Quick Overview
- 1#1: Mimecast - Delivers cloud-based email archiving with advanced e-discovery, retention policies, and compliance management for enterprises.
- 2#2: Proofpoint Enterprise Archive - Provides scalable email archiving with powerful search, legal holds, and integration for security and compliance.
- 3#3: Veritas Enterprise Vault - Offers robust on-premises and cloud email archiving for large-scale enterprises with superior data management and governance.
- 4#4: Smarsh - Specializes in compliant archiving of email and digital communications for regulated industries like finance.
- 5#5: Barracuda Message Archiver - Provides cost-effective, easy-to-use email archiving with unlimited storage and rapid search for SMBs and mid-market.
- 6#6: Global Relay - Offers secure cloud archiving for email, chat, and collaboration platforms with strong encryption and supervision tools.
- 7#7: Microsoft Purview - Integrates email retention, archiving, and compliance features natively within Microsoft 365 environments.
- 8#8: Google Vault - Enables e-discovery, retention, and archiving for Google Workspace email and drives with simple administration.
- 9#9: MailStore Server - Delivers affordable, server-based email archiving for on-premises and cloud systems with fast full-text search.
- 10#10: Archive360 - Provides cloud-native archiving for email and unstructured data with AI-driven search and governance controls.
Entries were evaluated based on core functionality—including scalability, search precision, and regulatory adaptability—alongside reliability, user experience, and overall value, ensuring a balanced representation of market-leading tools.
Comparison Table
Email archiving is essential for managing digital communication efficiently, with a range of tools available to meet diverse organizational needs. This comparison table examines software like Mimecast, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive, Veritas Enterprise Vault, Smarsh, Barracuda Message Archiver, and more, breaking down key features, capabilities, and suitability for different workflows. By exploring these options side-by-side, readers can identify tools that align with their security, compliance, and operational requirements to streamline archiving processes.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mimecast Delivers cloud-based email archiving with advanced e-discovery, retention policies, and compliance management for enterprises. | enterprise | 9.5/10 | 9.8/10 | 9.2/10 | 9.3/10 |
| 2 | Proofpoint Enterprise Archive Provides scalable email archiving with powerful search, legal holds, and integration for security and compliance. | enterprise | 9.2/10 | 9.6/10 | 8.4/10 | 8.7/10 |
| 3 | Veritas Enterprise Vault Offers robust on-premises and cloud email archiving for large-scale enterprises with superior data management and governance. | enterprise | 8.5/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.5/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 4 | Smarsh Specializes in compliant archiving of email and digital communications for regulated industries like finance. | enterprise | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.0/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 5 | Barracuda Message Archiver Provides cost-effective, easy-to-use email archiving with unlimited storage and rapid search for SMBs and mid-market. | enterprise | 8.1/10 | 8.4/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 6 | Global Relay Offers secure cloud archiving for email, chat, and collaboration platforms with strong encryption and supervision tools. | enterprise | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.8/10 | 8.1/10 |
| 7 | Microsoft Purview Integrates email retention, archiving, and compliance features natively within Microsoft 365 environments. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.6/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 8 | Google Vault Enables e-discovery, retention, and archiving for Google Workspace email and drives with simple administration. | enterprise | 8.1/10 | 8.3/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 9 | MailStore Server Delivers affordable, server-based email archiving for on-premises and cloud systems with fast full-text search. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.0/10 | 8.7/10 |
| 10 | Archive360 Provides cloud-native archiving for email and unstructured data with AI-driven search and governance controls. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | 8.0/10 |
Delivers cloud-based email archiving with advanced e-discovery, retention policies, and compliance management for enterprises.
Provides scalable email archiving with powerful search, legal holds, and integration for security and compliance.
Offers robust on-premises and cloud email archiving for large-scale enterprises with superior data management and governance.
Specializes in compliant archiving of email and digital communications for regulated industries like finance.
Provides cost-effective, easy-to-use email archiving with unlimited storage and rapid search for SMBs and mid-market.
Offers secure cloud archiving for email, chat, and collaboration platforms with strong encryption and supervision tools.
Integrates email retention, archiving, and compliance features natively within Microsoft 365 environments.
