DMARC-SRG vs.
ELK DMARC in 2026
DMARC-SRG
0.0/5
ELK DMARC
0.0/5
vs.
We tested DMARC-SRG and ELK DMARC for 90 days across a corporate domain, a marketing subdomain, and a parked domain, with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailchimp, and a support desk sender connected. DMARC-SRG felt lighter and faster for basic aggregate report review, while ELK DMARC gave us more raw-query control once the stack was running. Neither product behaved like a managed enforcement platform, so the right choice depends on whether you prefer a small self-hosted DMARC viewer or an Elasticsearch-backed reporting environment.
Rhea Robinson
Senior Solutions Engineer
Published 6 Nov 2025
Updated 12 Jun 2026
8 min read
Summarize with
DMARC-SRG
Self-hosted DMARC report viewer
Starts at
Free, self-hosted
Best fit
Technical teams that want a small PHP and MySQL DMARC reporting tool
In one line
DMARC-SRG parsed our aggregate reports quickly and made domain-by-domain review simple, but policy planning and source ownership stayed mostly manual.
ELK DMARC
Self-hosted DMARC analytics on ELK
Starts at
Free, self-hosted
Best fit
Operators already comfortable running Elasticsearch and Kibana
In one line
ELK DMARC gave us flexible drilldowns for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, and Mailchimp, but setup and ongoing care required ELK skills.
Suped
The third option. Hosted SPF, DMARC, and MTA-STS on every plan. Published pricing. Monthly plans. No long contract required.
Learn more
Pick DMARC-SRG for a lean viewer, ELK DMARC for raw data control
Pick DMARC-SRG if
Best for small technical teams that want basic DMARC aggregate review without SaaS pricing
We had the corporate domain and parked domain visible quickly after mailbox ingestion was configured.
The matching-domain SPF and matching-domain DKIM cases were easy to confirm in the parsed report view.
The unauthorized spoof sample was visible, but assigning an owner and remediation step took manual notes.
Free plan available
Pick ELK DMARC if
Best for infrastructure teams that want DMARC data inside an Elasticsearch and Kibana workflow
We could slice SendGrid, Mailchimp, and Google Workspace traffic once reports were indexed.
The unknown sender was easier to investigate through raw fields than through a fixed summary screen.
The forwarded mail SPF failure took longer to explain because the useful context lived across Kibana filters.
Free plan available
Consider Suped if
Third option when guided fixes, hosted records, and simpler ownership matter
Use guided fixes when the team needs source-specific next steps instead of parser output alone.
Prioritize automated issue detection when unknown senders, spoof samples, and failing forwarders need review queues.
Published starter pricing helps buyers compare cost before committing administrator time to self-hosting.
Free plan available
The differences that actually change your week
DMARC-SRG
ELK DMARC
Suped
DMARC report analysis
Both products parse aggregate reports, but neither gives a fully guided enforcement workflow.
Reporting only
Reporting only
Supported
Source detection
We tested Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailchimp, a support desk sender, and one unknown sender.
Manual workflow
Manual workflow
Supported
Forward detection
The forwarded SPF failure was visible, but explanation quality varied.
Partial
Partial
Supported
Spoof detection
The unauthorized spoof sample appeared as unauthenticated traffic.
Manual review
Manual review
Supported
Notifications and alerts
Actionable alerting was not built into either self-hosted workflow during our test.
Not tested
Custom ELK work
Supported
Reporting
Both products can show aggregate reporting patterns across multiple domains.
Basic summaries
Kibana dashboards
Supported
API
We did not find a dedicated product API for either tool.
Not found
Elasticsearch API
Supported
Multi-tenancy
Client and account separation matters for MSP handoff.
Manual separation
Custom ELK work
Supported
SPF flattening
Neither open-source product provided managed SPF flattening in our test.
Not supported
Not supported
Supported
Hosted DMARC
Hosted DNS record management was outside both products.
Not supported
Not supported
Supported
Hosted SPF
Neither product hosted SPF records for our test domains.
Not supported
Not supported
Supported
Hosted MTA-STS
MTA-STS hosting and TLS reporting workflows were not included.
Not supported
Not supported
Supported
Blocklists and reputation
Blocklist and blacklist monitoring did not appear as a built-in capability in either product.
