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HCL Domino vs HCL Notes comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.0
Opinions on HCL Domino ROI vary, with some reporting positive returns and operational benefits, despite initial deployment challenges.
Sentiment score
5.5
HCL Notes enhances efficiency and secure communication, offering ROI that outweighs its $100 annual cost per user.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
HCL Domino customer support is generally positive, praised for promptness and helpfulness, yet some find it complex and unfriendly.
Sentiment score
6.8
HCL Notes support is praised for knowledgeable staff and quick response, with high user satisfaction but room for growth.
Once Notes is running, it performs reliably without issues.
Architect at a tech consulting company with 501-1,000 employees
I would rate HCL technical support as eight out of ten.
IT Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
HCL Domino offers effective scalability for many, but faces challenges with large databases affecting reliability for some users.
Sentiment score
7.1
HCL Notes is scalable, integrates well with major platforms, but may face performance issues with large databases.
The scalability of the product is really good.
IT Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
HCL Domino is praised for its stability and reliability, though some report performance declines with larger databases.
Sentiment score
7.1
HCL Notes is considered stable, with high ratings despite occasional server issues, enhanced post-IBM with improved features.
 

Room For Improvement

HCL Domino requires improved integration, updated interface, better performance, enhanced scalability, security, and support for modern technologies.
HCL Notes needs modernization with improved interface, reliability, integration, and user-friendliness to compete with alternatives like Microsoft.
In-line editing of documents and a document viewer are functionalities that would be beneficial.
SME at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
I think HCL can make its product better by being more visible on the market because most companies don't support or use HCL anymore.
IT Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
It could be modernized by the development team.
Administration & Technical Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Setup Cost

HCL Domino pricing is seen as high, $100/user annually, affecting smaller enterprises' decisions against competitors like Microsoft Exchange.
HCL Notes is praised for cost-effectiveness and adaptability, despite varied perceptions on pricing due to multiple components.
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client.
SME at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
 

Valuable Features

HCL Domino offers strong security, seamless integration, cross-platform versatility, robust encryption, and efficient storage with DAOS for comprehensive application support.
HCL Notes excels in security, integration, ease of development, backward compatibility, and offers cost-effective groupware applications with email integration.
Its hybrid nature allows the use of both web-based applications and Notes client-based applications.
SME at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
We use HCL Notes for its offline capabilities, including the ability to work offline.
IT Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Categories and Ranking

HCL Domino
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
Rapid Application Development Software (17th)
HCL Notes
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
Email Applications (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

HCL Domino and HCL Notes aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. HCL Domino is designed for Rapid Application Development Software and holds a mindshare of 0.9%, up 0.5% compared to last year.
HCL Notes, on the other hand, focuses on Email Applications, holds 3.5% mindshare, up 3.1% since last year.
Rapid Application Development Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
HCL Domino0.9%
Microsoft Power Apps9.9%
ServiceNow7.2%
Other82.0%
Rapid Application Development Software
Email Applications Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
HCL Notes3.5%
Google Workspace16.0%
Microsoft Exchange Online11.1%
Other69.4%
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

PB
Architect at a tech consulting company with 501-1,000 employees
Experience complete control and security in managing sensitive information and internal applications
One challenge I faced with HCL Domino was fully understanding its capabilities because initial use may lead to misconceptions based on simpler platforms. Exploring and comprehending what is possible takes time and effort, as understanding the full range of functionalities requires a mindset shift to leverage the platform's capabilities effectively. I believe HCL Domino is on a good improvement path, although a limitation is the lack of many service providers offering the platform, making initial setup more time-consuming for organizations without the expertise. If there were more subscription-based service providers available, it could enhance usability significantly, especially for organizations lacking the resources to install and configure systems.
AM
RPA Developer at Hexaware Technologies Limited
Challenges with efficiency and interface lead to transition while offering some useful organization features
Office 365 has advantages over HCL Notes, offering a better interface and better categorization of emails. We get different kinds of options, including mail suggestions and AI options that can help users. Meetings, calendars, everything is in one place, making it more efficient. Office 365 offers a better interface and categorization of emails, along with options such as mail suggestions and AI features. Meetings and calendars are all integrated in one place.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Rapid Application Development Software solutions are best for your needs.
880,481 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
7%
Government
16%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?
The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client. Overall, HCL Domino is a costly product.
What needs improvement with HCL Domino?
One challenge I faced with HCL Domino was fully understanding its capabilities because initial use may lead to misconceptions based on simpler platforms. Exploring and comprehending what is possibl...
What needs improvement with HCL Notes?
We don't use team workspace with HCL Notes; we use only Microsoft because it's incorporated with the Microsoft license. Based on my extensive experience with HCL Notes, I think HCL can make its pro...
What is your primary use case for HCL Notes?
We use HCL Notes as an email system. We currently only use it as an email application, though in the past we used it for additional applications.
What advice do you have for others considering HCL Notes?
Regarding HCL Notes supporting various business processes such as CRM, I don't use it, but if I have an issue, I contact the support and we are satisfied with that. I would rate HCL Notes 10 out of...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino
IBM Lotus Notes, Lotus Notes
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil
Connect2Cloud, Hansgrohe, Sauk County, Blue Water Shipping, FDBR, ibml, Multivac, Aarhus University Hospital, Hendricks Regional Health, Asian Paints, Integra Legal, Sunplus Technology, S¾SS, The Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports, Nicrometal, Doncasters Group, Practice Plan, Barr, RACV, Neotechnik, Deutsche Notes User Group
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, ServiceNow, Oracle and others in Rapid Application Development Software. Updated: January 2026.
880,481 professionals have used our research since 2012.