Valimail distinguishes itself with a strong focus on automated DMARC enforcement. Its platform is designed to take the guesswork out of DMARC, providing automated SPF flattening and DKIM record management. We found it excels at discovering and categorizing all email-sending sources on behalf of your domain.
The Enforce product is particularly robust, aiming for DMARC enforcement within 60 days. While the free Monitor product offers excellent visibility, paid tiers unlock crucial features like comprehensive dashboards, subdomain management, API access, and advanced alerts. Valimail also supports BIMI for brand recognition.
Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection is not a standalone product, but rather a component of the broader Barracuda Email Protection suite. This means its features are deeply integrated within a larger email security ecosystem, offering DMARC services alongside other protections like anti-spam, anti-phishing, and data loss prevention.
From our experience, this integrated approach provides a comprehensive shield for your email infrastructure. While it delivers effective DMARC reporting and enforcement capabilities, its DMARC-specific features might feel less granular than a dedicated DMARC-only platform, as the focus is on the holistic security posture.
How easy is each product to use
User experience
Valimail boasts an intuitive and user-friendly interface that simplifies DMARC management, even for complex environments. We found the dashboards clear and effective for visualizing DMARC reports, making it easy to identify legitimate and unauthorized senders. The onboarding process is generally straightforward, with strong customer support aiding initial setup.
However, some users might find certain advanced features or troubleshooting insights less developed. While the core DMARC monitoring is excellent, deeper dives into specific failures or custom report exports can sometimes lack the desired granularity or flexibility, requiring a bit more navigation than ideal.
As part of the Barracuda Email Protection suite, Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection integrates seamlessly into the Barracuda management console. Users familiar with Barracuda's other products will find the interface consistent and logical. The DMARC reporting is presented within this unified environment, which is convenient for managing all aspects of email security from one place.
For new users, adopting the entire Barracuda suite might involve a steeper learning curve compared to a dedicated DMARC solution. While specific DMARC setup and monitoring are well-documented, the broader platform can take time to master. We observed that the strength lies in its integrated nature rather than a hyper-specialized DMARC UX.
Which product has the best support
Support
Valimail is widely praised for its excellent customer support, particularly during onboarding. We've experienced their team to be friendly, approachable, and responsive, offering valuable assistance with initial DMARC, SPF, and DKIM configurations. This hands-on approach is critical, especially when transitioning to an automated DMARC solution.
Support tiers vary with different plans, with dedicated account managers available for higher-tier clients. While most interactions are positive, some users have noted that response times can sometimes be slow, particularly for specific time zones or less common issues. For those in the UK, direct engagement with local suppliers might be a hurdle.
Barracuda, being a large security vendor, offers robust support channels that extend across its entire product suite. Their customer service is generally reported as extremely responsive, a significant benefit when dealing with critical email security matters. This unified support structure means you can get help for DMARC issues alongside any other Barracuda Email Protection concerns.
However, the support experience can sometimes be generalized due to the breadth of products. While technical assistance for Domain Fraud Protection is available, it might not always come from a DMARC-specialized expert every time. Access to specific support resources or account managers might also depend on your overall Barracuda licensing.
Who should use each product
Suitability
Valimail is an excellent choice for organizations of all sizes that prioritize achieving DMARC enforcement quickly and effectively. Its automated approach is particularly beneficial for enterprises with complex sending ecosystems and numerous third-party senders, streamlining the identification and alignment process. Small to mid-sized businesses can also benefit from the free Monitor tier for basic visibility.
MSPs looking for a dedicated DMARC solution to manage multiple client domains can leverage Valimail's multi-tenancy features in higher tiers. Its strong DMARC-first focus ensures that email authentication is handled with precision, making it ideal for brands acutely concerned about impersonation and phishing, especially those aiming for BIMI implementation.
Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection is best suited for organizations already within the Barracuda ecosystem or those seeking a holistic email security solution that bundles DMARC with other protections. Enterprise and mid-market companies that prefer an integrated vendor strategy for their cybersecurity needs will find this approach appealing, simplifying vendor management.
For SMBs, if they are already using Barracuda's Email Protection, the DFP module offers added value without needing to onboard a separate vendor. MSPs can also benefit from Barracuda's partner programs, offering robust, multi-layered email security solutions to their clients. It's a strong fit for those who value comprehensive security over a hyper-specialized DMARC tool.
How does Valimail compare with Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection?
DMARC report analysis
Ability to process and interpret DMARC aggregate reports.
Very detailed and automated analysis
Effective as part of a broader suite
Source detection
Automatically identify all sending sources for a domain.
Automated and precise discovery
Integrated within email protection
Forward detection
Identify and account for email forwarding accurately.
Handles forwarding well
Included
Spoof detection
Capability to detect and block email spoofing attempts.
Core feature for DMARC enforcement
Strong, as part of security suite
Notifications and alerts
Real-time alerts for DMARC policy violations or anomalies.
Configurable alerts in higher tiers
Part of Barracuda's alert system
Reporting
Generation of user-friendly DMARC compliance reports.
Comprehensive dashboards
Integrated reports within console
API
Programmable interface for data integration and automation.
Available in Enterprise, add-on for others
Likely via Barracuda Email Protection
Multi-tenancy
Support for managing multiple domains or client accounts.
Portfolios in Enterprise plans
Supported for MSPs and resellers
SPF flattening
Automatically resolve SPF 10-lookup limit issues.
Unlimited SPF lookups
Expected within comprehensive protection
Hosted DMARC
Service that hosts and manages DMARC records.
Automated DMARC management
Managed as part of suite
BIMI
Brand Indicators for Message Identification support.
Supported with Amplify add-on
Generally supported
MTA-STS/TLS-RPT
Support for Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security/TLS Reporting.