Not supported
Not supported
Supported
Automatic issue detection
Both products exposed data, but did not automatically prioritize fixes.
Manual workflow
Manual workflow
Supported
AI copilot
We did not find an AI assistant for explaining failures or suggesting policy movement.
Not supported
Not supported
Supported
DNS monitoring
DNS drift monitoring was not part of either tested workflow.
Not supported
Not supported
Supported
Self hostable
Both reviewed products are self-hosted open-source projects.
Supported
Supported
Not self-hosted
Free trial/free tier
Both reviewed products have a $0 software cost. Suped has a free plan with a trial period.
Free self-hosted
Free self-hosted
Supported
Ten dimensions, scored from 0 to 10
Each product was scored against a fixed editorial rubric covering enforcement readiness, support, source resolution, onboarding, MSP workflows, alerting, hosted records, blocklist and blacklist monitoring, pricing clarity, and time to enforcement. Higher is better in every row, and a dead 0.0 means we did not find support for that capability during the test.
DMARC-SRG is simpler to run for basic review, while ELK DMARC scores higher where raw investigation matters
DMARC-SRG scored well on setup speed because the PHP and database workflow was direct for our three domains, but it lost points where we needed alerts, owner routing, and guided policy movement. ELK DMARC scored higher on source investigation because Kibana made it easier to pivot across Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, and Mailchimp records, but it took longer to harden and explain to non-ELK users. Both products scored 0.0 for hosted SPF, hosted MTA-STS, and blocklist or blacklist monitoring because those capabilities were not present in the tested product workflows.
DMARC-SRG score
30.5/100
ELK DMARC score
35/100
DMARC-SRG
30.5/100
DMARC enforcement
4.0
Customer support
2.0
Source resolution
5.0
Setup and onboarding
6.5
MSP workflows
2.0
Alerting and integrations
0.0
Hosted SPF and MTA-STS
0.0
Blocklist monitoring
0.0
Pricing transparency
7.0
Time to enforcement
4.0
ELK DMARC
35/100
DMARC enforcement
4.5
Customer support
2.0
Source resolution
6.5
Setup and onboarding
4.0
MSP workflows
3.5
Alerting and integrations
4.0
Hosted SPF and MTA-STS
0.0
Blocklist monitoring
0.0
Pricing transparency
6.0
Time to enforcement
4.5
Feature set
Parser vs analytics stack
DMARC-SRG wins on compact DMARC review. ELK DMARC wins on investigative flexibility.
DMARC-SRG gave us enough detail to confirm matching-domain SPF, matching-domain DKIM, and the unauthorized spoof sample without much interface overhead. ELK DMARC was stronger when we needed to pivot through raw fields for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailchimp, and the unknown sender. For buyers comparing either route, guided fixes and automated issue detection should be explicit criteria because both products still left remediation decisions to the operator.
DMARC-SRG
0/5
Fast SPF pass checks
Clear domain filtering
Manual unknown sender triage
ELK DMARC
0/5
Flexible Kibana drilldowns
Raw sender investigation
Custom alert rules needed
DMARC-SRG focused on the core job: ingest aggregate reports, store them in MySQL or MariaDB, and show parsed authentication results by domain, month, and reporter. In our setup, it handled Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace cleanly, made SendGrid and Mailchimp visible as separate sending patterns, and exposed the SPF pass with visible from mismatch. The weak point was classification: the unknown sender was visible in the data, but we had to decide whether it was a legitimate service, a forwarder pattern, or a source to block.
ELK DMARC gave us a wider investigation surface because the data landed in Elasticsearch and Kibana. We built filters for the primary domain, marketing subdomain, and parked domain, then used those filters to compare Google Workspace DKIM domain matching, SendGrid SPF domain matching, and the DKIM pass on a subdomain. The tradeoff was that feature depth depended on ELK fluency: source naming, alert logic, retained dashboards, and handoff views needed custom work rather than product-guided setup.
User experience
Simple viewer vs operator console
DMARC-SRG is easier to read. ELK DMARC is easier to interrogate.
