Comparison Guide
Avanan vs Mimecast
Avanan and Mimecast both protect business email, but use fundamentally different architectures. Mimecast is a traditional Secure Email Gateway, while Avanan uses API-based inline scanning for deeper M365 integration.
Quick Answer
Mimecast wins for most buyers.
More effective for M365 with API-based inline scanning.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Avanan | Mimecast |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | API-based inline scanning | Secure Email Gateway (SEG) |
| MX Record Change | Not required | Required |
| Internal Email Scanning | Yes | No (inbound only) |
| Email Archiving | Via M365 retention | Built-in archiving |
| Email Continuity | Via M365 redundancy | Built-in continuity |
| Incident Response | CIRT available (add-on) | Not included |
Our Verdict
Avanan provides better protection for Microsoft 365 environments through API integration that catches internal threats and BEC attacks that traditional gateways miss. Mimecast remains a solid choice for organizations needing email archiving and continuity features.
Quick Picks
Which one should you pick?
Three buyer profiles, three answers. Pick the row that fits.
Microsoft 365 SMB / mid-market
Pick: Avanan
Your mail lives in M365 and you want API-based inline scanning that also inspects internal email and catches BEC, deployed in minutes with no MX cutover or mail flow risk.
Get an Avanan quoteArchiving and continuity requirements
Pick: Mimecast
You need built-in email archiving for e-discovery or compliance, plus continuity that keeps mail flowing if Exchange Online goes down. A gateway vendor operating since 2003 with 42,000+ organizations fits that brief.
Talk to a strategistIn-house IT, licensing and setup only
Pick: Either platform
Unio can license either tool, handle the API or MX onboarding, and tune policies, then hand day-to-day triage to your internal team. You keep the console, we do the rollout.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Visit our comprehensive Email Security page for detailed information about our capabilities and approach.
Explore Email Security ServicesSources & Methodology
Specifications, pricing, and product capabilities cited on this page are sourced from public vendor documentation as of the dates shown below. Vendor product lines change quickly; verify current specs and pricing directly with each vendor before purchasing.
- Check Point Harmony Email and Collaboration advertises 99.7% phishing prevention and 99.9% malware prevention across 65,000+ customers, with API connection in minutes. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Avanan was acquired by Check Point Software in 2021 and ranked 125th on the 2021 Deloitte Technology Fast 500, up from 171st in 2020, as one of the fastest-growing email security companies in North America. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Check Point's Harmony Email and Collaboration admin guide documents threat detection policies for internal emails: internal traffic is inspected in Detect and Remediate mode by default, with an optional Protect (Inline) mode that scans internal mail before delivery. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Mimecast's flagship email security deployment is an MX-based secure gateway where all incoming mail routes through Mimecast first, intercepting threats inline before delivery. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Mimecast protects and supports 42,000+ organizations globally and has operated in email security since 2003. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- The FBI IC3 recorded 305,033 domestic and international business email compromise incidents totaling $55.5 billion in exposed losses between October 2013 and December 2023, with a 9% increase in identified global exposed losses from December 2022 to December 2023. [source] · verified 2026-07-01