Everyone hates spam, especially our team at Star Reviews. It seems that today's spam is a modern-day version of yesteryear's telemarketing calls and junk mail. Fortunately, we decided to scope out some new anti-spam software programs to help lessen the strain on your inbox. In researching the different spam filters out there, we came across SPAMfighter. Besides blocking annoying junk email, what can you expect from this program? Continue on below.
What's New?
- SPAMfighter now works with Windows Vista
- The product has successfully blocked more than 6 billion instances of spam.
- Free 30 day trial
Star Reviews' Favorite Feature:
We really like the fact that SPAMfighter doesn't just eliminate spam, it also protects users from phishing scams. Since phishing is one of the leading causes of identity theft, this added protection is very, very valuable.
SPAMfighter User Interface and Product Application:
SPAMfighter is very easy to use. The download and install process is quick and simple and the interface is very user-friendly. A ten-year-old should have no problem operating the SPAMfighter interface.
The product integrated seamlessly with our Microsoft Outlook and we were able to check real-time spam stats. When you install SPAMfighter a toolbar will appear in your Microsoft Outlook utility. From this toolbar you can access all of the SPAMfighter features with just the click of a mouse.
You'll also notice a new folder in your Outlook called "SPAMfighter". This folder is where all of your spam email goes, so if you notice you're missing an email, check that folder and see if it's there. It's not common, but legit emails may get marked as spam on rare occasions. If you do notice a legit email in your spam folder, make sure you whitelist it (using the easy-access toolbar) and it won't happen again.
While SPAMfighter may seem like many of the other spam filters on the Web, it's actually very unique. Instead of using algorithms or other rule-based technologies, SPAMfighter is community driven.
SPAMfighter users report spam and phishing messages, creating a log of the offending spammers. When an email sender is reported, they are added to SPAMfighter's blacklist and members of the SPAMfighter community don't have to deal with that spammer again.
We really did like the fact that SPAMfighter doesn't just eliminate most spam out there, but you can get revenge of some sort on the spammers who do manage to get through by reporting them to SPAMfighter, thwarting future spam attacks.
SPAMfighter Features:
- Vista compatible
- Protects against phishing, identity theft and email fraud
- Protects all of the email accounts on your PC
- Picture filter can recognize "image spam"
Pricing Plan:
SPAMfighter is free if you're using it for personal purposes. If, however, you need SPAMfighter for business reasons you can purchase SPAMfighter Pro for $29.
Customer Support:
While SPAMfighter does not offer phone support for their free service, they do offer an extensive database of FAQs and user guides. You can also contact tech support via an email support form. We received an answer to our email inquiry within 24 hours of submitting it. We found the answer to be very helpful, pointing us to step-by-step instructions that addressed the question we had asked. We make note, however, that telephone support is available for paid users, so if you'd like to purchase SPAMfighter Pro, they will gladly assist you.
Upside:
Free for personal users, easy to use, get revenge by reporting and banning spammers.
Downside:
No phone support for the free download.
Summary:
Overall, we think SPAMfighter will do a good job cleaning out your inbox and reducing your spam loads. It is Windows Vista-compatible, which is good news, and is entirely free unless you need a business version, SPAMfighter Pro. The business software will run you at $29, which isn’t terrible when compared to its competition. This anti-spam software program prevents phishing and identity theft/fraud by protecting all user email accounts on your PC. SPAMfighter has a blacklist of sorts, whereby users can report spammers, who then in turn, are blocked and made famous in a not-so-good way. There is a free, 30-day trial here, so all in all, we recommend SPAMfighter.