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Kiteworks vs Microsoft 365 Business comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Kiteworks
Ranking in Content Collaboration Platforms
14th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Content Management (14th), Email Security (27th), Managed File Transfer (MFT) (9th), Secure Email Gateway (SEG) (11th)
Microsoft 365 Business
Ranking in Content Collaboration Platforms
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
244
Ranking in other categories
Mobile Device Management (MDM) (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Content Collaboration Platforms category, the mindshare of Kiteworks is 2.7%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft 365 Business is 1.7%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Content Collaboration Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Sukkanta Banerjee - PeerSpot reviewer
Two-factor authentication and .ZIP format make large file transfers very secure
The most valuable feature is the ability to send a large file of 30 GB in size and more. In Outlook and other email applications, you cannot send files that are larger than 20 MB. But with Kiteworks, 30 GB is transferable by default and, with the proper approval, a file of up to 100 GB can be sent. It makes file transfer very easy and smooth. Also, only the .ZIP format is supported because it is a very secure mode of file transfer, and that is why it is recommended. It also has built-in antivirus, so if it detects any malware it will quarantine the file and it won't be delivered. This is really important to keep the service up and running in a proper and secure manner. With people working from home, the data needs to be checked to see what kind of data is being sent. It has a two-factor authentication mechanism. For example, if a person with a particular domain is using Kiteworks and sends a file to a party outside of his domain, that external party has to go through two-factor authentication. The receiver gets a link that takes them to the setup of a temporary account, which will be valid for three days. The recipient will also receive a customized password separately. Only after all these steps will they be able to access the file. That access is only available to a person with the mail ID to which the file was sent. In addition, admins can see who is sending sensitive content, what that content is, and to whom it is being sent, and can track emails. One week of good training will give a user complete knowledge for using the solution. The system is very easy to use. You just click on "Compose," attach a file, and send it. It's very easy compared to Outlook or Teams. It's quite simple, even for someone logging in for the first time. It is very smooth and easy to send files.
Luca Turco - PeerSpot reviewer
Subscription model ensures continuous updates and connectivity across devices
The subscription model of Microsoft 365 Business is beneficial since it provides continuous updates, including functional updates and transformations of the product. This contrasts with older perpetual licenses that rarely received updates. The overall suite is very complete, and being tied to a vendor that improves week by week is of great value. Implemented features like sharing calendars and access to emails on multiple devices enhance basic functionalities that were previously lacking.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The benefits that Kiteworks has provided to its customers in terms of data sovereignty."
"We can see when people are sending things. We can definitely see who is sending to whom. From the administrative logs, we can see who is sending to an outside entity, and those logs are retained for quite a while."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to send a large file of 30 GB in size and more. In Outlook and other email applications, you cannot send files that are larger than 20 MB. But with Kiteworks, 30 GB is transferable by default and, with the proper approval, a file of up to 100 GB can be sent. It makes file transfer very easy and smooth."
"Scalability is impressive."
"The solution can be used remotely; it's easy to upload and share files."
"The best part of this solution is that we can generate multiple reports about how the data is transferred and about user information or IP."
"The most valuable aspect of Kiteworks is undoubtedly the private content network. This feature is particularly beneficial for us. Furthermore, it serves as a centralized platform that enables us to track and manage our information exchange."
"I can identify from which region our users are uploading or downloading files."
"The feature that I have found most valuable is the ability to work everywhere on every kind of device, because I'm a Mac addict and actually it's quite good on the Mac."
"Microsoft 365 Business applications are very used to use and have a good interface."
"The solution is easy to use and has good performance."
"The platform is stable and easy to use."
"The initial setup is very simple and straightforward."
"OneDrive feature is great."
"The solution has been easy to use and is very user-friendly."
"The most important feature of Microsoft 360 Business is Teams. We use it for our conference calls and messaging. Microsoft Teams reduces the number of emails that I have to send or receive. Microsoft 365 Business has been incredibly useful during this period because of the integration of Teams with Outlook and the ability to store and handle files of large dimensions."
 

