Security teams often choose Fortra (formerly Digital Guardian) for one reason — control. It gives them deep visibility into endpoints, strong enforcement mechanisms, and the confidence that sensitive data isn’t moving without oversight.
For organizations with strict regulatory requirements or high-value intellectual property (IP), that level of control is understandably appealing.
But Fortra has its limits. Data security leaders are increasingly looking for platforms that emphasize clarity, context, and adaptability.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the top Fortra competitors for 2026. We’ll focus on solutions that offer better behavioral context, lighter operational overhead, and a more practical fit for today’s hybrid, cloud-first environments.
What Are the Best Alternatives to Fortra on the Market Right Now?
See below for a quick comparison of the different platforms:
| Tool | Best For | Key Differentiator | Pricing (Starts At) | Free Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teramind | Insider risk programs with deep investigation needs | Combines Data Loss Prevention with User Activity Monitoring (UAM) and User Behavior Analytics (UBA) in a single platform | $14/user/month (minimum 5 users) | Yes (7 days cloud / 14 days on-premise) |
| Forcepoint | Large enterprises with strict compliance mandates | Unified policy enforcement across cloud, web, email, & endpoints | Custom pricing | Live demo only |
| Microsoft Purview DLP | Microsoft-centric organizations | Native integration across the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem | Custom pricing | Yes, 90 days |
| Trellix | Legacy DLP environments | Provides a single control point for policy management, reporting, & event management | Custom pricing | Offers free trials for specific products |
| Endpoint Protector | Endpoint-centric data control | Feature-equivalent support for macOS, Windows, & Linux | Custom pricing | Yes, 10 days |
| Safetica | Balanced DLP and insider awareness | Plug-and-play DLP in a single, lightweight platform | Custom pricing | Live demo only |
| Cyberhaven | High-signal DLP with reduced noise | Traces the complete journey of data across endpoints, SaaS applications & cloud environments | Custom pricing | Live demo only |
| Symantec DLP | Compliance-driven enterprises | Handles complex, large-scale deployments | Custom pricing | No free trial offered |
| Proofpoint | Email-centric data protection | Combines user activity monitoring with content inspection across email, cloud, & endpoints | Custom pricing | Live demo only |
| Mimecast Incydr | Cloud collaboration insider risk | Provides high-fidelity visibility into data exfiltration | Custom pricing | Yes, 30 days |
| DTEX | Advanced insider threat detection | Focuses on human intent rather than network-based alerts | Custom pricing | Live demo only |
| Nightfall | Cloud-native, API-first DLP | AI-native architecture that utilizes Large Language Models (LLMs) to understand context | Custom pricing | Live demo only |
1. Teramind
Arrivia protected its data from insider theft using Teramind – press play to watch our video case study.
Teramind represents a modern evolution in data protection. It’s a unified insider risk management platform that combines data loss prevention, user behavior analytics, and workforce analytics.
Unlike Fortra, which focuses on data and brand protection, Teramind provides contextual visibility into how employees interact with sensitive data. This includes activity across endpoints, cloud applications, and communication channels.
Teramind’s approach goes beyond simple content inspection. It correlates file access patterns, application usage, network activity, and communication behaviors to identify risky actions before data leaves your environment.
What Are Teramind’s Key Features?
- Session recording and playback: Teramind captures screen recordings, keystroke logs, and application activity for forensic investigation and compliance auditing. Security teams can review exactly what a user was doing when a DLP policy was triggered. This provides the context needed to determine whether an incident was malicious, accidental, or a false positive.
- Content-based DLP rules: Teramind’s policy engine lets you create granular rules that detect sensitive data based on content inspection. This includes regex patterns, keyword dictionaries, and predefined templates for compliance frameworks like PCI DSS and HIPAA.
- Optical character recognition (OCR): Includes built-in OCR capabilities that extract and analyze text from screenshots, images, and scanned documents. This prevents visual data exfiltration methods.
