Today, the email authentication market is full of SPF flattening tools that help you simplify and optimize your SPF record. AutoSPF is one such tool that enables domain owners to turn their nested SPF setup into a simple, flat list of allowed senders. The platform allows you to reduce the risks associated with surpassing the 10 lookup limit while increasing your email deliverability rates and reducing the likelihood of success of spoofing attempts.
Even though AutoSPF offers these benefits along with eliminating the need for manual monitoring, it also comes with limitations that push users to consider alternatives. In this blog, we cover the best AutoSPF alternatives that will help you achieve your SPF flattening goals at the lowest possible cost and the intended results.
Key Takeaways
- While AutoSPF is an industry-acclaimed SPF flattening service, various limitations may lead businesses to look for better alternatives.
- Key things to consider when looking for AutoSPF alternatives include pricing, ease of use, modern technologies, and the efficacy of optimization.
- The best AutoSPF alternative in the market is PowerDMARC’s Hosted SPF service.
- PowerDMARC’s commitment to quick response time, SPF Macros optimizations ensuring up to unlimited lookups, and a higher rate of efficacy make it the top choice among organizations looking to make a switch.
Why Consider Alternatives to AutoSPF?
While AutoSPF offers numerous benefits, there are several factors contributing to business owners looking for better alternatives. These include:
- Usage of traditional dynamic SPF flattening methods, which have several limitations and are often ineffective.
- The need for additional email authentication managed solutions like DMARC, DKIM, MTA-STS and BIMI.
- A more reasonable price point.
- AI and threat intelligence capabilities.
How to Choose? Key Features to Consider
While the ideal choice depends on your unique needs and goals, there are some general factors to which every business should pay attention. These include:
- Availability of modern optimization techniques like Macros over traditional or dynamic flattening methods
- DNS availability
- Pricing
- Uptime SLA commitment
- Ease of use and simplistic UI
- Quick setup and rapid response time
- Automatic vendor IP updates
- A scalable interface to adapt to the growing needs of larger organizations
- Positive feedback and industry reviews shared by current users
Top 4 AutoSPF Alternatives
In this blog post, we will cover the following AutoSPF alternatives:
- PowerDMARC’s Hosted SPF
- MXToolbox
- Safe SPF by DMARCLY
- Universal SPF by Fraudmarc
1. PowerDMARC
PowerDMARC’s Hosted SPF service enables businesses and domain owners to limit the amount of DNS lookups to the RFC-specified limit of 10. This ensures compliance with the DNS lookup regulation, thereby ensuring your SPF authentication system functions smoothly and effectively, eliminating errors.
Pros
With Hosted SPF (PowerSPF)
- You get SPF macros optimization, which a significantly better than manual or dynamic SPF flattening methods
- Reduced DNS lookups
- Reduced SPF errors and limitations
- Easy-to-use interface, with hands-on support
- High uptime, DNS availability, and SLA commitment
- Automatic SPF error handling and vendor updates
- Improved email deliverability
- Scalable solution capable of handling complex SPF setups
- Quicker response time and instant results
Cons
- The tool might initially seem difficult to use as there are very limited vendors in the market who provide the more effective Macros optimization. However, once onboarded, it is very simple in practice.
Hosted SPF is a part of PowerDMARC’s 15-day free trial, allowing you to get the full benefit of error-free SPF optimization in seconds! Sign up to get started today.
2. MXToolbox
This AutoSPF replacement has been in the industry for two decades already. MxToolbox provides a wide range of DNS services, including SPF Flattening as a part of their Delivery Plus Centre. MxToolbox’s SPF flattening feature allows domain owners to effectively and seamlessly manage lengthy, complex SPF records. This can help businesses decrease the number of DNS lookup errors and improve their overall email deliverability.
Pros
- Offers an intuitive, easily navigable interface
- Readjusts your SPF records automatically, thereby removing SPF errors
- Can manage complex SPF setups
Cons
- Uses traditional SPF flattening instead of Macros
- May not provide the expected results in some cases
DMARCLY Safe SPF
This AutoSPF alternative is especially suitable for those who lack the technical knowledge and skills to use a platform with advanced functionalities. DMARCLY’s auto SPF flattening service offers a rather easy-to-use, intuitive UI to help beginners achieve their email authentication goals with ease.
Pros
- Automatic vendor IP updates
- Little to no manual intervention is needed
- Straightforward, hassle-free configuration
- Affordable and convenient
- Transparent when it comes to pricing and functionality descriptions
Cons
- Uses only SPF flattening techniques that have limitations
- Complex SPF setups may lead to your record exceeding the permitted length limit
Universal SPF
Fraudmarc specializes in fraud prevention and mitigation while offering an SPF record optimization service – Universal SPF. Pricing starts at $21 per domain per month for the basic plan which includes automatic updates, dynamic flattening, and unlimited mail volume. This favorite option among small businesses that don’t require very advanced functionalities and instead prioritize simplicity. The tool provides numerous services, including SPF compression, Outbox protection, and universal SPF.
Pros
- Single-step setup for easy onboarding
- Offers dynamic SPF flattening functionality
- It is an economical option
- Provides an SPF management panel for policy changes
Cons
- Uses dynamic flattening methods instead of SPF Macros
- Dynamic SPF flattening doesn’t keep SPF record length under check, leading to potential errors
- Some users might require more advanced functionalities
Why PowerDMARC is the Best AutoSPF Replacement
PowerDMARC is one of the only vendors in the market who provide Macros optimization for your SPF records – a far superior alternative to flattening. With PowerDMARC you can:
- Enjoy readily available customer service 24/7
- Our platform supports 11 global languages
- Decrease complex SPF setups to fewer generated lookups, ensuring simplicity, efficiency, and compliance with SPF hard limits
- Benefit from numerous other managed services, such as DKIM, DMARC, MTA-STS, TLS-RPT, and BIMI
- Always keep your SPF records up to date with automatic vendor IP updates
- Enjoy unlimited DNS lookups in most cases
- Avoiding any challenges and limitations caused by traditional SPF flattening methods by using Macros
- Instantly optimize your SPF record by copying and pasting your existing SPF record into Hosted SPF
Conclusion
To maintain the health of your domain’s SPF record, make sure you choose a vendor who caters to all SPF best practices. Try to include each of your authorized sources/IP ranges in your record so that receiving servers can easily authenticate them. This will also help you reduce spam and improve your email’s deliverability.
Lastly, you can pair your SPF authentication with DKIM and DMARC. The combination of these protocols forms a powerhouse that can help prevent email spoofing and phishing attacks!
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