HCL Verse vs Microsoft Exchange comparison

HCLSoftware and Microsoft are both solutions in the Email Applications category. HCLSoftware is ranked #13, while Microsoft is ranked #3 with an average rating of 7.8. HCLSoftware holds a 1.6% mindshare in EA, compared to Microsoft’s 11.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

HCL Verse

Read 3 HCL Verse reviews

673 Views
377 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Exchange

Read 94 Microsoft Exchange reviews

3,399 Views
2,821 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

HCL Verse

Microsoft Exchange

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

Microsoft Exchange and HCL Verse are enterprise communication solutions. Microsoft Exchange appears to have the upper hand in feature set and integration, while HCL Verse offers a more user-friendly interface and innovative workflow features.

Features: Microsoft Exchange includes a robust email infrastructure, seamless integration with Microsoft 365 services, and extensive security options. HCL Verse has a modern interface, social analytics, and efficient task management features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL Verse provides a straightforward deployment process with comprehensive customer support. Microsoft Exchange offers a more customizable deployment model with extensive resources for enterprise-level implementation.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Exchange involves a higher setup cost but delivers substantial ROI through its integration and enterprise capabilities. HCL Verse typically presents a lower initial cost, offering cost-effective solutions with valuable returns due to enhanced productivity features.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange

September 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 Verse

Ranking in Email Applications

13th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Exchange

Ranking in Email Applications

3rd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Wireless Email (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of HCL Verse is 1.6%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Exchange is 11.3%, down from 11.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Email Applications Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Exchange	11.3%
HCL Verse	1.6%
Other	87.1%

Email Applications

Featured Reviews

Marcos Roberto Silva

Diretor at MASTERDOM

Stable, scalable, and good interface

HCL Verse has a nice interface and it is a practical email solution. There are a diverse set of features, such as the search bar on top of the screens. The usability from the old applications to the new version has been very good. It was great that we were able to migrate applications from the older version to the new one.

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ImranShaikh

Assistant Vice President, PreSales at Netcore Cloud

Offers several valuable features including conditional access, identity and access management, and scalability of mailboxes

We use Microsoft Exchange primarily for mailing purposes, both internal and external. We integrate it with other Microsoft tools like Outlook, Word document collaboration, Teams, SharePoint, and more The integration of Microsoft Exchange with other tools allows for seamless collaboration and…

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

"HCL Verse has a nice interface and it is a practical email solution. There are a diverse set of features, such as the search bar on top of the screens."

"The most valuable feature is the mail server."

"It's a very user-friendly application. The mail server is also valuable when compared to other services like SquirrelMail."

"The initial setup was straightforward and fast."

"It is easy to set up."

"Microsoft Exchange's most valuable feature is that it's old-fashioned communication, meaning it's good for people who aren't able to work comfortably in a cloud environment."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange is the collaboration tools."

"It gives me benefit in terms of integration with other services such as SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and OneDrive. It makes my work much easier."

"The most valuable features of Microsoft Exchange are it is always online and has broad email and file-sharing capabilities."

"For me, the solution is very user-friendly. I've used it a long time and I know where everything is."

More Microsoft Exchange pros

Cons

"The solution could improve by allowing us to use a color that we want in the editing boxes."

"Security is very important to us, so improvements to this functionality are welcome."

"The filtering of spam needs significant improvement, as many spam emails are not getting detected."

"The licensing model could be improved."

"Sometimes we don't get support quickly enough - for example, if there's some global hacker attack, we don't get served as quickly. The skills of the technical staff can also vary, and Microsoft could perhaps improve their training."

"Exchange took time to be deployed. It requires extensive configuration and setting up servers and managing internal network access."

"The tool is not easy to use. Every person has to have at least administration-level experience to use the tool."

"After 2022, users of Microsoft Exchange have to migrate mailboxes to Microsoft Exchange Online, and what I'd like to improve is for Microsoft to publish more on-premise versions for customers using Microsoft Exchange. Having more security is another room for improvement in the solution, particularly for mailboxes that develop the Exchange Edge rule to protect internal mailboxes. What I'd like to see from Microsoft Exchange in the future is for Microsoft to still update the latest, existing version which is 2022. I'd like Microsoft to still push more cumulative updates for Microsoft Exchange 2022."

"One thing for improvement would be to have an offline version of Exchange available for use if our connection goes down."

"For the next release, there are some features on the cloud-based Exchange that aren't included on-prem. It would be great if these features were made available in the next release. For instance, integration between Exchange and its on-prem calendar is not available for the on-prem solution."

More Microsoft Exchange cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is an affordable solution but the price could be improved."

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"I rate Microsoft Exchange's pricing a six out of ten."

"There is an annual cost to use Microsoft Exchange, and the price could be less expensive."

"Microsoft's licensing structure is too complex, but its prices are affordable, though not cheap."

"Microsoft doesn't have a unit price, it's based on the quantity, and they offer great discounts."

"It would be nice if it used less resources to run on-premise."

"Exchange is better for medium to large businesses because it can be quite costly for SMB, which may not need all the options the product provides."

"We are currently using enterprise licenses for the solution. They are different pricing models available. There are individual, cloud-based, and enterprise licenses all with different pricing models. The larger the number of users, the lesser the price. For small to medium companies like us, we feel it is expensive."

"This solution is expensive."

More Microsoft Exchange pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Government

27%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

University

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	41
Midsize Enterprise	27
Large Enterprise	35

Questions from the Community

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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...

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What do you like most about Microsoft Exchange?

The initial setup was straightforward and fast.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Exchange?

Microsoft Exchange is costly, and its licensing model can be expensive over time as more users require licenses.

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Compared 11% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Email Applications

October 2025

Download HCL Verse product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Exchange

October 2025

Download Microsoft Exchange product report

Also Known As

Verse, IBM Verse

Exchange, MS Exchange

Overview

IBM Verse is a powerful email hosting solution that enables users to access their business communications from a laptop or desktop browser or from a mobile device. This email and business messaging experience is based on an innovative user-centric design, including social analytics and advanced search capabilities. IBM Verse helps users quickly find and focus on what content is most important, empowering them to build stronger working relationships while optimizing business results.

HCLSoftware

Built to deliver the enterprise-grade security and reliability that businesses require, Microsoft Exchange provides email, calendar and contacts on your PC, phone and web browser.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Canon Marketing Japan Inc., Australian Trade Commission, BTC, Havas, Canal Barge Co.Inc., RAVInvest, Elemental Path, WDR mediagroup

Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport, Scitec Nutrition, British Airways, InnoGames, Osteology Foundation, Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, NTC Contracting

Buyer's Guide

HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange

September 2025

Free Report: HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange

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