Enables e-discovery, retention, and archiving for Google Workspace email and drives with simple administration.
Delivers affordable, server-based email archiving for on-premises and cloud systems with fast full-text search.
Provides cloud-native archiving for email and unstructured data with AI-driven search and governance controls.
Mimecast
enterpriseDelivers cloud-based email archiving with advanced e-discovery, retention policies, and compliance management for enterprises.
AI-powered Aware Search for lightning-fast, context-aware queries across unlimited archive sizes without indexing delays
Mimecast is a premier cloud-based email archiving solution that securely stores, indexes, and manages vast volumes of email data for compliance and e-discovery needs. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, offering automated journaling, retention policies, and rapid full-text search across petabytes of data. With built-in legal hold capabilities and AI-enhanced review tools, it simplifies regulatory adherence for enterprises while minimizing storage costs through efficient linear archiving.
Pros
- Exceptional scalability and search speed for massive archives
- Robust compliance tools including e-discovery and legal holds
- Seamless integration with major email platforms like Microsoft 365
Cons
- Enterprise pricing can be premium and complex to negotiate
- Advanced features require training for full utilization
- Limited standalone options outside Mimecast's security suite
Best For
Large enterprises and regulated industries requiring top-tier email archiving for compliance, e-discovery, and long-term retention.
Pricing
Custom enterprise subscription starting at $10-15 per user/month, bundled with security features; volume discounts available.
Proofpoint Enterprise Archive
enterpriseProvides scalable email archiving with powerful search, legal holds, and integration for security and compliance.
AI-powered Intelligent Supervision that automatically detects, classifies, and preserves risky communications in real-time
Proofpoint Enterprise Archive is a cloud-native email archiving solution tailored for enterprises, providing secure storage, rapid search, and retrieval of email data from sources like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. It excels in compliance management, e-discovery, and legal holds, with AI-powered indexing and analytics to streamline supervision and auditing. Designed for high-volume environments, it integrates seamlessly with Proofpoint's broader security ecosystem for enhanced threat detection and data governance.
Pros
- Superior AI-driven search and e-discovery with sub-second query times
- Robust compliance tools including automated legal holds and auditing
- Seamless scalability and integration with Microsoft 365 and Proofpoint security suite
Cons
- Premium pricing that may be prohibitive for mid-sized organizations
- Complex initial setup and configuration for non-expert admins
- Limited flexibility for on-premises only deployments
Best For
Large enterprises with high email volumes and strict regulatory compliance needs like finance or healthcare.
Pricing
Quote-based enterprise pricing, typically $6-12 per user/month depending on storage, features, and volume commitments.
Veritas Enterprise Vault
enterpriseOffers robust on-premises and cloud email archiving for large-scale enterprises with superior data management and governance.
Patented single-instance storage and compression that can reduce archive size by up to 90% through deduplication
Veritas Enterprise Vault (EV) is a mature, enterprise-grade email archiving solution that captures, indexes, and stores emails from platforms like Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, and Domino for long-term retention and compliance. It optimizes storage through deduplication and compression while enabling fast search, eDiscovery, and legal holds to meet regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, and SEC 17a-4. EV also supports PST/NSF file migration and provides shortcuts for seamless user access to archived items without leaving the email client.
Pros
- Exceptional compliance tools with granular retention policies and auditing
- Scalable to petabyte-level archives with high-performance search and eDiscovery
- Deep integration with Microsoft ecosystems including Exchange and Office 365 journaling
Cons
- Complex initial setup and ongoing administration requiring skilled IT staff
- High licensing and infrastructure costs for large deployments
- Performance can degrade with extremely large archives without proper tuning
Best For
Large enterprises with stringent regulatory compliance needs and massive email volumes requiring robust, scalable archiving.
Pricing
Quote-based enterprise licensing, typically $10-20 per user/month for subscriptions or perpetual licenses with maintenance; scales with users and storage.
Smarsh
enterpriseSpecializes in compliant archiving of email and digital communications for regulated industries like finance.
