# Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Mimecast Advanced Email Security Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that Mimecast Advanced Email Security excels in its **protection against phishing and malware** , with users highlighting its **AI-powered, multi-layer detection** capabilities. This makes it a strong choice for organizations looking for robust security measures.
- **Users say** that Microsoft Defender for Office 365 benefits from its **seamless integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem** , which is particularly advantageous for businesses managing multiple client tenants. This integration reduces the need for additional tools and infrastructure.
- **Reviewers mention** that Mimecast's interface is **intuitive and user-friendly** , making daily monitoring and policy updates straightforward. This ease of management is a significant plus for teams that prioritize operational efficiency.
- **According to verified reviews** , Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is praised for its **real-time alerts and comprehensive threat reports** , which help users stay informed about potential threats and enhance their overall security posture.
- **G2 reviewers highlight** that while Mimecast Advanced Email Security offers excellent spam and virus defense, some users find it challenging to configure for specific workflows, which can lead to a steeper learning curve for new users.
- **Users appreciate** that Microsoft Defender for Office 365 acts as a **"high-tech bouncer"** for digital workspaces, providing advanced threat protection that goes beyond basic email filtering, thus ensuring a higher level of security for users.



| | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 298 | 320 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Mid-Market (37.9% of reviews) | Mid-Market (68.4% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | $2.00 1 User Per Month | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Pros:
- Ease of Use (9 reviews)
- Security (8 reviews)

Cons:
- Complexity (8 reviews)
- False Positives (6 reviews)

### Mimecast Advanced Email Security

Pros:
- Email Security (40 reviews)
- Ease of Use (36 reviews)

Cons:
- Complexity (17 reviews)
- Email Filtering Issues (16 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.0 (231 reviews) | 9.0 (252 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.9 (234 reviews) | 8.0 (258 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.7 (117 reviews) | 8.0 (206 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.9 (100 reviews) | 7.9 (206 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.7 (225 reviews) | 8.3 (245 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.8 (101 reviews) | 8.7 (205 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.4 (222 reviews) | 8.9 (246 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Microsoft Defender for Office 365

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Microsoft Defender for Office Plan 1

Price: $2.00 1 User Per Month

Description: Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 offers protection against advanced attacks across email and collaboration tools in Office 365.

Key Features:
- Protection against advanced attacks, such as phishing, malware, spam, and business email compromise
- Protection beyond email (Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Office apps)
- Internal email protection

[Browse all 2 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-microsoft-defender-for-office-365/pricing)

#### Free Trial

No

### Mimecast Advanced Email Security

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Cloud Email Security

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | 8.8/10 | 163 |
| **Mimecast Advanced Email Security** | 8.5/10 | 139 |

#### Administration

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Intelligence Reporting** | 8.8 (148 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.0 (117 reviews) | 
| **Email Integration Suppor** | 9.0 (147 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (121 reviews) | 
| **Access Management** | 8.8 (141 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.2 (117 reviews) | 
| **Data Loss Prevention** | 8.5 (140 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.2 (101 reviews) | 

#### Maintenance

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Auditing** | 8.7 (139 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.1 (116 reviews) | 
| **Allow and block lists** | 8.8 (146 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.9 (122 reviews) | 
| **Compliance** | 8.8 (143 reviews) | 8.5 (108 reviews) | 
| **Archiving** | 8.6 (136 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (115 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Anti-Malware/Anti-Spam** | 9.0 (151 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.0 (134 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | 8.9 (142 reviews) | 8.2 (110 reviews) | 
| **Quarantine** | 8.8 (146 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.0 (129 reviews) | 
| **Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)** | 9.0 (145 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (124 reviews) | 
| **Anti-Phishing** | 9.0 (149 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (127 reviews) | 
| **Account takeover prevention** | 8.7 (139 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.7 (88 reviews) | 

### Intelligent Email Protection

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | 8.9/10 | 5 |
| **Mimecast Advanced Email Security** | 8.7/10 | 138 |

#### Administration

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Compliance** | Not enough data | 8.5 (112 reviews) | 
| **Intelligence Reporting** | Not enough data | 8.6 (124 reviews) | 
| **Email Clients** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | 9.1 (127 reviews) | 
| **Role-Based Rules** | Not enough data | 8.9 (127 reviews) | 

#### Detection

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Data Exfiltration Detection** | Not enough data | 8.3 (115 reviews) | 
| **Activity Monitoring** | Not enough data | 8.5 (119 reviews) | 
| **Real-Time Detection** | 8.7 (5 reviews) | 8.9 (126 reviews) | 

#### Protection

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Targeted Attack Prevention** | Not enough data | 9.0 (125 reviews) | 
| **Policy Enforcement** | Not enough data | 9.0 (130 reviews) | 
| **Spam Filtering** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | 9.1 (133 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Intelligent Email Protection

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | 7.9 (8 reviews) | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | 8.1 (8 reviews) | 

### Secure Email Gateway

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | N/A | N/A |
| **Mimecast Advanced Email Security** | 8.9/10 | 135 |

