SimpleDMARC vs.
ELK DMARC in 2026
SimpleDMARC
ELK DMARC
vs.
Over 90 days, we tested SimpleDMARC and ELK DMARC with three domains, five approved senders, and controlled cases including a visible From mismatch, forwarding, one spoof sample, and one unknown sender. SimpleDMARC was the clearer managed product; ELK DMARC was useful when we wanted raw data and were willing to own Docker, Kibana, alerts, and sender labels.
SimpleDMARC
Managed DMARC reporting for small teams
Starts at
Free plan available
Best fit
SMBs that want hosted reporting and public plan limits
In one line
SimpleDMARC got our three domains reporting quickly and gave enough guidance to move the primary domain toward quarantine.
ELK DMARC
Self-hosted DMARC reporting on ELK
Starts at
$0 software
Best fit
Technical operators who already run Elasticsearch and Kibana
In one line
ELK DMARC gave us raw report access, but sender labels and alerts stayed manual; teams that need guided fixes and hosted record ownership should compare that workflow with Suped's product.
Suped
The third option. Hosted SPF, DMARC, and MTA-STS on every plan. Published pricing. Monthly plans. No long contract required.
Learn about Suped
Choose SimpleDMARC for managed DMARC, ELK DMARC for self-hosted control
Pick SimpleDMARC if
SMBs that want hosted DMARC reporting without running infrastructure
Three domains were live quickly with DNS prompts for corporate, marketing, and parked use cases.
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace became readable sources without building Kibana filters.
SendGrid, Mailchimp, and the spoof sample were easy to review before policy movement.
Free plan available
Pick ELK DMARC if
Operators who want raw DMARC data inside their own ELK stack
The Docker and Elasticsearch setup fit a technical operator better than a marketing or IT generalist.
Unknown sender classification required saved searches, naming discipline, and manual ownership notes.
Forwarded mail with SPF failure was explainable only after filtering DKIM, SPF, and disposition fields.
$0 software
Consider Suped if
Suped is the third option for guided fixes, hosted records, and simpler ownership
Guided fixes should turn each failed source into DNS, sender owner, and policy next steps.
Automated issue detection should separate spoofing, forwarding, and sender drift without manual filters.
Published starter pricing should make domain count, volume, and MSP pricing clear before rollout.
Free plan available
The differences that actually change your week
SimpleDMARC
ELK DMARC
Suped
DMARC report analysis
Aggregate report parsing, pass and fail trends, and domain drilldowns.
Managed reporting
Kibana dashboards
Managed reporting
Source detection
How clearly each tool names approved and unknown senders.
Guided source view
Manual classification
Automatic source names
Forward detection
Whether forwarded mail gets a clear failure reason.
Partial drilldown
Manual query
Forward patterns detected
Spoof detection
Whether unauthorized sources are surfaced for review.
Spoof sample surfaced
Visible in raw data
Spoof alerts
Notifications and alerts
Operational notification quality and routing.
Email alerts
Custom work
Routed alerts
Reporting
Recurring reports, exports, and management-ready summaries.
Weekly to real-time by plan
Kibana exports
Scheduled reports
API
Programmatic access or automation surface.
Unclear
Elasticsearch API
API available
Multi-tenancy
Account separation, client grouping, and handoff work.
Partial
Custom work
Client grouping
SPF flattening
Managed flattening for SPF length and lookup limits.
Enterprise
Not found
Hosted SPF
Hosted DMARC
Hosted DMARC record management.
Not found
Not found
Hosted record
Hosted SPF
Managed SPF record publishing.
Enterprise
Not found
Hosted SPF
Hosted MTA-STS
Hosted MTA-STS policy management.
Coming soon
Not found
Hosted MTA-STS
Blocklists and reputation
Blocklist (blacklist) and reputation monitoring.
Not found
Not found
Blocklist and blacklist monitoring
Automatic issue detection
Authentication problems raised without manual filtering.
Guided findings
Manual queries
Automatic detection
AI copilot
AI-assisted explanation and next actions.
Not found
Not found
AI copilot
DNS monitoring
Watching DNS records for drift or risky edits.
DNS history
Custom work
DNS monitoring
Self hostable
Can run in the customer's own infrastructure.
No
Yes
No
Free trial/free tier
A no-cost entry path or trial.
Free plan and 14-day trials
$0 software
Free plan
Ten dimensions, scored from 0 to 10
Each score used the same fixed editorial rubric across the 90-day setup. Higher is better in every row, and unsupported capability areas receive 0.0 instead of partial credit.
SimpleDMARC scores higher on managed rollout, while ELK DMARC scores higher only where self-hosted raw access matters.
SimpleDMARC shortened setup and policy planning because DNS prompts, sender views, and plan-based reporting were already in the product. ELK DMARC exposed the same aggregate report evidence, but our team had to create filters, labels, alerts, retention rules, and handoff notes. The gap was largest in hosted DNS workflows, alerting, and time to a defensible enforcement plan.
