How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- The best data security software depends on where your risk lives: your data stores, your endpoints, your email, or your network connections.
- Varonis and BigID are the data-first picks, discovering and classifying sensitive data across cloud and on-prem systems; CrowdStrike leads on endpoint protection with published SMB pricing.
- Proofpoint and Mimecast cover the human side, stopping phishing, BEC and impersonation attacks before they reach your people.
- Most enterprise tools are quote-based, so expect a sales process; CrowdStrike's Falcon Go at $7.99 per device per month is the clearest entry point for smaller teams.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Varonis | finding and locking down sensitive data everywhere | Contact sales | No |
 CrowdStrike Falcon | endpoint protection for SMBs and enterprises | From $7.99/device/month | Free trial |
 Proofpoint | stopping phishing and BEC at the email layer | Contact sales | No |
 Mimecast | email security plus human risk management | Contact sales | No |
 Zscaler | zero trust access for remote and hybrid teams | Contact sales | No |
 BigID | data discovery, privacy and AI governance | Contact sales | No |
 OneTrust | privacy, data and AI governance programs | Contact sales | No |
 Spirion | sensitive data discovery and classification | Contact sales | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best data security software
#1
Varonis
Best for: finding and locking down sensitive data everywhere
Visit varonis.com
Starting priceContact sales
Free planNo
A healthcare CISO wants to know exactly where patient records sit and who can touch them. A small business owner mostly wants the laptops protected. Varonis was built for the first kind of buyer and it has become the reference platform for data-first security.
The Data Security Platform continuously discovers and classifies critical data across SaaS, cloud and on-prem environments, then fixes exposures automatically: over-permissioned shares, stale access, unprotected sensitive files. Behavioral analytics detect insider threats and ransomware patterns in real time, and the platform now extends to AI security, tracking which agents and copilots can reach sensitive data.
The trade-off is the usual one for best-in-class enterprise software: pricing is quote-based and the platform assumes a serious data estate to protect. A 20-person company will find it more than it needs. For regulated mid-size and large organizations, the automation of discovery, classification and remediation is the core value.
What we like- Automated data discovery and classification
- Insider threat detection
- AI security controls
Watch out for- Enterprise pricing
- Best fit for organizations with complex data estates
Starting priceFrom $7.99/device/month
Free planFree trial
CrowdStrike made its name stopping breaches at the endpoint, and Falcon Go brings that to smaller businesses at a published price: $7.99 per device per month billed monthly, or $59.99 per device billed annually. That includes next-gen antivirus, device control, mobile protection and firewall management in a single cloud-native agent.
Higher tiers add endpoint detection and response, managed threat hunting, threat intelligence and identity protection. Falcon Pro runs $14.99 per device monthly and Enterprise $19.99, with a free trial available for evaluation. The platform now extends into data security for SaaS, identity protection and next-gen SIEM as add-on modules.
The catch is that the entry tier is antivirus-plus, not the full breach-stopping platform CrowdStrike advertises. Teams that need EDR and threat hunting will pay for higher tiers or quote-based enterprise bundles. But for straightforward, well-priced endpoint protection with a real free trial, Falcon Go is the most accessible option on this list.
What we like- Transparent SMB pricing
- Single lightweight agent
- Free trial with no credit card
Watch out for- Fuller tiers cost much more
- Identity and data modules are add-ons
Starting priceContact sales
Free planNo
Email is where most breaches begin, and Proofpoint has spent two decades building the deepest defenses for it. Core Email Protection blocks advanced threats including phishing, business email compromise and ransomware using multi-model AI, deploying via API or as a secure email gateway for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
The platform goes beyond the inbox: collaboration security extends protection to Teams, Slack, SharePoint and OneDrive, while data security and AI security modules govern sensitive data and AI agent activity. More than 80 of the Fortune 100 use Proofpoint, and the company positions everything around human-centric security: understanding which people are most targeted and why.
This is enterprise software with enterprise pricing and a sales-led buying process. Small and mid-size businesses can access the technology through Proofpoint Essentials, sold via MSPs. For organizations where email is the primary attack surface, the depth of detection justifies the investment.
What we like- Leading email threat detection
- Human-centric security approach
- Broad enterprise adoption
Watch out for- Enterprise pricing
- Smaller businesses should look at Essentials via MSPs
Starting priceContact sales
Free planNo
Mimecast started in email security and now frames its platform around human risk: the idea that people, not just technology, are the attack surface. Email threat protection covers URL rewriting, attachment sandboxing, impersonation detection and internal email scanning, with API deployment into Microsoft 365 that avoids mail-flow changes.
