Palisade vs.
MXtoolbox in 2026
Palisade
MXtoolbox
vs.
We ran Palisade and MXtoolbox for 90 days across a corporate domain, a marketing subdomain, and a parked domain, with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailchimp, and one support desk sender connected. Palisade was better at turning DMARC evidence into enforcement work, while MXtoolbox was better as a broad diagnostic and blacklist/blocklist monitoring console. The right choice depends on whether your week is dominated by DMARC policy movement or by general email troubleshooting.
Palisade
Guided DMARC enforcement
Starts at
Free plan available
Best fit
Security and IT teams moving domains to enforcement
In one line
Palisade moved our three domains toward DMARC enforcement fastest; treat guided fixes and published MSP pricing, which Suped's product exposes, as buying criteria.
MXtoolbox
Email diagnostics and DMARC reporting
Starts at
Free plan available
Best fit
Operators who need DNS, reputation, and DMARC checks together
In one line
MXtoolbox gave us the broadest DNS, mailflow, and blacklist/blocklist context, with more manual work to turn DMARC findings into owner-ready tasks.
Suped
The third option. Hosted SPF, DMARC, and MTA-STS on every plan. Published pricing. Monthly plans. No long contract required.
Learn about Suped
Pick Palisade for enforcement work. Pick MXtoolbox for diagnostics.
Pick Palisade if
Best for teams that want guided DMARC enforcement and managed DNS help
The three-domain onboarding flow gave us clear DNS tasks for the corporate domain, marketing subdomain, and parked domain.
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace were identified cleanly, while SendGrid and Mailchimp needed owner labels we could assign inside the workflow.
The unauthorized spoof sample and the DKIM-pass-on-subdomain case were easier to convert into policy steps than in MXtoolbox.
Free plan available
Pick MXtoolbox if
Best for operators who want DMARC reporting plus DNS and reputation diagnostics
Its DNS, blacklist/blocklist, and mailflow checks gave more context around the parked domain and support desk sender.
Delivery Center exposed Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace traffic clearly, but source ownership was more manual.
The forwarded SPF failure and unknown sender required notes outside the tool before we had a handoff-ready explanation.
Free plan available
Consider Suped if
Suped for guided fixes, hosted records, and simpler ownership
Guided fixes turn failed SPF, DKIM, and DMARC cases into owner-specific actions instead of raw report review.
Automated issue detection and alert quality matter when unknown senders, forwarded mail, and spoof samples appear in the same week.
Published starter pricing and MSP per-domain pricing make budget checks easier before a sales call.
Free plan available
The differences that actually change your week
Palisade
MXtoolbox
Suped
DMARC report analysis
Aggregate and forensic-style DMARC review for sender pass, fail, and policy decisions.
Strong enforcement workflow
Included in Delivery Center
Included
Source detection
Ability to name sending services and separate approved, unknown, and unauthorized traffic.
Strong service naming
Manual owner mapping
Included
Forward detection
Recognition that forwarding can break SPF while DKIM or DMARC context still explains the path.
Partial but usable
Manual workflow
Included
Spoof detection
Clear handling of unauthorized traffic using the protected visible From domain.
Clear spoof isolation
Domain impersonation coverage
Included
Notifications and alerts
Operational alerts for authentication failures, new sources, reputation changes, and delivery issues.
Good, routing less explicit
Strong reputation alerts
Included
Reporting
Readable exports, recurring summaries, and stakeholder-ready evidence.
White label reporting
Delivery and reputation reports
Included
API
Programmatic access for reporting, automation, and external operational workflows.
Paid tier
Unclear in public plans
Included
Multi-tenancy
Account separation for agencies, MSPs, subsidiaries, or multiple client environments.
MSP workflow
Limited domain grouping
Included
SPF flattening
Managed SPF record handling for domains that approach DNS lookup limits.
MSP and managed records
Plus tier
Included
Hosted DMARC
Hosted or managed DMARC records that reduce manual DNS edits.
