Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Mimecast vs PhpStorm

Mimecast logo

Mimecast

Cybersecurity

Email and collaboration security

From
$4/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
PhpStorm logo

PhpStorm

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for PHP web development

From
$24/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mimecast no pricing is published for any product or plan, and every route ends at a quote or demo request; PhpStorm requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use.
  • They diverge on capability: Mimecast covers Advanced threat detection, PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mimecast and PhpStorm actually diverge.

Attributes where Mimecast and PhpStorm differ
AttributeMimecastPhpStorm
Starting price$4/month$24/month
PlatformsEmail, Cloud, Collaborationwindows, mac, linux
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
Founded20032000

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mimecast

  • Advanced threat detection
  • Secure sharing
  • Email encryption
  • Message tracking
  • Email archiving
  • Legal hold
  • eDiscovery
  • Backup and recovery

Only in PhpStorm

  • PHP-aware coding assistance
  • Integrated debugger
  • Front-end tooling
  • Database tools
  • Version control integration
  • Docker and remote deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mimecast

  • Email security filtering against phishing and targeted attacksnot PhpStorm
  • Email archiving, continuity and compliance for organisationsnot PhpStorm

PhpStorm

  • Building PHP web applications with Laravel or Symfonynot Mimecast
  • Debugging PHP code with Xdebugnot Mimecast
  • Working across PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in one projectnot Mimecast
  • Managing databases alongside application codenot Mimecast

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mimecast

  • No pricing is published for any product or plan, and every route ends at a quote or demo request
  • The platform is split into separately sold products for email security, awareness training, data protection and governance
  • Collaboration threat protection, DMARC analysis, incident response and email archiving are all further add ons on top of those

PhpStorm

  • Requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use.
  • Heavier and slower to start than lightweight code editors.
  • Some advanced framework-specific tooling requires additional configuration or plugins.
  • Renewal pricing rises for lapsed subscriptions after the grace period.

Pricing, plan by plan

Mimecast

$4/month
  • Defender$4/month
    • Per user
    • Threat protection
    • Impersonation prevention
  • Archive$3/month
    • Email archiving
    • Legal hold
    • Search & recall
  • Unified$6/month
    • All Defender features
    • All Archive features
    • Backup

PhpStorm

$24/month
  • Individual$24/month
    • Personal use license
    • Access to PhpStorm
    • Free for students and open-source maintainers
  • Organization$34/month
    • Business use license
    • Access to PhpStorm
    • Volume and renewal discounts

Which should you pick?

Choose Mimecast if

  • You need advanced threat detection.
  • You work on Email, Cloud, Collaboration.
  • You also want secure sharing.
Mimecast review

Choose PhpStorm if

  • You need php-aware coding assistance.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want integrated debugger.
PhpStorm review

Questions people ask

Is Mimecast or PhpStorm better?
Neither clearly leads. Mimecast starts at $4/month and PhpStorm at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mimecast or PhpStorm?
Mimecast starts at $4/month and PhpStorm at $24/month.
Does Mimecast or PhpStorm run on more platforms?
Mimecast runs on Email, Cloud, Collaboration. PhpStorm runs on windows, mac, linux.
What is Mimecast best used for?
Mimecast is most often used for email security filtering against phishing and targeted attacks, email archiving, continuity and compliance for organisations. Of those, email security filtering against phishing and targeted attacks and email archiving, continuity and compliance for organisations are not what PhpStorm is typically brought in for.
What can Mimecast do that PhpStorm cannot?
Mimecast covers Advanced threat detection, Secure sharing, Email encryption, Message tracking. PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance, Integrated debugger, Front-end tooling, Database tools.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mimecast: How much does Mimecast cost?

Mimecast does not publish pricing on its website. Customers must request a custom quote by contacting the sales team at +1 617 393 7000 or using the Get a Quote button.

Source
PhpStorm: How much does PhpStorm cost?

PhpStorm is sold via JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with free licenses for students and open-source maintainers.

Source
Mimecast: Is there a free trial of Mimecast?

Mimecast's trial and pricing options are not specified on the public website. Contact sales at +1 617 393 7000 or through their support portal at mimecastsupport.zendesk.com for trial availability.

Source
PhpStorm: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains offers a free trial of PhpStorm so developers can test it before subscribing.

Source
PhpStorm: What platforms does PhpStorm support?

PhpStorm is a desktop IDE available on Windows, macOS, and Linux via JetBrains Toolbox.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Mimecast

More on PhpStorm

Keep looking

Other head to heads