- Behavioral analytics engine: Teramind’s risk score system continuously analyzes behavioral indicators to assign dynamic risk levels to each user based on their activity patterns.For example, you can set an email rule that sets a Low risk when a user sends 5 emails in a day. However, if they send more than 10 emails a day, then the rule will set a Moderate risk level and trigger a Notification action.
- Compliance and audit reporting: Delivers structured, exportable evidence aligned with regulatory frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, etc.).
Explore Teramind’s feature set → Click here for a live demo
Teramind vs. Fortra: What Are the Key Differences?
See the table below for the reasons why Teramind is one of the top alternatives to Fortra:
| Factor | Teramind | Fortra (formerly Digital Guardian) |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral analytics and UEBA | Strong, built-in | Not native |
| User activity and forensic recording | Detailed | Limited |
| Rule-based classic DLP | Yes | Yes |
| Ease of admin & setup | Favorable | Skilled setup often needed |
| Endpoint and network coverage | Strong endpoint | Strong endpoint + network |
| Best for insider risk | Yes | Requires integrations |
Behavior-driven Detection vs. Rule-only Detection
- Teramind: Builds baseline models of normal user activity and then flags deviations that could indicate data exfiltration or misuse. It also uses risk scoring and adaptive learning, meaning policies can evolve based on historic patterns and current behavior context.
- Fortra: Primarily relies on predefined rules and policies to scan data at rest, in motion, or in use. These are effective for standard sensitive data detection, but may not adapt to insider patterns or nuanced threats without manual tuning.
Impact: Teramind’s UEBA tool catches complex insider threats that evade static rule triggers, offering deeper behavioral insight and proactive detection.
Deeper User and Entity Monitoring
- Teramind: Includes detailed activity tracking across endpoints such as screen interactions, keystrokes, app use, web, file transfers, emails, cloud uploads, printing, clipboard, chats, and more.
- Fortra: Offers solid endpoint and network DLP with deep policy work and classification, but doesn’t embed extensive user activity monitoring or recordings as part of its core DLP engine.
Impact: Teramind ties data loss signals to real user actions, delivering richer context for incident investigations and threat attribution.
Insider Threat Detection and Risk Prioritization
- Teramind: Uses real-time alerting and risk scoring based on anomalous behaviors rather than only signature/rule violations. It also monitors continuous access regardless of user privilege and flags context deviations (such as off-hours access).
- Fortra: It excels at classic DLP use cases — e.g., preventing data leaks by applying content inspection and blocking actions based on policy. However, it requires separate integrations or additional tooling to achieve the advanced behavioral insights comparable to Teramind.
Impact: If your organization is concerned about insider threats or human risk factors, Teramind’s analytics and risk scores often deliver more actionable alerts.
Why Do Security Teams Trust Teramind?
Check out these real user reviews:
“Teramind can be drilled right down to the second of what an employee is doing. You can watch live feed, recorded feed, set up analytics to compare quickly and many other things. The customer support has been wonderful and any issues are taken care of within 24 hours.” – See Full G2 Review
“Its intuitive interface and comprehensive monitoring capabilities make it easy to track and analyze user activity effectively. The real-time alerts and detailed reports help quickly identify risks and ensure compliance, enhancing overall security.” – See Full G2 Review
“Our company has been using Teramind for the past three years, and it has been a highly valuable tool for our business. Initially, we started using it as a tracking solution for our remote employees. However, with the excellent support from our Teramind CSM, we have been able to make the most of the platform.” – See Full G2 Review
What is Teramind’s Pricing?
Here’s a breakdown of Teramind’s pricing tiers (based on 5 seats, billed annually):
- Starter ($14/seat/month): Best for basic productivity use cases and identifying risky users. Includes quick visual evidence capture, live playback, and website/app tracking.
- UAM ($28/seat/month): Designed for comprehensive productivity optimization and security detection. This tier includes everything in Starter plus full digital activity telemetry, UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics), forensics, and unlimited behavior rules.
- DLP ($32/seat/month): Best for comprehensive intent-based security detection and response. It includes everything in UAM plus content-based data exfiltration prevention and automated actions to block data leaks in real-time.