What sets it apart is the surrounding platform. Security awareness training, email archiving with eDiscovery, email continuity during outages and data loss prevention all run in the same system, used by more than 42,000 organizations. The X1 platform unifies email and collaboration security with hundreds of integrations.
Pricing is quote-based and the platform is modular, so costs add up as you layer training, archiving and DLP on top of core email security. For businesses that want one vendor for email protection, training and retention, the bundle makes sense. Buyers who only need phishing protection may find a narrower tool cheaper.
What we like- Deep email threat protection
- Integrated awareness training
- Email archiving and continuity
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing
- Full platform requires multiple modules
Starting priceContact sales
Free planNo
Zscaler approaches data security from the network: if users, devices and applications only ever connect through a zero trust exchange that enforces policy inline, data cannot leak and attackers cannot move laterally. No VPN, no appliances, no trusted network perimeter.
The Zero Trust Exchange secures internet access, private application access and SaaS usage from one cloud platform, with data protection policies applied to every connection. The same platform now extends to AI agents and models, enforcing policy on the connections that move data into and out of AI systems. More than half of the Fortune 500 rely on it.
This is infrastructure-level software with a sales-led process and implementation measured in quarters, not days. Small businesses will not replace their network for it. For organizations with distributed teams, cloud workloads and serious data-loss concerns, the architecture is the modern answer to the perimeter problem.
What we like- Cloud-native zero trust architecture
- No VPN needed
- Massive global scale
Watch out for- Enterprise pricing
- Replacing network infrastructure is a big project
#6
BigID
Best for: data discovery, privacy and AI governance
Visit bigid.com
Starting priceContact sales
Free planNo
BigID answers the question every security and privacy team faces first: what data do we have and where is it. Its data security platform discovers and classifies sensitive data across cloud, SaaS, on-prem and even mainframe systems using patented AI classifiers, then connects that data to the identities, human and machine, that can reach it.
From there it does the work: risk-ranked remediation, access governance, DLP policy enforcement, privacy automation for data rights requests, and AI governance that maps which agents and models touch which datasets. The agentless, cloud-native deployment avoids copying data around, and the platform is certified across major compliance frameworks.
This is enterprise software through and through, with quote-based pricing and a buying process that involves security, privacy and data teams. For organizations facing GDPR, HIPAA, PCI or AI regulations, the combination of discovery, privacy automation and AI governance in one platform is the differentiator.
What we like- AI-driven discovery across all data sources
- Unified security, privacy and AI governance
- Strong compliance automation
Watch out for- Enterprise pricing
- Implementation requires data-team involvement
Starting priceContact sales
Free planNo
OneTrust built its reputation on privacy management and now positions itself as the AI-ready governance platform: one system connecting privacy, data, AI and technology risk. Privacy modules handle consent management, data mapping, assessments and data subject requests, while AI governance modules oversee models, training data and AI risk.
The platform's strength is program automation. Assessments, vendor risk reviews, cookie compliance and regulatory monitoring run as continuous workflows rather than annual projects, which is why more than half of the Fortune 500 use it. Data use governance enforces policy in real time as teams work with data.
The breadth is also the warning. OneTrust is a platform of modules, each with its own learning curve and cost, and the whole thing is priced for enterprises. Mid-size companies with a specific privacy problem should evaluate whether they need the full platform or a focused point solution. For organizations building a formal governance program, it is the safe choice.
What we like- Comprehensive privacy and governance modules
- Trusted by half the Fortune 500
- Strong assessment automation
Watch out for- Broad platform can be complex
- Pricing is enterprise-scale
Starting priceContact sales
Free planNo
Spirion does one thing and has done it since 2006: find sensitive data wherever it hides and do something about it. Its discovery engine locates personal, sensitive and regulated data across endpoints, servers, databases, cloud storage and Microsoft 365 with 98.5% accuracy, then applies persistent classification labels that downstream DLP systems can act on.
Remediation is built in, not bolted on: quarantine, redact, encrypt, shred or restrict access automatically based on policy. Audit-ready dashboards show exposure and compliance posture for frameworks from GDPR and HIPAA to PCI-DSS and GLBA, making it a strong fit for universities, healthcare and financial services.
The scope is deliberately narrower than Varonis or BigID. Spirion is discovery, classification and remediation, not a full security platform with threat detection or identity analytics. For organizations that need exactly that foundation, and need it accurate, the focus is an advantage. For buyers wanting one platform for everything, look at the broader suites above.
