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MXtoolbox alternative

MXtoolbox vs Palisade in 2026

MXtoolbox Delivery Center combines DMARC reporting, sender and authentication analysis, inbox placement, reputation monitoring, and email infrastructure checks. Palisade adds an agentic workflow: its agent investigates every sender, drafts every fix, and proposes each policy step while you approve before anything ships.

Our verdict: Pick MXtoolbox if you want a broad email-delivery console with published monthly plans, diagnostic tools, and an optional expert-managed service. Pick Palisade if you want an AI agent to carry sender investigation and authentication setup through each approved step toward p=reject.

Samuel ChenardSamuel Chenard · CEO & Co-Founder, PalisadeSource checks through 2026-08-26

1 domain free up to 1,000 emails/month

MXtoolbox
MXtoolbox Delivery Center Domains screen showing an SPF issue alert and a table of managed domains with verification, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and email-volume status.
Palisade
Palisade domains dashboard with email activity chart and DMARC compliance report
MXtoolbox
DMARC reporting and authentication analysis
Palisade rubric score
71/100
Palisade rubric: tied rank #17 of 69 verified providers
Score calculation: 57 ÷ 80 × 100 = 71.25, rounded to 71/100
Palisade’s 8-dimension rubric
Starts at
$0/month
Best fit
Teams comfortable applying their own changes
In one line
MXtoolbox suits teams comfortable reviewing recommendations and applying DNS or policy changes through its workflow.
Palisade
Agentic DMARC platform
Palisade rubric score
96/100
Palisade rubric: rank #1 of 69 verified providers
Score calculation: 77 ÷ 80 × 100 = 96.25, rounded to 96/100
Palisade’s 8-dimension rubric
Starts at
Free, then $19/mo
Best fit
MSPs and IT teams responsible for multiple domains
In one line
The agent investigates every sender, drafts every fix, and proposes each policy step, you approve before anything ships.

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.

The decision

Which one is right for you?

Pick MXtoolbox if…
Pick Palisade if…

Best for Teams comfortable applying their own changes

Best for MSPs and IT teams responsible for multiple domains

  • You want inbox placement, blacklist, mailflow, complaint, and authentication tools in one email-delivery console.
  • You prefer published monthly plans with 5-domain tiers and a separate 30-day money-back guarantee.
  • You want a REST API for lookups and monitors, or you plan to operate an expert-managed delivery service.
  • Your team is comfortable reviewing recommendations and applying the resulting DNS or policy changes through the MXtoolbox workflow.
  • You want an AI agent to investigate every sender, draft SPF and DKIM fixes, and propose the policy progression toward p=reject.
  • You want a portfolio workflow for internal domains or client domains, with the customer approving each change before it ships.
  • You want native ConnectWise, HaloPSA, and Autotask integrations for MSP operations, alongside hosted records on redundant managed DNS.
Starts at
$0/month
Starts at
Free, then $19/mo

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.