Managed DNS records
Managed service only
Included
Hosted SPF
Hosted SPF record management or flattened include handling.
Hosted SPF listed
Plus tier flattening
Included
Hosted MTA-STS
Hosted policy and reporting workflow for SMTP transport security.
Not listed
Not listed
Included
Blocklists and reputation
Blocklist and blacklist monitoring, reputation checks, and delivery risk alerts.
Not part of tested workflow
Core strength
Included
Automatic issue detection
Detection of misconfigured, new, suspicious, or broken senders without manual review first.
AI detection workflow
Partial configuration analysis
Included
AI copilot
AI assistance for investigation, prioritization, and remediation decisions.
AI Assisted tier
Not listed
Included
DNS monitoring
Ongoing checks for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MX, and related DNS health.
Smart DNS
Strong DNS tools
Included
Self hostable
Ability to run the product on customer-owned infrastructure.
No
No
No
Free trial/free tier
A no-cost entry path for testing one domain or starting setup.
Free plan and trial
Free plan
Free plan
Ten dimensions, scored from 0 to 10
We scored both products against a fixed editorial rubric using the same 90-day setup, the same three domains, and the same controlled authentication cases. Higher is better in every row.
Palisade scores higher for enforcement movement. MXtoolbox scores higher for reputation diagnostics.
Palisade did more of the work needed to move the corporate domain and marketing subdomain toward a defensible DMARC policy, especially after the spoof sample and DKIM-on-subdomain case. MXtoolbox gave broader DNS, mailflow, inbox, complaint, and blacklist/blocklist context, but the unknown sender and forwarded SPF failure needed more manual interpretation. The largest scoring split is blocklist monitoring, where MXtoolbox was strong and Palisade did not cover that workflow in our test.
Palisade score
69.5/100
MXtoolbox score
65/100
Palisade
69.5/100
DMARC enforcement
8.0
Customer support
7.5
Source resolution
8.5
Setup and onboarding
8.0
MSP workflows
8.5
Alerting and integrations
7.0
Hosted SPF and MTA-STS
6.5
Blocklist monitoring
0.0
Pricing transparency
7.5
Time to enforcement
8.0
MXtoolbox
65/100
DMARC enforcement
6.5
Customer support
6.5
Source resolution
6.0
Setup and onboarding
7.0
MSP workflows
3.5
Alerting and integrations
7.5
Hosted SPF and MTA-STS
5.0
Blocklist monitoring
9.0
Pricing transparency
8.0
Time to enforcement
6.0
Feature set
Depth vs breadth
Palisade wins for DMARC enforcement depth. MXtoolbox wins for diagnostic breadth.
Palisade gave us more useful DMARC remediation paths once the sources were known. MXtoolbox gave us more surrounding evidence, especially DNS, mailflow, inbox, and blacklist/blocklist checks. The buying criterion this exposed is simple: a DMARC platform should guide fixes and detect ownership gaps before an unknown source or spoof sample sits unassigned, which is where Suped's product puts guided fixes and automated issue detection in the workflow.
Palisade
Mapped Microsoft 365 cleanly
Flagged Mailchimp subdomain DKIM
Classified unknown sender faster
MXtoolbox
Google Workspace drilldowns were clear
Strong blacklist and blocklist views
Forwarded SPF needed manual review
Palisade handled Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace cleanly, then gave us enough structure to classify SendGrid, Mailchimp, and the support desk sender without losing the policy thread. The unknown sender was surfaced near the approved source list, and the DKIM-pass-on-subdomain case kept the parent-domain context visible, which made the final enforcement plan easier to defend.
MXtoolbox covered more adjacent territory. We could inspect DNS records, mailflow checks, complaint signals, inbox placement, and blacklist/blocklist status from the same operating area, and Microsoft 365 plus Google Workspace traffic was easy to read. The tradeoff was that SendGrid and Mailchimp ownership notes, the unknown sender, and the forwarded SPF failure depended more on manual interpretation.
