NetCell MailGuard vs. Hornetsecurity — self-hosted instead of cloud
Hornetsecurity is a cloud email-security service from Hannover, part of the US group Proofpoint since December 2025. NetCell MailGuard runs self-hosted on your own server — email never leaves your infrastructure.
NetCell MailGuard processes email self-hosted on your server in Germany; Hornetsecurity routes it through its own cloud and, since December 2025, belongs to the US group Proofpoint. If you want content, quarantine and logs fully in-house, the self-hosted model is clearly on the safe side.
Direct comparison
| Criterion | NetCell MailGuard | Hornetsecurity |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment model | Self-hosted on your own server | Cloud / SaaS (vendor cloud) |
| Where email is processed | Stays on your infrastructure — no vendor-cloud pass-through | In the Hornetsecurity cloud |
| HQ / group | Made in Germany | Hannover (DE); a Proofpoint (USA) subsidiary since 12/2025 |
| US CLOUD Act | Not affected — runs on-prem | US parent company — scope to be assessed legally case by case |
| Anti-spam approach | Open rspamd stack (Bayes 6 classes, neural, RBLs, TLD reputation) | Proprietary cloud filter |
| Attachment sandbox | Local, on your server | In the vendor cloud |
| High availability | Yes — active-active without a master, on your nodes | Vendor-side in the cloud |
| Cost model | Self-hosted; free edition for 1 domain, Pro as a plan | Per-mailbox subscription (pricing on request) |
Frequently asked questions
Isn't Hornetsecurity “made in Germany”?
Hornetsecurity was founded in Hannover, but since December 2025 it belongs to the US group Proofpoint. NetCell MailGuard, by contrast, runs self-hosted on your own server in Germany — email never leaves your infrastructure.
What is the core difference?
The deployment model: MailGuard processes email on your server (self-hosted), Hornetsecurity in its cloud. With MailGuard, content, quarantine and logs stay entirely with you.
Hornetsecurity and related trademarks belong to die Hornetsecurity GmbH bzw. Proofpoint, Inc.. NetCell MailGuard has no business affiliation with die Hornetsecurity GmbH bzw. Proofpoint, Inc.. Information without warranty, as of 2026; competitor feature scope, editions and terms may change and should be verified with the respective vendor.
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