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Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs Sophos Email comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
5.9
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection effectively enhances email security, productivity, and cost-efficiency compared to rivals like AppRiver and Trend.
Sentiment score
6.4
Sophos Email boosts ROI by improving efficiency, cutting costs, reducing spam, and enhancing security, proving its investment value.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection support receives mixed reviews, with response times varying based on issue complexity and service level.
Sentiment score
6.9
Sophos Email support has mixed reviews, with users noting variability in response times and real-time availability issues.
If I had to rate the support I received on a scale of ten, I would give it a ten because he went way beyond what was expected for me.
Business Process Manager/ Educational Technologist at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Microsoft offers excellent 24/7 support.
System Administrator at Shubham housing finance
My team is able to get the help they need when necessary.
General Manager at Ambient iT
After-sales support for Sophos is very good.
Founder at Computech infosysetm
The technical support from Sophos Email deserves a rating of 10 out of 10.
Technical Head at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
When I reported a problem with our firewall, they acted promptly and delivered another piece of equipment.
Network and Infrastructure Manager at Sonysugar
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection efficiently scales from small businesses to large enterprises, offering seamless cloud migration and regular updates.
Sentiment score
7.5
Sophos Email is scalable for businesses, but some users mention licensing costs and reporting complexities as limitations.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is reliable and stable, with rare security incidents, benefiting from good maintenance and occasional third-party support.
Sentiment score
7.9
Sophos Email is praised for its stability, reliability, and performance in data management, essential for email management.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection needs improved flexibility, security, user experience, intuitive interface, pricing, support, and integration with other platforms.
Sophos Email struggles with support, security, and usability, needing improvements in setup, features, pricing, and system integration.
The user interface of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) has room for improvement.
Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
From an end-user point of view, I am quite happy with Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) because my favorite feature is the ease with which I can identify if an email is a phishing email or spam email.
Business Process Manager/ Educational Technologist at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Improving the search process by allowing searches with different types of parameters and facilitating searches within emails would be advantageous.
General Manager at Ambient iT
The main competitor for Sophos in the market is Palo Alto, which has reduced their price by more than 35 to 40%, making it a very challenging part to sell this product.
Founder at Computech infosysetm
Sophos Email does not work with split delivery.
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection pricing is seen as generally high, but justified by security features and Microsoft's reputation.
Sophos Email offers flexible, affordable pricing with various subscription options, competitive market ratings, and justified protection costs.
The pricing is reasonable.
General Manager at Ambient iT
I find the price of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) to be fairly reasonable, and I have no problems with it.
Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Microsoft Exchange is more expensive compared to other services like Gmail.
System Administrator at Shubham housing finance
Sophos Email pricing is a bit high, especially since I purchase through a partner, and they sell it at a higher price since they also seek to make a profit.
Network and Infrastructure Manager at Sonysugar
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection offers robust security features including anti-spam, anti-phishing, malware protection, scalability, and seamless Windows integration.
Sophos Email provides robust security, seamless integration with cloud platforms, and simplifies management with advanced threat protection features.
We've benefited from the anti-phishing features of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP), as it has been quite accurate and has eliminated most of our phishing emails, making it really impressive.
Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The security features provided by Microsoft are robust.
General Manager at Ambient iT
Another feature I appreciate is the ability to question things, as our Exchange server allows us to identify in real-time if an email is a phishing email or spam email.
Business Process Manager/ Educational Technologist at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
It provides a defense layer for email protection, scanning every incoming and outbound email for malware and spam.
Operations Technical Lead at IT Supporters
Sophos already has Sandbox, and if any issues are identified, Sophos blocks that particular mail and site instantly, which is why customers are very happy and safe from other attacks.
Founder at Computech infosysetm
The spam reduction feature in Sophos Email provides comfort when using it.
Network and Infrastructure Manager at Sonysugar
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Exchange Online P...
Ranking in Email Security
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
Anti-Malware Tools (12th)
Sophos Email
Ranking in Email Security
10th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
Office 365 Protection (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Email Security category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) is 4.4%, down from 7.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Email is 2.0%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Security Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)4.4%
Sophos Email2.0%
Other93.6%
Email Security
 

Featured Reviews

NancyHartman - PeerSpot reviewer
Business Process Manager/ Educational Technologist at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Layered email security has protected sensitive research and still flags phishing in real time
The valuable features of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) include providing an additional layer of protection, as it builds on the basic Exchange level of security that allows us to get our work done. Another feature I appreciate is the ability to question things, as our Exchange server allows us to identify in real-time if an email is a phishing email or spam email. It really helps us identify risks, especially through our external exchanges via email or through our cloud-based platforms. Our Exchange system blocks any embedded AI from all our applications and products, so we cannot use embedded AI in our daily work from our official laptops because we have secure information. The system is quite locked down.
Kalyan  Chowdhury - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder at Computech infosysetm
Stronger email and mobile security has protected users from ransomware and simplified management
Price is obviously a challenging part, and I think it is the biggest problem we have suffered from over the last two or three years due to a 7 to 8% hike per year, twice a year, which is why we have some renewals on Sophos Email, Sophos XDR, EDR, and the firewall, but due to price hike, they are unable to renew it. The price is going to be very high. It would be better if Sophos can provide a more flexible pricing model for different types of businesses. Price could be lower. The main competitor for Sophos in the market is Palo Alto, which has reduced their price by more than 35 to 40%, making it a very challenging part to sell this product. Palo Alto provides the same functionality for email security, which adds to the challenge because the price is going very high.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business24
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business26
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

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?
The user interface of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) has room for improvement, as at times it doesn't make sense where to go to access certain features.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Exchange Online Protection?
My use case for Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) is basically to protect ourselves from phishing emails and to improve our email security.
What do you like most about Sophos Email?
The solution's identity proxy feature is very good and reliable.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos Email?
Regarding Sophos Email pricing, I would rate it between six or seven out of ten.
What needs improvement with Sophos Email?
Price is obviously a challenging part, and I think it is the biggest problem we have suffered from over the last two or three years due to a 7 to 8% hike per year, twice a year, which is why we hav...
 

Also Known As

Microsoft EOP, MS Exchange Online Protection
Sophos Email Security
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Del Monte Foods, Terra Verde, spicerhaart, RIVERLITE, Dataprise, SureBridge, Reed's School, Sayfol International School
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs. Sophos Email and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.