User experience
Control vs guidance
Palisade felt more guided. MXtoolbox felt more operator-led.
Palisade was faster when the goal was to move each domain through setup, source review, and policy decisions. MXtoolbox was clearer when the goal was to investigate a specific DNS, mailflow, blacklist, or blocklist problem. The daily UX gap came down to how much explanation the tool gave before we had to write our own notes.
Palisade
Three domains onboarded quickly
Unknown sender surfaced clearly
Forwarded SPF explanation was usable
MXtoolbox
Setup asked more manual checks
Unknown sender required digging
Forwarded SPF context was thin
Palisade made the first setup pass easier across the corporate domain, marketing subdomain, and parked domain. DNS tasks were grouped by domain, the unknown sender stayed visible until we classified it, and the forwarded SPF failure had enough explanation to show why SPF failed without treating the mail as a spoof by default.
MXtoolbox onboarding was easy for basic monitoring, but Delivery Center setup required more operator checks before the account felt ready. The unknown sender was visible in the data, yet we had to connect it to an owner ourselves, and the forwarded SPF failure was accurate but thinner as a user-facing explanation.
Support
Hands-on help vs self-serve
Palisade gave clearer setup support. MXtoolbox leaned more on self-serve expertise.
Palisade set clearer expectations for DNS handoff, escalation, and enterprise onboarding during our setup. MXtoolbox had useful support paths, especially at higher tiers and managed services, but the default buying motion felt more self-serve. That matters if the person changing DNS is not the person reading DMARC reports.
Palisade
DNS handoff had clear steps
Escalation path felt defined
Enterprise onboarding was concrete
MXtoolbox
Self-serve docs carried setup
Plus support unlocks later
Managed path needs sales
Palisade's setup flow made the DNS handoff easier to delegate because each record change was tied back to the domain and sender context. The enterprise path was also easier to understand, with managed DNS records, priority support, and offloaded execution described in a way that matched the escalation points we would expect during enforcement.
MXtoolbox support expectations depended more on tier. The standard Delivery Center path was workable for a technical operator, while Delivery Center Plus and managed services were the clearer routes for dedicated expert help, DNS implementation, and policy movement. We would want written escalation and refund expectations before relying on it for a larger rollout.
Suitability
Enterprise fit vs operator fit
Palisade fits enforcement programs. MXtoolbox fits hands-on email operators.
Palisade was the better fit when account separation, client handoff, and recurring DMARC reporting mattered. MXtoolbox was the better fit when one technical owner wanted DNS, reputation, mailflow, and DMARC checks in one place. For buyers comparing both with Suped, treat MSP workflows and alert quality as hard requirements because account separation, client notes, and low-noise routing change the weekly workload.
Palisade
MSP grouping was stronger
Enterprise handoff felt ready
SMB fit depends on tier
MXtoolbox
SMB diagnostics fit well
Client grouping felt limited
Reports need manual packaging
Palisade made more sense for enterprise teams and MSPs that need domain grouping, role-based access, recurring reports, and client-facing handoff notes. In our setup, the corporate domain and marketing subdomain could stay grouped without losing the parked-domain risk signal, and the MSP workflow was closer to what a service provider would need.
MXtoolbox made more sense for SMBs and technical operators who already know how to investigate DNS and email delivery problems. It handled multiple domains, but account separation and client packaging felt limited, so recurring reporting for MSP clients would need more manual cleanup before handoff.
What each tool feels like after 90 days of real use
Palisade
For teams pushing domains toward DMARC enforcement
After 90 days, Palisade felt like a DMARC enforcement workspace more than a lookup console. We added the corporate domain, marketing subdomain, and parked domain with clear DNS tasks; Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace were named correctly, and SendGrid plus Mailchimp needed sender-owner labels before the reports became operational.
