Comparison Guide

Avanan vs Proofpoint

Avanan (by Check Point) and Proofpoint represent two different approaches to email security. Proofpoint uses traditional gateway (MX record) filtering, while Avanan connects via API for inline scanning after Microsoft's native filters.

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Quick Answer

Proofpoint wins for most buyers.

API-based inline scanning catches threats traditional gateways miss.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Avanan Proofpoint
Architecture API-based inline scanning MX record gateway filtering
Deployment API connection, no MX change SEG gateway or Microsoft Graph API
M365 Integration Native API integration Gateway proxy
Internal Email Scanning Yes (API access) No (only inbound gateway)
Incident Response CIRT available (add-on) Separate add-on
BEC Detection AI-powered behavioral analysis Rule-based detection

Our Verdict

Avanan's API-based approach catches threats that bypass traditional gateways because it scans after Microsoft's native filters, catching sophisticated attacks that get through the first layer. For Microsoft 365 environments, Avanan provides superior protection.

Unio Digital recommends: API-based inline scanning catches threats traditional gateways miss

Quick Picks

Which one should you pick?

Three buyer profiles, three answers. Pick the row that fits.

Microsoft 365 SMB / mid-market

Pick: Avanan

20 to 500 mailboxes on M365, no dedicated email security admin. Avanan sits behind Microsoft's native filters via API, scans internal mail for account takeover, and deploys in minutes with no MX cutover.

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Large enterprise with a messaging team

Pick: Proofpoint

Thousands of mailboxes, complex mail routing, or hybrid Exchange, and you want pre-delivery gateway control plus Proofpoint's threat intelligence (80+ of the Fortune 100 run it). Worth the heavier deployment if you can staff it.

Talk to a strategist

In-house IT, licensing and rollout only

Pick: Either, licensed through Unio

Your team runs the console day to day. Unio handles licensing, initial policy tuning, and the API connection or MX cutover, then hands your admins the keys with documented runbooks.

Scope licensing and rollout

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Frequently Asked Questions

For M365 environments, Avanan's API-based approach provides better protection because it scans internal emails, catches threats that bypass native filters, and deploys without MX record changes. Proofpoint is a strong gateway solution but misses internal threats.

Yes, Avanan includes a Cloud Incident Response Team (CIRT) that provides hands-on investigation and remediation of email security incidents as part of the Advanced Protect tier.

Learn More About Email Security

Visit our comprehensive Email Security page for detailed information about our capabilities and approach.

Explore Email Security Services
Sources & 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.

  1. Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration (the Avanan platform) connects via API in minutes and publishes a 99.7% phishing prevention rate, a 99.9% malware prevention rate, and a 65,000+ customer base. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
  2. Check Point announced its acquisition of Avanan on August 30, 2021. Avanan's patented API-based solution stops email threats inline, before they arrive in the inbox, for both internal and external email. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
  3. Proofpoint claims its Core Email Protection blocks 99.999% of advanced email threats. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
  4. Proofpoint serves 80+ of the Fortune 100 and more than 10,000 large enterprises, analyzing more than 100 billion data points daily and 3.4 trillion emails per year. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
  5. The FBI's IC3 recorded $55.5 billion in exposed losses from business email compromise across 305,033 reported incidents between October 2013 and December 2023, with global exposed losses rising 9% from December 2022 to December 2023. [source] · verified 2026-07-01