Alternatives

AcuityScan vs MXToolbox

MXToolbox is the go-to for email and DNS lookups. AcuityScan runs those same checks and seven more categories in one scan, with a unified score and a copy-paste fix for every finding.

MXToolbox has been the reference tool for email and DNS diagnostics for over two decades. Its blacklist monitoring and SuperTool lookups are excellent, and if email deliverability is the only thing you care about, it does that job well. AcuityScan is built for the broader question: is this whole website healthy, not just its mail records.

AcuityScan vs MXToolbox, side by side

Email, DNS, and blacklist lookups.

	AcuityScan	MXToolbox
Primary focus	Full website audit	Email, DNS, blacklists
Categories covered	8	3
Email auth (SPF/DKIM/DMARC)	Yes	Yes
Blacklist checks	80+ live RBLs	Yes (extensive)
SSL / TLS deep analysis	Yes	Basic
Performance / Core Web Vitals	Yes	No
Accessibility (WCAG)	Yes (axe-core)	No
Unified 0-100 health score	Yes	Pass / fail per check
Monitoring & alerts	Included in Pro	From $129/mo
Starting paid tier	$29/mo	$129/mo
Plain-English fix for every issue	Yes	No
Shareable report link	Yes	No
PDF export	Yes (Pro)	No
Native Claude / MCP integration	Yes	No

Comparison based on MXToolbox's publicly listed features and pricing as of 2026. Competitor capabilities change, so if anything here is outdated, let us know.

Where AcuityScan goes further

Seven categories MXToolbox does not cover: SSL/TLS depth, performance, technical SEO, accessibility, privacy, threat intelligence, and mobile.
One unified 0-100 score across the whole site instead of pass/fail on individual lookups.
A plain-English explanation and copy-paste fix attached to every finding.
Monitoring and alerts start at $29/mo rather than $129/mo.

When MXToolbox is the better choice

We would rather you pick the right tool than the wrong one. MXToolbox is the better fit when:

You only ever need email and DNS lookups and already know the records cold.
You rely on a specific MXToolbox feature like its long-running blacklist delisting workflow.
You want the deepest possible single-purpose email tooling and nothing else.

Questions

Does AcuityScan check the same blacklists as MXToolbox?

AcuityScan queries 80+ live, verified email blacklists (RBLs), including the major ones MXToolbox uses such as Spamhaus, SpamCop, and Barracuda. We removed dead and unreliable lists rather than padding the count.

Is AcuityScan cheaper than MXToolbox?

AcuityScan's paid tier starts at $29/mo and includes monitoring across all 8 categories. MXToolbox monitoring starts at $129/mo as of 2026 and focuses on email and DNS. Pricing changes, so check both current pages before deciding.

Can I still do a one-off email lookup without a full scan?

Yes. AcuityScan has standalone tools, including an email health check, blacklist check, and DNS lookup, that work without an account, the same way you'd use MXToolbox's SuperTool.

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