Feature comparison

Where the day-to-day work actually differs

FeatureMXtoolboxPalisade
Enforcement
AI agent that investigates senders, drafts authentication fixes, and proposes each policy step for approvalWhether a product prepares authentication fixes and policy changes for approval.MXtoolbox advertises sender detection, recommendations, Policy Advisor, and optional automatic policy configuration, but it does not advertise an AI agent with Palisade's investigate, draft, and approval workflow (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26)No agent advertisedAgent drafts and proposes
Reporting and analysis
DMARC aggregate report monitoring and sender visibilityWhether aggregate reports show senders, providers, and DMARC results.Delivery Center reports on verified sources, sender categories, provider volume, and DMARC compliance scores (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26)Sender and provider reportsAgent analyzes reports
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication and alignment analysisWhether a product analyzes authentication, alignment, and record results.MXtoolbox documents SPF and DKIM authentication and alignment scores, DMARC compliance, and record analysis (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26)Authentication and alignment scoresAgent investigates senders
Hosted records & DNS
Hosted DMARC policy management through DNS delegationWhether DMARC policy can be managed through delegated DNS.MXtoolbox provides a CNAME-based DMARC integration, keeps other DNS records at the customer's provider, and lets the customer manage the integrated policy in Delivery Center (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26)CNAME policy integrationHosted on managed DNS
Monitoring and automation
SPF flatteningWhether SPF records can be flattened to reduce DNS lookups.SPF Flattening is documented as part of Delivery Center Plus and reconstructs the SPF record to stay under the 10 DNS lookup limit (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26)Plus-plan SPF flatteningHosted SPF flattening
Mailflow, DNS, blacklist, and sender reputation monitoringWhether a product monitors mailflow, DNS changes, blacklist status, and reputation.MXtoolbox advertises mailflow latency and availability monitoring, DNS change detection, blacklist tracking, and sender geolocation and reputation views (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26)Mailflow and reputation monitoringAgent investigates issues
Configurable email alerts and webhook notificationsWhether alerts can notify operators through email or webhooks.MXtoolbox documents alerts for low DMARC passing rates, failing integrations, low verified-sender volume, and Gmail spam-rate changes, plus webhook notifications for monitor alerts (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26)Email alerts and webhooksAgent alerts on tickets
REST API for email lookups and monitor statusWhether an API can query email lookups and monitor status.The REST API supports email authentication lookups including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and can add, remove, or query monitors (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26)Lookup and monitor APIAPI on every plan
MSP operations
Multi-domain management with role-based account accessWhether one account manages multiple domains with role-based access.Delivery Center shows a managed-domain list with per-domain status and scores, and MXtoolbox documents Owner, Edit, Read-Only, and Billing-Only roles (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26)Domains with account rolesDomain groups and roles
Native ConnectWise, HaloPSA, and Autotask integrationsWhether named PSA systems connect directly to client-domain workflows.MXtoolbox's public Delivery Center integration index groups its options under DMARC Setup, Email Delivery Options, and Complaint Integrations, but does not advertise ConnectWise, HaloPSA, or Autotask connectors (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26)PSA connectors not advertisedNative PSA integrations
Dedicated expert-managed DMARC and email-delivery serviceWhether a vendor provides staffed help for DMARC and email delivery.MXtoolbox advertises Fully Managed Delivery Services covering assessment, DMARC onboarding and enforcement, SPF and DKIM implementation, monitoring, alerting, and ongoing maintenance (checked 2026-08-26). Source (2026-08-26)Expert-led delivery serviceAgent-led setup workflow
AI and automation access
Documented REST API for email and monitoring dataWhether software can query published email diagnostics and monitor data without using the dashboard.MXtoolbox publishes a REST API reference for DNS and email-authentication lookups and monitor status. Free accounts include 68 DNS API requests; paid plans add higher request quotas, network lookups, and full monitor access (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27)Free API, paid limitsREST API published
MCP server for connecting AI assistants to domain dataWhether an AI assistant can reach the product's data directly.MXtoolbox does not advertise an MCP server or an AI-assistant integration on its public API reference, Delivery Center integrations page, or Delivery Center product page (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27) Source 2 (2026-08-27) Source 3 (2026-08-27)No MCP server listedMCP server published
Advertised AI features for sender investigation or change draftingWhether the vendor advertises AI or machine-learning features that investigate senders or draft configuration work.MXtoolbox's public Delivery Center page describes automatic sender detection and recommendations, but does not advertise AI or machine-learning features that investigate senders or draft authentication fixes (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27)No AI feature listedAgent drafts work
Monitoring alerts delivered outside the dashboardWhether monitor alerts can reach another system without relying on the product UI.MXtoolbox documents JSON callback/webhook notifications for monitoring alerts, with default, Slack, VictorOps, and custom formats (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27)JSON monitor webhooksREST API published
Pricing & service model
Published self-serve plans with domain and message-volume limitsWhether buyers can compare plan price, domain allowance, and monthly message limit before purchase.MXtoolbox publishes Delivery Center at $129/month for 5 domains and 500,000 messages, plus Delivery Center Plus at $399/month for 5 domains and 5,000,000 messages. Palisade publishes IT-team plans from $19/month by email volume, with 2 to 20 set-up domains by tier (checked 2026-08-28). Source (2026-08-28) Source 2 (2026-08-28)$129 and $399 tiers$19+ volume tiers
Published evaluation terms before full commitmentWhether the public offer explains how a buyer can evaluate the paid product.MXtoolbox advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee for Delivery Center. Palisade advertises a 15-day full-product trial without a credit card (checked 2026-08-28). Source (2026-08-28) Source 2 (2026-08-28)30-day money-back guarantee15-day no-card trial
Optional vendor-staffed email-delivery serviceWhether buyers can add staffed assessment, implementation, monitoring, and maintenance.MXtoolbox advertises a separate Fully Managed Delivery Center covering assessment, DMARC onboarding and enforcement, SPF and DKIM implementation, monitoring, and maintenance. Palisade's public pricing page advertises self-serve IT plans, MSP platform workflows, and custom Enterprise terms but does not advertise a staffed managed email-delivery service (checked 2026-08-28). Source (2026-08-28) Source 2 (2026-08-28)Fully managed serviceNo staffed service advertised

