Hornetsecurity vs Palisade in 2026
How Hornetsecurity and Palisade compare on operating model, pricing, and fit for IT teams and MSPs.
Our verdict: Pick Palisade if you want an AI agent to carry the work through enforcement, whether you manage one domain or thousands. Pick Hornetsecurity if your team prefers a traditional, operator-led workflow.
1 domain free up to 1,000 emails/month


Palisade is free for one domain, up to 1,000 emails a month. Paid IT-team plans are sized by email volume. Start a 15-day full-product trial with no credit card.
Which one is right for you?
Best for Existing Hornetsecurity suite customers
Best for MSPs and IT teams responsible for multiple domains
- You prefer a more traditional Hornetsecurity workflow with people involved in each enforcement step.
- Your buying criteria center on vendor-specific enterprise requirements.
- Pick Hornetsecurity if you already run its filtering or 365 Total Protection suite and want DMARC reporting, BIMI and TLS visibility inside the same Control Panel and contract.
- Pick it if you buy through an established Hornetsecurity reseller relationship and your engineers are comfortable moving a small number of client policies to p=reject themselves.
- You run an MSP, or an internal IT or security team, responsible for multiple domains.
- You want an AI agent to investigate issues, configure authentication, and move domains toward p=reject.
- Teams already using Claude, OpenAI, or other AI tools can bring the same agent-led operating model to DMARC.
Free for one domain, up to 1,000 emails a month. Paid IT-team plans are sized by email volume. Start a 15-day full-product trial with no credit card.
Where the day-to-day work actually differs
| Feature | Hornetsecurity | Palisade |
|---|---|---|
| Enforcement | ||
| Agent does the enforcement work to p=reject (you approve each step)Whether enforcement policy steps are prepared for a person to review and approve.DMARC Manager's Domain Configurator has admins set and maintain policies; no automated policy progression is advertised (checked 2026-07-18). | No automated progression | Agent drafts and proposes |
| DMARC report monitoring and aggregationWhether DMARC reports are collected and available for authentication review.Verified on the product page and fact sheet: Status Dashboard, Email Sources Analysis and DMARC report aggregation. | Dashboard and source analysis | Agent analyzes reports |
| Limits & metering | ||
| Unlimited report retentionHow long DMARC report history remains available for review.Hornetsecurity does not publish volume or retention terms for DMARC Manager (checked 2026-07-18). | Retention terms unpublished | Unlimited paid-plan retention |
| Published pricingWhether a buyer can review the product's prices before contacting sales.No prices on hornetsecurity.com for DMARC Manager in any packaging; the product page routes buyers to a request form rather than a price list (checked 2026-07-18). | Prices not published | Published self-serve pricing |
| MSP operations | ||
| Multi-tenant client managementWhether one workspace can manage separate partner and customer domains.Hornetsecurity's solutions-for-MSPs page describes a service dashboard with 'a clear overview of all partners and customers'; DMARC Manager runs inside the same Control Panel per Hornetsecurity's support knowledge base (checked 2026-07-18). | Shared service dashboard | Multi-tenant management |
| Native ConnectWise, HaloPSA & Autotask integrationsWhether the product connects directly to the named PSA systems.No PSA integrations advertised for DMARC Manager (checked 2026-07-18). | No PSA integrations advertised | Native PSA integrations |
| API access on every planWhether programmatic access is available across the product's plans.Hornetsecurity does not publish API documentation for DMARC Manager (checked 2026-07-18). | No API documentation | API on every plan |
| Hosted records & DNS | ||
| Hosted DMARC & SPF record managementWhether DMARC and SPF record changes can be managed after initial DNS setup.After initial DNS setup, subsequent record changes are applied inside DMARC Manager, per the fact sheet and launch coverage. | In-product record changes | CNAME-delegated hosted records |
| Hosted MTA-STSWhether the provider hosts an MTA-STS policy record for a domain.DMARC Manager advertises SMTP-TLS encryption reporting; hosted MTA-STS is not advertised (checked 2026-07-18). | Not advertised | Hosted MTA-STS record |
| SPF flatteningWhether SPF lookup chains are reduced within the DNS lookup limit.Not advertised on DMARC Manager pages or the fact sheet (checked 2026-07-18). | Not advertised | Hosted SPF flattening |
| AI and automation access | ||
