AI-Powered Email Security Platforms -- Proofpoint Alternatives
AI-powered email security platforms use machine learning, behavioral analysis, and natural language processing to detect email threats that traditional signature-based gateways miss. These tools excel at catching socially-engineered attacks like business email compromise, vendor fraud, and account takeover where there is no malicious payload for conventional scanners to detect. They typically deploy via API without MX record changes and can layer on top of existing email security gateways for defense-in-depth.
Custom pricing / per-user licensing
The strongest AI-powered email security platform with behavioral detection that catches BEC and social engineering attacks that gateway solutions miss. Best for organizations facing sophisticated impersonation and vendor fraud attacks, typically deployed as a supplementary layer behind an existing gateway.
From $4.50/user/month
Combines AI-powered phishing detection with crowdsourced threat intelligence and integrated phishing simulation training. Best for mid-market organizations wanting a focused anti-phishing solution with built-in security awareness at accessible pricing.
Custom pricing / per-user licensing
Uniquely addresses both inbound threats and outbound data loss from misdirected emails and human error. Best for organizations where accidental data loss through wrong recipients is a significant risk alongside inbound phishing threats. Now part of Proofpoint following acquisition.
AI-powered email security platform specializing in behavioral detection of social engineering attacks
Custom pricing / per-user licensing
Organizations facing sophisticated social engineering and BEC attacks that bypass traditional email gateways
AI-powered anti-phishing platform with crowdsourced threat intelligence
From $4.50/user/month
Mid-market organizations wanting automated phishing protection with integrated security awareness and phishing simulation
Human layer security platform preventing inbound threats and outbound misdirected emails
Custom pricing / per-user licensing
Organizations concerned about both inbound email threats and accidental data loss from misdirected emails and human error
Compare all 3 Proofpoint alternatives side-by-side across pricing, deployment, and key capabilities.
| Feature | Abnormal Security 4.5/5 | IRONSCALES 4.2/5 | Tessian 4.1/5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per-user subscription | Per-user subscription (tiered plans) | Per-user subscription |
| Open Source | -- | -- | -- |
| Cloud-Hosted | + | + | + |
| Self-Hosted | -- | -- | -- |
| Best For | Organizations facing sophisticated social engineering and BEC attacks that bypass traditional email gateways | Mid-market organizations wanting automated phishing protection with integrated security awareness and phishing simulation | Organizations concerned about both inbound email threats and accidental data loss from misdirected emails and human error |
| Key Features |
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| Website | Visit | Visit | Visit |
Not entirely. AI-powered email security tools like Abnormal Security and IRONSCALES excel at detecting socially-engineered attacks that lack malicious payloads, but they do not provide the full feature set of a secure email gateway. They do not handle email routing, spam filtering, malware sandboxing, email archiving, or compliance. Most organizations deploy AI email security as a supplementary layer behind Proofpoint or another gateway, creating defense-in-depth where the gateway handles payload-based threats and the AI layer catches social engineering.
Proofpoint primarily operates as a secure email gateway that inspects content, URLs, and attachments using signatures, sandboxing, and threat intelligence. AI email security platforms like Abnormal Security take a fundamentally different approach by building behavioral profiles of every user and detecting anomalies in communication patterns, writing style, and email metadata. This behavioral approach catches attacks where there is no malicious content to scan, such as a CEO impersonation email asking for a wire transfer using only plain text.
For organizations facing significant BEC and social engineering threats, yes. Business email compromise caused over $2.9 billion in reported losses in 2023, and these attacks are specifically designed to bypass gateway detection. Abnormal Security catches BEC attacks that Proofpoint misses because they contain no malicious payload — just persuasive social engineering. If your organization regularly sees executive impersonation, vendor fraud, or invoice manipulation attempts, adding Abnormal Security provides meaningful additional protection.
Proofpoint acquired Tessian to integrate its human layer security technology — particularly misdirected email prevention and behavioral data loss detection — into the Proofpoint platform. Tessian's standalone product continues to operate but its long-term future as an independent offering is uncertain. Organizations evaluating Tessian should consider whether its capabilities will eventually be available natively within Proofpoint, which could eliminate the need for a separate tool.
AI-powered email security platform specializing in behavioral detection of social engineering attacks
ComparisonAI-powered anti-phishing platform with crowdsourced threat intelligence
ComparisonHuman layer security platform preventing inbound threats and outbound misdirected emails
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