Want to compare the workflow yourself? Try Palisade free with one domain and up to 1,000 emails a month.

The scorecard

Palisade 96 vs MXtoolbox 71, 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 2026-08-30.

MXtoolbox
71/100
57 of 80 raw
Palisade
96/100
77 of 80 raw
Dimension
MCP & API connectivityEditorial

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.

MXtoolbox6/10

MXToolbox documents a REST API with limited free DNS lookups and paid monitor access, but it does not publish an MCP server (checked 2026-08-28). Source (2026-08-28)

Palisade10/10

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)

Analysis automationEditorial

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.

MXtoolbox8/10

Named sender verification, aggregate analysis, security alerts, complaint feeds, reputation monitoring, and delivery integrations automate broad operational review. Source (2026-08-28)

Palisade9/10

Report data is analysed into a prioritised list of sender, SPF, DKIM and DMARC issues, so nobody reads raw XML. Source (2026-07-29)

Agentic softwareEditorial

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.

MXtoolbox6/10

Delivery Center hosting integrations apply DMARC and SPF changes without a separate DNS-provider login, but an operator still chooses the change and the policy step. Source (2026-08-28)

Palisade9/10

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)

Pricing transparency

10 = full pricing published. 6 = some tiers published, rest quote-gated. 3 = quote only.

MXtoolbox10/10

Free is $0; Delivery Center is $129 per month for five domains and 500,000 messages; Delivery Center Plus is $399 per month. Source (2026-08-28)

Palisade10/10

Published: free plan, then flat monthly plans by email volume from $19/mo Source (2026-08-30)

Hosted SPF/DKIM/DMARC records

10 = hosts the records for you. 6 = partial or add-on. 3 = you manage your own DNS.

MXtoolbox6/10

Partial: hosting integrations manage DMARC and SPF records directly from Delivery Center; exact providers and tier entitlements vary. Source (2026-08-28)

Palisade10/10

Yes: hosted DMARC, SPF, DKIM, BIMI & MTA-STS Source (2026-08-30)

Free access

10 = a genuine free plan. 6 = time-limited trial only. 3 = no free access.

MXtoolbox6/10

The $0 plan provides weekly blacklist monitoring for one domain, not full Delivery Center DMARC reporting. Source (2026-08-28)

Palisade10/10

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)

MSP & multi-tenant

10 = a real MSP program with multi-tenant management. 6 = partial. 3 = none.

MXtoolbox6/10

Partial: MXToolbox publishes a scalable Delivery Center interface for managed service providers, but no public partner-commercial terms. Source (2026-08-28)

Palisade10/10

Yes: MSP-first, multi-tenant with native PSA integrations Source (2026-08-30)

Path to enforcementEditorial

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.

