SPF Flattening vs EasyDMARC & dmarcian: Which One Should You Use?

Published September 18, 2026 · 6 min read · spFlat!

If you've hit the SPF 10-DNS-lookup limit, you've probably seen three names: spFlat!, EasyDMARC and dmarcian. They are not the same kind of product. Only two of them will flatten your record. If the job is staying under 10 lookups without buying a DMARC platform, spFlat! is the tool built for that.

Here's a side-by-side so you can pick on what each tool actually does, not on the marketing overlap.

What "flattening" even means

Flattening expands include: chains to IP ranges so receiving servers stop walking the nested tree. Doing that on your own domain as a giant ip4:/ip6: list usually makes the TXT longer (see the 255-character / TXT size limit). Hosted flattening keeps a short include on your domain and holds the IP list elsewhere:

Before (nested lookups, PermError risk):

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:sendgrid.net include:mailgun.org ~all

After hosted flattening (1 lookup on your domain):

v=spf1 include:_yourdomain.spf.spflat.cloud ~all

Simple in theory. The hard part is keeping the IP list current when providers rotate ranges, and that's where the tools differ.

spFlat! vs EasyDMARC vs dmarcian

spFlat!: purpose-built, continuous monitoring

• What it does: flattens your SPF record and monitors provider IP changes 24/7, updating the flattened record behind your include automatically.
• Best for: anyone who wants to set SPF flattening once and forget it, especially MSPs and sysadmins managing many domains.
• Standout: single-purpose flattening. You are not paying for a DMARC suite you did not ask for. Free checker, 14-day trial, automatic updates when Google, Microsoft, SendGrid etc. change ranges.

EasyDMARC: DMARC suite with hosted flattening included

• What it does: full DMARC/SPF/DKIM monitoring suite. Hosted SPF (EasySPF) is a feature of that platform, with continuous flattening on paid plans.
• Best for: teams that already want EasyDMARC for DMARC reporting and prefer SPF + DMARC in one dashboard.
• The trade-off: you pay for the suite, not for flattening alone. If SPF lookups are your only problem, a DMARC platform is an expensive way to fix it. EasySPF does auto-update on paid plans; it is a hosted flattening service inside a larger product.

dmarcian: respected analysis, no flattening product

• What it does: excellent SPF/DMARC analysis, including the well-known SPF Surveyor.
• Best for: diagnosis and learning: figuring out what is wrong with your record, then changing DNS yourself.
• The catch: dmarcian ended its flattening experiment and does not sell hosted SPF. Their published position is that flattening is a stop-gap and that provider segmentation (subdomains per stream) is the lasting fix. Expect guidance, not an updated flattened record.

How to choose

Choose spFlat! if…

• You want a single-purpose tool that keeps your record under 10 lookups automatically
• You manage multiple domains (MSP, agency, or multi-brand company)
• You've already had a provider IP change break deliverability

Choose EasyDMARC if…

• You already pay for EasyDMARC, or your main need is DMARC monitoring with flattening as a bundled extra
• You want SPF, DKIM and DMARC reporting from one provider

Choose dmarcian if…

• You're in the diagnosis phase and want the Surveyor and DMARC analysis
• You can clean includes, split streams onto subdomains, and maintain DNS yourself, and you do not want a flattening provider

The honest bottom line

If you need flattening, pick a flattening product. spFlat! is that: one include, 24/7 monitoring, 14-day trial, no DMARC suite attached. EasyDMARC is the right pick when DMARC reporting is the job you came for. dmarcian helps you see the problem. Provider IP ranges will still move next month; only a monitored include stays current.

Check your domain free on spflat.cloud and see your real lookup count right now. No signup needed.