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Microsoft Exchange Online vs Zimbra Collaboration comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

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

Microsoft Exchange Online
Ranking in Email Applications
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
91
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zimbra Collaboration
Ranking in Email Applications
5th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online is 12.1%, down from 15.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zimbra Collaboration is 7.9%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Applications Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Exchange Online12.1%
Zimbra Collaboration7.9%
Other80.0%
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

NancyHartman - PeerSpot reviewer
Effective collaboration achieved with versatile features and good customer service
There are always improvements needed. My personal issue with using OfficeSuite and the Exchange Server is that one has to cobble together a whole bunch of different applications. Therefore, a lot of scripting and programming knowledge is necessary. I am not an IT person; I am an educator, a trainer, a user. I want to get the work done. However, I find that the Exchange Server and possibly the way our company has set up access permissions require extensive programming knowledge. It might take six to eight weeks to get a programmer's time to build something, whereas I can use something like Smartsheet that will do everything I want without needing a programmer. Smartsheet is more end-user friendly compared to a Microsoft product. Microsoft believes an expert IT person should manage everything, however, I want to manage things on my own in a simplified way. That is not easy using the Exchange Server or Microsoft Office. It is not end-user friendly for development, and a programmer is needed. Once set up, using them as an end-user is fine. I find that the automations are not robust, and the FedRAMP systems are not robust. I have a few issues with Exchange and Office, but there's nothing I can do about it.
Muhammad Talha Baig - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Exchange Online's best feature is its webmail platform."
"Microsoft Exchange Online has great functionality."
"All of the Microsoft Exchange Online is very useful, such as the sections, the information protection, and the mail flows."
"The solution is quite convenient because you can access the web version anywhere."
"There are many valuable features such as email, calendar, and the ability to share your calendar and documents with coworkers. Knowing that the emails go through the EOP filtering service is nice as well."
"Microsoft Exchange Online is an easy-to -use email solution."
"Stability has increased exponentially since 2010."
"All of the features are beneficial, but the scheduling feature is particularly useful."
"Network NG Modules are valuable to us."
"Zimbra Collaboration has integrated a lot of their party tools and they have good documentation available."
"The solution is easy to implement."
"Zimbra Collaboration's best feature is its compatibility with Microsoft's ActiveSync protocol, which allows users to use Outlook on Windows or MacOS."
"The logs, troubleshooting, and tracking we have found to be the most valuable features. We have any issues with lost messages the features are useful. It is very easy to track and log."
"One of the premium features was customized rooms tailored to the collaboration needs. Many of the clients customize features such as organization logos and scanners."
"The product is easy to set up."
"The web interface is powerful and easy to use."
 

Cons

"The solution must provide better security features."
"The cost is very high, and not every customer can afford licenses."
"The SaaS platform performance could be improved. At a previous company, we used this same solution on-premises. The data exchange was much faster compared to the SaaS platform and we sometimes experience lags."
"The solution’s pricing could be better."
"Microsoft Exchange Online could improve the overall protection of the solution."
"I would like to have the option to have my electronic signature posted on my emails by default. I am able to add it manually but cannot get it by default."
"Documentation is lacking."
"In the past, we had issues with DB in mailboxes."
"It would be great if a group chat feature were created to allow for a team environment."
"The solution could improve by making it easier to use."
"The tool should improve its multi-cloud feature."
"Zimbra Collaboration's video conferencing could be improved."
"There are some security issues."
"The solution’s forums don't have much information or documentation on administration tasks."
"The antispam and antivirus features are hard to understand on mobile devices."
"The product must be more customizable."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the license depends on a lot of factors, such as the number of licenses and company specifics."
"The price is not competitive."
"The licensing cost increased at least 15 to 20 percent recently and it would be helpful for them to be reduced."
"My company needs to make monthly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the product. I feel that the price of the product is affordable."
"The pricing for this solution is good. We renew our contract every three years. I would rate the pricing for this solution a three out of five."
"I find it reasonably priced."
"The license for the solution is cheap, but it could be more affordable in the long term."
"I have no opinion."
"We do not pay for licenses to use this solution."
"The price of the solution is low."
"If you choose the network edition, it is a little pricier. They have the open-source edition too which is only community supported."
"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."
"There is an annual standard licensing fee to use Zimbra Collaboration and there is no other cost."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the price a four"
"The solution is not expensive compared to other products."
"I use Zimbra Collaboration's community version. We may move to the enterprise version since prices are affordable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
8%
Outsourcing Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business40
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise40
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Exchange Online?
The benefits are widespread and effective communication. We use Microsoft Teams for meetings within and outside our organization. Additionally, Teams can be used for chat, allowing us to track comm...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Exchange Online?
If I segment it into three points: low price, average, and high price, I would place Microsoft Exchange Online between average and high price.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Exchange Online?
I see no disadvantages currently. From the admin perspective, whenever an admin wants to get the email backup for a particular employee, there are a few challenges in terms of the role assignment o...
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...
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.
 

Also Known As

Exchange Online, Exchange Online Plan 1, Exchange Online Plan 2, MS Exchange Online
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bank Alfalah Ltd., Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport, Blue Star Infotech, Scitec Nutrition, Resolution Films, British Airways, Empire Cinemas, InnoGames
NEC Biglobe, City of Ventura, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Hola Publishing, BIG, Sleepwell, LaFayette College, Xmission, DNA, Ring Line, Future Group, TIGC
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Exchange Online vs. Zimbra Collaboration and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
872,778 professionals have used our research since 2012.