HCL Domino vs Zimbra Collaboration comparison

The compared HCLSoftware and Zimbra solutions aren't in the same category. HCLSoftware is ranked #17 in RADS , with an average rating of 7.7, and holds a 1.0% mindshare in the category. Zimbra is ranked #6 in EA , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 6.9% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Zimbra users who would recommend it.

HCL Domino

Read 22 HCL Domino reviews

2,039 Views
856 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Zimbra Collaboration

Read 28 Zimbra Collaboration reviews

2,357 Views
2,263 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

HCL Domino

Zimbra Collaboration

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between HCL Domino and Zimbra Collaboration based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, ServiceNow, Oracle and others in Rapid Application Development Software.

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January 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

HCL Domino

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Rapid Application Development Software (17th)

Zimbra Collaboration

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Email Applications (6th)

Mindshare comparison

HCL Domino and Zimbra Collaboration aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. HCL Domino is designed for Rapid Application Development Software and holds a mindshare of 1.0%, up 0.5% compared to last year.
Zimbra Collaboration, on the other hand, focuses on Email Applications, holds 6.9% mindshare, down 9.1% since last year.

Rapid Application Development Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
HCL Domino	1.0%
Microsoft Power Apps	9.5%
ServiceNow	6.5%
Other	83.0%

Rapid Application Development Software

Email Applications Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Zimbra Collaboration	6.9%
Google Workspace	15.1%
Microsoft Exchange Online	11.1%
Other	66.9%

Email Applications

Featured Reviews

Pradeep Bhat

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.

Read full review

Muhammad Talha Baig

Business Analyst and Associate Project Manager at SAMI Pharmaceuticals

One of the premium features was customized rooms tailored to the collaboration needs

Zimbra's strength lies in its individuality, and it should focus on leveraging its unique features rather than trying to emulate competitors. My organization has certified Zimbra technicians, so we believe we can utilize Zimbra certification. However, I was recently informed by Zimbra that no such certification exists. I have recently completed the test kit, and after the training, I will gain access to tickets. Therefore, if any clients are experiencing issues, we have a certified technical team available to provide support 24/7. This is how we can cater to our client's needs. I recommend Zimbra to small-scale and enterprise customers. Anyone, even those with 5 users, can opt for Zimbra. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of HCL Domino is how robust it is."

"HCL Domino is an application development and collaboration platform with strong stability and security. Deployment of this platform is easy and takes only 10 minutes."

"For workflow applications or general applications, the rapid development capability is what we value most."

"They offer good support and provide a roadmap."

"HCL Domino is cost-effective because it serves as a complete platform with a web server, app server, and IT management system, eliminating the need for multiple platforms and complex integrations."

"We can scale it if we want to."

"I like that HCL Domino is stable. It's a great product. I also like that HCL Domino is a mature product under IBM, which is why many companies use it."

"We have been able to set up a portal using a special XPage application that gives our customers access to this system."

More HCL Domino pros

"We can control all the data in my IT infrastructure."

"It has all collaboration features, such as document sharing, video conferencing, chatting, task sharing, and calendar sharing."

"Zimbra Collaboration is light to manage. It works on the Linux operating system, which is far better to manage than Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Exchange works only on the Windows server. We prefer working on the Linux server for security reasons and ease of management. Zimbra Collaboration also has some integrated tools for security. It some modules to fight malware. These modules are not very powerful but are still doing a great job. Microsoft Exchange doesn't have a basic module. You have to purchase a security solution and add it to the solution. The cost of Zimbra Collaboration is one more reason for liking it. It is also very simple to migrate from Zimbra Collaboration to another email solution."

"The solution is easy to implement."

"The Zimbra Collaboration's most valuable feature is web access."

"The most valuable feature of Zimbra Collaboration is email functionality."

"Network NG Modules are valuable to us."

"Zimbra Collaboration has a good web interface."

More Zimbra Collaboration pros

Cons

"The solution is expensive."

"Scalability is also an issue. We have problems with large databases."

"The solution could improve Kubernetes or Dockers migration to new environments in the cloud."

"An area for improvement in HCL Domino is security. New enhancements in the IT industry mean that security should be improved. The HCL Domino GUI also needs improvement."

"Recently, IBM sold the product to HCL. Since Pakistan and India have some problems on a domestic level, we were actually considering replacing it with Indian products from the organization. We're just facing some regulatory issues."

"HCL Domino needs to be more user-friendly."

"It would be advantageous if the web server could seamlessly pick up configuration changes without the need for a complete restart."

"Designing a new template could provide a refreshed visual experience for users without significant changes to the underlying functionality."

More HCL Domino cons

"The solution could use more integration with third-party tools."