- Enterprise (Custom pricing): Tailored professional services for the most demanding large-scale enterprises and government organizations. Includes everything in DLP plus in-app parsing for fraud detection, an OCR engine, and unlimited activity-based behavior rules.
All paid plans shown above reflect an 8% discount for annual billing compared to the monthly rates.
See Teramind’s capabilities before committing → Click here for a live demo
2. Forcepoint
See how Teramind compares to Forcepoint →
Forcepoint takes a multi-vector approach to data protection. It unifies visibility across all major channels under a single, centralized policy framework.
Its policy engine allows you to define granular controls and consistently enforce them across web traffic, email systems, removable media, and cloud applications.
On top of that, Forcepoint applies adaptive, risk-based enforcement that dynamically adjusts protection levels based on user behavior, contextual signals, and data sensitivity.
However, this breadth also means that deployment and tuning can require specialized expertise to get the most out of the platform.
Key Features
- Data visibility and discovery: Scans on-premises servers, databases, and cloud applications (e.g., Office 365, Box, Salesforce) to identify sensitive information.
- Risk Adaptive Protection (RAP): Uses contextual signals such as user role, access patterns, device health, and location to dynamically adjust enforcement levels.
- Incident management and reporting: Offers centralized alerts, workflow integration, and audit-ready reports that help teams investigate events, document policy violations, and demonstrate compliance with standards like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR.
Pricing
Visit Forcepoint’s website to request pricing information.
3. Microsoft Purview DLP
Microsoft Purview is a cloud-native DLP solution that’s tightly integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
It focuses on protecting data where it’s most commonly created, shared, and accessed. This includes Exchange, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, and endpoints managed through Microsoft Intune.
This native integration allows organizations to enforce consistent DLP policies across productivity applications, communication channels, and cloud storage without relying on third-party agents or fragmented management consoles.
Key Features
- Endpoint DLP integration: Extends Purview’s controls to user devices managed through Microsoft Intune. This allows the same policies that secure cloud and collaboration data to govern sensitive information on endpoints.
- Centralized policy management: Allows security and compliance teams to define, manage, and enforce DLP rules from a single Microsoft Purview portal. Policies can span email, collaboration tools, cloud storage, and endpoint activity, all within a unified framework.
- Sensitive data classification and labeling: Purview uses built-in and custom classifiers to identify types of sensitive content. For example, it can identify financial data, health records, and personally identifiable information, and automatically apply sensitivity labels to that data.
Pricing
Visit the Microsoft website for up-to-date pricing information.
4. Trellix
See how Teramind compares to Trellix →
Trellix helps organizations secure sensitive information across endpoints, networks, email systems, and cloud environments.
Its architecture is built around centralized policy management with distributed enforcement points, enabling consistent control across multiple data channels.
This approach helps prevent the unauthorized exfiltration, leakage, or misuse of regulated and proprietary information across diverse data vectors.
Key Features
- Trellix DLP endpoint: Monitors and blocks unauthorized data transfers (e.g., USB, clipboard, email) on laptops/workstations.
- Trellix DLP Discover: Scans and classifies data on-premise and in the cloud.
- Trellix Device Control: Controls what data can be copied to removable devices or controls the devices themselves. It can block devices completely or make them read-only.
Pricing
Trellix’s pricing isn’t publicly disclosed. Request a demo on its website for more information.
5. Endpoint Protector
See how Teramind compares to Endpoint Protector →
Endpoint Protector is a cross-platform data loss prevention tool. It emphasizes device control and content-aware monitoring across Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints.
The platform is designed around simplicity and rapid deployment. It provides essential DLP capabilities without the complexity overhead of tools like Fortra (which can require months of professional services engagement and extensive policy tuning to become operational).
Key Features
- Granular device control: Organizations can implement policies that completely block device categories or whitelist specific approved devices by serial number or vendor ID. They can also enforce read-only access to certain device types or require automatic encryption for all data copied to removable media.