| Published REST API for product dataWhether the vendor publishes documentation for software to query or manage product data.Hornetsecurity publishes REST API documentation for VM Backup. It covers virtual-machine configuration, backup and restore operations, and report queries; the published reference does not cover DMARC Manager data or domain-policy operations (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27) | VM Backup REST API | REST API published |
| MCP server for connecting AI assistants to domain dataWhether an AI assistant can reach the product's data directly.Hornetsecurity does not advertise an MCP server or an AI-assistant integration for DMARC Manager on its product page. The published feature list names a Domain Configurator, Status Dashboard, Email Sources Analysis, failure reports, and DMARC report aggregation (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27) | No MCP server listed | MCP server published |
| Advertised AI and machine-learning security featuresWhether the vendor advertises AI features and explains what they do.Hornetsecurity advertises AI.MY in 365 Total Protection Plan 4. Its Email Security Analyst responds to user questions about suspicious email with an AI-powered analysis, while AI Recipient Validation uses machine learning to adjust recipient warnings from prior communication behavior (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27) | AI.MY in Plan 4 | Agent drafts policy work |
| Data export and API link outside the dashboardWhether a documented export or API link can provide product data without working in the dashboard.Hornetsecurity's Control Panel knowledge base documents CSV billing-report downloads and an API link that retrieves refreshed billing-report data. The article covers MSP billing, not DMARC report exports (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27) | CSV and API-link exports | REST API published |
Want to compare the workflow yourself? Try Palisade free with one domain and up to 1,000 emails a month.
Palisade 96 vs Hornetsecurity 44, and why
Both products are scored on the same eight dimensions the comparison hub uses, so the figures here are the figures there. Four are derived from vendor facts that each carry a source and a checked date. Four are editorial, marked as such below, and each states its reasoning and its source.
Each dimension is out of 10 and the total is the raw sum out of 80, rescaled to 100 — the raw figure is printed beside it so the conversion is checkable rather than a black box. Scored on what each vendor publishes, not on how the product feels in use. Editorial dimensions last reviewed 2026-09-02.
How reachable the product is from your own software and AI tools. 10 = a documented API on every plan plus a published MCP server. 6 = an API, gated to a tier or to a sales conversation. 3 = no programmatic access advertised.
The reviewed public material does not publish a DMARC Manager API or MCP server; broader platform API-mode language does not establish programmatic DMARC Manager access. Source (2026-08-29)
Palisade publishes a REST API and a remote MCP server on every plan, making the same domain data and remediation workflows available to connected software. Source (2026-08-30)
How much of the report analysis is done for you. 10 = the platform turns raw report data into a prioritised, actionable queue on its own.
DMARC Manager aggregates recipient reports, analyzes sending sources, shows compliance statistics, and provides real-time failure information with configurable alerts; the remediation decisions remain manual. Source (2026-08-29)
Report data is analysed into a prioritised list of sender, SPF, DKIM and DMARC issues, so nobody reads raw XML. Source (2026-08-30)
How much of the work the vendor's own software does. 10 = it identifies the sending sources, drafts the SPF and DKIM fixes each one needs, and proposes the next policy step. 6 = it applies the records for you, but a person decides what to fix and when to advance. 3 = it reports, and every change is yours to make. A vendor whose team does the work rather than its software scores here on the software alone.
The product uses AI positioning within a broad email-security platform, but the reviewed DMARC Manager material does not describe an agent that investigates and drafts remediation work. Source (2026-08-29)
The agent investigates each sender, drafts the SPF and DKIM changes it needs, and proposes the next policy step; a human approves before deployment. Source (2026-08-30)
10 = full pricing published. 6 = some tiers published, rest quote-gated. 3 = quote only.
DMARC Manager is presented as part of Plan 4, but the reviewed public product page asks buyers to send a request and does not publish numeric pricing. Source (2026-08-29)
Published: free plan, then flat monthly plans by email volume from $19/mo Source (2026-08-30)
10 = hosts the records for you. 6 = partial or add-on. 3 = you manage your own DNS.
