# Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Zix Email Threat Protection Comparison

| | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.6 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 299 | 11 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Mid-Market (37.8% of reviews) | Mid-Market (45.5% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | $2.00 1 User Per Month | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Pros:
- Ease of Use (9 reviews)
- Security (9 reviews)

Cons:
- Complexity (8 reviews)
- False Positives (6 reviews)

### Zix Email Threat Protection

**Not enough data**

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.0 (232 reviews) | 9.1 (9 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.9 (235 reviews) | 9.1 (9 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.7 (118 reviews) | 8.1 (8 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.9 (100 reviews) | 9.0 (8 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.7 (226 reviews) | 8.9 (9 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.8 (101 reviews) | 9.0 (8 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.4 (223 reviews) | 8.7 (9 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Microsoft Defender for Office 365

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Microsoft Defender for Office Plan 1

Price: $2.00 1 User Per Month

Description: Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 offers protection against advanced attacks across email and collaboration tools in Office 365.

Key Features:
- Protection against advanced attacks, such as phishing, malware, spam, and business email compromise
- Protection beyond email (Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Office apps)
- Internal email protection

[Browse all 2 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-microsoft-defender-for-office-365/pricing)

#### Free Trial

No

### Zix Email Threat Protection

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Email Security

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | N/A | N/A |
| **Zix Email Threat Protection** | N/A | N/A |

#### 

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Phishing Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Threat Response** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Domain Check** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Security Auditing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI/Machine Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Third-Party Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Copilot** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting/Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Anomaly/Malware Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **SURLB/URIBL Filtering** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Dashboard** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Scheduled/Automated Reports** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **For MSPs** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Whitelisting/Blacklisting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Fraud Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Blocker** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Quarantine** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **API** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Leak Prevention** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Audit Trail** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Analysis** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Policy Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Alerts/Escalation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Vulnerability Scanning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generative AI** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Threat Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Attachment Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Filtering** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Two-Factor Authentication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Cloud Email Security

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | 8.8/10 | 164 |
| **Zix Email Threat Protection** | N/A | N/A |

#### Administration

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Intelligence Reporting** | 8.8 (149 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 
| **Email Integration Suppor** | 9.0 (148 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 
| **Access Management** | 8.8 (141 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 
| **Data Loss Prevention** | 8.5 (141 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 

#### Maintenance

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Auditing** | 8.7 (139 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 
| **Allow and block lists** | 8.8 (146 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance** | 8.8 (143 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Archiving** | 8.6 (136 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 

#### Security

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Anti-Malware/Anti-Spam** | 9.0 (152 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 
| **Encryption** | 8.9 (142 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Quarantine** | 8.8 (146 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 
| **Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)** | 9.0 (145 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 
| **Anti-Phishing** | 9.0 (149 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 
| **Account takeover prevention** | 8.7 (139 reviews) ✓ Verified | Not enough data | 

### Intelligent Email Protection

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | 8.9/10 | 5 |
| **Zix Email Threat Protection** | N/A | N/A |

#### Administration

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Compliance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Intelligence Reporting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Clients** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Role-Based Rules** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Detection

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Data Exfiltration Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Detection** | 8.7 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Protection

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Targeted Attack Prevention** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Policy Enforcement** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Filtering** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Agentic AI - Intelligent Email Protection

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Antivirus

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | N/A | N/A |
| **Zix Email Threat Protection** | N/A | N/A |

#### Generative AI

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Generation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generative AI** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### 

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Real-Time Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **API** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Threat Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Blocker** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Quarantine** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-time Alerts** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Incident Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Remote Update/Installation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **DDoS Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Automatic Scans** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Vulnerability/Threat Prioritization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Endpoint Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Identity Theft Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Security Auditing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Virus Definition Update** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **VPN** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Tracker Blocking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Loss Prevention** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Copilot** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Webcam Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Anomaly/Malware Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Third-Party Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Access Controls/Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Password Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Phishing Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Attachment Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI/Machine Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting & Statistics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Network Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Authentication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Threat Response** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Dashboard** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Vulnerability Scanning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Next-Generation Firewall** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Application Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Whitelisting/Blacklisting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Server Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Email Anti-spam

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | 7.8/10 | 14 |
| **Zix Email Threat Protection** | N/A | N/A |

#### Agentic AI - Email Anti-spam Features

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | 8.1 (13 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | 7.4 (11 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### 

