Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection vs Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) comparison

Hornetsecurity and Microsoft are both solutions in the Email Security category. Hornetsecurity is ranked #21 with an average rating of 9.0, while Microsoft is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4. Hornetsecurity holds a 1.5% mindshare in Email Security, compared to Microsoft’s 6.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Hornetsecurity users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 3, 2024

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection are competing products in the email security category. While EOP is appreciated for pricing and customer support, Hornetsecurity is preferred for its comprehensive features.

Features: Microsoft EOP offers robust spam filtering, malware detection, and data loss prevention. Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection provides advanced threat protection, email encryption, and a suite tailored for Office 365, including compliance management.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft EOP could enhance its advanced threat protection options and expand compliance features. Some users note that better reporting capabilities would improve usability. Hornetsecurity could benefit from more flexible pricing options and enhanced integration with non-Office 365 platforms. Some suggest improving its administrative interface for ease of use.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft EOP integrates well within the Microsoft ecosystem with vast support resources, ensuring straightforward deployment. Hornetsecurity offers a user-friendly setup process for Office 365 and is recognized for personalized service and thorough onboarding.

Pricing and ROI: EOP provides competitive pricing with predictable costs, appealing to budget-conscious organizations looking for solid ROI. Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection, while more costly, offers a richer feature set, appealing to those investing in comprehensive security for higher long-term ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection vs. Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection vs. Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

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 May 2025, in the Email Security category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is 12.9%, down from 18.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is 1.5%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) is 6.7%, down from 9.1% 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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Asif Usmani

Regional Sales Manager at S2

A stable product that provides security and control over spam and phishing emails

I have a lot of control over spam and phishing emails. I can monitor and manage it from Hornetsecurity’s console. The live tracking system is valuable. We can track every incoming and outgoing email live. We can decide whether to block, release, or quarantine emails. We can also review the emails before releasing them. The product provides 99.9% coverage for email security.

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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 initial setup is straightforward. You just add the license, click it, and then you can set up the rules. It is quite simple."

"Since we have started using the solution, there have been fewer compromises."

"My experience deploying Microsoft Defender for Office 365 was seamless."

"It has significantly decreased my time to detection and response."

"It’s easy to handle integrations, and we don't need a lot of people in our IT team."

"My experience with customer support and technical support for Microsoft Defender for Office 365 has been excellent."

"The DLP feature of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is valuable, and we also use the DLP feature for email real-time detection."

"The most valuable feature is protection against malicious links, fishing, and impersonation. You can train people to be aware of these threats, but they're not always careful. When they're using their phones between meetings, they click on a link, and it's game over."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pros

"Backup and restore are precious features."

"I have a lot of control over spam and phishing emails."

"The best part is, I rarely have to access the portal as everything is set up and tweaked the way I wanted it. But the feature set is incredibly granular and allows for deep levels of customization."

"Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is an easy-to-use solution."

"With Microsoft Exchange Online Protection, if malware is attached to a mailer, it's very easy to go into the incident alert and find out what's happening with that identity and the mail."

"Microsoft Exchange Online Protection has features like DLP (data loss protection), Safe Attachment, and Safe Links."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is the accidental release of information protection capabilities. Additionally, the solution is easy to use."

"It has a really nice web-based administration console."

"The initial setup was easy. The configuration process is very straightforward."

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

"I like the product's ZAP feature."

"The solution's stability is very, very good. I didn't face any problems in the last year."

More Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) pros

Cons

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

"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."

"The changes to customer service, specifically the new model for support agreements, are not favorable."

"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 should be more proactive."

"The visibility into threats is not up to the mark, as I do not have control. I rate my experience with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 as six out of ten due to troubleshooting and pricing concerns."

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

"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."

"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."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 cons

"The pricing is a little high compared to other products."

"I guess I would say maybe quick access to training material for end-users. I know partners have access to this but I as an end-user do not have immediate access to new update information."

"A reduction of 10% in pricing can be an improvement."

"The solution’s pricing is not reasonable."

"I would like to get reports about vulnerable connections from our clients with information about domains, public IPs, etc. That would be highly useful."

"Some features, like encryption, are not available."

"When the product is being updated, it changes some of the setups. The support team is also not good."

"Our company faces difficulty with Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) because it's too big, clunky, and difficult for a small client to implement quickly and easily."

"The security features could be better."

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

"The management interface of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) could be intuitive."

"It wasn't easy or intuitive enough for me to start using it. So, the reason was that the solution changed."

More Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I was working in the government and it was too expensive for us to use our Microsoft products."

"The product is very expensive."

"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 solution could be better by simplifying the business model of their licensing. It was hard to figure out how to get the licensing done for the environment, initially."

"The pricing has become expensive."

"The product is expensive."

"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."

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

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is acceptable and falls into the medium range, neither cheap nor overly expensive."

"Regarding the price, it's comparable to other service providers. We've also looked at Check Point's offerings, and the pricing doesn't seem to be an issue."

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

"The tool's pricing is excellent."

"The product is bundled with Microsoft 365."

"The product is expensive."

"Microsoft Exchange Online Protection's pricing is a little bit more because its price has recently increased."

"It's a high price."

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

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

25%

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Retailer

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

Government

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...

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

Microsoft is quite affordable with a lot of features available for any size organization.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Office 365?

Microsoft could improve by offering recommendations for domain spoofing attacks, especially scenarios where DNS recor...

See all answers

What do you like most about Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection?

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is an easy-to-use solution.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection?

The pricing is acceptable and falls into the medium range, neither cheap nor overly expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection?

A reduction of 10% in pricing can be an improvement.

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Exchange Online Protection?

The initial setup was easy. The configuration process is very straightforward.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Exchange Online Protection?

I would like to improve the setting of rules in Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) as it is currently working...

See all answers

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

I am using Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) ( /products/microsoft-exchange-online-protection-eop-reviews ) ...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 7% of the time

Mimecast Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365

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Barracuda Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Compared 5% of the time

Trend Micro Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Compared 4% of the time

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Sophos Email vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 11% of the time

Mimecast Email Security vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiMail vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 4% of the time

IRONSCALES vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 3% of the time

Avanan vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 3% of the time

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Proofpoint Email Protection vs Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Secure Email vs Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

Compared 11% of the time

Fortinet FortiMail vs Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

Compared 10% of the time

Mimecast Email Security vs Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

Compared 7% of the time

Trend Micro ScanMail vs Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

Compared 2% of the time

More Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Office 365

May 2025

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 report

Download Microsoft Defender for Office 365 product report

Buyer's Guide

Office 365 Protection

May 2025

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection report

Download Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

May 2025

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) report

Download Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) product report

Also Known As

MS Defender for Office 365

No data available

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

365 Total Protection from Hornetsecurity offers comprehensive protection for Microsoft cloud services – specially developed for Microsoft 365 and seamlessly integrated to provide comprehensive protection for Microsoft cloud services. Easy to set up and extremely intuitive to use, 365 Total Protection simplifies your IT Security management from the very start.

With 365 Total Protection, we offer you two comprehensive packages for your Company Security Management in connection with Microsoft 365. Find the right security version to suit the individual needs of your company with our detailed overview. 365 Total Protection Business offers you a comprehensive security solution with a variety of features that ensure the protection of your email and complete data security for Microsoft 365.

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection fits any M365 plan. Secure your email communication now.

Hornetsecurity

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.

concordia, fraunhofer, mazars

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection vs. Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

April 2025

Free Report: Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection vs. Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)

Find out what your peers are saying about Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection vs. Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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