Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Barracuda Email Protection
Email Security pricing comparison · 2026
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 costs $2–$5/user/mo, while Barracuda Email Protection starts at $5.20/mo. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is typically 33% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Barracuda Email Protection both operate in the email security category. This page compares their list pricing.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Barracuda Email Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (Plan 1) | $2 /user/month | $5.20 /user/month |
| Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (Plan 2) | $5 /user/month | $5.20 /user/month |
| Premium | — | Custom |
| Premium Plus | — | Custom |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
3 scenariosBarracuda Email Protection
5 scenariosContract Terms
| Term | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Barracuda Email Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | — | — |
| Cancellation | seven days after the start or renewal | — |
| Minimum commitment | — | — |
| Price escalation | — | Users report price increases at renewal; one MSP thread specifically describes bait-and-switch pricing where renewal rates differed from originally quoted rates |