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MXtoolbox vs Parseddmarc

Choose MXtoolbox for comprehensive email deliverability, Parseddmarc for self-hosted DMARC parsing.
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Parseddmarc
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Parseddmarc
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Compare product functionality

Feature set

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Parseddmarc
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MXtoolbox provides a broad suite of email deliverability tools, extending beyond just DMARC. When we've used it, we found its DMARC reporting to be a component of a larger system that includes SPF and DKIM monitoring, deliverability diagnostics, and domain impersonation protection. It offers a more managed approach, abstracting away some of the complexities of DMARC report analysis with its curated dashboards and alerts.
Beyond DMARC, MXtoolbox is well-known for its extensive blocklist (or blacklist) monitoring, giving us proactive alerts when our IPs or domains land on one. Features like SPF flattening in higher tiers demonstrate its commitment to resolving common email authentication challenges, making it a comprehensive solution for ensuring email reaches its destination.
Parseddmarc, by contrast, is a highly specialized open-source Python package and command-line utility. Its core strength lies in parsing DMARC reports, including aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) reports, as well as SMTP TLS Reporting. For us, this means it's a foundational tool, not an all-in-one platform. It's about data processing, not a polished user interface for analysis.
As a self-hosted solution, Parseddmarc offers immense flexibility. It can pull reports via IMAP, Microsoft Graph, or the Gmail API, and output results in JSON or CSV. This allows us to integrate DMARC data into existing monitoring and analytics platforms like Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, Splunk, or Apache Kafka, which then provide the visual dashboards and alerting capabilities.
How easy is each product to use

User experience

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Parseddmarc
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From our experience, MXtoolbox generally offers a user-friendly interface, especially for its free tools which are widely adopted. The paid Delivery Center product includes dashboards that consolidate various metrics, simplifying the task of monitoring email health. Setting up DMARC monitoring is guided, and the system aims to provide actionable insights rather than raw data.
However, while the setup can be straightforward, navigating deeper into some reports or understanding specific diagnostics might require a degree of technical knowledge. Some users have noted that the interface, while functional, hasn't seen significant visual updates over time, and clicking through multiple links to reach a specific report can sometimes feel less streamlined than desired.
Parseddmarc's user experience is fundamentally different because it's a command-line tool. There's no graphical user interface (GUI) inherent to the product itself. For us, this means the 'user experience' is entirely dictated by how we implement and integrate it. Running it involves command-line operations, and interpreting the output requires comfort with JSON or CSV data.
To achieve a visual user experience similar to commercial DMARC tools, we would need to set up and configure external platforms like Elasticsearch with Kibana, or Splunk. This requires significant technical expertise in server administration, database management, and data visualization. For those comfortable in such environments, it offers complete control, but it's far from a 'plug-and-play' solution.
Which product has the best support

Support

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Parseddmarc
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MXtoolbox, as a commercial product, offers standard customer support channels, including email and phone. We've seen mixed feedback on their support effectiveness, particularly concerning their
As an open-source project, Parseddmarc does not offer commercial support in the traditional sense. When we use it, our support comes from the community: GitHub issues, forums, and potentially direct contributions to the project. This model relies heavily on the user's ability to self-diagnose, research, and potentially even debug code.
For organizations deploying Parseddmarc, internal IT teams or developers are typically responsible for its maintenance and troubleshooting. While the project documentation is available, it presumes a certain level of technical proficiency. There's no hotline to call or support ticket system, which can be a significant consideration for organizations without dedicated technical resources.
Who should use each product

Suitability

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Parseddmarc
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MXtoolbox is best suited for organizations that need a comprehensive, managed solution for email deliverability and security. Its integrated dashboards and alerts make it ideal for Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs) and Mid-Market companies that may not have extensive in-house email security expertise. Enterprise clients can also benefit from its broad feature set, especially with the higher-tier plans offering increased volume and advanced tools.
For Managed Service Providers (MSPs), MXtoolbox could be useful for individual client domains, though the per-domain pricing structure in its tiers might require careful management for a large number of clients. It excels where a 'set it and forget it' approach (with monitoring) is preferred over deep technical configuration.
Parseddmarc is an excellent fit for highly technical users, developers, and organizations with robust IT infrastructure and a preference for open-source solutions. It's particularly well-suited for Enterprise clients who have existing data analytics platforms (like Splunk or Elasticsearch) and the internal expertise to integrate and maintain a self-hosted DMARC parsing solution.
MSPs with strong technical capabilities can leverage Parseddmarc to build custom DMARC reporting solutions for multiple clients, offering a highly customizable and cost-effective (software-wise) alternative to commercial tools. SMBs would generally find the technical overhead prohibitive unless they have dedicated development resources.

How does MXtoolbox compare with Parseddmarc?

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Parseddmarc
DMARC report analysis
Source detection
Forward detection
Spoof detection
Notifications and alerts
Reporting
API
Multi-tenancy
SPF flattening
Hosted DMARC
BIMI
MTA-STS/TLS-RPT
Blocklists and reputation
AI copilot
DNS monitoring
Self hostable
Free trial/free tier

Drawbacks and what to watch out for

MXtoolbox faces criticism for its business practices, particularly around its "risk-free" trial and cancellation policies, which some users describe as misleading. The user interface, while functional, is noted for being somewhat dated and requiring multiple clicks for reports. Parseddmarc's main drawbacks stem from its nature as a self-hosted, open-source tool, requiring significant technical expertise for setup, maintenance, and the creation of any visual reporting or alerting.
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.
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Parseddmarc
Business Practices are scammy
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
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!
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
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
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 tiered subscription model with a free option, whereas Parseddmarc is open-source and thus has no direct software cost, though infrastructure and maintenance expenses will apply.
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Parseddmarc
Small
$0 (Free tier, 1 domain, weekly blocklist)
Self-hosted (variable infrastructure cost)
Medium
Contact for pricing
Self-hosted (variable infrastructure cost)
Large
$129/month (Delivery Center, 5 domains, 500k volume)
Self-hosted (variable infrastructure cost)
Enterprise
$399/month (Delivery Center Plus, 5 domains, 5M volume)
Self-hosted (variable infrastructure cost)

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What makes Suped different

Automated sender discovery that finds shadow IT and third-party services
DMARC copilot that pinpoints failures and prescribes the exact fix
Guided path to full p=reject enforcement, safely and quickly
Proactive alerts to prevent misconfigurations before they block your mail
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    MXtoolbox vs Parseddmarc DMARC product review - Compare DMARC products - Suped