What is DMARC and why is it important for email security?

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that helps protect domains from email spoofing, phishing, and other unauthorized use. It instructs recipient mail servers on how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, ensuring only legitimate senders can use your domain. It is crucial for maintaining brand reputation and preventing cyberattacks.

How do DMARC reporting tools help with email deliverability?

DMARC reporting tools analyze aggregate and forensic reports, providing insights into email authentication results across all sending sources. This visibility allows us to identify legitimate emails failing authentication, pinpoint misconfigurations, and adjust SPF and DKIM records to improve compliance. By fixing these issues, we enhance email deliverability, ensuring emails reach the inbox rather than spam folders or being rejected.

Can small businesses benefit from DMARC enforcement?

Absolutely. Small businesses are often targets for email spoofing and phishing, as they may have fewer robust security measures in place. DMARC enforcement helps protect their brand, customer trust, and sensitive information by preventing unauthorized parties from sending emails using their domain. Even with a smaller email volume, the benefits of DMARC for security and deliverability are significant.

What is SPF flattening and why is it needed?

SPF flattening is a technique used to overcome the SPF 10-lookup limit. The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record in DNS can only contain up to 10 DNS lookups. If an organization uses many third-party email services, they can easily exceed this limit, causing SPF validation to fail. SPF flattening consolidates multiple lookups into fewer ones, ensuring the SPF record remains valid and emails pass authentication.

What are the key differences between aggregate and forensic DMARC reports?

Aggregate (RUA) reports provide a high-level overview of all emails sent using your domain, including their authentication results (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and sending sources. They are XML-formatted and sent periodically. Forensic (RUF) reports, on the other hand, contain redacted copies of individual emails that failed DMARC authentication. While more detailed, they are less commonly used due to privacy concerns and the potential for large data volumes.

How do blocklists (or blacklists) impact email deliverability?

Blocklists (or blacklists) are lists of IP addresses or domains identified as sources of spam or malicious activity. If your sending IP address or domain appears on a blocklist, recipient mail servers may automatically reject or quarantine your emails, severely impacting deliverability. Monitoring blocklist status and maintaining a good sender reputation is essential to ensure emails reach their intended recipients.

PowerDMARC vs DMARC Director

Choose PowerDMARC for extensive features, choose DMARC Director for a focused approach.

4.9 / 5(208)

Compare to Suped

0 / 5(0)

Compare to Suped

Compare product functionality

Feature set

PowerDMARC provides a vast array of DMARC-related features. Its platform is designed to offer comprehensive email authentication, including DMARC, SPF, and DKIM management. We found the toolkit robust, especially for those looking to implement a full suite of email security protocols from a single dashboard.

Beyond core DMARC reporting, it offers advanced hosted services such as PowerSPF for flattening SPF records, Hosted DMARC, Hosted BIMI, MTA-STS, and TLS-RPT. This extensive offering means fewer external tools are needed, consolidating many aspects of email security.

DMARC Director (also known as DMARC Defender) focuses primarily on DMARC reporting and enforcement. Its core functionality revolves around collecting and interpreting DMARC aggregate and forensic reports, allowing users to gain visibility into email authentication status.

While it provides essential DMARC monitoring, the feature set appears more streamlined compared to PowerDMARC, with less emphasis on hosted services like SPF flattening or BIMI integration directly within the platform. It provides the necessary data to achieve DMARC compliance without as many additional bells and whistles.

How easy is each product to use

User experience

PowerDMARC's user interface is feature-rich, which can be both a blessing and a slight curse. We noticed that while the platform offers deep insights and numerous configuration options, the sheer volume of information can sometimes make the dashboard feel a bit cluttered. Initial navigation might take some getting used to.

The platform does attempt to mitigate this with guided setups and wizard-like processes, which are particularly helpful for new domains. However, some users report the UI could be more intuitive and modern, and switching between clients in an MSSP view can be a tad tedious, requiring multiple log-ins and outs instead of a simple dropdown.

