Valimail offers a robust and highly automated feature set, particularly with its Enforce and Align products. We found its DMARC enforcement capabilities to be quite advanced, leveraging machine learning to automatically discover and classify email senders. This means less manual effort in identifying legitimate versus fraudulent email traffic.
Their platform provides extensive visibility into all email sending activity, offering precision sender intelligence, comprehensive dashboards, and detailed reports. Features like unlimited SPF and automated DKIM management, especially through their SPF flattening technology, are standout for organizations with complex email ecosystems, effectively bypassing the 10-lookup limit.
MailHardener provides a focused and practical set of DMARC reporting features. We appreciate its emphasis on providing clear insights into email authentication, making it easier for users to understand their DMARC compliance status. Its core functionality revolves around collecting and analyzing DMARC aggregate and forensic reports.
While perhaps not as deeply automated in enforcement as Valimail, MailHardener offers essential tools for managing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, along with good support for MTA-STS and TLS-RPT, which are crucial for advanced email security. It provides a solid foundation for organizations looking to implement and monitor their email authentication policies effectively.
How easy is each product to use
User experience
From our experience, Valimail offers a clean and intuitive user interface, especially for viewing DMARC reporting information and managing various domains. The setup process for DMARC, SPF, and DKIM is generally straightforward, with clear guidance provided, making it accessible even for users who are newer to DMARC.
However, some users noted that navigating advanced features or understanding the nuances of certain reports can sometimes be less intuitive. While the core dashboards are excellent, occasionally, the organization of features feels a bit counter-intuitive, and some reporting limitations might require a learning curve for deeper analysis.
MailHardener generally presents a more direct and less cluttered user experience. Its dashboards are designed to provide essential DMARC insights without overwhelming the user with excessive data. We found the platform easy to navigate for core DMARC monitoring and configuration tasks.
The focus seems to be on presenting the crucial information clearly, which benefits users who prefer a no-frills approach to DMARC management. While it might lack some of the advanced visualisations found in more complex tools, its simplicity often translates into a quicker adoption and easier day-to-day use for focused tasks.
Which product has the best support
Support
Valimail consistently receives high marks for its customer support and onboarding assistance. Many users, including us, found their support team to be responsive, friendly, and highly knowledgeable, particularly during the initial setup and configuration phases.
They offer various levels of support, including knowledgebase articles, onboarding assistance, and dedicated account managers for higher tiers. While some users mentioned that response times can sometimes vary for specific issues, the overall sentiment is that Valimail provides excellent guidance to ensure successful DMARC implementation and ongoing management.
MailHardener, while perhaps not offering the same extensive dedicated account management as enterprise-tier Valimail plans, provides solid support for its users. We found their documentation to be comprehensive and helpful for self-service problem solving.
Support interactions were generally clear and effective for resolving technical queries related to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM configurations. For organizations that prefer a more self-guided approach with reliable technical assistance when needed, MailHardener's support structure is quite adequate and helpful.
Who should use each product
Suitability
Valimail is particularly well-suited for larger enterprises and organizations with complex email environments, especially those managing numerous domains and seeking highly automated DMARC enforcement. Its comprehensive features, including automated SPF flattening, extensive reporting, and AI-driven spoof detection, cater to advanced security needs.
For MSPs, Valimail's multi-tenancy and robust platform management features in enterprise plans could be beneficial, but the pricing structure might be a consideration. SMBs could find the free Monitor plan valuable for basic insights, but the full-featured paid plans are typically geared towards larger budgets and more intricate requirements.
MailHardener is an excellent choice for SMBs and mid-market organizations that need a reliable, straightforward DMARC reporting and enforcement solution without the extensive complexity of larger platforms. Its focus on clear insights and essential features makes it accessible for teams with fewer dedicated email security resources.
MailHardener also explicitly offers a tailored MSP plan, making it a strong contender for managed service providers looking to offer DMARC services to their clients. While it might not have the enterprise-grade automation of Valimail, its robust support for MTA-STS/TLS-RPT and clear interface make it highly suitable for organizations prioritizing foundational email security protocols.
How does Valimail compare with MailHardener?
DMARC report analysis
Ability to process and visualize DMARC aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) reports.
Comprehensive and highly visual analysis.
Clear and detailed report insights.
Source detection
Automatically identifies email sending sources on your behalf.
Automated discovery with machine learning.
Effective identification of senders.
Forward detection
Identifies legitimate email forwarding that might break DMARC.
Monitors and accounts for forwarding patterns.
Helps in understanding forwarding impact.
Spoof detection
Detects and flags attempts to send emails impersonating your domain.
AI-driven detection for enhanced security.
Reliable spoofing identification.
Notifications and alerts
Provides real-time alerts for DMARC failures or suspicious activity.
Configurable alerts for various events.
Essential alerts for DMARC status.
Reporting
Generates various reports on DMARC compliance and email traffic.
Executive and detailed reports, downloadable.
Key reports for DMARC and authentication.
API
Offers an API for integration with other systems.
Available as an add-on or in Enterprise.
API access for automation.
Multi-tenancy
Supports managing multiple client domains from a single interface.
Available in Enterprise plans.
Dedicated MSP plan for multi-tenancy.
SPF flattening
Automates the process of flattening SPF records to avoid the 10-lookup limit.
Core feature for complex SPF records.
Assists with SPF record management.
Hosted DMARC
Manages your DMARC record, allowing for automated enforcement.
Automated DMARC policy enforcement.
Manages DMARC records and policy.
BIMI
Supports Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI).
Amplify add-on for BIMI setup.
Supports BIMI implementation.
MTA-STS/TLS-RPT
Includes support for Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security and TLS Reporting.
Not a primary focus of the platform.
Dedicated tools for MTA-STS/TLS-RPT.
Blocklists and reputation
Monitors email sending reputation and identifies blocklist (or blacklist) issues.
Less emphasis on direct blocklist monitoring.
Monitors blocklists and sender reputation.
AI copilot
Utilizes AI for guided DMARC implementation and insights.
New AI-driven detection features.
Does not currently feature an AI copilot.
DNS monitoring
Monitors DNS records for potential issues and changes.
Integrated DNS management for authentication.
Monitors relevant DNS records.
Self hostable
Option to self-host the DMARC reporting solution.
Cloud-based SaaS solution only.
Cloud-based SaaS solution only.
Free trial/free tier
Offers a free version or trial period to test the service.
Valimail Monitor is a free service.
Offers a free DMARC plan.
Drawbacks and what to watch out for
Valimail's primary drawbacks include its pricing, which can be prohibitive for smaller businesses, and some users note that the interface can be occasionally complex or lack detail in specific reports. For MailHardener, the main challenge is its limited number of public reviews, which makes assessing widespread user experience more difficult.
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)
0 / 5(0)
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.)
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.
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 tiered structure with a free monitoring plan, while its enforcement and alignment products are priced significantly higher, often requiring direct contact for quotes; MailHardener also features a free plan, with paid options structured for different business sizes, including MSPs, but exact pricing details are less transparent publicly.
Small
Up to 10k emails / month
Monitor (Free)
Free plan
Medium
Up to 100k emails / month
Contact for pricing
Contact for pricing
Large
Up to 1 million emails / month
Align Bronze ($19/month, billed annually up to 500k emails)
Contact for pricing
Enterprise
Over 1 million emails / month
Enforce Starter ($5,000/year). Contact for Premium/Enterprise.
Contact for pricing (Large & MSP plans)
Suped hard sell incoming!
Still not satisfied with Valimail or MailHardener?