HCL Domino vs Zimbra Collaboration comparison

The compared HCLSoftware and Zimbra solutions aren't in the same category. HCLSoftware is ranked #18 in RADS , with an average rating of 7.3, and holds a 0.6% mindshare in the category. Zimbra is ranked #6 in EA , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 8.6% 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 21 HCL Domino reviews

816 Views
214 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Zimbra Collaboration

Read 29 Zimbra Collaboration reviews

2,518 Views
1,722 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

HCL Domino

Zimbra Collaboration

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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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June 2025

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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

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Rapid Application Development Software (18th)

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 0.6%, up 0.5% compared to last year.
Zimbra Collaboration, on the other hand, focuses on Email Applications, holds 8.6% mindshare, down 9.5% since last year.

Rapid Application Development Software

Email Applications

Featured Reviews

FrederickLim

Technical Service Manager at Top Level Corporation Limited

Provides mobile email systems with solid stability and easy deployment

The initial setup is easy. You need to sign up. It depends on the scope. It will take longer if there are more than one or more applications. The project usually includes infrastructure and deployment may take anywhere from one month to six months. I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

Read full review

Vidya Shree

CTO at Molecular Connections Private Limited

Deploys quickly and has a good web interface

Zimbra Collaboration has a good web interface When it comes to administration tasks like configuring specific filters or group signatures, I have to dig into the configuration since there's nothing in the graphical or web interface. The solution’s forums don't have much information or…

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

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

"It is an excellent solution."

"The email system is the most valuable feature."

"One valuable feature of HCL Domino is its integration with other directories."

"Domino's dual functionality as both a messaging and application solution is a standout feature compared to Exchange, which solely focuses on messaging."

"They offer good support and provide a roadmap."

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

"HCL Domino is the best product from a security point of view."

More HCL Domino pros

"The solution is easy to implement."

"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."

"Network NG Modules are valuable to us."

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

"One of the most valuable features involves the solution's automatic backup, which I find to be pretty simple and straightforward, and obviates the need for additional software."

"The web interface is powerful and easy to use."

"Zimbra Collaboration has a good web interface."

"The most valuable feature of Zimbra Collaboration is the cost."

More Zimbra Collaboration pros

Cons

"The client version of this solution could be faster and be made simpler for non-IT users. You will need to have some knowledge of Notes to correctly install this solution."

"For me, the one thing missing is a really good reporting engine."

"HCL Domino could have a better interface."

"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."

"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."

"The speed of the Notes client is an area that could be improved."

"When you compare with Microsoft Exchange, the UI could be more user-friendly."

More HCL Domino cons

"The product must be more customizable."

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

"In the next release, Zimbra Collaboration should include a security feature to allow access for mobile device administrators."

"Zimbra Collaboration does not have a solution roadmap as aggressive as the new collaboration mail solutions. Additionally, they can have a better interface and integration with single sign-on."

"Zimbra Collaboration could improve the migration from a basic solution to a more containerized solution. For example, the installation should be able to extend to the containers and manage them with some solution, such as OpenShift or Kubernetes."

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

"We have had an issue with security."

"The support was lacking in my experience. However, recently the support I received was good. Perhaps they have improved."

More Zimbra Collaboration cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"Price is reasonable compared to the other solutions."

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

"My company's customers need to make monthly or yearly payments towards the license charges of the product."

"HCL Domino is costly, but it still depends on how your organization views it price-wise."

"We chose to pay for our licensing fees annually."

"HCL Domino has reasonable pricing. It's not expensive."

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

More HCL Domino pricing and cost advice

"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."

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

"The solution is competitively priced."

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

"The price of the solution is low."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the price a four"

"It's very expensive. When we compare the cost with Google Workspace, it's so expensive."

"We do not pay for licenses to use this solution."

More Zimbra Collaboration pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

18%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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?

The speed of the Notes client is an area that could be improved. Many people are not very happy with its speed. Additionally, in-line editing of documents and a document viewer are functionalities ...

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 35% of the time

HCL Notes vs HCL Domino

Compared 13% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs HCL Domino

Compared 10% of the time

GitHub CoPilot vs HCL Domino

Compared 9% of the time

ServiceNow vs HCL Domino

Compared 5% of the time

More HCL Domino Competitors

Microsoft Exchange vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 27% of the time

Open-Xchange vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 22% of the time

KerioConnect vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 15% of the time

IceWarp vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 9% of the time

HCL Notes vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 3% of the time

More Zimbra Collaboration Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCL Domino

June 2025

Download HCL Domino product report

Buyer's Guide

Zimbra Collaboration

June 2025

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

June 2025

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