#### Functionality

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Anti-Spam** | Not enough data | 9.1 (133 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Anti-Malware** | Not enough data | 9.2 (133 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Anti-Phishing** | Not enough data | 8.8 (133 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Filtering Functionality** | Not enough data | 9.0 (131 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Quarantine** | Not enough data | 9.0 (131 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Outbound Email Monitoring** | Not enough data | 9.1 (126 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Advanced Threat Intelligence/Protection** | Not enough data | 9.0 (129 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Archiving** | Not enough data | 8.8 (123 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Reporting** | Not enough data | 8.5 (130 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **On-prem deployment** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | 

#### Agentic AI - Secure Email Gateway

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Email Anti-spam

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | 7.8/10 | 14 |
| **Mimecast Advanced Email Security** | N/A | N/A |

#### Agentic AI - Email Anti-spam Features

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | 8.1 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | 7.4 (11 reviews) | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (2):** [Cloud Email Security Solutions](https://www.g2.com/categories/cloud-email-security), [Intelligent Email Protection Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/intelligent-email-protection)

**Unique to Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (1):** [Email Anti-spam Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/email-anti-spam)

**Unique to Mimecast Advanced Email Security (2):** [Secure Email Gateway Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/secure-email-gateway), [Browser Isolation Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/browser-isolation)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Mimecast Advanced Email Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 25.5% | 15.7% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 37.9% | 68.4% | 
| **Enterprise** | 36.5% | 16.0% | 

### By Industry

#### Microsoft Defender for Office 365

- **Information Technology and Services:** 26.1%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 12.5%
- **Computer Software:** 12.5%
- **Financial Services:** 5.4%
- **Accounting:** 2.9%
- **Consulting:** 2.9%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.5%
- **Education Management:** 2.5%
- **Oil & Energy:** 2.5%
- **Higher Education:** 1.8%
- **Other:** 28.6%

#### Mimecast Advanced Email Security

- **Legal Services:** 9.3%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 8.0%
- **Financial Services:** 6.4%
- **Construction:** 4.5%
- **Computer Software:** 4.2%
- **Insurance:** 3.5%
- **Law Practice:** 3.5%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 3.2%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 3.2%
- **Non-Profit Organization Management:** 2.6%
- **Other:** 51.6%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Microsoft Defender for Office 365

- [Proofpoint Core Email Protection](https://www.g2.com/products/proofpoint-core-email-protection/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (601 reviews)
- [SpamTitan Email Security](https://www.g2.com/products/spamtitan-email-security/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (199 reviews)
- [Symantec Email Security.Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/symantec-email-security-cloud/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (66 reviews)
- [IRONSCALES](https://www.g2.com/products/ironscales/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (65 reviews)
- [Barracuda Email Gateway Defense](https://www.g2.com/products/barracuda-email-gateway-defense/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (39 reviews)
- [Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-email-threat-defense/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (28 reviews)
- [Proofpoint Essentials for Small Business](https://www.g2.com/products/proofpoint-essentials-for-small-business/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (24 reviews)
- [Vade](https://www.g2.com/products/vade/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (180 reviews)
- [Cloudflare One (SASE)](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudflare-one-sase/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (105 reviews)
- [Hornetsecurity Spam and Malware Protection](https://www.g2.com/products/hornetsecurity-spam-and-malware-protection/reviews) — 4.9/5 stars (11 reviews)

### Alternatives to Mimecast Advanced Email Security

- [Proofpoint Core Email Protection](https://www.g2.com/products/proofpoint-core-email-protection/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (601 reviews)
- [SpamTitan Email Security](https://www.g2.com/products/spamtitan-email-security/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (199 reviews)
- [Cloudflare One (SASE)](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudflare-one-sase/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (105 reviews)
- [Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-email-threat-defense/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (28 reviews)
- [KnowBe4 Cloud Email Security (Formerly Egress)](https://www.g2.com/products/knowbe4-cloud-email-security-formerly-egress/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (74 reviews)
- [Abnormal AI](https://www.g2.com/products/abnormal-ai/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (78 reviews)
- [Barracuda Email Gateway Defense](https://www.g2.com/products/barracuda-email-gateway-defense/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (39 reviews)
- [FortiMail](https://www.g2.com/products/fortimail/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (24 reviews)
- [N-able Mail Assure](https://www.g2.com/products/n-able-mail-assure/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (68 reviews)
- [IRONSCALES](https://www.g2.com/products/ironscales/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (65 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Microsoft Defender for Office 365

- Title: [What are the security features of Microsoft 365?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/microsoft-defender-for-office-365-what-are-the-security-features-of-microsoft-365) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Multi Factor authentication. data encryption, threat protection, data protection, identity and access management are major features of MS Office 365,"
- Title: [Does Microsoft 365 include Microsoft Defender?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/does-microsoft-365-include-microsoft-defender) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Yes"

### Mimecast Advanced Email Security

- Title: [Has anyone implemented ingesting the Audit logs from Mimecast into Graylog?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/has-anyone-implemented-ingesting-the-audit-logs-from-mimecast-into-graylog) — 3 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "I have not, I just use the built in alerts and mxtoolbox for mail flow."
- Title: [What is Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-mimecast-email-security-with-targeted-threat-protection-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Mimecast Email Security with Targeted Threat Protection is used to defend against phishing, malware, ransomware, and impersonation attacks.... It provides..."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/microsoft-microsoft-defender-for-office-365-vs-mimecast-advanced-email-security)