MXtoolbox9/10

Managed onboarding, sender assessment, DNS setup assistance, policy optimization, proactive monitoring, and ongoing maintenance support the full enforcement process. Source (2026-08-28)

Palisade9/10

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 (2026-07-29)

Delivery breadth vs DMARC focus

A broad delivery console with real DMARC monitoring parity

MXtoolbox Delivery Center is more than a DMARC XML viewer. Its public product pages describe automatic detection of new and existing senders, verified-source views, SPF and DKIM checks, DMARC compliance analysis, blacklist reputation, geolocation, BIMI readiness, and inbox-delivery information. The DMARC Performance documentation adds sortable provider volume, compliance scores, and sender categories such as Verified, Forwarder, Threat, and Unknown. For an IT team that wants authentication and delivery diagnostics together, those are meaningful points of parity. Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26)

MXtoolbox DMARC Performance table comparing inbox providers by reported volume and DMARC, SPF, and DKIM pass and failure results
MXtoolbox, from its own site
Fully Hosted SPF, DKIM, DMARC, BIMI & MTA-STS
Palisade

The report workflow also has useful operational detail. Delivery Center can show where a source is passing or failing authentication and alignment, and its domain view provides a next-action indicator for each managed domain. The product page positions these signals alongside inbox placement, complaint data, blacklist monitoring, and mailflow checks. That breadth is a legitimate reason to shortlist MXtoolbox when the buying requirement is one console for many kinds of email-delivery evidence, not only DMARC policy progression. Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26)

MXtoolbox
  • Sender and provider reports
  • Authentication and alignment scores
Palisade
  • Agent analyzes reports
  • Agent investigates senders

Guided automation vs agent-led execution

Policy recommendations and hosted records versus agent-led execution

MXtoolbox documents a staged policy workflow. Its DMARC guidance recommends starting at none, watching compliance, and then using Policy Advisor recommendations to move through stricter stages. Delivery Center can host the DMARC policy through a CNAME integration, and the operator can change the integrated policy from the account instead of repeatedly opening the DNS provider. Its public materials also describe an Automatic Configuration option that can advance subsequent policy steps when scores remain high. The result is a guided and partly automated path built around the Delivery Center interface. Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26) Source 3 (2026-08-26)

MXtoolbox Verified Sources table showing sender compliance rates, message volume, no-data warnings, and source-management controls
MXtoolbox, from its own site

Palisade makes a different promise about who carries the work. Its agent investigates senders, drafts SPF and DKIM fixes, detects policy readiness, and proposes each move toward p=reject. Your team approves every step before anything ships. MXtoolbox does advertise recommendations and an optional automatic policy configuration path, but it does not advertise an AI agent with that investigation-and-drafting role (checked 2026-08-26). For a large domain portfolio, the decision is therefore less about whether both products can guide enforcement and more about whether the platform or your operators own the remediation queue. Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26)

MXtoolbox
  • No agent advertised
Palisade
  • Agent drafts and proposes
  1. Investigates. Works out what is sending as your domain, and which of it is legitimate.
  2. Drafts the fix. Prepares the SPF and DKIM record changes each sender needs, rather than describing them.
  3. Proposes the policy step. Moves toward p=reject when the evidence supports it. You approve before anything ships.

Hosted records vs integration breadth

Hosted SPF and integrations, with clear packaging boundaries

MXtoolbox has useful hosted-record coverage. Its DMARC integration supplies a CNAME while leaving the rest of the DNS zone at the customer's provider. Its SPF Hosting and SPF Flattening documentation describes a separate path for hosting and reconstructing complex SPF records, with flattening packaged in Delivery Center Plus. The vendor's integration index groups its options under three headings: DMARC Setup, Email Delivery Options, and Complaint Integrations. That makes the product relevant when the team wants authentication configuration, sender data, and delivery signals in one account. Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26) Source 3 (2026-08-26)

MXtoolbox SPF Setup for Verified Sources table listing sender mechanisms and SPF policy pass rates
MXtoolbox, from its own site
Multi-tenant solution
Palisade