- Content-aware protection: Scans file transfers, clipboard operations, screen captures, printing, and data uploads to identify and block sensitive information based on predefined policies.
- eDiscovery: Generates reports showing which devices contain regulated information, who has access to sensitive files, and whether data protection policies are being enforced consistently.
Pricing
You must fill out a form to view Endpoint Protector’s pricing plans.
6. Safetica
Safetica aims to give teams a clear, manageable view of insider risk and data loss without adding unnecessary complexity. This makes it a more user-friendly alternative to Fortra.
The platform treats user behavior monitoring and endpoint visibility as the foundation of effective data protection.
Rather than relying on rigid, perimeter-focused controls, Safetica centers its approach on understanding how employees interact with sensitive data in day-to-day work. This includes which applications they use, how files are shared, and when confidential information is accessed.
Key Features
- Application control: Admins can identify shadow IT adoption and risky application usage patterns. They can enforce policies that block specific applications from accessing classified files or restrict which communication tools can be used to share confidential information.
- Flexible DLP policies: You can monitor, alert, block, or prompt remediation based on configured conditions. Safetica allows these policies to be tailored by user group, sensitivity type, and context.
- Cloud and SaaS protection: Extends Safetica’s visibility and policy enforcement to data stored and shared in cloud platforms and collaboration tools.
Pricing
Visit Safetica’s website to take a product tour and request pricing.
7. Cyberhaven
Check out this list of Cyberhaven alternatives →
Cyberhaven represents a new generation of Data Detection and Response (DDR) platforms. It uses automated data lineage tracking to monitor how sensitive information is created, modified, shared, and transformed across your entire technology stack. Then it correlates that movement with user intent and environmental context.
For example, if you upload a file to a cloud service, it shows where that file originated, what actions preceded the upload, who accessed it, and where it goes next.
Key Features
- Real-time policy enforcement: When risky data movements are detected, Cyberhaven can execute immediate response actions. Options include blocking transfers, requiring business justification, notifying security teams, or prompting users with educational warnings.
- Agentless data discovery: Scans SaaS applications, cloud storage, and collaboration platforms through API integrations to identify where sensitive data resides across your cloud environment.
- Automated data lineage tracking (via Linea AI): Creates a graph for every file and data object in your environment. It tracks parent-child relationships when documents are copied, merged, or transformed into new formats.
Pricing
You must book a demo to see Cyberhaven’s pricing.
8. Symantec DLP (Broadcom)
See how Teramind compares to Symantec DLP →
Symantec DLP (now part of Broadcom) is well-suited for organizations that require deep inspection granularity and precise content analysis.
The platform focuses on high-fidelity data detection and centralized policy governance to identify and secure sensitive information.
It also uses multiple detection methods, including exact data matching, structured data patterns, OCR, and machine-learning classifiers, to enforce DLP policies across a wide range of data types.
Key Features
- Cloud service for email: Integrates with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and other email platforms to enforce DLP policies on messages and attachments before they leave your organization.
- Network prevent: Admins can decrypt and inspect SSL/TLS traffic, analyze encrypted email messages, and monitor data transfers to cloud services like Salesforce and Office 365.
- Advanced content analysis: Symantec DLP can analyze content in over 330 file formats, extract text from images and PDFs, inspect compressed archives, and examine metadata to ensure coverage of both obvious and blurred sensitive information.
Pricing
Contact Broadcom to see Symantec DLP’s pricing options.
9. Proofpoint
See how Teramind compares to Proofpoint →
Proofpoint is an information protection platform that focuses primarily on email as a major source of data loss. It provides visibility and control over inbound and outbound email traffic to prevent data leakage and enforce compliance.
The solution integrates directly with Proofpoint’s email security stack and extends coverage into key cloud services and endpoint interactions (where email-based data sharing continues beyond the inbox).
Key Features
- Proofpoint information protection: Extends DLP coverage to cloud applications like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Box, and Slack through API-based integrations.
- Content classification: Offers more than 240 customizable sensitive data detectors and document tagging. You can also build custom ones using advanced content matching techniques like data matching and indexed document matching.
