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MailGuard · comparison

Hornetsecurity and Conbool — side by side.

If you're looking for an email security platform for the DACH market, it pays to look at the differences directly. This page compares publicly verifiable points — as of May 2026.

Request a demoMailGuard in detailUpdated: May 2026

In three sentences

What matters.

Hornetsecurity is an established email security platform headquartered in Hanover. Conbool MailGuard is a German alternative with a focused feature scope and modular licensing. Which fits best depends on the feature breadth you need, licensing granularity and your specific DACH requirements.

The five most common questions, side by side.

Every statement about Hornetsecurity links to a public source. Every Conbool claim is verifiable in a demo.

Where is my data hosted?

Conbool MailGuard

Exclusively in EU data centres on ISO 27001-certified infrastructure. Contract party and data processor is Conbool GmbH in Germany.

HornetsecurityHornetsecurity

Hornetsecurity operates data centres in multiple regions according to the company website, with a clear Germany focus for DACH customers. Which location is active for your tenant is governed by the contract.

Source: hornetsecurity.com — Trust Center / data locations. Please confirm the concrete tenant location with the vendor.

Why it matters: GDPR records of processing and NIS-2 risk assessments need a documented data location.

How is licensing structured?

Conbool MailGuard

Modular per feature. Term monthly or yearly, no multi-year minimum. Individual protection modules can be activated separately.

HornetsecurityHornetsecurity

Hornetsecurity bundles features in editions (e.g. Essentials, Advanced, Premium). What is included in which edition is governed by the current package overview.

Source: hornetsecurity.com — service plans / package overview. Current terms via the vendor.

Why it matters: if you only need some features, modular booking pays. If you want a full package with clearly defined scope, editions are often easier.

What protection features are included by default?

Conbool MailGuard

Spam and phishing detection, BEC protection with behavioural analysis, attachment sandbox, URL rewriting, DLP with DACH detectors, audit log.

HornetsecurityHornetsecurity

Hornetsecurity offers the full spectrum of anti-spam, anti-phishing, advanced threat protection and adjacent backup and compliance services. Which feature is in which plan is governed by the edition.

Source: hornetsecurity.com — product pages Advanced Threat Protection / 365 Total Protection.

Why it matters: Hornetsecurity covers a wider product breadth (backup, awareness). Conbool focuses on mail security with modular availability.

Which DACH-specific detectors are available?

Conbool MailGuard

DLP detectors with DACH focus: German IBAN with checksum, VAT IDs (DE, AT, CH-UID), AHV number, German tax ID, social security number. Custom detectors per tenant via regex and lookup lists.

HornetsecurityHornetsecurity

Hornetsecurity offers DLP with configurable rules. Which regional focuses are covered is governed by the detector library of the booked edition.

Source: hornetsecurity.com — DLP documentation. Please check specific DACH detectors with the vendor.

Why it matters: if you have to process German or Austrian identifiers (VAT ID, AHV), predefined DACH detectors save custom regex work.

How quick is the migration?

Conbool MailGuard

MX switch under 30 minutes technically, default policies active immediately. Parallel operation with the existing gateway during migration is possible.

HornetsecurityHornetsecurity

Hornetsecurity offers a guided migration process with MX switch and onboarding support. Concrete migration steps are described in the knowledge base.

Source: hornetsecurity.com — knowledge base / onboarding guide.

Why it matters: migration duration and parallel operation are direct cost drivers in IT projects.

Migration checklist

What to watch for when migrating away from Hornetsecurity.

Replacing Hornetsecurity typically runs in five steps — focused on mail-flow configuration and policy migration from the Control Panel.

  1. 1. Note the current edition and contract term

    Clarify which Hornet bundle (Essentials / Advanced / Premium or 365 Total Protection) is active and when it expires. This determines whether to let it run out or cancel with notice.

  2. 2. Export current policies from the Control Panel

    Quarantine rules, ATP configuration and 365 Total Protection settings export from the Hornet Control Panel. They serve as a blueprint for the Conbool rules without restarting configuration from scratch.

  3. 3. Switch MX records to Conbool

    The MX record points to Conbool, outbound goes back to Microsoft 365 or Exchange via a connector. Hornet stays as a secondary MX (higher priority on Conbool) during the transition.

  4. 4. Migrate DLP rules and banner configuration

    DACH DLP detectors are activated (IBAN, VAT ID, AHV). If you used Hornet Outlook banners or disclaimers, banner logic is migrated to the Conbool Disclaimer module.

  5. 5. Decommission the Hornet tenant

    After 30 days with no mail volume the Hornet tenant is deactivated. Audit log and compliance reports are archived. Cancel or run out the contract.

If you also use Hornet Backup or awareness training, these need to be replaced via specialised partners — Conbool focuses on email security.

Decision aid

When Conbool, when Hornetsecurity.

Conbool MailGuard fits when …

  • You want to book modularly per feature instead of a full bundle.
  • DACH DLP detectors (IBAN, VAT ID, AHV) matter in your standard.
  • You want to cancel monthly or yearly.
  • You want a focused mail security platform without backup/awareness cross-sell.

Hornetsecurity fits when …

  • You want mail security, backup and awareness training from one vendor.
  • You prefer the edition bundles and the established product ecosystem.
  • Existing Hornet integrations or MSP contracts already run in your setup.
  • You want a broad full package with long market presence.

Matched to your setup

Conbool MailGuard by industry and use case.

E-Mail-Sicherheit für Maschinenbau

Schutz von CAD-Plänen, Angeboten und Lieferketten-Kommunikation vor Industriespionage.

Learn more

CEO-Fraud-Schutz

Verhaltensanalyse stoppt gefälschte Geschäftsführer-Mails, bevor Zahlungen ausgelöst werden.

Learn more

NIS-2 E-Mail-Sicherheit

Schutzmaßnahmen nach NIS-2 mit Audit-Log und KRITIS-konformer Dokumentation.

Learn more

Phishing-Schutz

BEC, Spear-Phishing und QR-Code-Phishing erkennen und entfernen.

Learn more

Ransomware-Schutz E-Mail

Mehrstufige Anhang-Filter und URL-Reputation gegen Ransomware-Kampagnen.

Learn more

Spam-Filter Unternehmen

Spam und unerwünschte Massenmail mit DACH-Heuristiken filtern.

Learn more

CEO-Fraud-Schutz

BEC und CEO-Fraud-Attacken über Authentifizierungs-Layer abwehren.

Learn more

Also compared

Further Hornetsecurity alternatives and cross-comparisons.

Hornetsecurity is often weighed up against Mimecast, Proofpoint and Microsoft Defender. Here are the direct comparison pages.

Frequently asked

See Conbool MailGuard in your own setup.

30-minute demo. Modular per feature.

Request a demoMailGuard in detail

Sources and fairness note

Statements about Hornetsecurity rely exclusively on publicly accessible sources: hornetsecurity.com, Trust Center, product pages and knowledge base. Non-publicly substantiated claims are avoided.

As of May 2026. For your final decision we recommend you ask both vendors directly about the points relevant to you and get statements confirmed in writing.

Hornetsecurity is a trademark of Hornetsecurity GmbH or its group companies. Conbool is a trademark of Conbool GmbH. This page is an editorial comparison — not official Hornetsecurity material.