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Phishing Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Archiving & Retention** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Policy Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Loss Prevention** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Single Sign On** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Storage Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Fraud Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Routing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Verification** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Filtering** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Search/Filter** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **SURLB/URIBL Filtering** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Security Auditing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Synchronization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Anti Virus** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Risk Assessment** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Greylisting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Audit Trail** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting/Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Allow/Block List** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Vulnerability Scanning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Active Directory Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Compression** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Anti Spam** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Disaster Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Copilot** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Tagging** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Secure Data Storage** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Blocker** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Microsoft Outlook Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Analysis** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **API** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Categorization/Grouping** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Event Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Inbox Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Authentication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Third-Party Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting & Statistics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Spam Quarantine** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **SSL Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generative AI** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Retention Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Access Controls/Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Endpoint Protection

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft Defender for Office 365** | N/A | N/A |
| **Zix Email Threat Protection** | N/A | N/A |

#### System Control

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Device Control** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Web Control** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Application Control** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Asset Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **System Isolation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Vulnerability Prevention

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Endpoint Intelligence** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Firewall** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Malware Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Security Management

| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Incident Reports** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Security Validation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance ** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (2):** [Cloud Email Security Solutions](https://www.g2.com/categories/cloud-email-security), [Email Anti-spam Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/email-anti-spam)

**Unique to Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (1):** [Intelligent Email Protection Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/intelligent-email-protection)

**Unique to Zix Email Threat Protection (1):** [Antivirus Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/antivirus)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Zix Email Threat Protection | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 25.8% | 36.4% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 37.8% | 45.5% | 
| **Enterprise** | 36.4% | 18.2% | 

### By Industry

#### Microsoft Defender for Office 365

- **Information Technology and Services:** 26.0%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 12.5%
- **Computer Software:** 12.5%
- **Financial Services:** 5.3%
- **Accounting:** 2.8%
- **Consulting:** 2.8%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.5%
- **Education Management:** 2.5%
- **Oil & Energy:** 2.5%
- **Higher Education:** 1.8%
- **Other:** 28.8%

#### Zix Email Threat Protection

- **Financial Services:** 27.3%
- **Health, Wellness and Fitness:** 18.2%
- **Retail:** 9.1%
- **Pharmaceuticals:** 9.1%
- **Insurance:** 9.1%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 9.1%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 9.1%
- **Banking:** 9.1%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Microsoft Defender for Office 365

- [Proofpoint Core Email Protection](https://www.g2.com/products/proofpoint-core-email-protection/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (601 reviews)
- [SpamTitan Email Security](https://www.g2.com/products/spamtitan-email-security/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (199 reviews)
- [Symantec Email Security.Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/symantec-email-security-cloud/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (67 reviews)
- [IRONSCALES](https://www.g2.com/products/ironscales/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (65 reviews)
- [Mimecast Advanced Email Security](https://www.g2.com/products/mimecast-advanced-email-security/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (348 reviews)
- [Barracuda Email Gateway Defense](https://www.g2.com/products/barracuda-email-gateway-defense/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (39 reviews)
- [Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-email-threat-defense/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (28 reviews)
- [Proofpoint Essentials for Small Business](https://www.g2.com/products/proofpoint-essentials-for-small-business/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (24 reviews)
- [Vade](https://www.g2.com/products/vade/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (180 reviews)
- [Cloudflare One (SASE)](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudflare-one-sase/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (105 reviews)

### Alternatives to Zix Email Threat Protection

- [Mimecast Advanced Email Security](https://www.g2.com/products/mimecast-advanced-email-security/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (348 reviews)
- [Proofpoint Core Email Protection](https://www.g2.com/products/proofpoint-core-email-protection/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (601 reviews)
- [ThreatDown](https://www.g2.com/products/threatdown/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1089 reviews)
- [CrowdStrike Falcon Endpoint Protection Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/crowdstrike-falcon-endpoint-protection-platform/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (438 reviews)
- [Acronis Cyber Protect](https://www.g2.com/products/acronis-acronis-cyber-protect/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (742 reviews)
- [Paubox](https://www.g2.com/products/paubox/reviews) — 4.9/5 stars (613 reviews)
- [Check Point Email Security](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-email-security/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (534 reviews)
- [Valimail](https://www.g2.com/products/valimail/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (541 reviews)
- [CyberSentriq](https://www.g2.com/products/cybersentriq/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (397 reviews)
- [Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/acronis-cyber-protect-cloud/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (1442 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Microsoft Defender for Office 365

- Title: [What are the security features of Microsoft 365?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/microsoft-defender-for-office-365-what-are-the-security-features-of-microsoft-365) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Multi Factor authentication. data encryption, threat protection, data protection, identity and access management are major features of MS Office 365,"
- Title: [Does Microsoft 365 include Microsoft Defender?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/does-microsoft-365-include-microsoft-defender) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Yes"

### Zix Email Threat Protection

No discussions available for this product.

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/microsoft-microsoft-defender-for-office-365-vs-zix-email-threat-protection)