Cons

"I would like to see immediate releases of fixes because now it takes at least a week. If that time span can be reduced to one day or two days, that would be very helpful for users so that things are sorted and transactions work smoothly."
"File location could be improved."
"It could be more stable. In the next release, it would be better if it was more stable with improved performance."
"We have experienced a few hiccups and bugs when using the admin console and from a user perspective."
"There is no offboarding process for end-users in Kiteworks. It's a manual process. There is no automated syncing with LDAP and checking to see if the account is still active. It's a manual process to get people out of here, which isn't the best way."
"The one feature, which I have also requested directly to Kiteworks, is to have a scheduled upgrade function. Currently, one of my engineers logs in after hours for the upgrade. We're a hospital, and we're 24/7, but the primary users are seven to five. So, we log in the early evening just to push a button to tell it to do the update. It would be nice if that could be very easily scheduled."
"It would be nice if Kiteworks could provide a free version of the platform so that it could be used for a certain number of file transfers. We could be charged a fee if we exceeded the number of allotted file transfers."
"In my experience, their technical support can be a little slow."
"Microsoft 365 Business could improve by being more secure."
"If Business 365's documentation were better, then the user could read it and fix their issues by themselves. Microsoft could also add some more detailed pop-up troubleshooting messages. When a user has a problem, the messages they get don't help much."
"Microsoft needs to enhance its part in service management. I believe they have a product called Orchestrator, it does not get the same benefits and functionality as the rest of the solutions such as Dynamics or Office 365. They can improve by providing more integration with other solutions to cover the full business spectrum of needs, this would be a great benefit."
"The diagnostics is an issue that needs to be addressed, as it cannot be seen when needed."
"The dashboard can be made more user-friendly."
"The tool should improve its interface."
"There are sometimes problems with incompatibility issues with other types of software."
"There is an error in the languages which creates a very big problem."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is not really expensive. I mean, to me it's obviously expensive, but it's worth it."
"They changed it midstream. We were being charged a certain flat rate for SFTP traffic. For whatever reason, at the beginning of the year, our pricing changed, and we are now being charged more for using a feature of the product than we were when we first bought it. That has been our experience with billing. It turned out to be more expensive than when we started with it."
"The license management is changing and confusing. If I could make one change to it, it would be better license management through the API."
"The solution is very expensive because we are buying with Malaysian Ringgit and it's sold in US dollars."
"The price of Kiteworks is reasonable."
"I believe it's a little costly, but given the faith that we put into it from a security perspective to maintain the integrity of our patient information that is being transferred through this system, that's a small price to pay. So, on the surface, it might look like a lot of money, but depending on the need for security, which is where we feel it shines, it's okay price-wise."
"It's an expensive solution."
"If you go with Microsoft, they will give you 80 GB in advance and all those kinds of features. They will also keep asking you to go from E1 to E2, E2 to E3, and now E5. Their prices are high, but as long as the organization is happy to pay and your emails are working seamlessly, it shouldn't be an issue."
"The solution is very cheap."
"The licensing costs are not expensive."
"In general, it could be cheaper."
"The cost is on the high end, particularly when you have multiple users."
"There is a licensing fee that is quite expensive. However, the solution is useful and the price is equal to the value."
"Pricing can vary a lot due to fluctuations in exchange rates and that is not favorable for planning."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
13%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Real Estate/Law Firm
7%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is Kiteworks?
Kiteworks is a secured file sharing platform that enables users to collaborate with different parties across a robust offering of secured protected channels. Users have the option of virtual privat...
What do you like most about Kiteworks?
The benefits that Kiteworks has provided to its customers in terms of data sovereignty.
What needs improvement with Kiteworks?
I'm not a network expert, however, there must be some room for improvement. Perhaps there could be a notification to users about their bandwidth or network packet loss. If users receive such notifi...
What do you like most about Microsoft 365 Business?
The product's initial setup phase was straightforward.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft 365 Business?
The solution might be considered pricey for some, however, the comprehensiveness of the suite justifies its cost. It is generally still worth the money and is cost-effective when considering the pr...
What needs improvement with Microsoft 365 Business?
Price is an area for improvement, as spending less money would always be preferable. However, the comprehensive nature of the solution justifies the cost.
 

Also Known As

Accellion
Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft 365 F1, MS 365 Business
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

United States Securities and Exchange Commission, National Health Service, Husch Blackwell LLP, NYC Health + Hospitals, Viatris, MITRE Corporation, Chubb, Kraft Heinz, KPMG, Kohler, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Purdue Pharma, AVL
Urban Agriculture Co., The Detroit Wallpaper Co., TransBlue Facility Management, Garner Food Company
Find out what your peers are saying about Kiteworks vs. Microsoft 365 Business and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,963 professionals have used our research since 2012.