Two of fourteen models named Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration first on the direct prompt; zero named Barracuda Email Protection. Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and Barracuda Email Protection by twelve and Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration carries 35 labels and Barracuda Email Protection 33, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in one category this edition.
Named in one category this edition.
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the email security page.
Across every category in the November 2026 Edition, Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration and Barracuda Email Protection were named in the same answer forty-two times, of the 90 answers naming Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration and the 105 naming Barracuda Email Protection. In those answers Barracuda Email Protection took the first choice two times and Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration one.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | ||||||
| GPT-5.4 mini | ||||||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | ||||||
| Perplexity Sonar | ||||||
| Grok 4.20 | ||||||
| Mistral Small | ||||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | ||||||
| Llama 4 Maverick | ||||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | ||||||
| Kimi K2 | ||||||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | ||||||
| MiniMax M2.5 | ||||||
| GPT-6 Luna | ||||||
| Muse Glimmer 30B |
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Four of five in this category shown.
“Weak DLP (Data Loss Prevention) capabilities - Steep learning curve for administrators” DeepSeek V4 Flash · negative prompt · soft negative
“Best Overall SMB Protection: Avanan (by Check Point) ... consistently ranks as one of the best "set-it-and-forget-it" platforms” Gemini 3.5 Flash · budget prompt · first choice
“Consider Abnormal Security or Avanan. API integrations avoid MX record routing complexity” Gemini 3.5 Flash · comparative prompt · first choice
“Go with Avanan or Abnormal Security. Both take under 15 minutes to demo/deploy via API” Gemini 3.5 Flash · direct prompt · first choice
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of eight in this category shown.
“Barracuda has faced scrutiny due to security incidents and vulnerabilities in its products, which could pose risks for sensitive environments” Mistral Small · negative prompt · hard negative
“Avoid Barracuda if you need deep, multi-vendor malware protection.” Qwen 3.7 Flash · negative prompt · hard negative
“Barracuda — more expensive than the options above” DeepSeek V4 Flash · budget prompt · hard negative
“Barracuda Email Protection offers the best balance of cost-effectiveness, ease of management, and comprehensive threat protection” Claude Haiku 4.5 · paraphrase prompt · first choice
“A practical mid-market option when straightforward gateway deployment and predictable administration matter more” Perplexity Sonar · paraphrase prompt · alternative
“Ironscales and Barracuda are the mid-market focused choices most reviewers highlight today.” Muse Glimmer 30B · paraphrase prompt · alternative
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.