# Smarsh Enterprise Archive vs Proofpoint Enterprise Archive: which do AI models recommend for comms archiving, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Communications archiving and compliance. Seven of fourteen models named Smarsh Enterprise Archive first on the direct prompt; one named Proofpoint Enterprise Archive. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/security/communications-archiving-and-compliance/smarsh-enterprise-archive-vs-proofpoint-enterprise-archive/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smarsh Enterprise Archive | 20% | #1 of 12 | 21% | 53 | 14 of 14 |
| Proofpoint Enterprise Archive | 5% | #8 of 12 | 5% | 39 | 14 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Claude Haiku 4.5: smarsh enterprise archive first (first choices: Mimecast Cloud Archive, Smarsh Enterprise Archive) (alternatives: Arcserve UDP Archiving, ComplyKEY MailMeter, MailStore Server)
- GPT-5.4 mini: smarsh enterprise archive first (first choices: Smarsh Enterprise Archive) (alternatives: Archive360, Microsoft Purview, Mimecast Cloud Archive, Theta Lake)
- Perplexity Sonar: smarsh enterprise archive first (first choices: Smarsh Enterprise Archive) (alternatives: Global Relay, Mimecast Archiving, Wordwatch)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: smarsh enterprise archive first (first choices: Smarsh Enterprise Archive) (alternatives: Global Relay, Jatheon)
- Mistral Small: smarsh enterprise archive first (first choices: Mimecast Cloud Archive, Smarsh Enterprise Archive) (alternatives: Microsoft Purview, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: smarsh enterprise archive first (first choices: Global Relay, Smarsh Enterprise Archive) (alternatives: Mimecast Cloud Archive, Theta Lake, Wordwatch)
- MiniMax M2.5: smarsh enterprise archive first (first choices: Global Relay, Smarsh Enterprise Archive) (alternatives: Mimecast Cloud Archive, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive, Theta Lake)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: proofpoint enterprise archive first (first choices: Mimecast Cloud Archive, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive) (alternatives: Global Relay, OpenText, Smarsh Enterprise Archive, Wordwatch)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Mimecast Cloud Archive) (alternatives: Barracuda Cloud Archiving Service, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive, Theta Lake)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Jatheon) (alternatives: Mimecast Cloud Archive, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Barracuda Cloud Archiving Service, MailStore Server) (alternatives: Jatheon, Mimecast Cloud Archive, Smarsh Enterprise Archive)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither first, one named (first choices: Mimecast Cloud Archive) (alternatives: Global Relay, Microsoft Purview, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive, Smarsh Enterprise Archive)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither first, one named (first choices: Barracuda Archiving Service / Barracuda Cloud Archiving Service) (alternatives: Global Relay, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive, Smarsh Enterprise Archive, Wordwatch)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named

## What the models said about Smarsh Enterprise Archive

- "complex, often vague pricing, unavailability of certain functions, slow search performance, and lack of robust technical support and documentation" (Mistral Small, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Be cautious with platforms like Smarsh, based on consistent user and competitor feedback highlighting key issues" (Grok 4.1 Fast, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Smarsh and Global Relay are the "gold standards" for massive Wall Street enterprises, they are notoriously complex to implement and often charge heavy fees" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, direct prompt, soft negative)
- "For most mid-market B2B companies, Smarsh or Global Relay offer the best balance of comprehensive features, proven reliability, and scalability." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, direct prompt, first choice)
- "Smarsh Enterprise Archive is the best choice for regulated enterprises that need governed email capture, legal holds, and defensible retrieval at scale" (Muse Glimmer 30B, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Smarsh and Intradyn are the top choices due to their balance of affordability, scalability, and support for multiple communication channels" (Mistral Small, paraphrase prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Proofpoint Enterprise Archive

- "Proofpoint is an excellent enterprise-grade tool, but it may require more dedicated administrative overhead" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Cons: May be overkill for smaller mid-sized companies" (Kimi K2, paraphrase prompt, soft negative)
- "Proofpoint if you want a modern cloud-first archive with strong governance for mainstream business communications." (Perplexity Sonar, paraphrase prompt, first choice)
- "Proofpoint (Leader in 2024 Gartner MQ for Digital Communications Governance & Archiving; longest-running leader)." (Grok 4.1 Fast, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Regulated Industries: Smarsh and Proofpoint lead for financial services and strict compliance." (Mistral Small, comparative prompt, first choice)

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. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.