft 365 integration.
Support: Offers a responsive support team to resolve issues promptly.
Email Security: Improves threat prevention with effective spam and phishing protections.

Mimecast Advanced Email Security is implemented across industries to protect against email threats like phishing, spam, and malicious attachments. It serves as both a gateway and an archiving tool, supporting compliance in healthcare and finance by offering features like URL protection and data loss prevention. Enterprises leverage its capabilities to secure inbound and outbound communications effectively.

Mimecast

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.

23andMe

Azizi Developments, Affinity Credit Union, Aftercare, Al Abbar Group

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January 2026

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