We found MXtoolbox to be a broad suite of email and DNS diagnostic tools, with DMARC monitoring as one component. It excels at offering a wide array of checks beyond just DMARC, including blocklist monitoring, SMTP diagnostics, and general DNS lookups. This makes it a powerful tool for overall email infrastructure health.
While its DMARC reporting provides essential data for compliance, it integrates these insights within its wider ecosystem of tools. This can be beneficial for those who need a holistic view of their email deliverability and security, as opposed to a singular focus on DMARC.
DMARC Monitor, as its name suggests, is purpose-built for DMARC reporting and analysis. Its strength lies in providing detailed and dedicated insights into DMARC authentication, making it a focused solution for organizations primarily concerned with DMARC implementation and enforcement.
We noted that its feature set is tightly aligned with DMARC requirements, offering specific functionalities for understanding DMARC aggregate and forensic reports. If your primary goal is to achieve DMARC compliance and monitor your DMARC records without the overhead of broader email diagnostics, this tool is designed for that.
How easy is each product to use
User experience
From our experience, MXtoolbox's interface is functional and provides access to many tools. However, its design can sometimes feel a bit traditional, requiring several clicks to navigate between different reports or diagnostic checks. For users who need a quick DMARC overview, this might feel less streamlined.
The sheer volume of available tools, while powerful, can be overwhelming for new users or those solely focused on DMARC. It's like a Swiss Army knife: incredibly versatile, but you might need a moment to find the right blade for the task at hand.
DMARC Monitor generally offers a more focused user experience due to its singular DMARC purpose. We anticipate that users will find its dashboards and reports to be clear and directly relevant to DMARC data, simplifying the process of understanding authentication results and policy enforcement.
While lacking broader diagnostic tools, this focus likely translates to a cleaner and more intuitive workflow for DMARC-specific tasks. For those who want to get straight to their DMARC reports without distractions, the streamlined approach of DMARC Monitor is a significant advantage.
Which product has the best support
Support
MXtoolbox provides standard support channels, including documentation, a knowledge base, and direct contact options. However, some user feedback we've seen indicates potential challenges with responsiveness, particularly concerning billing or cancellation inquiries.
While the comprehensive nature of their platform means a wealth of information is available for self-service troubleshooting, users requiring direct assistance, especially with account-related issues, might encounter delays or difficulties in getting resolution.
Based on the publicly available information, DMARC Monitor's support structure is less transparent than MXtoolbox's. While a DMARC product inherently requires guidance for proper implementation, the specifics of their support channels, response times, or available resources are not prominently featured.
For users embarking on DMARC implementation, strong support can be crucial. Without clear details on their support offerings, it's harder to assess the level of assistance one can expect, which might be a consideration for those who anticipate needing hands-on help.
Who should use each product
Suitability
MXtoolbox is well-suited for organizations that need a broad view of their email health, going beyond just DMARC. Small to medium businesses (SMBs) can leverage its free tools for quick diagnostics, while its paid tiers offer comprehensive monitoring that can benefit IT departments managing complex email infrastructures.
For enterprises, MXtoolbox's diagnostic capabilities can integrate into larger security and deliverability strategies. MSPs might find it useful for managing multiple client domains due to its diverse toolkit, although they should carefully consider the pricing structure for high-volume scenarios.
DMARC Monitor is ideal for businesses that have a clear objective of implementing and monitoring DMARC without the need for additional email diagnostics. SMBs focused on achieving DMARC compliance and protecting their brand from spoofing will find its specialized reporting beneficial.
Enterprises with existing email monitoring tools that need a dedicated DMARC solution can integrate DMARC Monitor for specialized insights. For MSPs offering DMARC as a core service, its focused approach could be advantageous, assuming its multi-tenancy capabilities meet their needs for managing numerous client DMARC policies.
How does MXtoolbox compare with DMARC Monitor?
DMARC report analysis
Analysis of DMARC aggregate and forensic reports.
Provides essential DMARC reports, part of a broader suite.
Dedicated and detailed DMARC reporting is its core focus.
Source detection
Identifies sending sources for email.
Forward detection
Ability to identify email forwarding.
Spoof detection
Identifies unauthorized email sending.
Notifications and alerts
Proactive alerts for email issues.
Alerts for blocklists and DMARC changes.
DMARC-specific alerts.
Reporting
Comprehensive data visualization.
General email health and DMARC summaries.
In-depth DMARC specific reports.
API
Programmatic access for integrations.
Supports integrations with other tools.
No public API details available.
Multi-tenancy
Manage multiple domains or clients.
Available in higher-tier plans.
Common for DMARC monitoring tools.
SPF flattening
Reduces SPF lookup count.
Included in Delivery Center Plus tier.
Not mentioned as a feature.
Hosted DMARC
Service to manage DMARC records.
Helps manage DMARC settings.
Central to its offering.
BIMI
Brand Indicators for Message Identification support.
Not a primary feature.
Not mentioned as supported.
MTA-STS/TLS-RPT
Email encryption and reporting.
Focus is on DMARC and general DNS.
Not a primary feature focus.
Blocklists and reputation
Monitoring against email blacklists.
Strong feature for general email health.
Primarily DMARC focused, not general blocklist.
AI copilot
AI-powered assistance for email security.
Not currently offered.
No mention of AI features.
DNS monitoring
Checks DNS record health.
A core part of its diagnostic suite.
Focus is on DMARC records specifically.
Self hostable
Option to host the software locally.