DMARC-SRG had less setup friction once the mailbox and database were connected, and non-specialists could read the summary pages with less coaching. ELK DMARC took more time to deploy, secure, and tune, but it paid off when we needed raw drilldowns for the unknown sender and the forwarded mail SPF failure. Neither product gave us a clean, guided explanation for policy movement.
DMARC-SRG
0/5
Quick three-domain setup
Readable summary pages
Manual forwarding explanation
ELK DMARC
0/5
Powerful raw filtering
Slower domain onboarding
ELK knowledge required
DMARC-SRG was the quicker product to orient around during onboarding. We added the primary corporate domain, marketing subdomain, and parked domain, then reviewed reports by domain and reporting organization without building a dashboard first. The unknown sender still required manual classification, and the forwarded mail SPF failure was visible as an authentication result rather than explained as a forwarding scenario with next steps.
ELK DMARC felt more like a reporting environment than a DMARC product workflow. Onboarding the three domains required Docker, parser setup, Kibana access, dashboard loading, retention decisions, and access control thinking. Once running, it was better for finding the unknown sender by querying identifiers across reports, but explaining the forwarded SPF failure to a marketing stakeholder required screenshots, filters, and a written note.
Support
Community help vs self-service operations
Both products assume technical ownership, but ELK DMARC asks for more operational maturity.
DMARC-SRG had the easier support burden because the moving parts were smaller, but we still had to own DNS handoff, parser operation, and escalation notes. ELK DMARC needed more infrastructure judgment around Docker, Kibana access, Elasticsearch storage, and dashboard maintenance. Neither path provided managed onboarding or a commercial escalation route in the materials we reviewed.
DMARC-SRG
0/5
Smaller support surface
DNS handoff still manual
No managed escalation
ELK DMARC
0/5
Infrastructure support required
Kibana hardening needed
Operator-built escalation notes
For DMARC-SRG, support felt like project documentation and community-style troubleshooting. During setup, the practical handoff was clear enough for a technical administrator: create the reporting mailbox, deploy the PHP application, connect the database, and add DNS rua records. Enterprise onboarding gaps appeared when we tried to create escalation notes for the unauthorized spoof sample and produce a clean owner handoff for the support desk sender.
For ELK DMARC, support expectations were closer to running an internal observability stack. DNS handoff was only one part of the work; we also had to decide how to secure Kibana, schedule ingestion, manage index growth, back up data, and explain failures to people who did not use ELK. Escalation was possible because the raw data was there, but the escalation package had to be built by the operator.
Suitability
Lean setup vs managed operations gap
DMARC-SRG fits small technical teams. ELK DMARC fits teams that already operate ELK.
DMARC-SRG is the cleaner fit when one internal administrator needs a low-cost report viewer for a few domains. ELK DMARC is the better fit when an infrastructure team wants query depth and can maintain the stack. MSP workflows and alert quality should be tested before purchase or deployment because both products needed custom handoff notes, account separation, and recurring reporting work in our setup.
DMARC-SRG
0/5
Good single-team fit
Weak client separation
Manual recurring reports
ELK DMARC
0/5
Best for ELK teams
Custom MSP dashboards
Strong raw evidence
DMARC-SRG fit the SMB-style part of our test best: one corporate domain, one marketing subdomain, and a parked domain with limited sender sprawl. Account separation was basic, domain grouping was enough for internal review, and recurring reporting was usable for simple status checks. It was not a strong MSP fit because client grouping, role separation, and reusable handoff notes had to be handled outside the product.
ELK DMARC fit an operator-led enterprise or technical MSP better, provided that the team already had ELK patterns for access control and reporting. We could create dashboards for each domain group and build recurring report exports, but those workflows were custom rather than native. For client handoff, the data was rich, but the explanation layer for unknown senders, forwarded mail, and policy movement still needed manual writing.
What each tool feels like after 90 days of real use
DMARC-SRG
A practical DMARC report viewer for technical owners
After 90 days, DMARC-SRG felt like a small, useful workbench for aggregate reports. The primary corporate domain and parked domain were easy to review once ingestion was working, and the matching-domain SPF pass, matching-domain DKIM pass, and unauthorized spoof sample were straightforward to spot in the parsed records.
The product felt weaker when the workflow moved beyond reading reports. We tracked the Mailchimp subdomain DKIM pass, the SendGrid visible from mismatch, and the forwarded SPF failure, but each case needed separate notes to explain ownership, likely impact, and the next DNS or vendor change.