"The tool should improve its multi-cloud feature."

"Some issues cause the solution not to function correctly or to cause downtime once a month."

"Zimbra Collaboration's video conferencing could be improved."

"Zimbra should provide a desktop client. Right now, we are using a web browser for accessing our emails. There should also be a desktop client."

"I would like to see a Microsoft schedule function added."

"The solution’s forums don't have much information or documentation on administration tasks."

"There are some security issues."

More Zimbra Collaboration cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is individually determined. For us, in our current deployment, we pay $12.50 Canadian per month per user."

"We pay annually for the use of this solution and it is only a standard fee."

"It is less expensive compared to other vendors."

"We're happy with the price of our license — it's pretty standard."

"The license for Domino is yearly. The price is high."

"Customers have to pay for a license for the Notes Client, not for the Domino database. There is a quarter license that we use."

"The pricing is subjective and contingent on the intended usage."

"For 30 licenses, we pay $1,500 every year. It is not an expensive product."

More HCL Domino pricing and cost advice

"Zimbra Collaboration is expensive, and there is no perpetual license option."

"When it comes to the licensing of Zimbra Collaboration, my license covers the servers and I find its terms to be much simpler than those of Microsoft Exchange."

"If you choose the network edition, it is a little pricier. They have the open-source edition too which is only community supported."

"Zimbra Collaboration is less expensive than Microsoft Exchange. Zimbra works for small companies because it is not expensive. Zimbra Collaboration has more security tools than Microsoft Exchange. If you are choosing between Zimbra Collaboration and Microsoft Exchange, you have to take into account the cost of security tools with Microsoft Exchange. When you purchase Microsoft Exchange, you will also have to purchase tools for security, which adds to the cost. The migration from Zimbra Collaboration to another email solution is very simple and easy. Migration from Microsoft Exchange to another email solution is very difficult. Microsoft doesn't allow migration that easily. In fact, you have to pay for tools to do that. You have to buy some expensive tools to migrate."

"We pay yearly licenses for Zimbra Collaboration."

"Zimbra Collaboration offers a good price-to-feature ratio."

"The solution is not expensive compared to other products."

"The price of the solution is low."

More Zimbra Collaboration pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?

The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with HCL Domino?

See all answers

How does Zimbra Collaboration compare with Microsoft Exchange?

Zimbra is a free, open source collaborative software suite. The features I like best are the ease of integration and the email, calendar, and collaboration server with web interface. In addition, I...

See all answers

What do you like most about Zimbra Collaboration?

The most valuable feature of Zimbra for our team's productivity is its efficiency in handling email communication.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zimbra Collaboration?

The solution is competitively priced.

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Exchange vs HCL Domino

Compared 24% of the time

HCL Notes vs HCL Domino

Compared 13% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs HCL Domino

Compared 9% of the time

Microsoft Power Apps vs HCL Domino

Compared 8% of the time

Google Workspace vs HCL Domino

Compared 5% of the time

More HCL Domino Competitors

Open-Xchange vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 21% of the time

Microsoft Exchange vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 20% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 11% of the time

KerioConnect vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 10% of the time

Zoho Mail vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 4% of the time

More Zimbra Collaboration Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCL Domino

January 2026

Download HCL Domino product report

Buyer's Guide

Zimbra Collaboration

January 2026

Download Zimbra Collaboration product report

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino

No data available

Overview

HCL Domino (formerly IBM Domino) is a secure, enterprise-grade, application development platform. From IT to business, HCL Domino is the only low to pro-code application development platform that allows your business to build robust applications to solve workflow and process challenges fast. HCL Domino powers businesses around the world with 15,000 customers and 10 million apps built on our platform. HCL Domino has always been a secure, rock-solid, and proven solution.

Low cost of ownership - minimizing administration needs through automated installations, policies and monitoring helps staff focus on higher value tasks.
Minimized infrastructure - reducing costs by using less power, memory, data storage, network bandwidth and servers.
Rich application environment - supporting workflow-driven and people-oriented applications that help a wide variety of business operations deliver enhanced results.
Security-rich - helping protect your critical business assets. You can control information access, protect information and guarantee document authenticity.
High availability - featuring advanced clustering, replication, server fault recovery and automated diagnostic tools.

HCLSoftware

Zimbra Collaboration provides administrators and their end users innovative features that solve the challenges faced by organizations using today's legacy communications infrastructure.

Zimbra

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil

NEC Biglobe, City of Ventura, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Hola Publishing, BIG, Sleepwell, LaFayette College, Xmission, DNA, Ring Line, Future Group, TIGC

Buyer's Guide

Rapid Application Development Software

January 2026

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