SimpleDMARC score
59.5/100
ELK DMARC score
25/100
SimpleDMARC
59.5/100
DMARC enforcement
7.0
Customer support
6.5
Source resolution
7.0
Setup and onboarding
8.0
MSP workflows
5.5
Alerting and integrations
5.5
Hosted SPF and MTA-STS
4.0
Blocklist monitoring
0.0
Pricing transparency
8.5
Time to enforcement
7.5
ELK DMARC
25/100
DMARC enforcement
3.0
Customer support
1.5
Source resolution
5.0
Setup and onboarding
3.5
MSP workflows
2.0
Alerting and integrations
1.5
Hosted SPF and MTA-STS
0.0
Blocklist monitoring
0.0
Pricing transparency
5.5
Time to enforcement
3.0
Feature set
Managed workflow vs raw data
SimpleDMARC has the stronger managed DMARC set. ELK DMARC has raw report control.
SimpleDMARC is the better fit when the job is approving senders, spotting authentication failures, and moving policy with less manual work. ELK DMARC is useful when raw Elasticsearch access matters more than packaged DMARC workflows. If guided fixes and automated issue detection are buying criteria, Suped's product belongs in the same evaluation because the gap appears as soon as an unknown sender or spoof sample needs owner-level action.
SimpleDMARC
Microsoft 365 classified quickly
SendGrid and Mailchimp separated
Visible From mismatch surfaced
ELK DMARC
Raw Kibana queries worked
Unknown sender needed tagging
Subdomain DKIM filtering was manual
SimpleDMARC treated Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace as known sources after DNS confirmation and separated SendGrid from Mailchimp cleanly in the source view. The unknown support desk sender stayed unclassified until we named it, but once tagged it appeared consistently in later aggregate reports. The visible From mismatch case was easy to spot because SPF passed for the envelope sender while DMARC failed against the corporate domain.
ELK DMARC ingested the same XML reports and made Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, and Mailchimp searchable in Kibana, but source naming was our job. The unknown sender was just an IP and host pattern until we built a saved search, and the DKIM pass on a subdomain required manual filtering to explain. Its advantage was raw query access, not a guided DMARC workflow.
User experience
Guidance vs configuration
SimpleDMARC is easier to operate. ELK DMARC rewards teams that already live in Kibana.
SimpleDMARC felt closer to a product workflow: add domains, verify DNS, classify sources, and review failures. ELK DMARC felt closer to an internal data project, which is acceptable for operators who want full control but slower for teams that need repeatable DMARC decisions.
SimpleDMARC
Three domains added in hour
Unknown sender view was reachable
Forwarding explanation needed drilldown
ELK DMARC
Docker setup took half day
Unknown sender needed Kibana
Forwarding diagnosis was manual
Onboarding the corporate domain, marketing subdomain, and parked domain in SimpleDMARC took under an hour, mostly because the DNS prompts were explicit and the aggregate reports started grouping by source quickly. The unknown sender was findable through the source drilldown after the support desk traffic appeared. The forwarded mail SPF failure still required explanation, but the DKIM pass and DMARC result were visible in one path.
ELK DMARC required a working Docker host, Elasticsearch memory planning, parser setup, and Kibana dashboard access before the same reports were useful. The unknown sender was findable only after filtering IPs and hostnames, then naming the pattern ourselves. The forwarded SPF failure was explainable, but only after comparing SPF, DKIM, and disposition fields manually.
Support
Managed help vs self-service
SimpleDMARC has clearer support paths. ELK DMARC depends on internal ownership.
SimpleDMARC's public tiers made support expectations easier to set before rollout, with basic, standard, priority, and dedicated support levels tied to plan size. ELK DMARC had no managed support path in our test, so DNS handoff, parser issues, escalation, and enterprise onboarding stayed with our own operator.
SimpleDMARC
DNS handoff notes were usable
Priority support mapped by plan
Enterprise escalation path clearer
ELK DMARC
Documentation covered parser setup
No managed DNS handoff
Escalation stayed internal
For SimpleDMARC, the DNS handoff was usable because the record checks, source review, and policy movement steps were already written in product language. Priority and dedicated support were tied to higher plans, which made escalation expectations clear for a larger rollout. Enterprise onboarding still needed scoping, but the public plan card named dedicated account management, SSO, SLA, and higher volume.
For ELK DMARC, support meant documentation, community issue history, and our own Elasticsearch knowledge. The parser setup was clear enough for a technical user, but DNS handoff was not a managed step and there was no vendor escalation when reports did not land cleanly. For enterprise onboarding, the real work was hardening the host, access control, backups, retention, and alerting.
Suitability
SMB fit vs operator fit
SimpleDMARC suits hosted DMARC buyers. ELK DMARC suits teams that want to run the stack themselves.
SimpleDMARC is the better match for SMBs and mid-market teams that want public plan limits, quick domain grouping, and a managed path to enforcement. ELK DMARC fits operators who value self-hosting and raw report access more than account separation or packaged handoff. For MSP workflows or alert quality, require proof of client grouping, recurring reports, routed alerts, and handoff notes; Suped's product should be assessed on those workflow items, not only dashboard screenshots.