- Incident dashboard and workflow: Centralizes alerts, triage queues, and remediation steps so data security teams can efficiently investigate and respond to DLP violations.
Pricing
Visit Proofpoint’s website to request a quote.
10. Mimecast Incydr
See how Teramind compares to Mimecast Incydr →
Mimecast Incydr (formerly Code42 Incydr) is an insider risk detection platform focused on data loss involving trusted employees.
It’s built on the idea that traditional DLP tools often introduce too much friction while failing to detect the behavioral signals that precede data theft. Instead of blocking routine work, Incydr monitors file movement and exfiltration patterns to identify risky behavior without disrupting productivity.
Incydr is particularly useful for scenarios such as departing employees taking intellectual property, or current employees accidentally exposing data through unsanctioned file-sharing tools.
Key Features
- Exfiltration detection: Uses behavioral analytics to identify data exfiltration patterns that deviate from normal business activity. Examples include mass file downloads before an employee resignation, or unusual volumes of source code being copied to personal cloud storage.
- Collaboration visibility: Integrates with popular SaaS and shared platforms, giving teams consistent visibility into sensitive data movements across cloud applications like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and more.
- File event monitoring: Captures how sensitive files are accessed, copied, moved, or shared.
Pricing
Contact Mimecast’s sales team for pricing options.
11. DTEX
See how Teramind compares to DTEX →
DTEX takes a behavior-first approach to data loss prevention by learning what normal user activity looks like across endpoints, cloud apps, and collaboration tools. Then, it flags meaningful deviations that signal insider risk or data exfiltration.
In addition, it builds behavioral baselines around how employees access, move, and interact with sensitive data over time. This makes DTEX particularly effective in cloud-first, hybrid, and remote work environments where traditional DLP tools tend to generate excessive noise or miss context.
Key Features
- Risk-adaptive DLP: Dynamically adjusts data loss controls based on user behavior, intent, and real-time risk levels.
- AI3 risk assistant: Advanced AI that lets analysts investigate insider risk using natural language.
- Privacy-first controls: Includes built-in privacy protections such as role-based access, masking, anonymization, and regional controls.
Pricing
Visit DTEX’s website to book a demo.
12. Nightfall
See how Teramind compares to Nightfall →
Nightfall is a cloud-native DLP software built to protect sensitive data inside SaaS applications and cloud collaboration tools. This means it can protect data in tools like Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and similar environments without requiring heavy agents or network redirects.
Nightfall’s method relies on applying machine learning-driven detection to understand sensitive data in context — whether it’s stored in a repository, shared in a channel, or posted in a conversation thread.
Key Features
- Machine learning detectors: Uses pre-trained machine learning models to identify sensitive data types, including PII, PHI, payment card data, API keys, access tokens, SSH keys, and database credentials.
- Policy management and customization: Provides pre-built policy templates for common compliance frameworks like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and SOC 2. Organizations can customize policies to match their specific data protection requirements.
- Developer credential protection: Nightfall can automatically detect and remediate exposed credentials across GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Jira, and Confluence.
Pricing
See Nightfall’s website for pricing options.
Why is Teramind the Best Alternative to Fortra?
Fortra (previously Digital Guardian) earned its place by focusing on data context and strong control. That thinking still holds — but the way it’s implemented reflects an older security model built for on-prem environments and service-heavy deployments.
Many teams adopted Fortra because running DLP internally was too complex, making managed services a requirement rather than a choice.
Over time, that dependence slows things down. Investigations wait on vendor analysts, policy changes require tickets, and operational issues funnel through support queues instead of being handled directly.
Teramind takes the same core principles (context, IP protection, insider risk detection) and delivers them in a platform that teams can run themselves.
- Behavioral context that reduces false positives: Session recording shows exactly what happened during policy violations.
- Deployment in minutes: Pre-built rules and straightforward setup get you protecting data quickly while still allowing the customization needed for complex scenarios.
