Proofpoint
Proofpoint stops humans from making email mistakes. Mailgator controls what AI agents are allowed to do.
They protect against completely different threat models — and most teams that need one don't need the other for the same reason.
| Mailgator | Proofpoint | |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for | AI agents and automations | Human users |
| Threat model | Agent reads wrong folder, sends unauthorized email | Phishing, data loss, misdirected email |
| How it works | IMAP/SMTP proxy with TOML rules | Cloud email gateway with ML models |
| Data location | Your infrastructure | Proofpoint cloud |
| Per-folder/sender rules | Yes | No (content-based DLP policies) |
| Anti-phishing | No | Yes, industry-leading |
| Setup | Single binary, minutes | Enterprise deployment, MX record changes |
| Pricing | From €3/mo | Enterprise contracts |
Proofpoint is one of the best at catching phishing emails, malware attachments, and business email compromise. If your primary concern is inbound threats targeting human users, Proofpoint is purpose-built for that — and Mailgator isn't. We don't do content inspection at all.
Proofpoint (including the Tessian acquisition) can detect when a human is about to send sensitive data to the wrong recipient, attach the wrong file, or violate a data handling policy. Content-aware, context-aware protection designed for the way people actually write email.
For organizations with thousands of employees, Proofpoint handles the full email security stack: encryption, archiving, compliance, threat intelligence. It's a complete platform for human email security — and it's very good at that job.
Proofpoint's DLP policies are designed around human behavior patterns. They won't catch an AI agent reading the wrong IMAP folder or sending an email it shouldn't. Mailgator blocks these at the protocol level — before the operation even happens. There's no content to inspect because the request never goes through.
Mailgator rules are TOML: "Allow reading from Invoices. Deny access to HR. Ask before sending." These are access control rules, not content inspection policies. You define what operations are permitted — not what content patterns are suspicious. Deterministic, auditable, version-controlled.
Proofpoint routes all email through their cloud for inspection — that's how content analysis works. Mailgator runs on your infrastructure and never reads email content. Your credentials and messages never leave your network.
Mailgator is €3/mo and takes minutes to set up. Proofpoint requires changing your MX records, signing enterprise contracts, and working with their implementation team. If you need agent email control today, Mailgator ships the same afternoon.
Proofpoint is the right choice if your threat model is phishing, data loss by human employees, or inbound malware. It's an email security gateway for people — and it's one of the best at that specific job. If you're protecting a workforce of humans from email-based attacks, Proofpoint is the tool.
Mailgator is the right choice if your threat model is "my AI agent just read the CEO's inbox" or "my automation sent an email it shouldn't have." These are access control problems, not content inspection problems. Many teams use both: Proofpoint for human email security, Mailgator for AI agent email control. Different tools, different layers.