Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Mimecast Secure Email Gateway VS pfSense

Compare Mimecast Secure Email Gateway VS pfSense and see what are their differences

Mimecast Secure Email Gateway logo Mimecast Secure Email Gateway

Prevent targeted email-borne attacks with Mimecast Secure Email Gateway for cloud-based anti-virus and anti-spam protection.

pfSense logo pfSense

pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router that also features unified threat management, load balancing, multi WAN, and more
  • Mimecast Secure Email Gateway Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-20
  • pfSense Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20

Mimecast Secure Email Gateway features and specs

  • Advanced Threat Protection
    Mimecast Secure Email Gateway provides robust protection against various email-based threats, including phishing, ransomware, and impersonation attacks. It uses a combination of threat intelligence and machine learning to identify and mitigate potential threats before they reach the inbox.
  • Comprehensive Email Security
    The platform offers comprehensive security features, including spam filtering, anti-virus and anti-malware scanning, and URL protection. This ensures that emails are thoroughly scanned and cleaned, minimizing the risk of malicious content.
  • User-Friendly Management Console
    Mimecast provides an intuitive and user-friendly management console that allows IT administrators to easily manage policies, monitor email traffic, and generate reports. This streamlines administrative tasks and enhances productivity.
  • Seamless Integration
    The solution integrates seamlessly with various email providers and office tools, making it easy to deploy and maintain in any existing IT infrastructure without significant disruption.
  • Archive and Compliance Features
    Mimecast offers robust email archiving and compliance features that help organizations meet legal and regulatory requirements. This includes features like e-discovery and Data Loss Prevention (DLP).

Possible disadvantages of Mimecast Secure Email Gateway

  • Cost
    Mimecast Secure Email Gateway can be relatively expensive for small and medium-sized businesses, especially when considering additional features or higher-tier plans.
  • Complex Initial Setup
    Some users may find the initial setup process complex and time-consuming, especially if they are not highly experienced in IT or lack specialized support during deployment.
  • Potential for False Positives
    As with many security solutions, there is a potential for false positives where legitimate emails may occasionally be incorrectly marked as threats and quarantined, requiring user intervention.
  • Limited Customer Support for Lower Plans
    Some users have reported that customer service response times and support quality can be inconsistent, particularly for customers on lower-tier plans who may not have access to premium support packages.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    The platform offers many advanced features that may have a steep learning curve. Users might need additional training or time to fully leverage these capabilities.

pfSense features and specs

  • Open Source
    pfSense is open-source software, meaning it is free to use and has a large community-driven development environment. This allows for continuous improvement and updates.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    pfSense provides a wide array of features including firewall, VPN, routing, load balancing, and more, all within a single platform.
  • Customizability
    The platform offers extensive customization options for advanced users, allowing for tailored security and network solutions.
  • Excellent Documentation
    pfSense has a robust and detailed documentation repository, as well as an active community forum, which helps users troubleshoot and optimize their setup.
  • Enterprise Level Security
    With features like stateful packet filtering, role-based access control, and intrusion detection systems, pfSense offers high levels of security suitable for enterprise applications.
  • Scalability
    pfSense is highly scalable, suitable for small home networks up to large enterprise environments, allowing businesses to grow without having to switch platforms.

Possible disadvantages of pfSense

  • Complexity
    pfSense can be complex to configure and manage, especially for users who do not have extensive networking knowledge or experience.
  • Hardware Requirements
    High performance and some advanced features of pfSense may require more robust hardware compared to other solutions, which could increase costs.
  • Learning Curve
    The platform's extensive feature set can result in a steep learning curve for new users, particularly those unfamiliar with networking concepts.
  • Third-Party Integration
    While pfSense supports numerous plugins and features, integrating with some third-party solutions may require additional configuration and expertise.
  • Limited Support for Non-router Functions
    Although quite powerful as a firewall/router, pfSense may lack support for functionalities outside its primary roles, such as advanced endpoint protection or cloud-native security controls.
  • Updates and Maintenance
    Keeping the system up-to-date and secure requires regular maintenance and updates, which might be cumbersome for users managing multiple instances or complex configurations.

Analysis of pfSense

Overall verdict

  • Yes, pfSense is generally considered a good option for network security.

Why this product is good

  • pfSense is an open-source firewall and router that offers robust security features.
  • It supports a wide range of configurations and add-ons, making it highly flexible and customizable.
  • pfSense is known for its reliability and strong performance, even under demanding network conditions.
  • The platform includes features such as VPN, traffic shaping, load balancing, and more, which are often found in commercial products.
  • The community and commercial support from Netgate provides valuable resources for troubleshooting and enhancements.
  • Its open-source nature means regular updates and improvements contributed by a community of users and developers.