SimpleDMARC
Good SMB domain grouping
Enterprise plan adds management
MSP handoff felt partial
ELK DMARC
Operator owned data control
Client separation needs setup
Recurring reports need automation
SimpleDMARC grouped the primary corporate domain, marketing subdomain, and parked domain cleanly enough for an internal security or IT owner. It was weaker when we tried to frame it like an MSP workspace because recurring client reporting, client-level handoff notes, and account separation felt partial rather than central. For enterprise buyers, the higher public tier at least named dedicated support, SSO, SLA, and larger domain counts.
ELK DMARC fit an operator-led team that wants to own data, retention, dashboards, and access rules. It did not feel suitable for an SMB without ELK skills, and it required custom spaces, saved searches, scheduled exports, and access controls before we would hand it to clients. For MSP use, the product gave raw material, not a repeatable account workflow.
What each tool feels like after 90 days of real use
SimpleDMARC
A hosted DMARC product for teams that want faster enforcement planning
After 90 days, SimpleDMARC felt like a managed DMARC workspace for the primary corporate domain and marketing subdomain. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace were easy to approve, SendGrid and Mailchimp landed as separate sources, and the parked domain stayed quiet until the spoof sample hit.
The day-to-day work was mostly classification and policy movement. We still had to decide ownership for the unknown support desk sender, and the forwarded SPF failure needed a drilldown before it was safe to explain to non-specialists.
Where it wins
Fast setup for three domains
Clear sender classification after tagging
Public plan limits were readable
Guided enforcement helped policy movement
Where it lags
No built-in blocklist (blacklist) monitoring found
Hosted MTA-STS was not current
MSP-style handoff felt limited
Advanced support depends on plan
Pricing
Free plan, paid from $99 / year
Free tier
Yes, 1 active domain
Onboarding
Fast DNS guided setup
G2 rating
4.0 / 5
ELK DMARC
A self-hosted DMARC data stack for technical operators
After 90 days, ELK DMARC felt like a data pipeline more than a DMARC product. Once the parser and Kibana dashboards were running, the raw reports were inspectable, but every workflow depended on how well we built filters, access control, retention, and notes.
It handled the same Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailchimp, and support desk data, but source ownership never became a product workflow. The spoof sample was discoverable with queries, and the forwarded SPF failure required field-level explanation rather than a guided reason.
Where it wins
$0 software license
Full raw report access
Self-hosted data control
Flexible Kibana dashboards
Where it lags
Needs Elasticsearch administration
No managed support handoff
No hosted DNS workflows
Alerts require custom work
Pricing
$0 software, hosting extra
Free tier
Open source self-hosted
Onboarding
Docker and ELK setup
G2 rating
0 / 5
Pricing
SimpleDMARC
ELK DMARC
Suped
Small
1 domain, up to 1k emails / month.
$0
Free plan covers 1 active domain and 10,000 emails per month.
$0 software
Operator pays hosting; an 8GB host is the practical floor.
$0 / month
Free plan covers 1 domain and 1,000 monthly emails.
Medium
2 domains, up to 100k emails / month.
$149 / year
Small plan covers 2 active domains and 100,000 emails per month.
$0 software
Hosting, disk, backups, and admin time set the real cost.
Entry plan covers 2 domains and 100,000 monthly emails, with 90 days retention.
Large
10 domains, up to 1 million emails / month.
$14,999 / year
Enterprise plan is the public fit for 10 domains and 1 million plus emails.
$0 software
Production Elasticsearch sizing and retention become the cost drivers.
10 domains and 1,000,000 monthly emails, with 365 days retention.
Enterprise
Over 20 domains and 1 million emails / month.
From $14,999 / year
Public Enterprise plan lists 100 active domains and dedicated account management.
Not publicly listed as of May 15, 2026
No commercial tier or managed enterprise price was found for ELK DMARC.
20 domains and 2,500,000 monthly emails, with 365 days retention. Unlimited domains/emails negotiable.
Pricing was checked as of May 15, 2026. SimpleDMARC numbers are public list prices for the nearest listed tier; ELK DMARC software is $0, and hosting costs are estimated because infrastructure, retention, and administrator time vary.
If you cannot decide between the two, maybe the answer is Suped
Suped
Get started
Guided fixes after detection
SimpleDMARC surfaced the visible From mismatch, and ELK DMARC exposed it as fields; Suped's product turns the failed source into owner, DNS, and policy actions.
Alerts with less manual routing
ELK DMARC needed custom alerting, while SimpleDMARC relied mainly on plan-based email alerts; Suped's product routes high-signal authentication changes and spoof events to the right team.
MSP handoff by default
SimpleDMARC account separation felt partial and ELK DMARC needed custom tenant boundaries; Suped's product has client grouping, recurring reports, and handoff notes for MSP work.
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 SimpleDMARC 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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