The support material documents a Control Panel SPF module and hosted HornetDMARC DKIM private-key option; setup still requires the customer to place or delegate DNS entries. Source (2026-08-29)
10 = a genuine free plan. 6 = time-limited trial only. 3 = no free access.
The product page offers a free trial request, not an ongoing free DMARC Manager subscription. Source (2026-08-29)
Free plan: one domain, up to 1,000 emails/mo, 14-day report history, no credit card, plus a 15-day full-product trial Source (2026-08-30)
10 = a real MSP program with multi-tenant management. 6 = partial. 3 = none.
Yes: Hornetsecurity has a partner program with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels, partner resources, support, and a permanent contact person. Source (2026-08-29)
How much work it takes to get a domain from p=none to p=reject. 10 = the platform (or the vendor's team) gets you there without manual DNS edits.
After the documented DNS redirect setup, the Control Panel manages DMARC, DKIM, and SPF policy settings; the product does not publish a staged decision flow for moving policy toward enforcement. Source (2026-08-29)
The DMARC Agent detects when a domain's authentication and alignment are ready for the next policy stage and proposes the move, but a human still approves and applies it, so it is not fully hands-off. Source (2026-08-30)
Where Palisade and Hornetsecurity actually differ
Each argument keeps the product screens, sourced comparison points, and supporting analysis together.
Admin configuration vs approved agent work
A configurator you drive versus an agent that does the work
DMARC Manager gives administrators a Domain Configurator to set up and maintain DMARC, DKIM and SPF policies across domains, with record changes applied in-product after initial DNS setup. A Status Dashboard tracks managed domains, authorized and unauthorized senders, and DMARC pass/fail volumes; Email Sources Analysis categorizes sending sources, and failure reports trigger email alerts. The fact sheet cover carries an AI Powered label, but the feature list describes dashboards, alerts and configuration, not automated policy actions.
Hornetsecurity

- Agent does the enforcement work to p=reject (you approve each step): No automated progression
- DMARC report monitoring and aggregation: Dashboard and source analysis
Palisade

- Agent does the enforcement work to p=reject (you approve each step): Agent drafts and proposes
- DMARC report monitoring and aggregation: Agent analyzes reports
Palisade collapses that loop to a decision. Its agent does the DMARC enforcement work: it identifies legitimate senders from report data, configures SPF and DKIM for each one, and progressively tightens policy until the domain reaches p=reject, with each change approved by your team. For an MSP, the practical difference is client domains reaching enforcement on the agent's legwork and your approvals, instead of dashboards waiting for an engineer to do both.
Quoted bundles vs published pricing
Partner-channel quotes versus published pricing
Hornetsecurity's current product page places DMARC Manager inside 365 Total Protection Plan 4, its widest Microsoft 365 bundle; the launch announcement, still live, also described standalone and Spam and Malware Protection add-on routes that the current page no longer lists. No route carries a published price: the product page sends buyers to a trial request form, and Hornetsecurity runs a Bronze to Platinum partner program for resellers and MSPs. Volume caps, report retention terms and API access for DMARC Manager are likewise unpublished (checked 2026-07-18).
Hornetsecurity
A relevant product screenshot was not available in the reviewed evidence.
- Unlimited report retention: Retention terms unpublished
- Published pricing: Prices not published
Palisade

- Unlimited report retention: Unlimited paid-plan retention
- Published pricing: Published self-serve pricing
Palisade publishes its self-serve IT-team pricing: a Free plan for one domain and up to 1,000 emails/month, flat monthly plans sized by email volume from $19/month (20% off on annual billing) with 2 to 20 set-up domains by tier (adding domains is free and unlimited), unlimited report retention on paid plans and API access on every plan, and a 15-day full-product trial. MSPs receive a free NFR domain and quoted, portfolio-based per-client-domain pricing with no client email metering.
What each side charges
Three points on each published range: the cheapest plan, one in the middle, and the top of what the vendor publishes. Every plan on both sides is in the pricing section further down.