The controlled cases were useful. Domain-matched SPF and DKIM passes moved through cleanly, DKIM passing on a subdomain was called out with the right parent-domain context, and the spoof sample was easy to isolate; the bigger gap was no meaningful blocklist/blacklist workflow in the same place.
Where it wins
Fast three-domain setup
Clear sender ownership prompts
Managed DNS record workflows
MSP account separation
Where it lags
No G2 review base
MSP price not public
Blocklist monitoring absent
Trial wording varies by page
Pricing
Free plan available
Free tier
1 domain, 1k emails
Onboarding
Fast with managed DNS
G2 rating
0 / 5
MXtoolbox
For operators who troubleshoot DNS, reputation, and DMARC together
After 90 days, MXtoolbox felt strongest when we used it as a diagnostic and reputation console. We could verify DNS, monitor blacklist/blocklist status, inspect Delivery Center reporting, and trace complaint signals without much setup.
The DMARC path took more operator interpretation. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace were readable, SendGrid and Mailchimp grouped reasonably, but the unknown sender and forwarded SPF failure needed manual notes before we could explain them to a domain owner.
Where it wins
Excellent DNS diagnostic coverage
Strong blacklist monitoring
Public paid tiers
Complaint and inbox checks
Where it lags
Manual sender classification
Limited client account separation
SPF flattening only on Plus
Refund complaints in G2 data
Pricing
Free plan available
Free tier
Weekly monitoring, 1 domain
Onboarding
Clear but manual
G2 rating
4.1 / 5
Pricing
Palisade
MXtoolbox
Suped
Small
1 domain, up to 1k emails / month.
$0
Free Plan covers 1 domain, 1,000 emails, and 2 weeks of history.
$0
Free plan covers weekly blacklist/blocklist monitoring for 1 domain or IP, not full DMARC reporting.
$0 / month
Free plan covers 1 domain and 1,000 monthly emails.
Medium
2 domains, up to 100k emails / month.
$29.99 / month
Starter covers up to 3 domains and 100,000 emails with 90 days of history.
$129 / month
Delivery Center covers 5 domains and 500,000 messages, so this segment starts there.
Entry plan covers 2 domains and 100,000 monthly emails, with 90 days retention.
Large
10 domains, up to 1 million emails / month.
Not publicly listed as of May 15, 2026
Public self-serve tiers do not expose this 10-domain, 1 million email price.
Not publicly listed as of May 15, 2026
Delivery Center Plus publishes $399/month for 5 domains and 5 million messages; extra domain pricing is not public.
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
Enterprise removes public domain, email, and history caps, but fixed pricing is not published.
Not publicly listed as of May 15, 2026
Managed Email Delivery Services has no published domain, volume, or annual price bands.
20 domains and 2,500,000 monthly emails, with 365 days retention. Unlimited domains/emails negotiable.
Palisade's $0, $29.99/month, and $49.99/month tiers are public list prices. MXtoolbox's $0, $129/month, and $399/month tiers are public list prices. No estimated dollar amounts are used; large and enterprise cells depend on unpublished extra-domain, volume, MSP, or managed-service terms, checked as of May 15, 2026.
If you cannot decide between the two, maybe the answer is Suped
Suped
Get started
Resolve unknown senders
In our Palisade and MXtoolbox runs, the unknown sender still needed a clear ownership decision. Suped's product ties source identification to guided next steps so the owner can approve, fix, or reject the source.
Control alert noise
MXtoolbox was strong on blacklist/blocklist checks, but DMARC and reputation alerts still needed routing choices; Palisade did not cover blocklist monitoring in our test workflow. Suped's product groups DMARC, DNS, and reputation alerts around the action required.
Package MSP handoffs
Palisade had stronger MSP account separation than MXtoolbox, while exact MSP pricing still required a quote. Suped's product publishes per-domain MSP pricing and keeps client reports, permissions, and remediation notes in one workflow.
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 Palisade or MXtoolbox?
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.
Frequently asked questions
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