Recommended for

  • Small to medium-sized organizations looking for an affordable yet powerful firewall solution.
  • Network professionals and enthusiasts who appreciate customization and open-source solutions.
  • Educational institutions needing a secure and versatile firewall and router solution.
  • Any environment that requires a reliable and feature-rich firewall without the cost of commercial alternatives.

Mimecast Secure Email Gateway videos

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pfSense videos

pfsense Firewall Setup and Features in Depth Version 2.4

More videos:

  • Review - Pfsense: 5 Reasons to Use It
  • Review - Netgate SG-3100 Teardown / Speedtest / Review of this powerful pfsense packet pusher!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Mimecast Secure Email Gateway and pfSense)
Security & Privacy
100 100%
0% 0
Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Email Security
100 100%
0% 0
Operating Systems
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Mimecast Secure Email Gateway and pfSense

Mimecast Secure Email Gateway Reviews

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pfSense Reviews

The top 10 alternatives to OpenVPN
Netgate offers secure networking solutions, including pfSense Plus and TNSR software, which provide firewall, router, and VPN functionalities. These solutions cater to personal users, professional users, and organizations seeking secure and reliable internet connectivity.
Best pfSense Software Alternatives and Competitors
pfSense Software firewall is a robust, open-source security solution that is compatible with any hardware and can be tailored to meet your specific needs. It is a widely used technology, and many individuals seek dependable, popular software solutions with multi-device support, multiple concurrent connections, and protocol selections. Despite its usefulness, pfSense has...
The Best Open Source Router OS Software for Large or Small Networks
pfSense is a free and open-source router and firewall operating system based on the FreeBSD operating system. It is designed to be used on standard x86 hardware and can be deployed as a virtual machine or on dedicated hardware. pfSense offers advanced features and capabilities that are typically found in commercial routers and firewalls, making it an ideal solution for small...
Best free Linuxย router and firewall distributions of 2023
pfSense is one of the most popular operating systems today. It's a BSD-based system, similar to OPNSense, but with a longer history. pfSense started in 2004, and since then, it has grown to be the most well-known open-source platform in the industry. Although it gradually loses users to OPNsense, it's still an excellent system for new users because it has the most extensive...
Source: teklager.se
11 Best pfsense Alternativesย To Secure Your Network
Unlike those of other available pfSense competitors, its capabilities allow it to be compared to commercial firewalls. You can also customize the pfSense firewall to match your needs based on the level of security and protection you want, as well as your specialist knowledge.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, pfSense seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 10 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Mimecast Secure Email Gateway mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Mimecast Secure Email Gateway yet. Tracking of Mimecast Secure Email Gateway recommendations started around Mar 2021.

pfSense mentions (10)

  • Need some help on setting up home network
    Https://pfsense.org (netgate hardware is used in businesses). Source: over 2 years ago
  • Is pfsense.org down, or is it just me?
    I am having trouble seeing available packages, updating pkg, or getting a response from pfsense.org. Is anyone else seeing this or am I going to spend the rest of my day chasing bugs? Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Help with VLAN
    From the PIA Client to pfsense.org PING pfsense.org (208.123.73.69) from 10.6.112.128: 56 data bytes 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=0 ttl=49 time=49.455 ms 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=1 ttl=49 time=51.927 ms 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=2 ttl=49 time=49.333 ms 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=3 ttl=49 time=49.133 ms 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=4 ttl=49 time=49.027 ms ... Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Can Surveillance Station record offsite cameras ?
    The above setup is critical to a reliable system. I'd use enterprise quality routers for a store and home connection. I personally use https://pfsense.org but there are many to choose from and several open source. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Exposing Synology to web: best/practical practices?
    What I would do is put that thing in DMZ and install a good router behind it like https://www.pfsense.org. No affiliation, just been my router for many years. There's also it's sibling https://opnsense.org. There are many, just get a enterprise quality router. Source: about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Mimecast Secure Email Gateway and pfSense, you can also consider the following products

Abnormal Security - Abnormal is a prominent platform that provides accurate and superior cloud-native Email Security.

OPNsense - OPNsenseยฎ you next open source firewall. Free Download. High-end Security Made Easyโ„ข. Offers Intrusion Prevention, Captive Portal, Traffic Shaping and more.

Material Security - Material Security provides phishing protection, account takeover prevention, and email DLP for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

OpenWrt - OpenWrt is an open-source firmware based on Linux for wireless routers

IRONSCALES - IRONSCALES is a platform that is designed to stop phishing.

Comodo Firewall - Comodo Firewall Pro - Secure your system against internal attacks such as Trojan viruses /...