For system integration, MXtoolbox publishes a REST API that runs SuperTool lookups, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC checks, and can add, remove, or query monitor status. The API page gives examples for piping reputation data into ticketing, support, CRM, and email-management systems. The public Delivery Center integration index does not advertise named ConnectWise, HaloPSA, or Autotask connectors (checked 2026-08-26), so an MSP that needs those specific PSA workflows should treat the API as an integration project unless MXtoolbox confirms another route. Source (2026-08-26) Source 2 (2026-08-26)

Native PSA integrations

Palisade imports client domains straight from these three. MXtoolbox's own coverage is stated above, from their site.

  • ConnectWise PSA
  • Autotask
  • HaloPSA
MXtoolbox
  • CNAME policy integration
Palisade
  • Hosted on managed DNS

Pricing scope vs service model

Published monthly plans, diagnostic breadth, and MSP fit

MXtoolbox's published product tiers make the initial comparison straightforward. Free covers one domain with weekly blacklist monitoring. Delivery Center is listed at $129/month for 5 domains and 500,000 messages, while Delivery Center Plus is $399/month for 5 domains and 5,000,000 messages and adds advanced threat tools and SPF flattening. Both paid tiers list inbox placement, complaint reporting, performance reports, configuration analysis, sender blacklist monitoring, mailflow monitoring, and domain impersonation protection. The page also advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee, while the overage behavior and annual prices are not explained on the checked page. Source (2026-08-26)

MXToolbox managed-domains view showing an SPF remediation alert and DMARC, SPF, DKIM, and email-volume status by domain.
MXtoolbox, from its own site

MXtoolbox also offers a separate Managed Delivery Services engagement. Its public description includes an email-delivery assessment, sender mapping, DMARC onboarding and enforcement, SPF and DKIM implementation, fraud and spoofing diagnostics, blacklist monitoring, mailflow diagnostics, proactive alerting, and ongoing maintenance and training. That is a real fit for an organization that wants to buy expert help around a broad delivery program. It is a different commercial and operational choice from Palisade's self-serve agent workflow, where the agent performs the investigation and drafting and the customer approves each change. Source (2026-08-26)

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.

MXtoolbox
  • Free
    $0/month

    Weekly blacklist monitoring and 1 domain

  • Delivery Center
    $129/month

    Inbox placement analysis, recipient complaint reporting, email delivery performance reports, email configuration analysis, adaptive sender blacklist monitoring, inbound and outbound mailflow monitoring, domain impersonation protection, 5 domains, and 500,000 messages

  • Delivery Center Plus
    $399/month

    Everything listed for Delivery Center plus advanced email-delivery threat tools and SPF flattening, 5 domains, and 5,000,000 messages

Palisade
  • 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

MXtoolbox
  • $129 and $399 tiers
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Fully managed service
Palisade
  • $19+ volume tiers
  • 15-day no-card trial
  • No staffed service advertised

Dashboard access vs programmatic access

MXtoolbox's REST API has free lookup access, but no published MCP server

MXtoolbox publishes a REST API reference for DNS lookups, blacklist checks, email diagnostics, and monitoring. Its documentation says requests use an API key; free accounts include 68 DNS API requests, while paid plans add higher request quotas, network lookups, and full monitor access. MXtoolbox also documents JSON callback/webhook notifications for monitoring alerts. Its public integrations page groups Delivery Center integrations under DMARC Setup, Email Delivery Options, and Complaint Integrations, while the product page describes automatic sender detection and recommendations. Those pages do not advertise an MCP server, an AI-assistant integration, or AI or machine-learning features (checked 2026-08-27). Source (2026-08-27) Source 2 (2026-08-27) Source 3 (2026-08-27) Source 4 (2026-08-27)

Palisade publishes an MCP server and 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 30 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.

MXtoolbox
  • Free API, paid limits
  • No MCP server listed
  • No AI feature listed
Palisade
  • REST API published
  • MCP server published
  • Agent drafts work
Palisade

Still deciding between MXtoolbox 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

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • Windsurf

30 tools over MCP, so your assistant reads your domains and works the queue.