DMARC Director offers a clean and straightforward user experience. Its focused feature set means there's less clutter, making it easier for users to quickly grasp core DMARC reporting and analysis. We found the dashboards to be clear, presenting essential information without overwhelming complexity.

The simplicity of its design can be a significant advantage for those who want to get DMARC implemented and monitored without diving into an extensive ecosystem of related services. It provides a logical flow for reviewing authentication results and identifying potential issues, streamlining the path to DMARC enforcement.

Which product has the best support

Support

PowerDMARC generally receives high marks for its customer support. Our experience, and many user reviews, indicate responsive and knowledgeable support teams, often available via chat, email, and sometimes phone for higher tiers. They are praised for detailed explanations and guided setup sessions.

While the free plan does not include phone or email support, paid plans often come with interactive demos, screen-sharing sessions, and even managed services. Some users mention occasional delays or needing to request owner migration directly, but overall, the support is considered a strong point, with quick turnaround times.

Information regarding DMARC Director's explicit support channels is less prominent in publicly available details. We found references to phone numbers and email addresses for sales inquiries and general questions, suggesting direct contact for support.

Without detailed user reviews on support, it's challenging to provide a comparative assessment. Given its enterprise focus (implied by the lack of published pricing), we would anticipate dedicated support channels, but the specifics of response times, service levels, or included features for different tiers are not readily advertised.

Who should use each product

Suitability

PowerDMARC caters to a broad audience. Its free plan is suitable for individuals or small businesses with a single domain, offering basic DMARC monitoring. The tiered paid plans scale effectively, making it a viable option for SMBs and mid-market organizations looking for comprehensive email security features.

For MSPs and enterprise clients, PowerDMARC offers specific programs with features like multi-tenancy, consolidated domain views, and role-based access control. The extensive feature set, including hosted services and advanced reporting, makes it attractive for larger entities needing a robust, all-in-one solution for many domains.

DMARC Director appears to be geared more towards larger organizations and enterprises. The absence of readily available pricing and the emphasis on contacting sales for quotes suggest a bespoke service model, often preferred by companies with complex needs and dedicated security teams.

Its streamlined focus on DMARC enforcement likely appeals to organizations that already have other security solutions in place and need a specialized tool for DMARC. Suitability for SMBs is less clear given the lack of public pricing or a distinct free tier (only a 30-day trial). It could be a strong fit for enterprises seeking a focused DMARC solution without extra features.

How does PowerDMARC compare with DMARC Director?

DMARC report analysis

Ability to process and interpret DMARC aggregate and forensic reports.

Source detection

Identify all sending sources using your domain, authorized or not.

Forward detection

Detect and understand email forwarding scenarios affecting DMARC compliance.

Spoof detection

Identify and block unauthorized emails spoofing your domain.

Notifications and alerts

Receive automated alerts for DMARC policy changes or suspicious activity.

Available in paid plans

Likely via monitoring

Reporting

Generate various reports on DMARC compliance and email authentication.

API

Programmatic access to DMARC data and management features.

Available on higher plans

Not publicly advertised

Multi-tenancy

Manage multiple client domains from a single interface (for MSPs).

Via MSP program

Contact for enterprise features

SPF flattening

Automated solution to overcome SPF 10-lookup limit.

PowerSPF service in paid plans

Not a core offering

Hosted DMARC

Manage DMARC records without direct DNS access.

Included in free plan

Core to the product

BIMI

Support for Brand Indicators for Message Identification.

Included in free plan

Not a core offering

MTA-STS/TLS-RPT

Support for Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security and TLS Reporting.

Hosted services in paid plans

Not a core offering

Blocklists and reputation

Monitor domain/IP reputation and blocklist (or blacklist) status.

Reputation monitoring in paid plans

Not a core offering

AI copilot

AI-powered assistance for DMARC configuration and analysis.

No mention

DNS monitoring

Track changes to DNS records relevant to email authentication.