- True cross-platform protection: Consistent OCR, behavioral analytics, and intervention controls across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Control without vendor dependency: Teramind’sintuitive management tools let your team own the security program. You’re not waiting on external analysts to tell you what happened in your own environment.
See the Teramind platform for yourself. Click here to explore an online demo →
FAQs
Why Look for an Alternative to Fortra?
Based on real user feedback from G2 and Gartner Peer Insights, here are the most common reasons teams begin evaluating alternatives to Fortra.
Alert Noise Due to Strict Rule-based Detection Model
Fortra’s strength in strict, rule-based enforcement can also be a weakness. Users report that its detection model generates a high volume of false positives, especially early on or in dynamic environments.
This often leads to alert fatigue, where teams spend more time tuning policies than investigating real risk. See Full G2 Review →
Sluggish Dashboards and Reporting Workflows
Another common pain point is performance around dashboards and reporting. Users note that insights can take longer than expected to generate.
Also, reporting workflows can feel slow or cumbersome, particularly in larger environments with high data volumes. See Full G2 Review →
High Cost Relative to Operational Complexity
Fortra is widely regarded as a premium, enterprise-grade platform, and its pricing reflects that.
For smaller organizations or lean security teams, the total cost of ownership — including licensing, infrastructure, and specialized expertise — can feel disproportionate. See Full G2 Review →
Complex Policy Creation
Effective use often requires familiarity with underlying technologies such as MSSQL, IIS, and complex policy logic.
For teams without deep, specialized DLP expertise, policy creation and tuning can feel unintuitive and difficult to manage. See Full G2 Review →
Endpoint Stability Issues
Some end users report that Fortra’s endpoint agent can conflict with other applications or business processes.
In certain cases, this has led to application crashes or even Windows blue-screen-of-death (BSOD) errors. See Gartner Peer Insight Review →
What Features Should You Consider in a Fortra Competitor?
Cross-platform Feature Parity
Fortra is one of the few legacy DLP platforms that treats macOS and Linux endpoints as seriously as Windows systems.
Many competitors market “multi-platform support” but deliver stripped-down agents on non-Windows devices that lack critical features like OCR, application control, or offline enforcement.
If your environment includes engineers on Linux workstations, designers on Macs, or hybrid fleets across multiple OS types, verify that your alternative provides genuine feature parity.
True Intellectual Property (IP) Protection
Replacing Fortra often means protecting the same high-value assets it was originally deployed for — i.e., source code, CAD files, design documents, proprietary models, and internal research. That means basic PII or PHI detection won’t be enough.
Your Fortra competitor must support fingerprinting and the protection of unstructured data. This includes functionalities like exact data matching (EDM), indexed document matching (IDM), and file type-specific protection.
Lightweight, Stable Endpoint Agents
One of the most common complaints about Fortra is agent performance impact. Heavy agents that hook deeply into an operating system can introduce conflicts, degrade performance, or create reliability risks.
Opt for alternatives with user-mode agents or agentless architectures; these provide comprehensive visibility without requiring deep operating system hooks that destabilize endpoints.
In addition, prioritize solutions with low CPU and memory overhead, as they don’t interfere with application performance.
Managed Service Options
Many organizations adopt Fortra with the expectation that it will be partially or fully managed through Fortra’s Managed Security Program (MSP). That’s often a necessity — especially for teams without dedicated DLP specialists.
So if you’re relying on managed services, verify that alternatives offer comparable MDR (Managed Detection and Response) capabilities with 24/7 monitoring, proactive policy tuning, and dedicated security analysts.
Alternatively, evaluate whether the vendor offers managed DLP services, MDR-style support, or a strong partner ecosystem. This way, you’ll avoid recreating the same dependency on vendor-provided services that you’re trying to move away from.
Insider Risk Context
Traditional DLP relies heavily on blocking actions based on predefined rules. While effective in some cases, this approach struggles to differentiate between legitimate work and malicious intent.
Your Fortra replacement should integrate User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to add intent and context — e.g., establishing baseline activity patterns into detection decisions.
Understanding how a user typically works makes it far easier to distinguish risky behavior from normal activity.