Not a primary focus
Not a primary focus
Blocklists and reputation
Integration with email blocklists (or blacklists) and sender reputation monitoring.
Not explicitly offered
Integrated into Email Protection
AI copilot
Artificial intelligence-driven assistance or automation.
Not explicitly offered
Not explicitly offered
DNS monitoring
Monitoring of DNS records for unauthorized changes.
Implicit via DMARC setup
Implicit via email security suite
Self hostable
Option to host the solution on-premises.
Cloud-based solution
Cloud-based solution
Free trial/free tier
Availability of a free version or trial period.
Valimail Monitor is free
Free trial for Barracuda Email Protection
Drawbacks and what to watch out for
Both Valimail and Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection are effective tools, but they do have areas where they could improve. Valimail's primary drawbacks revolve around its pricing structure, which can be seen as high for smaller businesses, and some users note a perceived lack of depth in advanced reporting features or a feeling of vendor lock-in. For Barracuda, being part of a larger suite means its DMARC features are less specialized, and a single review mentioned a slight network lag, though this was minor.
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.
4.6 / 5(421)
5 / 5(1)
Easy DMARC Monitoring But Not Great
3.5 / 5
What do you like best about Valimail?
Valimail is pretty simple to setup and use. We were wanting to monitor some changes to DMARC, and Valimail was the platform we ultimately decided to use.
What do you dislike about Valimail?
A few things I don't like:
1. The free vs premium features are frustrating. I can't see enough value from free to validate a move to premium.
2. The Sender Requirement Failure feature is in beta and never really works. I can't only get it to work if I expand it before a week, and even then it's hit-or-miss.
3. It doesn't really do enough. Other platforms I've tried did a better job at helping to explain the WHY and HOW rather than just the what. Valimail primarily focuses on the WHAT.
4. Some of the feature organization is weird within the app, even after having used it for a few months. I can get more value in the account overview than the sender requirements failure, which is counter-intuitive IMO.
What problems is Valimail solving and how is that benefiting you?
We had a baselevel view of email security when I was initially hired and wanted to monitor the DMARC changes effectively.
Verified User in Construction
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Excellent protection for a mid-sized non-profit.
5.0 / 5
What do you like best about Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection?
Our school for autistic adults has benefitted immensely from the Barracuda products we use for cybersecurity, and their Domain Fraud Protection is an excellent addition to the essentials suite. It is relatively inexpensive compared to competitors and provides comprehensive DMARC services which protect our brand from being digitally impersonated and used to launch attacks. This was a real problem for us prior to purchasing Barracuda DFP, but has not been a worry in the 7+ years since we installed the software. Our IT specialist reports that their customer service is extremely responsive and that the software itself is simple to manage. Highly recommended.
What do you dislike about Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection?
The only downside we've experienced to Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection is a slight network lag. This has not been too noticeable, however, and the extra protection has been well worth the additional system load.
What problems is Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection solving and how is that benefiting you?
We used to suffer domain spoofing attacks multiple times a year, but Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection has successfully stopped virtually all of these kinds of attacks since we began using it on our network in 2015.
Jared S.
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
I like Valimail - mostly.
3.5 / 5
What do you like best about Valimail?
Good interface for viewing DMARC reporting information.
What do you dislike about Valimail?
Price, it'd be nice if they could institute a model based on volume rather than the number of email domains.
What problems is Valimail solving and how is that benefiting you?
Valimail provides DMARC provides good aggregate reporting for our email domains, allowing us to implement to the eventual reject policy goal.
Verified User in Real Estate
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
Straightforward onboarding
4.0 / 5
What do you like best about Valimail?
Ease of set-up and great customer support.
What do you dislike about Valimail?
Some features aren't as developed as some competitors, however ultimately it's up to each organization to decide the value of those features.
What problems is Valimail solving and how is that benefiting you?
Being able to report on DMARC successes and failures, to help us fine-tune the configuration to ensure each domain is correctly configured.
Verified User in Oil & Energy
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
Valimail Simplifies DMARC Management, But Watch for Vendor Lock-In
4.0 / 5
What do you like best about Valimail?
My favorite thing about Valimail is having a single portal that puts all DMARC reports into an easy to understand view. Having this information allowed us to identify hundreds of 3rd party email sources sending on behalf of our domain. Doing this without such a portal would be incredibly difficult especially in a franchise setting like ours where we have more services sending on behalf of our domain than most other companies.
What do you dislike about Valimail?
Valimail isn't cheap but you definitely get what you pay for. I also grow concerned about vendor lock-in now that I have setup Valimail to handle DMARC, SPF and DKIM with no exist strategy.
What problems is Valimail solving and how is that benefiting you?
Valimail solves the problem of visibility into who is sending on our behalf and makes identifying them easy.
Verified User in Non-Profit Organization Management
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
A Must-Have for Email Security
4.0 / 5
What do you like best about Valimail?
The best thing about Valimail is its fully automation feature as we can get the reports automated with whole monthly data .
As I prepare reports every month in which I have to include the malicious email data so I do not need to manually check each single thing , the Valimail does it for itself.
What do you dislike about Valimail?
The thing which I dislike about Valimai is that its little expensive especially for the businesses which are small nd not much expanded .
What problems is Valimail solving and how is that benefiting you?
The problem which Valimail is solving for me is the manual effort for exporting the data related to spam emails and its security checks are the best .It filters out the emails properly and which are suspicious , they get rejected easily .
Verified User in Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
Pricing
Valimail offers a free monitoring tier and then scales up with paid plans that can be costly, while Barracuda Domain Fraud Protection is bundled into their broader Email Protection suite, making its pricing less transparent as a standalone product.