SPF Record Check vs Kitterman SPF Validator

Kitterman's SPF tools have been around for years and are well-known in the email deliverability community. Scott Kitterman is one of the authors of the SPF specification, so his tools carry credibility. Here's how SPF Record Check compares.

Quick Comparison

What Kitterman Offers

Kitterman provides several SPF-related tools:

SPF Record Testing Tool — Validates SPF record syntax and checks for common errors.

SPF Query Tool — Tests whether a specific IP address passes SPF for a domain. Useful for debugging why a particular server's emails are failing.

RFC Compliance — As a specification author, Kitterman's tools strictly follow RFC standards.

The tools are functional but have a utilitarian, text-heavy interface that reflects their age.

What SPF Record Check Offers

SPF Record Check focuses on making SPF validation accessible and clear:

• Clean, modern interface
• Visual indicators for pass/fail
• DNS lookup count prominently displayed
• Mobile-friendly design
• Instant results without page reloads

When to Use Each Tool

Use SPF Record Check when:

• You want quick SPF validation with clear visual feedback
• You're checking records from a mobile device
• You prefer a modern, clean interface
• You need to check multiple domains quickly
• You want results that are easy to share or screenshot

Use Kitterman when:

• You need to test a specific IP against an SPF record
• You want strict RFC-compliant validation
• You're debugging complex SPF scenarios
• You're comfortable with text-heavy output

Interface Differences

Kitterman presents results as detailed text output. It's thorough but requires reading through the output to understand the result.

SPF Record Check uses visual design to communicate results at a glance. Green means good, warnings are highlighted, and the DNS lookup count is immediately visible.

For quick checks, the visual approach saves time. For deep debugging, Kitterman's verbose output can be helpful.

The IP Testing Advantage

One feature Kitterman offers that SPF Record Check doesn't: testing whether a specific IP address passes SPF authentication for a domain.

This is useful when:

• Debugging why emails from a particular server are failing
• Verifying that a new email service's IPs are covered
• Checking if forwarding servers need to be added

If you need this capability frequently, Kitterman is the tool for that job.

Accuracy and Standards

Both tools accurately validate SPF records. Kitterman's tools are written by an RFC author, so they're considered authoritative for edge cases and strict compliance checking.

For the vast majority of SPF checks—syntax validation, lookup counting, basic error detection—both tools give you the right answer.

The Verdict

Choose Kitterman when you need to test specific IPs against SPF records or want RFC-strict validation from an authoritative source.

Choose SPF Record Check when you want quick, visually clear SPF validation with a modern interface.

Many email professionals use both: SPF Record Check for everyday quick checks and Kitterman for specific debugging scenarios.

Beyond Single Checks

Both tools check SPF records at a point in time. For ongoing monitoring that alerts you when SPF records change or break, consider the Email Deliverability Suite.