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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 (2nd), Digital Risk Protection (3rd), Office 365 Protection (3rd), 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 May 2025, in the Security Awareness Training category, the mindshare of Proofpoint Email Protection is 8.9%, down from 14.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Phish Threat is 4.7%, down from 5.3% 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."
"The most valuable features of Proofpoint Email Protection are ease of use, data loss prevention, antivirus, and spam protection."
"The solution offers very good flexibility. You can blacklist or whitelist with ease."
"The archive feature is valuable."
"The solution scales well."
"It's easy to use, even for those new to IT."
"The most valuable feature is the option to edit the inbound security."
"The initial implementation is pretty easy to handle."
"It is easy to use."
"The most valuable features of Sophos Phish Threat are internal web filtering and security."
"Sophos Phish Threat effectively identifies susceptible employees."
"It is very simple to install and you can do it by yourself."
"The scalability is very good."
"The installation is straightforward. You only need to upload the user's email address to the cloud and you can start using it."
"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."
"It is simple to push tests out to a group of users."
 

Cons

"Proofpoint has a lot of false alarms."
"Proofpoint Email Protection could improve by allowing more customization of the reports, such as exceptions and black-and-white lists."
"We'd like to have the ability to create more customized reports."
"In terms of improvement, the price could be better. Additionally, more security could be implemented."
"Proofpoint Email Protection's interface is confusing and could be improved."
"The high cost of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"It has too many screens. It is kind of a conglomeration of products. In other words, they built product A, product B, and product C, and they are yet to integrate them into a single administrative console. I would certainly like to see a more seamless administrative interface. I would also like to see them include more bang for the buck, by including features like email fraud protection, rather than making their product so piecemeal, where you are buying little pieces. I agree with the idea of having multiple tiers or layers, but maybe as small, medium, and large, as opposed to an a la carte menu."
"The flexibility of the solution can be improved."
"Sophos Phish Threat can improve by adding other languages, such as Mandarin or Cantonese to their online trainer video center, it would be helpful."
"Sophos should offer tests where we can emulate new attacks happening now."
"The solution could be much more secure."
"Integration with other products could be improved."
"The pricing of Sophos Phish threat can be improved."
"There is a need for improvement regarding false negatives dealing with Office 365."
"It would be great if the price was reduced."
"I would like to see more manager-level training that teaches what needs to be done after a phishing email attack is found."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Clients pay for an annual subscription of Proofpoint Email Protection. Every client always finds it expensive."
"The solution charges per user per month to use it. There are not any additional fees in addition to the standard living fees."
"The solution uses a licensing model that is reasonable compared to other products."
"In general, the pricing is competitive."
"The end customer is buying our solution, which can be for monthly or annual usage depending on our payment and business model."
"The tool's pricing depends on the customer's preference, offering options for an annual license or a monthly subscription. The cost varies based on factors such as the number of users and specific requirements. Overall, the pricing is competitive."
"Customers pay around $90,000 yearly for a 1,000-user organization, with the subscription license being the main expense, apart from implementation fees."
"Proofpoint is fairly expensive."
"There are monthly and annual subscriptions available to use Sophos Phish Threat. The price is reasonable."
"The pricing is very good, and some of my customers who have used other vendors say that Sophos is priced well within the market."
"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."
"Licensing fees are paid annually."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
25%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
No data available
 

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.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.