While email remains a vital tool for business communication, its inherent security vulnerabilities pose persistent challenges. As organizations increasingly adopt cloud-first strategies, the limitations of traditional secure email gateways (SEGs) have become more evident. SEGs often lack the agility, scalability, and granular user control necessary for today’s global enterprises. Modern encryption solutions transcend perimeter defense, offering automated policy enforcement, secure key management, and intuitive user experiences that adapt seamlessly across various devices and geographical locations.
Heightened regulatory scrutiny and a significant surge in credential-based threats have elevated strong encryption practices to a fundamental business imperative. In this evolving landscape, enterprises are actively seeking email encryption providers capable of offering flexible deployment models, supporting crucial compliance mandates such as GDPR and HIPAA, and maintaining optimal performance even at scale.
Several providers are effectively addressing this demand with innovative solutions. This guide reviews seven of the top email encryption solutions in 2025 for businesses looking to move beyond traditional SEGs.
Choosing the Best Solutions
This article ranks seven top encryption providers equipped to replace or augment SEGs in enterprise settings. Each solution was reviewed using real-world feedback, product capabilities, and strategic positioning in response to regulatory and technical challenges.
This list evaluates email encryption solutions through direct product research, technical whitepapers, recent announcements, and customer feedback sourced from enterprise IT forums and verified review sites. Special attention was given to capabilities that enhance or replace legacy secure email gateways, such as automated S/MIME, BYOK, and API-driven certificate lifecycle management.
We weighted solutions based on five primary factors:
- Security Architecture – Includes encryption strength, automated certificate management, and integrity safeguards.
- Deployment and Integration – Support for cloud-first environments, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and legacy email systems.
- Compliance and Governance – Readiness for frameworks like GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
- User Experience and Accessibility – Simplicity in message access and encryption controls across devices and user types.
- Scalability and Support – Performance at enterprise scale, uptime guarantees, and global service capabilities.
Each solution had to demonstrate the ability to replace or supplement SEGs with a modern encryption platform that supports both compliance and operational agility.
Understanding Enterprise Email Encryption Needs
Business environments today demand encryption solutions that are adaptable, compliant, and easy to use. Organizations are balancing legacy systems, modern collaboration platforms, and an increasing volume of cross-border communication. Traditional encryption tools like S/MIME or PGP remain relevant, but they often fall short in usability and administrative efficiency when deployed at scale.
Large enterprises require policy-based encryption that automates decision-making—reducing dependency on end-user action. Solutions must integrate with major cloud providers and productivity platforms. This is especially important given that over 87% of enterprises now use multi-cloud strategies.
Regulatory compliance also adds urgency. With frameworks like GDPR mandating robust encryption and secure key handling, providers must offer tools such as BYOK and MYOK. Usability is another critical factor. Encryption should work across webmail, desktop, and mobile platforms with consistent performance.
As enterprises move away from SEGs, the focus is shifting from blocking threats to securing the communication itself. Email encryption now plays a central role in identity assurance, content confidentiality, and operational compliance across diverse communication channels.
Top 7 Email Encryption Solutions
Comparison Table
| Provider | Key Strengths | G2 Rating | Review Count | Why Consider |
| Echoworx | Policy automation, robust key management, broad interoperability, cloud-native | 4.8 | 150+ | For future-ready, global organizations needing comprehensive control and compliance |
| Virtru | Easy-to-deploy end-to-end encryption, strong Google/Microsoft integration | 4.7 | 200+ | For organizations prioritizing rapid deployment and seamless platform integration |
| Zix | Strong compliance focus, data loss prevention, secure archiving | 4.5 | 100+ | For businesses in regulated sectors needing robust compliance features |
| Paubox | Seamless, HIPAA-compliant encryption, user-friendly | 4.7 | 70+ | For healthcare providers seeking easy and compliant communication |
| ProtonMail | Privacy-focused end-to-end encryption, user-centric design | 4.6 | 130+ | For organizations and individuals prioritizing data privacy and ease of use |
| Tutanota | Open-source, end-to-end encrypted email, strong focus on privacy | 4.5 | 60+ | For organizations valuing open-source solutions and maximum privacy |
| Mailfence | End-to-end encryption, digital signatures, integrated calendar and contacts | 4.4 | 40+ | For users seeking a privacy-focused ecosystem with integrated productivity tools |
1. Echoworx
Echoworx delivers a policy-based encryption platform built for scale and regulation-heavy environments. Its MYOK feature, powered by AWS KMS, gives organizations full control over key generation and storage—essential for those operating under strict data sovereignty requirements. Echoworx integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and third-party systems, offering portal-based access, PGP/S/MIME support, and automated certificate management.
