FortiMail Email Security vs Barracuda Message Archiver

FortiMail Email Security9.0Visit Barracuda Message Archiver8.8Visit

Higher score FortiMail Email Security #4 in Secure Email Gateway Software 9.0/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Fortinet

vs

Barracuda Message Archiver #6 in Secure Email Gateway Software 8.8/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Barracuda

• FortiMail Email Security fits best

  Organizations needing hybrid email security controls

• Barracuda Message Archiver fits best

  Organizations prioritizing email archiving and eDiscovery

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Side by side

Feature	FortiMail Email Security 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Barracuda Message Archiver 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.8
Ranking	#4 in Secure Email Gateway Software	#6 in Secure Email Gateway Software
Best for	Organizations needing hybrid email security controls	Organizations prioritizing email archiving and eDiscovery
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	Pricing on request
Free plan	Not checked yet	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Desktop
Integrations	6 integrations	13 integrations
Features FortiMail Email Security 0/5 · Barracuda Message Archiver 0/5
Malware sandboxing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Outbound DLP	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Email encryption	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Continuity spooling	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Email archiving	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment	Not checked yet	Hybrid
Our review
Pros	Filters inbound threats and outbound email, including impersonation and spoofing. Adds sandbox analysis, data loss prevention, and email encryption. Supports Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Fortinet Security Fabric integrations.	Captures sent and received messages through SMTP journaling Combines retention policies, legal holds, and eDiscovery workflows Searches messages, attachments, and metadata with Boolean and full-text queries
Cons	Numeric pricing is not published; buyers need to contact sales. Deployment options span appliances, virtual machines, and cloud services. Its feature set may exceed the needs of teams seeking basic spam filtering.	Focuses on archiving and discovery rather than gateway threat filtering Requires a customized quote rather than publishing a numeric price Standalone appliance licensing differs from cloud service per-user licensing
Our verdict	FortiMail Email Security is Fortinet’s email protection platform for organizations managing inbound and outbound threats across on-premises, cloud, or hybrid environments. It combines malware and spam protection with impersonation… Read the review →	Barracuda Message Archiver stores and retrieves email from standards-compliant mail servers and cloud services. It is aimed at organizations that need policy-based retention, legal holds, audit trails, and eDiscovery workflows. SMTP… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• FortiMail Email Security — where it wins

  • Filters inbound threats and outbound email, including impersonation and spoofing.
  • Adds sandbox analysis, data loss prevention, and email encryption.
  • Supports Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Fortinet Security Fabric integrations.

  Where it doesn't

  • Numeric pricing is not published; buyers need to contact sales.
  • Deployment options span appliances, virtual machines, and cloud services.
  • Its feature set may exceed the needs of teams seeking basic spam filtering.

• Barracuda Message Archiver — where it wins

  • Captures sent and received messages through SMTP journaling
  • Combines retention policies, legal holds, and eDiscovery workflows
  • Searches messages, attachments, and metadata with Boolean and full-text queries

  Where it doesn't

  • Focuses on archiving and discovery rather than gateway threat filtering
  • Requires a customized quote rather than publishing a numeric price
  • Standalone appliance licensing differs from cloud service per-user licensing

• FortiMail Email Security9.0/10 · Pricing on request

  Hybrid email security with inbound and outbound controls, sandboxing, DLP, and encryption.

  Visit FortinetFull verdict →
• Barracuda Message Archiver8.8/10 · Pricing on request

  A focused archive for retention and legal discovery, not a gateway threat-filtering tool.

  Visit BarracudaFull verdict →