In short: Proofpoint licensing for smaller organisations centres on Proofpoint Essentials, a cloud email gateway sold per user in Business, Advanced and Professional packages, each with a plus version. Higher packages add encryption, data loss prevention, continuity and archiving, and security awareness training is a per-user add-on. Ask us for a quote.
What Proofpoint does
Proofpoint is an email and people-focused security company whose main platform is built for large enterprises. For smaller organisations it offers Proofpoint Essentials, a multi-tenant cloud service that filters inbound and outbound email for Microsoft 365 and other mail platforms, with no hardware or software to install.
Proofpoint has also acquired Hornetsecurity, and its website now leads with Proofpoint 365 Total Protection, the Hornetsecurity suite for Microsoft 365, for small and mid-sized buyers; the old Proofpoint Essentials product page now redirects there. Proofpoint Essentials remains available to order and existing customers continue to run on it, so the choice is now between the two. See our Hornetsecurity and 365 Total Protection pages; we can quote both.
The Proofpoint products we supply
| Product | What it does | Licensed by |
|---|---|---|
| Proofpoint Essentials | Cloud email gateway: spam, phishing and malware filtering, URL and attachment analysis, encryption, DLP, continuity and archiving, in packages | User |
| Essentials archive ingestion and archive data | Importing historical email into the Essentials archive and the archive data held | Gigabyte |
| Proofpoint Essentials Security Awareness Training | Staff awareness training and phishing simulation, added to an Essentials account | User |
The archive items are covered on the Proofpoint Essentials page, because they extend the packages that include archiving rather than standing alone.
Proofpoint Essentials or 365 Total Protection?
Both are cloud email security services for smaller organisations, but they are built differently, so it is worth deciding before you buy:
| Proofpoint Essentials | Proofpoint 365 Total Protection | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Proofpoint's own SMB service | Hornetsecurity suite, now part of Proofpoint |
| How mail flows | Gateway: your MX records point at Proofpoint | Built for Microsoft 365 |
| Mail platforms | Microsoft 365, on-premises Exchange and other platforms | Microsoft 365 |
| Scope | Email filtering, encryption, DLP, continuity, archiving | Email security plus backup, permissions and awareness modules, depending on plan |
| Licensing | Per user, in packages | Per user, in plans |
If you already run Proofpoint Essentials and it does what you need, there is no need to move. If you are buying new and are entirely on Microsoft 365, we will usually show you both. Proofpoint Essentials is billed monthly on the users on your account, and the packages are compared on the Proofpoint Essentials page. Prices depend on the package and user count, so ask us for a quote.
Deployment and requirements
Proofpoint Essentials is a gateway service: you point your domain's MX records at Proofpoint, which filters mail and passes clean messages to Microsoft 365, your own Exchange server or another mail platform. Outbound mail is routed through Proofpoint too, so it can be scanned, encrypted where policy says so and given disclaimers.
Users can be synchronised from Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID, and each user gets a quarantine digest to release, approve or block held mail. Proofpoint notes that the way users are added has billing implications, so we set this up carefully. Microsoft 365 licences are not supplied on this site; see Forever Group's Microsoft licensing.
Buying Proofpoint through Forever Systems
We supply Proofpoint Essentials with your other subscriptions on one account and one invoice.
- Choose the product and package: we check whether Essentials or 365 Total Protection fits better, then match the Essentials package, and whether a plus version is worth it, to your compliance and continuity needs.
- Switch over: we set up domains, user sync and policies, change MX records at a quiet time and lock down Microsoft 365 to accept mail only from Proofpoint.
- Look after it: package changes, user changes, archive imports and renewals are handled for you.
Compare other email security and email encryption products, or browse our vendors A to Z.
Explore Proofpoint
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
What is Proofpoint Essentials?
Proofpoint Essentials is Proofpoint's cloud email security service for small and mid-sized organisations. It filters spam, phishing and malware and, in higher packages, adds encryption, data loss prevention, continuity and archiving.
How is Proofpoint Essentials licensed?
Per user, in Business, Advanced and Professional packages, each with a plus version, billed monthly. Archive ingestion and archive data are measured in gigabytes, and security awareness training is a per-user add-on.
Is Proofpoint Essentials being replaced by 365 Total Protection?
Proofpoint's website now leads with 365 Total Protection, from its Hornetsecurity acquisition, for small and mid-sized buyers, and the old Essentials product page redirects there. Proofpoint Essentials is still available to order and existing customers continue to use it. We can quote both and help you choose.
Can I still buy the Proofpoint Essentials Beginner package?
No. Beginner is end of sale, so Business is now the entry package. If you are on Beginner, ask us about moving to a current package.