The platform is highly customizable, supporting branding, multilingual interfaces, and message templates. The recent Google Workspace add-in simplifies deployment in cloud-first environments and allows secure email from mobile and desktop without retraining staff. Enterprises in regulated industries benefit from audit-ready logging and compliance automation features that reduce administrative overhead. Its recent partnership with DigiCert has further streamlined large-scale S/MIME management.
2. Microsoft Purview Message Encryption
Microsoft’s native solution integrates tightly with its broader compliance suite. Available via Microsoft Purview, the platform supports encryption and rights management across Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint. It enables policy-driven encryption rules based on content detection and integrates with Azure Information Protection for key management.
For enterprises fully embedded in Microsoft’s ecosystem, this approach offers simplicity and scale. However, it lacks the full interoperability and user-access controls seen in Echoworx or Virtru, making it less flexible for mixed environments.
3. Virtru
Virtru offers strong end-to-end encryption with ease-of-use at its core. The platform allows sender-side control over message access, supports Gmail and Outlook, and offers data protection via the Trusted Data Format (TDF).
Virtru is best for mid-size organizations or departments looking for fast deployment. It doesn’t offer automated certificate management or MYOK, which may limit appeal for large or highly regulated enterprises. Its strengths lie in usability and email data sovereignty without requiring an infrastructure overhaul.
4. Proofpoint Email Protection with Encryption
Proofpoint is a leading SEG vendor that also offers encryption capabilities. Its solution is built to extend protection to outbound content, applying rules to determine when and how messages are encrypted. While powerful in policy enforcement, the encryption feature depends heavily on the underlying SEG infrastructure.
The lack of user-access customization and complex licensing makes it less suited for organizations prioritizing flexible, user-first experiences. It’s best used as a component of a broader Proofpoint stack.
5. Zix by OpenText
Zix provides S/MIME and TLS-based encryption as part of its email protection suite. It includes automatic filtering, DLP, and encrypted message delivery through a secure portal. Zix is popular among financial services and healthcare due to its regulatory alignment.
However, the interface and control options are dated compared to newer solutions. Deployment requires more IT involvement, and the platform does not support MYOK or advanced cloud-native integration.
6. Mimecast Secure Messaging
Mimecast’s secure messaging portal enables encrypted emails outside the organization with basic branding and audit features. It’s suited for clients already invested in Mimecast’s SEG, providing a quick way to extend encryption without a standalone deployment.
Lack of certificate automation, S/MIME integration, and flexible branding make it less attractive for enterprises seeking robust encryption control.
7. Cisco Secure Email Encryption Service
Cisco offers a secure email product with policy-based encryption and DLP capabilities. Integrated with Cisco’s larger security stack, it appeals to existing Cisco clients. It does not, however, provide advanced certificate lifecycle management or MYOK.
Organizations may find value in Cisco’s monitoring tools, but limitations in user experience and customization may reduce its effectiveness as a SEG replacement.
Choosing Your Encryption Solution
For organizations aiming for a future-proof solution with extensive policy automation, strong key management, and broad interoperability, Echoworx presents a compelling option with its cloud-native platform. Businesses that prioritize rapid deployment and tight integration with Google and Microsoft ecosystems might find Virtru’s easy-to-use end-to-end encryption particularly attractive.
Companies operating in highly regulated industries with strict compliance requirements could lean towards Zix for its strong focus on data loss prevention and secure archiving. Healthcare providers seeking a seamless and HIPAA-compliant encryption solution should consider Paubox for its user-friendly approach.
For organizations and individuals placing a high value on data privacy and ease of use, ProtonMail’s end-to-end encryption and intuitive design make it a strong contender. Businesses that prefer open-source solutions with a strong emphasis on privacy might find Tutanota a suitable choice. Finally, users looking for a privacy-focused ecosystem that integrates encrypted email with productivity tools like calendar and contacts could explore Mailfence.
The decision to replace a secure email gateway with a modern encryption solutions requires careful consideration of an organization’s specific security posture, compliance needs, and user experience requirements. Each of these top providers offers unique strengths that cater to different priorities.
FAQs
Is cloud-based email encryption secure enough for regulated industries?
Yes. Leading providers use FIPS-certified hardware, AES-256 encryption, and comply with GDPR, HIPAA, and more. MYOK features offer further control.
Can encryption tools integrate with Google and Microsoft platforms?
Most top-tier providers offer integration with both ecosystems, though feature sets may vary. Echoworx and Virtru offer strong support for Gmail and Outlook.What is MYOK, and why does it matter?
MYOK lets organizations manage their own encryption keys, ensuring no third-party access. It helps meet strict data sovereignty and compliance needs.
