MailSentinel vs Agari: Enterprise DMARC Alternative

Agari: The Enterprise Email Security Giant

Agari (now part of HelpSystems/Fortra) is a major player in enterprise email security. They offer a comprehensive suite that goes far beyond DMARC monitoring:

• DMARC monitoring and management
• Advanced phishing detection
• Account takeover protection
• Brand protection
• Threat intelligence
• Incident response

This makes Agari a powerful choice for large enterprises—but potentially overkill (and overpriced) for organizations focused on DMARC.

The Enterprise vs. SMB Divide

Agari's Target Market

Agari is designed for:

• Large enterprises (1,000+ employees)
• Organizations with dedicated security teams
• Companies facing sophisticated phishing attacks
• Brands requiring advanced protection

Their pricing, sales process, and feature set reflect this focus.

Who's Left Out

This enterprise focus creates a gap for:

• Small and mid-size businesses
• Startups with limited security budgets
• Organizations needing "just" DMARC monitoring
• Teams without dedicated security staff

MailSentinel fills this gap.

Feature Comparison

Security Depth

Capability	MailSentinel	Agari
DMARC Monitoring	✅	✅
SPF/DKIM Validation	✅	✅
Threat Intelligence	❌	✅ Advanced
Phishing Detection	❌	✅ AI-powered
Account Takeover Protection	❌	✅
Brand Protection	❌	✅
Incident Response	❌	✅

Accessibility

Factor	MailSentinel	Agari
Self-Service Signup	✅ Yes	❌ No
Transparent Pricing	✅ Published	❌ Quote only
Free Trial	✅ 14 days	❌ Demo only
Implementation Time	Hours	Weeks-Months
Contract Requirements	None	Annual minimum
Minimum Commitment	$14/month	~$20,000/year

The Pricing Reality

Agari Costs

Agari doesn't publish pricing, but based on industry reports and customer feedback:

• Typical starting cost: $20,000-50,000/year
• Enterprise deployments: $100,000+/year
• Per-seat licensing: Common
• Implementation fees: Often additional
• Support tiers: Premium costs extra

MailSentinel Costs

Completely transparent:

• Starter: $14/month ($168/year)
• Professional: $49/month ($588/year)
• Enterprise: Custom (still far below Agari)

Cost Comparison

For basic DMARC monitoring:

Metric	MailSentinel	Agari
Year 1 Cost	$168-588	$20,000+
Year 5 Cost	$840-2,940	$100,000+

Potential 5-year savings: $97,000+

When Agari Makes Sense

Despite the cost, Agari may be the right choice if you:

Need Advanced Threat Protection

If your organization faces sophisticated phishing attacks, account takeover attempts, or brand impersonation beyond basic DMARC, Agari's AI-powered threat detection is valuable.

Have Enterprise Security Requirements

Some compliance frameworks and security policies require capabilities that Agari provides:

• SOC 2 integration
• SIEM connections
• Advanced audit logging
• Incident management

Have the Budget

If you're a Fortune 500 company with a substantial security budget, Agari's comprehensive platform may be worth the investment.

When MailSentinel Is Better

For most organizations, MailSentinel provides what you actually need:

You Need DMARC Monitoring

If your primary goal is implementing and monitoring DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, you don't need Agari's additional features.

You're Budget-Conscious

The 100x price difference is real. Most SMBs can't justify Agari's cost for DMARC monitoring alone.

You Want Quick Implementation

MailSentinel: Sign up, add your domain, update your DMARC record, done.

Agari: Sales calls, procurement, contracts, implementation project, training...

You Don't Have a Security Team

Agari's advanced features require dedicated staff to utilize effectively. MailSentinel is designed for IT generalists and small teams.

The "Good Enough" Question

When evaluating security tools, consider:

Does Agari provide better DMARC monitoring? Not really. DMARC report parsing is standardized—both platforms handle it well.

Does Agari provide additional value? Yes, through threat intelligence and advanced features.

Do you need that additional value? This is the key question. For many organizations, the answer is no.

Migration Considerations

If You're an Agari Customer

Before your contract renews, consider:

1. Audit your usage - Which Agari features do you actually use?
2. Calculate ROI - Is the cost justified by the threat protection?
3. Test alternatives - Run MailSentinel alongside Agari
4. Plan transition - Allow overlap during migration

What You Might Lose

• Advanced phishing detection
• AI-powered threat analysis
• Account takeover protection
• Brand monitoring

What You Keep

• Full DMARC monitoring
• SPF/DKIM validation
• Real-time alerts
• Team collaboration

What You Gain

• Significant cost savings
• Simpler platform
• Faster support responses
• No contract lock-in

Customer Experiences

From Agari Customer

"We were paying $45,000/year for Agari. When we audited our usage, we realized we were only using the DMARC monitoring. Switched to MailSentinel and saved $44,400/year."

— IT Director, Manufacturing Company

From Security Team

"Agari's threat intelligence is genuinely useful if you have the staff to act on it. We didn't, so the features went unused."

— Security Analyst, Tech Startup

Making the Decision

Choose Agari If:

• ✅ You're a large enterprise with substantial budget
• ✅ You face sophisticated, targeted attacks
• ✅ You have a dedicated security team
• ✅ You need advanced threat intelligence
• ✅ Compliance requires their specific features

Choose MailSentinel If:

• ✅ DMARC monitoring is your primary need
• ✅ You're budget-conscious
• ✅ You want quick implementation
• ✅ You prefer self-service simplicity
• ✅ You're an SMB or startup

Try MailSentinel Risk-Free

Most organizations don't need Agari's enterprise features. Find out if MailSentinel meets your needs with a free 14-day trial.

No sales calls. No contracts. No commitment.

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