Cloud-based service.
Cloud-based service.
Free trial/free tier
Availability of a free version or trial period.
Offers a free tier with limited features.
Provides a free DMARC Report Plan.
Drawbacks and what to watch out for
When considering the drawbacks, MXtoolbox has faced criticism regarding its billing practices and the clarity of its cancellation policies, as noted in several user reviews. Its extensive feature set, while powerful, can also lead to a cluttered user experience for those only seeking DMARC solutions. DMARC Monitor, on the other hand, lacks public pricing transparency, requiring potential users to contact them for quotes, which can be a barrier to entry. It also has very limited public reviews, making it challenging to gauge consistent user satisfaction or specific pain points beyond its feature focus.
We have pulled the average ratings from G2 for each product, and also included the most recent negative reviews for each product in full. Positive reviews tend to have less detail and have a higher chance of being fraudulent, so negative reviews are a better signal for your decision.
4.1 / 5(29)
0 / 5(0)
Business Practices are scammy
0.0 / 5
What do you like best about MXToolbox?
It helped us solve the small issue we had with our emails going to customers spam folder.
What do you dislike about MXToolbox?
I initially signed up online for a month-to-month contract, but then a salesperson got a hold of me and sent me a quote. The quote he sent me was for a year contract which I did not want, so I signed up for the month to month. Once the problem was fixed I tried to cancel and I couldn't do it online. I emailed them and they told me I had to call them. After lots of back and fourth they told me I signed a year contract and I couldn't cancel. I would have never signed up for a year. It was a very scammy business practice. Eventually they stopped responding so I had to stop the payments from my credit card.
Recommendations to others considering MXToolbox:
I don't recommend them because of their shady business practices.
What problems is MXToolbox solving and how is that benefiting you?
fixing a problem with emails going to spam
Sam B.
IT Director Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
No G2 reviews
G2 is the most popular review platform for DMARC products, so this is a strong signal that this product is not popular.
Think twice before doing their paid plans. Deceptive "risk-free" 30 day trial
0.0 / 5
What do you like best about MXToolbox?
I suspect many of the people responding favorably on this forum are using their free tools. Their free tools are very useful -- but think twice before upgrading to their paid plans.
What do you dislike about MXToolbox?
Like many other software vendors - they make an offer of a risk-free one-month trial. However, they don't actually refund you your money if you cancel before 30 days. Here is my example: I signed up for their delivery center option on November 10, 2018 and was promptly billed $99. I used the service for 2 days, realized the paid features were overkill for my own and customers' needs, so called to cancel November 12 (two days after signup.) They acknowledged my cancellation by email but never credited back my account for the $99.
On December 17th I called their toll-free line. Matt on the phone said ("getting a refund would require managers approval and it's not a certain thing.") No sign of any refund as-yet, no confirmation from the company following the call of what to expect on refund.
On December 15 I emailed. Their response to my email was "Sorry, we can't process that sort of thing by email. Either call or create a support ticket." Unfortunately, the support ticket option is available only for active subscribers -- so you are left with calling their phone system and having no record of exchange. Attached is an image from their website taken December 2018 in which they describe their "risk-free" offer. https://postimg.cc/mhgzm197
In summary -- Be aware that their free trial is not like how most other software vendors manage their trial promotions. They are opportunistic about billing you and (in my experience) don't honor the refund they promise as part of their risk-free trial.
Recommendations to others considering MXToolbox:
Use their free tools (they are good.) Their paid tools are overpriced, and they have a misleading "risk-free" plan that will end up costing you $99.
What problems is MXToolbox solving and how is that benefiting you?
Their free tools will help you diagnose MX configuration issues.
jon b.
Jon Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Beware their "30 day free trial" of the Delivery Center!
0.5 / 5
What do you like best about MXToolbox?
The free tools are good, and one wouldn't mind paying something for them, but one does object to being defrauded - see below.
What do you dislike about MXToolbox?
Tried to cancel free trial only a couple of days in, but $99 had been taken from my card and they have not responded to repeated requests to end it and refund the money. It looks like attempted fraud.
What problems is MXToolbox solving and how is that benefiting you?
Simple things like reverse DNS lookup helped us to check our email setup.
Alexander S.
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Makes email management easy
3.5 / 5
What do you like best about MXToolbox?
-Affordable pricing
-Setting up is very easy
-Useful dashboards
-Makes email reputation checks easier
What do you dislike about MXToolbox?
-This tool covers everything required for email management, there is nothing to dislike about.
What problems is MXToolbox solving and how is that benefiting you?
I have used this tool for domain reputation checking for phising mail analysis also I am using this for some of my projects to check mail deliverability and reputation of the domain to make sure the domain is not being blacklisted due to sending loads of emails.
Nitin R.
Software dev Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
MXToolBox is great for blacklist testing
3.5 / 5
What do you like best about MXToolbox?
MXToolBox is suitable for Blacklists, DMARC, Diagnostics, Email Health, and DNS Lookup checks.
What do you dislike about MXToolbox?
For a free tool, I'd say MXToolBox is pretty top-notch.
What problems is MXToolbox solving and how is that benefiting you?
I used MXToolBox for DNS look-ups and blacklist checks.
Verified User in Marketing and Advertising
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
Pricing
MXtoolbox offers a free tier and then moves into structured paid plans based on volume and features, whereas DMARC Monitor provides a free DMARC report plan but requires direct contact for details on its paid tiers.
4.1 / 5(29)