Where it wins
Low software cost
Simple domain filtering
Readable authentication results
Light infrastructure footprint
Where it lags
No guided policy movement
No built-in alert routing
Manual sender ownership
Limited MSP handoff
Pricing
$0 software
Free tier
Free self-hosted
Onboarding
Moderate
G2 rating
0 / 5
ELK DMARC
A flexible DMARC data store for teams already using ELK
After 90 days, ELK DMARC felt strongest when we treated DMARC data like log data. Kibana filters made it easier to compare Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailchimp, and the support desk sender across the three domains, especially when we needed evidence for the unknown sender.
The cost was operational complexity. We had to think about Docker, Elasticsearch memory, dashboard upkeep, access control, storage retention, and how to make results readable for non-technical stakeholders before recommending quarantine or reject.
Where it wins
Flexible raw data queries
Strong dashboard customization
Useful cross-domain filtering
Works with ELK operations
Where it lags
Heavy setup requirements
Custom alerts required
No hosted DNS workflows
Manual stakeholder reporting
Pricing
$0 software
Free tier
Free self-hosted
Onboarding
Heavy
G2 rating
0 / 5
Pricing
DMARC-SRG
ELK DMARC
Suped
Small
1 domain, up to 1k emails / month.
$0
Free self-hosted software, with hosting, storage, backups, and administrator time paid separately.
$0
Free self-hosted software, with an 8GB host and ELK maintenance costs paid separately.
$0 / month
Free plan covers 1 domain and 1,000 monthly emails.
Medium
2 domains, up to 100k emails / month.
$0
No published domain or volume cap, but capacity depends on the server, database, and retention settings.
$0
No published product cap, but disk, Elasticsearch sizing, and backup planning become real costs.
Entry plan covers 2 domains and 100,000 monthly emails, with 90 days retention.
Large
10 domains, up to 1 million emails / month.
$0
Software remains free, with higher operational load for ingestion, cleanup, database performance, and monitoring.
$0
Software remains free, with production Elasticsearch sizing and retention management driving cost.
10 domains and 1,000,000 monthly emails, with 365 days retention.
Enterprise
Over 20 domains and 1 million emails / month.
Not publicly listed as of May 15, 2026
No paid enterprise tier or managed support price was publicly listed as of May 15, 2026.
Not publicly listed as of May 15, 2026
No paid enterprise tier or managed support price was publicly listed as of May 15, 2026.
20 domains and 2,500,000 monthly emails, with 365 days retention. Unlimited domains/emails negotiable.
DMARC-SRG and ELK DMARC prices are public $0 software license costs, not estimates. Infrastructure, storage, backup, monitoring, and administrator costs are estimated operating costs and vary by deployment. Pricing was checked as of May 15, 2026.
If you cannot decide between the two, maybe the answer is Suped
Suped
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Guided source fixes
DMARC-SRG exposed the unauthorized spoof sample and unknown sender, but did not turn them into owner-ready remediation tasks. Suped's product is built to connect source identification with practical next steps.
Operational alerts
ELK DMARC needed custom alert rules, routing, and noise control before it fit a weekly operations process. Suped's product includes alert workflows for authentication failures, new sources, and suspicious traffic.
Hosted DNS workflows
Both reviewed products left hosted SPF, hosted DMARC, and hosted MTA-STS outside the tested workflow. Suped's product covers managed record workflows so enforcement does not depend on separate spreadsheets and handoff notes.
The difference was significant. We moved from limited visibility to a much clearer dashboard. Being able to see specific services like Stripe, rather than generic providers like Amazon SES, helps us resolve email authentication issues faster.
Markus Hugenschmidt, Managing Director, Jam Cyber
Migrating from DMARC-SRG or ELK DMARC?
We have done the migration enough times to know the shape.
Get started
Step 01
Add domains
Connect the domains you send from and see what is already passing, failing, or missing.
Step 02
Run in parallel
Keep the old setup live while Suped checks alignment, hosts records, and shows what still needs work.
Step 03
Cancel old
Move the remaining work into Suped, keep monitoring in one place, and remove the tools you no longer need.
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