Domain DNS timeline feature

Not a core offering

Self hostable

Option to host the DMARC solution on your own servers.

SaaS platform

Free trial/free tier

Availability of a free plan or trial period.

Free plan available

30-day trial offered

Drawbacks and what to watch out for

For PowerDMARC, a common theme in user feedback points to the complexity of its extensive feature set, sometimes making the UX feel less intuitive or cluttered. While powerful, navigating its many options can have a learning curve. For DMARC Director, the primary drawback is the lack of transparent pricing and public reviews, making it difficult for prospective users to assess cost-effectiveness and user satisfaction without direct engagement.

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.

4.9 / 5(208)

0 / 5(0)

N/A

4.0 / 5

What do you like best about PowerDMARC?Easy to use, easy to implement, comprehensiveWhat do you dislike about PowerDMARC?Nothing to report except perhaps the billing module, which is a bit difficult to find.What problems is PowerDMARC solving and how is that benefiting you?Email security management for our clients

Verified User in Computer & Network Security

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.

E-mail security made easy

4.0 / 5

What do you like best about PowerDMARC?Very easy to set up. You can start with the basics and add features later. The system also guides you through the set-up process and provides recommendations for improvement.What do you dislike about PowerDMARC?For reporting and advanced features a subscription is required. However, for basic security for personal domains it's free!What problems is PowerDMARC solving and how is that benefiting you?More and more emails where rejected by email servers, or put in the SPAM folder of the recipient. Turns out a DMARC record is required by more and more e-mail providers. With PowerDMARC it is easy to solve this! Emails send from our domain are now fully compliant!

Juriaan K.

Personal domain for emailing Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

Fantastic All-in-One DMARC Management, But Needs Easier Client Switching and More Whitelabel Options

4.5 / 5

What do you like best about PowerDMARC?I really appreciate how convenient it is to handle all the DMARC settings within a single, user-friendly platform. Their support team has been excellent in walking us through set up and troubleshooting for our specific clients.What do you dislike about PowerDMARC?I would like to see more customization options available in the Whitelabel section. Some of the current image sizing choices don't work well with our logo, which isn't a major issue, but having more flexibility would be a nice improvement.Additionally, switching between clients in the MSSP view is a little tedious. Right now, you have to log in as a specific client and then log out to return to the MSSP view. It would be much easier if there were a "User/Client" drop-down menu in the upper right corner, allowing you to quickly switch back and forth.What problems is PowerDMARC solving and how is that benefiting you?It is helping us protect our clients emails and reputations by blocking spoofing.

Zohra M.

Chaos-to-Order Transformation Expert Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

Easy Platform for DMARC Management

4.5 / 5

What do you like best about PowerDMARC?Easy to use and great tools for troubleshooting. Theres also great guides that take you through the process of setup. We have most of our managed domains in PowerDMARC, as integration is very easy. We use PowerDMARC almost everyday for its various reporting tools. So when were not setting up new domains were monitoring our current ones. Customer Support also is very responsive, on the odd occassion where I need support, an advisor is back in touch within the hour.What do you dislike about PowerDMARC?There isn't much we dislike about PowerDMARC.What problems is PowerDMARC solving and how is that benefiting you?DMARC, DKIM and SPF policies are held in one place, which makes it easy to pick and choose what settings are required for each domain.We havent go to spend time typing out a policy as we can use sliders to get our desired settings, which is then made for us.We can see how secure we are bu the reporting.We also get great reporting tools which we show our end users.

Marcus M.

Senior Technical Engineer Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

Great service

4.5 / 5

What do you like best about PowerDMARC?Camilo was incredibly helpful. He gave detailed explanations of the changes that were recommended.What do you dislike about PowerDMARC?I don't disliked anything. The platform is full featured.What problems is PowerDMARC solving and how is that benefiting you?Moving our DMARC policy from quarantine to reject.

Colin S.

Senior Information Security Engineer Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)