- 365 Total Protection Plan 4 (Compliance & Awareness)Custom - contact sales
Current advertised route - the product page states 'DMARC Manager is now part of Plan 4'. Appears as DMARC Reporting & Management alongside Security Awareness Service, 365 Permission Manager, AI Recipient Validation, Teams Protection and AI Email Security Analyst
- Standalone (per the 2024 launch announcement)Custom - contact sales
Domain Configurator for DMARC/DKIM/SPF policies and TLS settings, Status Dashboard, Email Sources Analysis, DMARC report aggregation, BIMI email branding, SMTP-TLS encryption reports, failure reports and alerts. Standalone availability comes from Hornetsecurity's launch announcement, still live; the current product page no longer lists it
- Add-on to Spam and Malware Protection (per the 2024 launch announcement)Custom - contact sales
DMARC Manager attached to Hornetsecurity's email filtering service. Add-on availability comes from the launch announcement, still live; the current product page no longer lists it
- Free$0
1 domain, your own, capped at 1,000 emails/mo
- IT teams: up to 500,000 emails/mo$59/mo ($47/mo billed annually)
Same product: 6 set-up domains, pick the tier that matches your sending
- Enterprise (more than 2.5M / month)Custom
Custom volume, retention, and terms
Suite fit vs MSP workflow
Who Hornetsecurity serves, and where it stops for MSP DMARC work
Hornetsecurity is a channel company. Its MSP platform centers on Microsoft 365: multi-tenant management, backup, permissions and awareness training under one partner contract, with Bronze through Platinum reseller tiers. DMARC Manager slots into that suite, and the current fact sheet carries Hornetsecurity by Proofpoint branding. An MSP already standardized on this stack gets DMARC reporting, BIMI and TLS visibility inside the Control Panel it uses daily.
Hornetsecurity

- Multi-tenant client management: Shared service dashboard
- Native ConnectWise, HaloPSA & Autotask integrations: No PSA integrations advertised
- API access on every plan: No API documentation
Palisade
A relevant product screenshot was not available in the reviewed evidence.
- Multi-tenant client management: Multi-tenant management
- Native ConnectWise, HaloPSA & Autotask integrations: Native PSA integrations
- API access on every plan: API on every plan
The model thins out when DMARC is the job rather than a suite checkbox. Hornetsecurity does not advertise PSA integrations, an API, SPF flattening or hosted MTA-STS for DMARC Manager, and each new client means requesting a quote rather than applying a known per-domain rate (checked 2026-07-18). It fits a team running a small number of domains inside an existing Hornetsecurity contract, whose engineers are content to drive policy changes themselves.
Dashboard access vs programmatic access
VM Backup's REST API and AI.MY in Plan 4, with no published DMARC Manager MCP server
Hornetsecurity publishes a REST API reference for VM Backup, a separate product. It supports virtual-machine configuration, backup and restore work, and report queries. Its Control Panel knowledge base also documents MSP billing exports to CSV and an API link, but those do not document a DMARC Manager data API. DMARC Manager's own public feature list covers domain configuration, dashboards, source analysis, alerts, and report aggregation, but it does not advertise an MCP server or an AI-assistant integration. Hornetsecurity does advertise AI.MY in Plan 4: Email Security Analyst produces an AI-powered analysis for user-reported email, and AI Recipient Validation uses machine learning to adjust recipient warnings (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27) Source 2 (2026-08-27) Source 3 (2026-08-27) Source 4 (2026-08-27)
Hornetsecurity

Palisade

- Published REST API for product data: REST API published
- MCP server for connecting AI assistants to domain data: MCP server published
- Advertised AI and machine-learning security features: Agent drafts policy work
Palisade publishes an MCP server and a REST API. Its agent investigates senders, drafts SPF and DKIM fixes, and proposes each policy step. A human approves before anything ships.
Reachable from your own AI tools
Palisade's MCP server exposes 42 tools over OAuth, so the assistant your team already uses can read domains, pull the exact records to publish and work the task queue. These are the clients the connection guide walks through.
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Codex
- Cursor
- Windsurf
- Any MCP client
Still deciding between Hornetsecurity and Palisade? See what changes with Palisade.
1 domain free up to 1,000 emails/month
The agent does the heavy lifting
Sources identified, SPF and DKIM fixes drafted, each policy step proposed. You approve; nothing ships on its own.
Connect your AI with MCP
42 tools over MCP, so your assistant reads your domains and works the queue.
Connect your DNS manager directly
Approved records go into your own zone at your own provider, across 64. No credentials reach us.