Connect your DNS manager directly

  • GoDaddy
  • Cloudflare
  • Namecheap
  • Amazon Route 53

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.
Read the case study
Pricing

MXtoolbox pricing explained (and how Palisade compares)

MXtoolbox publishes three visible monthly options on its product page. The paid tiers combine a domain allowance with an email-message volume limit, while managed delivery services are presented as a separate expert-led offer. These were the published figures checked on August 26, 2026:

What you'd actually pay

The same five buyer sizes on every comparison, so a shape carries from one page to the next.

Buyer size
Small

1 domain, up to 1,000 emails a month

MXtoolbox
$0/month

Free: weekly blacklist monitoring and 1 domain; no Email Message Volume is published

Palisade
Free
Medium

2 set-up domains, up to 100K emails a month

MXtoolbox
$129/month

Delivery Center: 5 domains and 500,000 Email Message Volume; no 2-domain tier is published

Palisade
$19/mo ($15/mo annual)
Large

10 set-up domains, up to 1M emails a month

MXtoolbox
$399/month

Delivery Center Plus: 5 domains and 5,000,000 Email Message Volume; no 10-domain tier is published

Palisade
$99/mo ($79/mo annual)
Enterprise

20 set-up domains, up to 2.5M emails a month

MXtoolbox
$399/month

Delivery Center Plus: 5 domains and 5,000,000 Email Message Volume; no 20-domain tier is published

Palisade
$249/mo ($199/mo annual)
MSP

Client domains under management, any volume

MXtoolbox
Not published at this size

No MSP plan or per-client-domain rate is published

Palisade
Quoted per client domain; no email metering

Palisade’s figures are derived from its published tiers. MXtoolbox figures read from their pricing page on 2026-08-28. Plans and prices may have changed since.

How MXtoolbox prices

  • The public product page shows monthly pricing. It does not publish annual prices on the page checked (checked 2026-08-26).
  • The paid product page advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee. That is a guarantee, not evidence of a free trial (checked 2026-08-26).
  • Managed Delivery Services are described on a separate page with a free consultation, but a service price is not published there (checked 2026-08-26).
  • The product page lists the 500,000 and 5,000,000 message volumes beside the paid plans; the public page does not explain the overage or enforcement behavior for those limits (checked 2026-08-26).

How Palisade prices

  • Palisade publishes a Free plan for one domain and up to 1,000 emails/month, then flat monthly IT-team plans sized by email volume from $19/month with 20% off on annual billing. Paid tiers cap set-up domains at 2, 3, 6, 10, or 20 by volume tier; adding domains stays free and unlimited.
  • Palisade's MSP model is quoted per client domain, with a rate that improves as the portfolio grows. Client email volume is not metered, and the provider's own MSP domain is included as a free NFR license.
  • Palisade's 15-day full-product trial requires no credit card. Its agent investigates every sender, drafts every fix, and proposes each policy step for approval rather than making unreviewed DNS or policy changes.
  • MXtoolbox's public plans are broader in diagnostic scope and include inbox placement, complaint reporting, mailflow, and blacklist features. Compare the listed subscription price with the domain and message limits, and separately account for any labor or managed-service fees needed to carry changes through enforcement.

MXtoolbox pricing read from their public pricing page on 2026-08-26.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.

Standing

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.

MXtoolbox · Overview

MXtoolbox Delivery Center combines DMARC reporting, sender and authentication analysis, inbox placement, reputation monitoring, and email infrastructure checks. It shows verified sources, sender categories, provider volume, and DMARC compliance, alongside SPF and DKIM checks, blacklist reputation, geolocation, BIMI readiness, and inbox-delivery information for teams that need authentication and delivery diagnostics together.