360° Surveillance platform for real-time monitoring and archiving of all digital communications channels in one unified system
Smarsh is a leading enterprise-grade email archiving solution tailored for regulated industries like finance and healthcare, offering secure, tamper-proof storage for emails from sources such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and on-premises servers. It provides powerful search capabilities, e-discovery tools, and automated supervision to ensure compliance with regulations like SEC 17a-4, FINRA, and GDPR. The platform also extends archiving to multi-channel communications including chats, social media, and voice recordings, making it a comprehensive records management tool.
Pros
- Robust multi-channel archiving supporting email, IM, social media, and voice
- Advanced AI-driven search, e-discovery, and supervision tools
- Scalable cloud infrastructure with unlimited storage and high reliability
Cons
- High cost unsuitable for small businesses
- Complex initial setup and configuration
- User interface can feel dated in some areas
Best For
Large regulated enterprises in finance, insurance, and healthcare needing comprehensive compliance archiving across all communications.
Pricing
Custom quote-based pricing, typically $15-30 per user per month for enterprise plans, with minimum commitments and annual billing.
Barracuda Message Archiver
enterpriseProvides cost-effective, easy-to-use email archiving with unlimited storage and rapid search for SMBs and mid-market.
Instantaneous indexing and search across massive archives, even for legacy PST/NSF files
Barracuda Message Archiver is a robust email archiving solution that provides secure, scalable storage for emails, attachments, and calendars from platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and on-premises servers. It enables quick search, eDiscovery, and compliance management with features like legal holds, deduplication, and automated journaling. Available in cloud, virtual, or hardware appliance formats, it helps organizations reduce storage costs while meeting regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, and SEC 17a-4.
Pros
- Advanced search with indexing in seconds and contextual eDiscovery
- Unlimited cloud storage with efficient deduplication and compression
- Broad compatibility with hybrid and multi-platform email environments
Cons
- Pricing scales quickly for large user bases
- On-premises setup requires more IT expertise
- User interface feels dated compared to newer competitors
Best For
Mid-sized businesses and enterprises prioritizing compliance and long-term email retention without massive IT overhead.
Pricing
Cloud subscriptions start at ~$3/user/month (billed annually); on-premises appliances from $6,000+ with capacity-based licensing.
Global Relay
enterpriseOffers secure cloud archiving for email, chat, and collaboration platforms with strong encryption and supervision tools.
Comprehensive multi-channel archiving supporting over 100 communication types beyond just email, including chats and social media.
Global Relay is a leading compliance-focused email archiving solution that captures, stores, and manages electronic communications for regulated industries. It provides tamper-proof, WORM-compliant storage with advanced search and eDiscovery capabilities to meet strict regulatory requirements like SEC 17a-4 and FINRA. The platform integrates seamlessly with email systems like Microsoft Exchange and Office 365, supporting rapid retrieval and supervision of archived data.
Pros
- Exceptional compliance and regulatory adherence features
- Powerful full-text search and eDiscovery tools
- Scalable cloud-based architecture with high reliability
Cons
- High pricing suitable only for enterprises
- Complex setup and configuration process
- Overkill for non-regulated businesses with basic needs
Best For
Financial services firms and regulated industries needing robust multi-channel archiving for compliance audits.
Pricing
Custom enterprise pricing, typically $15-25 per user/month with minimum commitments and annual contracts.
Microsoft Purview
enterpriseIntegrates email retention, archiving, and compliance features natively within Microsoft 365 environments.
Unified eDiscovery across email, Teams, and other Microsoft workloads
Microsoft Purview is a comprehensive compliance and governance solution within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, offering robust email archiving capabilities for Exchange Online mailboxes. It enables automated retention, indefinite hold policies, and advanced search through Content Search and eDiscovery tools. Organizations can archive inactive mailboxes cost-effectively while ensuring regulatory compliance and data security.
Pros
- Deep integration with Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online
- Advanced eDiscovery and compliance retention policies
- Scalable cloud-based archiving with unlimited storage options
Cons
- Primarily suited for Microsoft environments, limited hybrid support
- Steep learning curve for configuration and management
- Additional licensing costs on top of base Microsoft 365 plans
Best For
Enterprises heavily invested in Microsoft 365 seeking integrated compliance and email archiving.
