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Head-to-head · Email Anti-Spam Software

Barracuda Message Archiver vs Rspamd

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score Barracuda Message Archiver #1 in Email Anti-Spam Software 9.4/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Barracuda
Rspamd #7 in Email Anti-Spam Software 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Rspamd

Barracuda Message Archiver leads on 0 checks, Rspamd on 1, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreBarracuda Message Archiver · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Rspamd

Barracuda Message Archiver scores higher on our rubric for email anti-spam software: 9.4 against 7.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.

Rspamd offers free plan; Barracuda Message Archiver doesn't.

Barracuda Message Archiver is the better fit for organizations needing email archiving, not filtering. Rspamd is the better fit for technical teams building programmable filtering.

  • Barracuda Message Archiver fits best

    Organizations needing email archiving, not filtering

  • Rspamd fits best

    Technical teams building programmable filtering

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Barracuda Message Archiver 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Rspamd 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 7.9
Ranking #1 in Email Anti-Spam Software #7 in Email Anti-Spam Software
Best for Organizations needing email archiving, not filtering Technical teams building programmable filtering
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price Pricing on request £100/mo
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS Linux, macOS
Integrations 13 integrations 11 integrations
Features Barracuda Message Archiver 0/3 · Rspamd 0/3
Phishing detection Not checked yet Not checked yet
Malware scanning Not checked yet Not checked yet
Attachment scanning Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Quarantine access Not checked yet Not checked yet
Supported mail platforms Not checked yet Not checked yet
Quarantine retention Not checked yet Not checked yet
Deployment type Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Legal holds, eDiscovery workflows, audit trails, and configurable retention
  • Boolean and full-text search across messages, attachments, and metadata
  • Physical, virtual, cloud, and hybrid deployment with broad integrations
  • Open-source scoring with Bayesian and machine learning classification
  • SPF, DKIM, DMARC, phishing, antivirus, and outbound controls
  • HTTP API, Milter, Lua rules, and broad mail-server integrations
Cons
  • Focused on archiving rather than primary anti-spam protection
  • Pricing requires a customized quote from sales
  • No AI features or free plan
  • Requires technical administration of rules, protocols, and deployment
  • Scale starts at £100/month for 5K mailboxes
  • Custom configuration may be more than small teams need
Our verdict

Barracuda Message Archiver is built to capture, retain, search, and export email for organizations with compliance, litigation, and records-management requirements. SMTP journal capture records messages as they are sent or received, while…

Read the review →

Rspamd is an open-source email filtering engine for enterprises, email service providers, hosting providers, and mail-server operators. It analyzes inbound and outbound messages through statistical learning, reputation checks,…

Read the review →
  1. Barracuda Message ArchiverEmail Anti-Spam Software 9.4Pricing on request
  2. RspamdEmail Anti-Spam Software 7.9Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Barracuda Message Archiver — where it wins

    • Legal holds, eDiscovery workflows, audit trails, and configurable retention
    • Boolean and full-text search across messages, attachments, and metadata
    • Physical, virtual, cloud, and hybrid deployment with broad integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on archiving rather than primary anti-spam protection
    • Pricing requires a customized quote from sales
    • No AI features or free plan

  • Rspamd — where it wins

    • Open-source scoring with Bayesian and machine learning classification
    • SPF, DKIM, DMARC, phishing, antivirus, and outbound controls
    • HTTP API, Milter, Lua rules, and broad mail-server integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires technical administration of rules, protocols, and deployment
    • Scale starts at £100/month for 5K mailboxes
    • Custom configuration may be more than small teams need
  • Barracuda Message Archiver9.4/10 · Pricing on request

    A strong email archive for compliance workflows, but not a primary anti-spam filter.

    Visit BarracudaFull verdict →
  • Rspamd7.9/10 · Free plan

    A configurable gateway for teams building spam, phishing, and malware controls.

    Visit RspamdFull verdict →

More comparisons

All email Anti-Spam software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update