Compared
DomainGrade vs MXToolbox
MXToolbox is a box of individual lookup tools; DomainGrade is one graded scan with the fix for everything it finds — and daily monitoring after that.
MXToolbox has been the network operator's lookup toolbox for two decades: MX, SPF, DKIM, blacklists, headers — each as its own tool, each answered one query at a time. If you already know which record to inspect, it will show it to you.
DomainGrade starts from the other end: you don't have to know which of the 34 things to check, because one scan checks all of them, weighs them into a single A–F grade, and hands you the exact record to paste for each one that isn't right.
| MXToolbox | DomainGrade | |
|---|---|---|
| How you use it | One lookup tool at a time — you pick the record, read the raw answer | One scan runs all 34 checks and returns one graded report |
| Interpreting results | Raw records and pass/fail flags; the reading is on you | Plain-language finding, why it matters, and the fix with your domain filled in |
| Scope | Deepest on email and DNS diagnostics | Email, TLS certificates, security headers, DNS hygiene and reputation in one grade |
| Monitoring | Monitoring products focused on blacklists and mail flow | Daily rescan of everything graded, alerting only on change — never a digest of green ticks |
| Sharing the result | Screenshots of individual lookups | One share link, an OG card with the grade, and white-label PDF reports for agencies |
Where MXToolbox is the better fit
- Ad-hoc forensics: when you need one specific lookup right now — a single blacklist, one MX query, a header parse — a toolbox beats a report card.
- Deliverability operations at depth: their email-delivery diagnostics go further into mail-flow specifics than our email section does.
- You want a tool your ops team has used for twenty years and already trusts.
The honest verdict
If you're a mail administrator chasing one specific question, MXToolbox answers it faster. If you want to know — and keep knowing — whether your whole domain is set up safely, and you want each problem to arrive with its fix attached, that is exactly what DomainGrade is for.
Common questions
- Can DomainGrade replace MXToolbox for me?
- For 'is my domain configured safely, and what do I fix first' — yes, that is the product. For one-off record lookups mid-incident, a lookup toolbox is still the right tool, and plenty of our customers use both.
- Do both check blacklists?
- Yes. DomainGrade's reputation section checks public blocklists and flags listings as part of the grade, and monitoring alerts you when a listing appears.
- Is DomainGrade free to try?
- Grading is free, with no signup — every check, the grade, and every fix. You pay only for daily monitoring and agency features.
The comparison that actually matters: your domain, graded.
All 34 checks, one grade, and the exact fix for anything that isn’t right — in about twenty seconds, no signup.
Also compared: EasyDMARC · Hardenize · every check we run