What we like- Highly accurate data discovery
- Persistent classification
- Automated remediation
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing
- Narrower scope than full platforms
How we chose
We reviewed vendor product pages, documentation and public customer reviews on G2, Capterra and Reddit to compare capabilities, integrations and fit for different business sizes. We focused on data discovery, endpoint protection, email security and governance, and on who each platform is priced for. We did not run hands-on tests or request demos, and prices above come from vendor pricing pages or published listings current at the time of writing.
Data security buying goes wrong when companies buy the category leader instead of the tool that fits their risk. Start by locating your biggest exposure. If you do not know where sensitive data lives, start with discovery: Varonis, BigID or Spirion. If breaches worry you more than compliance, start with endpoints and email: CrowdStrike plus Proofpoint or Mimecast. If remote work scattered your perimeter, look at Zscaler. If regulators are the pressure, OneTrust or BigID cover the governance program.
Next, be honest about your team's capacity. Enterprise platforms assume a security team to run them. CrowdStrike's Falcon Go is the one option here designed for a small team without dedicated security staff. Everything else needs either internal expertise or a managed service partner, and you should budget for both the software and the people time.
Then run a scoped pilot before you commit. Most of these vendors offer proof-of-concept engagements: point the discovery tool at one file share, run the endpoint agent on a subset of machines, or trial the email gateway in monitor mode. Measure findings in the first two weeks. The pilot results, not the sales deck, tell you whether the platform finds real issues in your environment.
Finally, check what you already own. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace include baseline protections that overlap with parts of these platforms. The right purchase fills the gaps your current stack leaves, not the features the demo led with.
Why email still deserves its own line item
Every year the industry declares email solved and every year phishing, business email compromise and credential theft remain the top breach vectors. Proofpoint and Mimecast both exist because native protections in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, while improved, still miss the targeted, human-crafted attacks that do the real damage.
The modern email security stack has three layers. Detection catches the threats: URL rewriting, attachment sandboxing, impersonation analysis and AI models trained on trillions of messages. Response handles what gets through: post-delivery removal, compromised account remediation and automated investigation. Training reduces the click rate over time, which is why both vendors bundle awareness programs.
For small businesses, the practical question is whether to buy standalone email security or rely on Microsoft's built-in defenses plus good hygiene. The honest answer depends on your risk: companies handling financial transactions, patient data or legal matters are the targets BEC gangs aim at, and for them the investment pays for itself with one stopped attack.
Frequently asked questions
What is data security software?
Data security software protects sensitive information from unauthorized access, theft and loss. The category spans data discovery and classification, endpoint protection, email security, data loss prevention, encryption and governance tools. Most organizations combine several tools, one per risk area, rather than relying on a single product.
How much does data security software cost?
It varies widely. CrowdStrike's Falcon Go starts at $7.99 per device per month with a free trial, making it the most transparent entry point. Enterprise platforms like Varonis, Proofpoint, Zscaler, BigID, OneTrust and Spirion are quote-based, with annual costs typically ranging from five figures for mid-size deployments to much more for large enterprises.
What is the difference between data security and endpoint security?
Endpoint security protects the devices themselves: laptops, servers and phones, against malware and attacks. Data security protects the information wherever it lives, including who can access it and where it moves. CrowdStrike is endpoint-first, Varonis and BigID are data-first, and mature programs run both.
Do small businesses need data security software?
Yes, but not the enterprise suites. Small businesses should start with endpoint protection like CrowdStrike Falcon Go, enable email security add-ons in their email platform, enforce multi-factor authentication, and encrypt devices. Data discovery tools become relevant once you handle regulated data or grow past a few dozen employees.
What is DSPM?
DSPM, or data security posture management, is a framework and technology category for discovering, classifying and protecting sensitive data across cloud and on-prem environments. Varonis, BigID and Spirion all offer DSPM capabilities, continuously scanning for exposed data, misconfigurations and risky access, then prioritizing remediation by business impact.
How do I choose between Varonis and BigID?
Both discover and classify sensitive data across hybrid estates. Varonis leans toward security outcomes: threat detection, insider risk and automated remediation of exposures. BigID leans toward data intelligence and governance: privacy automation, data rights workflows and AI governance alongside security. Evaluate both against your primary pressure, security incidents or regulatory compliance.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://www.varonis.com
- https://www.crowdstrike.com
- https://proofpoint.com/
- https://mimecast.com/
- https://zscaler.com/
- https://bigid.com
- https://onetrust.com/
- https://www.spirion.com
- https://www.crowdstrike.com/free-trial-guide/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.