MXtoolbox publishes Free, Delivery Center, and Delivery Center Plus monthly options, with paid tiers combining domain allowances and email-message limits. Delivery Center adds inbox placement, recipient complaint reporting, performance reports, configuration analysis, blacklist and mailflow monitoring, and domain impersonation protection; the vendor separately offers Managed Delivery Services for assessment, onboarding, implementation, monitoring, and ongoing maintenance.

Palisade · Overview

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.

MXtoolbox · What it covers
  • Provides sender and provider reports for DMARC aggregate-report monitoring
  • Provides authentication and alignment scores for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
  • Provides CNAME policy integration for hosted DMARC policy management
  • Provides Plus-plan SPF flattening
  • Provides mailflow and reputation monitoring
Palisade · What it covers
  • 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
MXtoolbox · Where it stops
  • Does not advertise an AI agent that investigates senders, drafts authentication fixes, and proposes policy steps for approval
  • Does not advertise named ConnectWise, HaloPSA, or Autotask connectors
  • Does not advertise an MCP server for connecting AI assistants to domain data
  • Does not advertise AI or machine-learning features for sender investigation or change drafting
Palisade · Where it stops
  • 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
MXtoolbox · At a glance
Starts at
$0/month
Free tier
1 domain; weekly blacklist monitoring
Delivery Center
$129/month; 5 domains, 500,000 messages
Plus tier
$399/month; 5 domains, 5,000,000 messages
Guarantee
30-day money-back
Palisade · At a glance
Starts at
Free, then $19/mo
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

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Palisade made it so easy for us to get our blue verified checkmark and achieve our BIMI compliance

Max LeRoy

Max LeRoy

VP Product, Politico

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Evidence

Sources and further reading

Source checks run through 2026-08-26; every entry keeps its individual check date.

Questions

Palisade vs MXtoolbox: FAQ

What is the main difference between MXtoolbox and Palisade?

MXtoolbox combines DMARC reporting with inbox placement, complaint, blacklist, mailflow, DNS, and email-authentication diagnostics. Palisade is agentic: its agent investigates senders, drafts SPF and DKIM fixes, and proposes each policy step toward p=reject while your team approves before anything ships.

Does MXtoolbox have an AI enforcement agent?

MXtoolbox advertises sender detection, Policy Advisor recommendations, and an Automatic Configuration option for advancing policy steps. It does not advertise an AI agent that investigates every sender, drafts authentication fixes, and proposes each policy step for approval. Its separate Managed Delivery Services offer provides human expert help with enforcement.

How much does MXtoolbox Delivery Center cost?

The public product page checked August 26, 2026 lists Free at $0/month, Delivery Center at $129/month for 5 domains and 500,000 messages, and Delivery Center Plus at $399/month for 5 domains and 5,000,000 messages. Annual pricing, overage behavior, and managed-service fees are not published on that page.

Does MXtoolbox offer SPF flattening and hosted DMARC?

Yes. MXtoolbox documents CNAME-based DMARC integration and policy management through Delivery Center. It also documents SPF Hosting and SPF Flattening, with SPF Flattening listed as part of Delivery Center Plus. Confirm the current plan and setup requirements before changing a production record.

Does MXtoolbox have ConnectWise, HaloPSA, or Autotask integrations?

MXtoolbox's public Delivery Center integration index does not advertise those named PSA connectors. MXtoolbox does publish a REST API for lookups and monitor status, including examples for ticketing and support systems, so an MSP should confirm whether its intended PSA workflow is supported directly or would require API work.

Can I run MXtoolbox and Palisade at the same time?

Yes. DMARC aggregate reporting supports multiple reporting destinations, so you can send reports to both platforms during an evaluation window. Keep the policy and hosted-record changes coordinated, compare sender findings and operational workload, then retire the old destination when your team is ready.

Switching from MXtoolbox takes three steps

  1. 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. 2

    Run both platforms in parallel

    DMARC reporting supports multiple recipients, so Palisade and MXtoolbox receive the same reports during the overlap window. Nothing breaks while you compare.

  3. 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.

Our onboarding team handles the technical transition with you.

Competitor information on this page was last reviewed against public sources on 2026-08-26. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.