“We evaluated many DMARC providers before choosing Palisade. The quality of their product, the responsiveness and friendliness of their team and their rapid progress on their product roadmap made it a no-brainer for us to move forward.”
Hornetsecurity pricing explained (and how Palisade compares)
Hornetsecurity's current product page sells DMARC Manager inside 365 Total Protection Plan 4 ('DMARC Manager is now part of Plan 4'). Its launch announcement, still live, also described standalone and Spam and Malware Protection add-on routes, but the current page no longer lists them. No prices are published for any route; the page funnels buyers to a trial request form (checked 2026-07-18).
What you'd actually pay
The same five buyer sizes on every comparison, so a shape carries from one page to the next.
1 domain, up to 1,000 emails a month
2 set-up domains, up to 100K emails a month
10 set-up domains, up to 1M emails a month
20 set-up domains, up to 2.5M emails a month
Client domains under management, any volume
Palisade’s figures are derived from its published tiers. Hornetsecurity figures read from their pricing page on 2026-08-28. Plans and prices may have changed since.
How Hornetsecurity prices
- Hornetsecurity publishes no prices for DMARC Manager on any page we checked; the product page funnels buyers to a request form, and its partner program for resellers and MSPs runs Bronze to Platinum tiers (checked 2026-07-18).
- The free trial runs through a request form; trial length and terms are not published on the product page (checked 2026-07-18).
- The December 2025 fact sheet is branded Hornetsecurity by Proofpoint, reflecting the Proofpoint acquisition.
- Hornetsecurity's solutions-for-MSPs page centers its multi-tenant platform on Microsoft 365 services and does not list DMARC Manager in that platform section (checked 2026-07-18).
How Palisade prices
- Palisade publishes its self-serve IT-team pricing: a Free plan for one domain and up to 1,000 emails/month, flat monthly plans sized by email volume from $19/month (20% off on annual billing) with 2 to 20 set-up domains by tier (adding domains is free and unlimited), and portfolio-based per-client-domain pricing for MSPs. Hornetsecurity publishes no price for DMARC Manager; buying starts with a sales request form (checked 2026-07-18).
- Palisade paid plans carry unlimited report retention, while Free keeps 14 days. Hornetsecurity publishes neither volume nor retention terms for DMARC Manager (checked 2026-07-18).
- Palisade's agent does the enforcement work: it identifies legitimate senders, configures SPF and DKIM, and progressively tightens policy to p=reject with your approval. DMARC Manager's Domain Configurator is admin-driven; no automated policy progression is advertised (checked 2026-07-18).
- Palisade includes API access on every plan, plus native ConnectWise, HaloPSA and Autotask integrations with client-domain import. Hornetsecurity advertises none of these for DMARC Manager (checked 2026-07-18).
Hornetsecurity pricing read from their public pricing page on 2026-08-30.Plans and prices may have changed since.
Try Palisade free on one domain, or start a 15-day full-product trial with no credit card.
What each one covers, and where it stops
Published facts only, read from each vendor's own material. Neither column describes a hands-on trial, because we have not run one.
Hornetsecurity's DMARC Manager brings domain configuration, DMARC report aggregation, source analysis, dashboard tracking, alerts, BIMI, and SMTP-TLS reporting into its Control Panel. Administrators use the Domain Configurator to maintain DMARC, DKIM, and SPF policies, while the dashboard shows managed domains, sender status, and DMARC pass/fail volumes.
DMARC Manager is aimed at organizations using Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Protection suite and MSPs operating its multi-tenant Microsoft 365 platform through a reseller relationship. The current product page places the product in Plan 4, while Hornetsecurity's partner program runs Bronze through Platinum tiers and its DMARC Manager trial starts with a request form.
Palisade is built around an agent that does the DMARC work rather than reporting on it. It identifies every sending source, drafts the SPF and DKIM changes each one needs, and proposes the next policy step when the evidence supports it.
The agent investigates every sender, drafts every fix, and proposes each policy step, you approve before anything ships.