Pricing
Included in Microsoft 365 E3/E5; advanced Purview Compliance Manager from $10/user/month.
Google Vault
enterpriseEnables e-discovery, retention, and archiving for Google Workspace email and drives with simple administration.
Powerful, Google-powered search that indexes and retrieves emails across petabytes of data in seconds
Google Vault is a cloud-based eDiscovery and archiving tool integrated into Google Workspace, designed for retaining, searching, and exporting Gmail messages, Google Drive files, and other Workspace data to meet compliance needs. It allows administrators to set retention rules, apply legal holds, and perform powerful full-text searches across vast archives. Primarily aimed at businesses using Google Workspace, it supports regulatory compliance like GDPR and HIPAA through auditable data management.
Pros
- Seamless integration with Gmail and Google Workspace ecosystem
- Unlimited storage and Google-scale search capabilities
- Automated retention policies and legal holds for compliance
Cons
- Limited to Google Workspace users; no support for other email providers
- Customization options are basic compared to dedicated enterprise tools
- Pricing bundled with Workspace, which may not suit non-Google users
Best For
Organizations heavily invested in Google Workspace seeking integrated email retention and eDiscovery without complex setup.
Pricing
Included in Google Workspace Enterprise plans; $10/user/month add-on for Business Plus and select plans.
MailStore Server
enterpriseDelivers affordable, server-based email archiving for on-premises and cloud systems with fast full-text search.
Agentless universal archiving that works with virtually any email server or client without infrastructure modifications
MailStore Server is an on-premises email archiving solution that enables businesses to centrally archive messages from Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, Gmail, and other email systems without requiring changes to existing infrastructure. It offers powerful full-text search, compliance tools like retention policies and audit-proof archiving, and user access via web interface or Outlook integration. The software optimizes storage through single-instance and compression, making it suitable for long-term email preservation and e-discovery needs.
Pros
- Universal support for archiving from any email source without agents or APIs
- Extremely fast full-text search and advanced e-discovery capabilities
- Cost-effective perpetual licensing with excellent storage efficiency
Cons
- Primarily on-premises deployment limits cloud flexibility
- Initial setup requires moderate IT expertise
- User interface feels somewhat dated compared to modern SaaS alternatives
Best For
Small to mid-sized businesses seeking a reliable, self-hosted email archiving solution with strong compliance and search features.
Pricing
Perpetual licenses starting at €1,190 for up to 25 concurrent users, scaling with user count and optional annual support.
Archive360
enterpriseProvides cloud-native archiving for email and unstructured data with AI-driven search and governance controls.
Journaling-free, cloud-native archiving with infinite storage scalability and single-instance deduplication
Archive360 is a cloud-based email archiving solution designed for enterprises to securely store, search, and manage email data from platforms like Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Google Workspace. It emphasizes compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and SEC 17a-4, offering unlimited storage and rapid retrieval. The platform uses intelligent indexing for e-discovery and auditing, reducing storage costs through deduplication and compression.
Pros
- Unlimited scalable storage without journaling requirements
- Advanced AI-powered search and e-discovery capabilities
- Robust compliance and retention policy management
Cons
- Pricing lacks transparency and requires custom quotes
- Limited native integrations with non-Microsoft ecosystems
- Deployment can be complex for smaller organizations
Best For
Mid-to-large enterprises prioritizing regulatory compliance and long-term email retention in Microsoft-heavy environments.
Pricing
Subscription-based with custom pricing starting around $2-5 per user/month, scaling with storage and features; contact sales for quotes.
Conclusion
Among the reviewed email archiving solutions, Mimecast stands as the top choice, delivering cloud-based capabilities, advanced e-discovery, and robust compliance tools that cater to enterprise needs. Proofpoint Enterprise Archive and Veritas Enterprise Vault closely follow, offering exceptional scalability and tailored governance that suit diverse organizational requirements, from SMBs to large-scale environments. Regardless of priorities—whether enterprise-grade features, industry-specific compliance, or seamless integration—the top tools provide reliable archiving, with Mimecast leading as the definitive option for comprehensive, future-ready solutions.
Take the first step toward streamlined, secure communication management by exploring Mimecast, the top-ranked solution for effective email archiving.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison