SPF (Sender Policy Framework) refers to a type of email authentication protocol through which business owners can prevent various forms of cyberattacks (e.g. phishing, spoofing, etc.).

With SPF, you can easily determine the sending mail servers to which you give permission to send emails on behalf of your organization.

SPF records enable domain owners to verify the credibility of of domains sending the email simply by checking the senders’ DNS records. But the SPF record will stay valid only if you do not surpass the 10 DNS lookup limit, exceeding which many issues may arise (e.g. SPF Permerror). Organizations that deal with multiple email vendors may however find respecting the 10 DNS lookup limit quite challenging, which is why large businesses with complex email mechanisms often use SPF flattening.

SPF flattening enables the optimization of the SPF DNS record by bringing the number of DNS lookups to a possible minimum. You do this manually, however it is much easier to do SPF flattening in the right way if you use professional tools. This is because a slight error in SPF records can potentially result in serious email delivery issues and therefore cost you a lot of time and financial resources.

In this blog post, we have compiled a list of the best SPF flattening tools in 2025 that will make your SPF records as error-free as they can be.

Key Takeaways

• There are numerous SPF flattening tools available in the market today, which can make it difficult for you to find exactly what you need.
• Ensure your provider uses SPF Macros for the best possible results.
• Only opt for trustworthy platforms with a proven track record of activity and a good reputation in the field. PowerDMARC is one of the most respectable platforms in the industry with hundreds of happy customers that have benefitted from its SPF flattening and SPF Macros services.
• Ensure to always follow the evolving regulations of mailbox providers to keep your SPF records up to date with the latest requirements. The right SPF flattening tool will help you stay compliant regardless of how frequently or drastically the changes take place.
• There are many factors to which you should pay attention, ranging from uptime SLA commitment to the accessibility of advanced optimization and automation features.

What Are Some Factors You Should Consider When Choosing the Right SPF Flattening Tool

Always ask the following questions to find out if the SPF flattening tool is the right option for you:

• Are advanced optimization and automation tools (e.g. Macros) available to you?
• What is the DNS availability of this tool?
• How varied are the pricing schemes offered by this platform and do they fit your budget?
• Is the uptime SLA commitment that the provider offers in line with your expectations?
• How straightforward is the user interface? Is it beginner-friendly?
• How long will it take to set up the platform and have it running?
• Does the service offer automatic updates for vendor IP addresses?
• How long does it take for their customer support team to answer your questions?
• Is it scalable enough to meet your long-term business needs?
• What do others say about this tool?

What Are the Best SPF Flattening Tools in the Market in 2025?

1. PowerDMARC Hosted SPF

With PowerDMARC, businesses can enjoy a large variety of email authentication services, ranging from DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, all the way to MTA-STS, and BIMI. The platform offers a hosted SPF flattening tool - PowerSPF that enables businesses to optimize their SPF records with the lowest possible effort and cost. Complying with changes made to authorized IPs while bringing your SPF records to a single “include” for a large number of accounts has never been easier.

In addition to its SPF flattening tool, PowerDMARC also offers another great advantage over its competitors — SPF Macros. This is a fantastic tool that helps achieve higher accuracy in your SPF records and brings the number of false positives to a minimum.

PowerDMARC’s Hosted SPF enables businesses to benefit from:

• An instantly optimized SPF record simply by copying your existing SPF record and pasting it into Hosted SPF
• Unlimited lookups with the help of SPF Macros
• Automated vendor IP changes and updates
• Automatic handling of Null SPF and Void Errors
• Less spam
• A stark reduction in SPF Permerrors
• Helpful insights into the sources that send emails on your behalf
• Higher email deliverability rates.

How to Get Started with PowerDMARC?

To start with PowerDMARC’s SPF flattening process, follow the below steps:

Step 1: Sign up on PowerDMARC. The platform is straightforward to navigate.

Step 2: Locate the Hosted SPF under “Hosted Services” and click on it.

Step 3: Now, it is time to select the active domain.

Step 4: As a last step, click on “Automated Setup.” Congratulations, Hosted SPF is enabled.

2. AutoSPF

AutoSPF is a specialized tool for managing SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records, designed to help domain owners navigate SPF limits. Its primary function is to implement traditional flattening techniques for SPF optimization. However, it’s worth noting that AutoSPF’s reliance on flattening as its sole optimization method may present certain constraints. This approach might not always deliver the anticipated outcomes in all scenarios (e.g. for organizations with extensively large and complex email mechanisms).

With AutoSPF, you will experience

• Automatic flattening of SPF records
• Reduction in manual cleanup processes (and the need thereof)
• Less spam
• Improved monitoring of updates
• Higher compatibility with Gmail, Salesforce, Office 365, and many other platforms

3. MxToolbox

Already two decades in the industry, MxToolbox’s SPF Flattening Tool allows businesses of different sizes to monitor and manage complex SPF records, regardless of their complexity level. This will help you reduce DNS lookup errors and benefit from an accurate and comprehensive SPF record.

MxToolbox enables businesses to

• Track and monitor extensive and complicated SPF setups
• Boost email deliverability
• Automatically reconstruct SPF records with minimal effort

4. Universal SPF by Fraudmarc

Fraudmarc focuses on combating fraud through DMARC-based solutions. Their offerings include SPF compression, Outbox protection, and universal SPF services. While the platform is especially beneficial for small businesses, it relies on conventional flattening techniques, which may present certain issues in specific cases.

Fraudmarc ensures

5. Dynamic and effective SPF flattening
6. Removal of vendors if necessary
7. Easily navigable UI
8. Special SPF management and monitoring panel for policy updates

5. DMARCLY Safe SPF

This SPF flattening tool is designed with the beginners’s needs and challenges in mind. Its Safe SPF tool is very easy to use and makes SPF optimization faster and simpler than expected. The interface is also quite straightforward and there is almost no necessity for manual intervention in the setup. However, it is not advanced and/or scalable enough to meet the needs and goals of large organizations.

DMARCLY provides:

• An economical option, which is great for low-budget businesses
• Transparent pricing schemes
• A large variety of educational resources

Why PowerDMARC Hosted SPF (PowerSPF) is the Best Choice

PowerDMARC stands out in the entire market with its Macros optimization feature for your SPF records. Whereas most competitors focus on SPF flattening only, PowerDMARC has gone one step ahead and provides users with advanced Macros optimization. Additionally,

• The tool offers support in over 11 languages, including Dutch, Italian, Japanese, French, etc.
• PowerDMARC helps minimize the number of complicated SPF setups and ensures your SPF record adheres to the length limit.
• In addition to the Hosted SPF service and use of advanced Macros optimization, PowerDMARC also offers services in other areas such as DKIM, DMARC, MTA-STS, TLS-RPT, and BIMI
• This platform’s customer support team is always there to help you with any questions or issues you may have. They respond quite quickly to ensure your problem is resolved as soon as possible.

Summing Up

As email service providers often make changes to the IP addresses, it is important to work with a platform that consistently monitors these changes and ensures your records are always up to date. This is why for the users of trustworthy platforms like PowerDMARC it is easy to avoid misalignment with industry regulations and to maintain high email deliverability rates.

Are you ready to overcome SPF DNS lookup limitations, improve email deliverability rates, and enhance your overall safety online? Start your free trial with PowerDMARC now!