# Spam and virus filtering privacy ratings

Spam filters, email virus scanners and email security gateways, self-hosted and hosted.

**Our pick:** [SpamScanner](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/spamscanner/): Self-hosted spam, phishing and malware scanning for Node.js with no telemetry, built by the Forward Email team and used to filter Forward Email's mail.

| Name | Grade | Jurisdiction | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [SpamScanner](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/spamscanner/) (our pick) | B (80/100) | Unknown | Spam, phishing and malware scanner for email written in Node.js by the Forward Email team, used as a library or a command-line tool on your own server. |
| [Amavis](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/amavis/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | Self-hosted content filter written in Perl that sits between a mail server and scanners such as SpamAssassin and ClamAV, passing each message to them and acting on the results. |
| [Apache SpamAssassin](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/spamassassin/) | B (80/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Self-hosted spam filter from the Apache Software Foundation that scores mail with rules, DNS blocklists and Bayesian filtering, used alongside mail servers such as Postfix. |
| [MailScanner](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/mailscanner/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | Self-hosted email security system written in Perl that scans mail for spam, viruses and phishing using SpamAssassin and antivirus engines, with Postfix, Sendmail and Exim. |
| [Rspamd](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/rspamd/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | Self-hosted spam filtering system written in C and Lua that checks mail with rules, statistics, fuzzy hashes and DNS lists, and integrates with Postfix, Exim and other mail servers. |
| [Proxmox Mail Gateway](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/proxmox-mail-gateway/) | C (65/100) | Austria | Self-hosted email gateway distribution from Proxmox that filters inbound and outbound mail for spam, viruses and phishing, managed through a web interface. |
| [Microsoft Defender for Office 365](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/microsoft-defender-for-office-365/) | D (50/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Email and collaboration security add-on for Microsoft 365 that scans mail, links and attachments for phishing and malware on top of Exchange Online Protection spam filtering. It also covers Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive. |
| [Proofpoint Email Protection](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/proofpoint-email-protection/) | D (41/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Secure email gateway for organizations that filters inbound and outbound mail for spam, phishing, malware and impersonation. It runs as a cloud service or on premises in front of Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or other mail servers. |
| [DuoCircle](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/duocircle/) | F (38/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Email services company whose products include cloud spam and phishing filtering, backup MX, email forwarding, outbound SMTP relay, and SPF and DMARC management. |
| [Check Point Email Security](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/check-point-harmony-email/) | F (28/100) | Israel | Cloud email security service from Check Point, formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration and Avanan. It connects to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace by API to filter phishing, malware and spam before messages reach the inbox. |
| [N-able Mail Assure](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/n-able-mail-assure/) | F (25/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Cloud email security service sold to managed service providers that filters inbound and outbound mail for spam, phishing and malware, with email continuity and encrypted archiving. It works with Microsoft 365 and other mail servers. |
| [Vade](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/vade/) | F (25/100) | France (Nine Eyes) | AI-based email filtering for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, internet service providers and mail servers that blocks spam, phishing and malware. Vade merged with Hornetsecurity and is being folded into the Hornetsecurity brand. |
| [SpamHero](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/spamhero/) | F (22/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Hosted spam and virus filtering service for organizations with their own domain, set up by pointing MX records at it. It also offers outbound SMTP relay, quarantine, delivery logs and reseller controls for managed service providers. |
| [Trustifi](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/trustifi/) | F (22/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Cloud email security service that filters inbound phishing, impersonation and malware, and adds outbound encryption, data loss prevention and archiving for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and other mail servers. |
| [Libraesva](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/libraesva/) | F (20/100) | Italy (Fourteen Eyes) | Email security gateway from an Italian vendor, deployed on premises or in a private cloud, that filters spam, phishing and malware with local sandboxing and AI models. The company also sells email archiving, DMARC management and phishing training. |
| [Heimdal Email Security](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/heimdal-email-security/) | F (19/100) | Denmark (Nine Eyes) | Cloud email filtering from Heimdal, a Danish security company, that blocks spam, phishing, malware and business email compromise, managed from the Heimdal dashboard alongside its endpoint security products. |
| [Mailinblack](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/mailinblack/) | F (19/100) | France (Nine Eyes) | French cloud email security service that filters spam, phishing, ransomware and malicious links for business mailboxes, sold with a password manager and security awareness training. |
| [OOPSpam](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/oopspam/) | F (19/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Anti-spam API that scores form submissions, comments, sign-ups and messages for spam and fraud using machine learning, IP and email reputation checks. Plugins connect it to WordPress, form builders and other platforms. |
| [Egress](https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/egress/) | F (16/100) | United Kingdom (Five Eyes) | Cloud email security for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace from Egress, a KnowBe4 company, covering inbound phishing detection, outbound data loss prevention and email encryption. |

## Criteria

- **Open source** (weight 3): Is all the source code needed to run the product public?
- **No trackers or telemetry** (weight 3): Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
- **No ads or data sales** (weight 2): Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
- **Independent audit** (weight 2): Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
- **Transparency report** (weight 2): Does the provider regularly publish how many government and legal requests it receives and how it responds?
- **Tells users about requests** (weight 1): Does the provider promise to tell users about requests for their data, unless a court forbids it?
- **TLS configuration** (weight 2, automated): Does the website pass the Qualys SSL Labs test with a grade of A or better?
- **Security headers** (weight 1, automated): Does the website pass the Mozilla HTTP Observatory test with a grade of A or better?
- **Modern web standards** (weight 1, automated): Does the website score 90% or higher on the Internet.nl website test?

Source: https://privacyratings.com/spam-filters/