- Provides DMARC report aggregation, dashboard tracking, and sender-source analysis
- Supports multi-tenant client management through a shared service dashboard
- Supports in-product DMARC and SPF record changes after initial DNS setup
- Publishes a REST API for VM Backup configuration, backup and restore operations, and report queries
- Advertises AI.MY in 365 Total Protection Plan 4
- The agent investigates senders and drafts the fix, so the work arrives prepared rather than as a list of findings
- Hosted SPF, DKIM and DMARC on redundant managed DNS, so an approved change can be carried out rather than handed off
- Portfolio workflow for MSPs, with ConnectWise, HaloPSA and Autotask integrations and a free NFR domain
- An MCP server and a REST API, so the same data and workflow are reachable from the AI tools a team already uses
- Does not advertise automated policy progression to p=reject
- Does not publish volume or report-retention terms for DMARC Manager
- Does not publish prices for any DMARC Manager route
- Does not advertise named ConnectWise, HaloPSA, or Autotask PSA integrations for DMARC Manager
- Does not publish API documentation for DMARC Manager
- Every policy change waits for a human approval, by design: nothing ships on the agent's own authority
- MSP pricing is quoted per client domain rather than published as a rate card
- Plans are sized by monthly email volume, so a low-domain, high-volume sender lands on a higher tier than domain count alone suggests
- DMARC pricing
- Not published
- Current package
- 365 Total Protection Plan 4
- Trial terms
- Length and terms not published
- MSP model
- Bronze to Platinum reseller tiers
- Starts at
- Free for 1 domain; IT plans from $19/mo by email volume
- Free tier
- 1 domain, up to 1,000 emails/month
- Trial
- 15 days, full product, no credit card
- MSP model
- Quoted per client domain, portfolio-based
What Palisade customers say
5.0 out of 5 on G2Trusted by over 10,000 domains
“Palisade made it so easy for us to get our blue verified checkmark and achieve our BIMI compliance”
Sources and further reading
Source checks run through 2026-07-18; every entry keeps its individual check date.
- Hornetsecurity DMARC Manager
Checked 2026-07-18
- Hornetsecurity solutions for MSPs
Checked 2026-07-18
- Hornetsecurity DMARC Manager launch
Checked 2026-07-18
- Hornetsecurity
Checked 2026-07-18
- Hornetsecurity AI Cyber Assistant
Checked 2026-08-27
- Hornetsecurity VM Backup API documentation
Checked 2026-08-27
- Hornetsecurity billing-report export documentation
Checked 2026-08-27
- Hornetsecurity security-tool integration article
Checked 2026-08-27
- Hornetsecurity article on Copilot and MCP risks
Checked 2026-08-27
Palisade vs Hornetsecurity: FAQ
What is the main difference between Hornetsecurity and Palisade?
Palisade is agentic DMARC software. Its agent investigates sending sources, works through SPF and DKIM alignment, and moves domains toward p=reject while your team stays in control. When evaluating Hornetsecurity, compare that operating model with the workflow in its current product documentation and decide how much work you want your team to carry.
Who should choose Palisade?
Choose Palisade if you want an AI agent to carry routine DMARC work through enforcement, whether you manage one domain or thousands. It is also a natural fit for teams already using Claude, OpenAI, or other AI tools to get operational work done.
Who should choose Hornetsecurity?
Choose Hornetsecurity if its current integrations, procurement model, or operating workflow better match your requirements. A more operator-led platform can also fit a team that prefers to review reports and make each change itself.
Does Palisade guarantee a specific time to p=reject?
No responsible DMARC platform should promise the same enforcement timeline for every domain. Timing depends on the number of sending sources, access to DNS and third-party systems, and how quickly each legitimate stream can be aligned. Palisade's agent reduces routine investigation and configuration work while operators retain control over policy decisions.
Switching from Hornetsecurity takes three steps
- 1
Batch-import your domains
Bring your client domains into Palisade in bulk, or let your ConnectWise, HaloPSA, or Autotask integration sync them automatically.
- 2
Run both platforms in parallel
DMARC reporting supports multiple recipients, so Palisade and Hornetsecurity receive the same reports during the overlap window. Nothing breaks while you compare.
- 3
Cut DNS over on your schedule
Point records at Palisade's hosted infrastructure (redundant managed DNS), then retire the old setup when you're satisfied.
1 domain free up to 1,000 emails/month
Competitor information on this page was last reviewed against public sources on 2026-07-18. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.


