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Microsoft Exchange Online vs Zoho Mail 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

Microsoft Exchange Online
Ranking in Email Applications
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zoho Mail
Ranking in Email Applications
6th
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online is 14.1%, down from 15.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoho Mail is 5.0%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
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.
AvinashLotke - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers good security with effective spam filtering but has update issues
Zoho is not just a traditional software-based company. It offers a wide range of APIs and other integration tools, including a CRM tool and various other products, so integration is not limited. Zoho has operations management and developers, making integration feasible with any system. Zoho is a cloud-based solution, meaning maintenance is managed by their system. They don't provide access to unauthorized persons. Zoho handles maintenance. Traditionally, we haven't recommended Zoho as extensively because we prefer systems we have thoroughly tested and can confidently endorse. We've deployed Zoho a few times with mixed success. In comparison, we've had more success with Google deployments, with higher implementation rates and ease, offering better revenue opportunities. Based on requirements, I might recommend Zoho, but for higher needs or better collaboration, I'd suggest Google, possibly combined with iSoft. If there is no other support, Google remains a strong recommendation. Overall, considering support, I rate the solution a six 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

"Microsoft Exchange Online is a stable product."
"The data prevention and protection feature is good."
"What I like about Microsoft Exchange Online is that it's a very convenient solution because it's part of the Microsoft business suite. This is the first email service I've used that lasted for many years, and I'm still using it because it's very convenient and it's suitable for my needs. Microsoft Exchange Online is the best product in the world for me because I don't remember any other service that's so well-accepted."
"One of the important features is the collaboration tool used in Office 365. The security and DLP mechanisms are also quite good."
"The solution is easy to use and the cloud version has taken a lot of challenges away from the user."
"The product was simple to use."
"It allows us to work from home, at any time or anywhere."
"The most valuable features of Microsoft Exchange Online are spam filtering, 50 GB of email storage, good integration with Outlook, and ease of management."
"Zoho gives you a set amount of free users, so you can use it until you reach the limit and see if it's something you want to adopt. I tried it and stuck with it. Since then, I've seen a lot of improvement. I already think it's top-notch, but I believe it will become one of the best in the world."
"The most valuable features of Zoho Mail are its security, integration with cloud storage, and wide range of features available. It integrates well with Outlook and mobile devices."
"The solution has more security compared to other products. Zoho Mail comes with TLS and SSL. It has email-sharing features. It is an advanced product."
"I like Zoho Mail's user interface."
"Zoho Mail organizes your email well, and you can do a lot of things if you use other Zoho applications along with it."
"Zoho Mail is a stable product."
"Zoho Mail is a cost-effective solution."
"We can create email accounts for our customers."
 

Cons

"The solution should have a stand-alone application instead of us having to go through an internet browser."
"The solution's performance can be improved when you are trying to access it remotely."
"I feel that there is a need for improvement in the product, considering that there are some concerns with the tool's integration capabilities."
"Exchange Online's scalability could be improved."
"The configuration of the solution's on-premise version is a little bit difficult, and its troubleshooting is more difficult than the installation itself."
"The stability of the solution has room for improvement."
"The efficiency could improved."
"The ActiveSync services and the mapping services could be improved."
"They have issues when they are rolling out updates"
"Zoho Mail needs to improve its integration because direct integration is not possible with many applications."
"The solution’s stability could be improved."
"The interface isn't quite good. Everything looks a little low-quality."
"Zoho Mail needs to add an IT system management feature."
"We face some challenges in our current architecture with the introduction of data privacy regulations. When you are sending a calendar invite to a group of people for a meeting or an event, there is no structure for privacy. You can't hide all the contacts. Maybe that feature exists, but I don't know where it is."
"The solution's meeting plans and online virtual activity task list could be improved and made more seamless."
"Zoho Mail is not as good as G Suite, which has integrated calendars."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our organization pays for a corporate license to use the solution."
"The solution costs $12 to $16 per user per month."
"The cost is around $12 to $16 per user."
"We have a three-year license for $25,000."
"In my opinion, the online license is the best one we have. It is a bundle that we have from Microsoft. It is a bit high in price."
"The licensing price is ok, I'd rate it as four out of five."
"The subscription fee is monthly."
"The model is one which is pay-per-use go. There is no license. We are talking about per-user subscription-based use."
"The solution is more affordable compared to other products. It is cheap."
"One of the reasons people use Zoho in Nigeria is because we can pay for it in Naira. It's very affordable already. For example, we can get Zoho Mail for somewhere between 1000 naira per user, which is less than one dollar. In my opinion, it's very affordable."
"The solution’s pricing is very reasonable."
"There is no license required to use Zoho Mail."
"The solution is not costly."
"Zoho One has all 50 applications in it, and Zoho Mail is part of it. Zoho One is about 35 GBP per person per month. It includes Zoho Projects, Zoho Mail, Zoho CRM, and everything else."
"If you have ten users, for Google, you'll pay $100. With Zoho Mail, you'll only pay $30 to $40."
"Zoho Mail is more cost-efficient than its competitors."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
17%
Retailer
13%
Comms Service Provider
12%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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?
The pricing for Microsoft Exchange Online is quite reasonable, in my opinion. Many licensing options are available so that we can choose based on the customer's needs. For example, if a customer on...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Exchange Online?
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 o...
What do you like most about Zoho Mail?
It also offers the search functionalities. For end users, the search is quite easy to use. There are a few tabs to select to find exactly what you're looking for. It's pretty simple. As long as the...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoho Mail?
Zoho Mail is more cost-efficient than its competitors.
What needs improvement with Zoho Mail?
The solution's meeting plans and online virtual activity task list could be improved and made more seamless.
 

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
BBDO, HuffPost
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Exchange Online vs. Zoho Mail and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.