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Microsoft Exchange vs ProtonMail comparison

Microsoft and Proton Technologies are both solutions in the Email Applications category. Microsoft is ranked #3 with an average rating of 7.9, while Proton Technologies is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5. Microsoft holds a 10.2% mindshare in EA, compared to Proton Technologies’s 7.5% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 66% of Proton Technologies users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Exchange
Read 95 Microsoft Exchange reviews
  • 3,631 Views
  • 2,977 Comparison Views
93% willing to recommend
ProtonMail
Read 2 ProtonMail reviews
  • 1,418 Views
  • 1,418 Comparison Views
66% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between Microsoft Exchange and ProtonMail based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Email Applications solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Exchange vs. ProtonMail Report (Updated: February 2026).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange vs. ProtonMail
February 2026
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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

Microsoft Exchange
Ranking in Email Applications
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
95
Ranking in other categories
Wireless Email (2nd)
ProtonMail
Ranking in Email Applications
10th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange is 10.2%, down from 11.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ProtonMail is 7.5%, up from 3.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Applications Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Exchange10.2%
ProtonMail7.5%
Other82.3%
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

SJ
SaqibJavaid
Manager IT Support at Naubahar Bottling Company (Pvt.) Ltd. Gujranwala Pakistan
Efficient email management with seamless integration
We previously used Microsoft Exchange but have moved to an MDN email solution due to cost and user growth Microsoft Exchange is a user-friendly and easy-to-deploy solution, which is beneficial for handling emails even without professional support. It is effective in managing email integration…
Read full review
AP
reviewer68329471
Media Content Creator Intern
Trust and anonymity play a key role in secure communications
I am uncertain about the two-factor authentication feature. I have had integrations with other Proton services and have used Proton VPN once, though it has limited features. Simple Mail, which was acquired by ProtonMail, has been very useful for me. The pricing is moderate. I have not used any paid services from ProtonMail. It is not very costly, but I have not used any premium services. I am a customer of ProtonMail. I would rate ProtonMail an eight out of ten due to their transparency and the utility of their simple login feature. My job and company name should remain hidden.
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

"The functionality on the user side is quite good. Exchange provides an excellent platform for collaboration between users."
"We have found it to be a stable solution. It is scalable and easy to install."
"On-premises Microsoft Exchange is good because it protects data privacy."
"The technical support is fine."
"What I love about Microsoft Exchange is the good integration since 2013, particularly its integration with the calendar and other software such as Zoom, TeamViewer, AnyDesk, etc."
"It is a very scalable solution."
"It is stable."
"The initial setup is quite a straightforward process. I don't think it is a very complicated solution. Plenty of things could be more complex, but the ordinary, general settings are quite simple."
More Microsoft Exchange pros
"What I appreciate most about ProtonMail is that they are trusted, which is why I choose them."
"The auto encryption of attachments is valuable."
 

Cons

"The solution could be more secure."
"The biggest issue with Microsoft Exchange is its high cost, especially in pricing for license upgrades and expansion to more users."
"The cost could be cheaper."
"It doesn't work very well on a virtual machine. We had to move it around. There are also issues when you try to move it between computers."
"They keep making all these changes, and our system was down for four or five days. They finally got it up, but there are still lots of quirks."
"Microsoft needs to make some modifications to meet the current needs of the environment. For example, they need to add more cell service features because people work from home during the pandemic, and certain elements should be available as a mobile service."
"Exchange took time to be deployed. It requires extensive configuration and setting up servers and managing internal network access."
"Microsoft Exchange's customer support could be faster and more knowledgeable."
More Microsoft Exchange cons
"One improvement could be the integration between ProtonMail and Proton Pass, allowing sharing of specific secrets via email."
"I think it is good but I feel that only tech-savvy people use ProtonMail. It is not that popular among other people."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate Microsoft Exchange's pricing a six out of ten."
"Licensing fees are paid monthly."
"We pay for the license annually."
"The solution's pricing is fine...I do think the tool offers value for money."
"Microsoft Exchange is a very well-priced solution."
"Microsoft Exchange is an inexpensive application."
"It is not expensive."
"It's working very well. There is no problem, but the price is not the best."
More Microsoft Exchange pricing and cost advice
Information not available
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882,333 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Comms Service Provider
22%
Educational Organization
9%
Computer Software Company
6%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise35
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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 Microsoft Exchange?
The initial setup was straightforward and fast.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Exchange?
I am aware of pricing aspects, and I would say it is affordable for what it is.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ProtonMail?
The pricing is competitive, offering good value on the average plan. It’s approximately $100 for annual billing.
See all answers
What needs improvement with ProtonMail?
In terms of what can be improved in ProtonMail, I think it is good but I feel that only tech-savvy people use ProtonMail. It is not that popular among other people. Therefore, we do not use it for ...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for ProtonMail?
My use cases include using ProtonMail for Drive occasionally for storing files. After some time, I stopped using that feature. Primarily, I use it for sending emails when I want to maintain anonymi...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Open-Xchange vs Microsoft Exchange
Compared 20% of the time
Zimbra Collaboration vs Microsoft Exchange Logo
Zimbra Collaboration vs Microsoft Exchange
Compared 13% of the time
KerioConnect vs Microsoft Exchange Logo
KerioConnect vs Microsoft Exchange
Compared 13% of the time
HCL Domino vs Microsoft Exchange Logo
HCL Domino vs Microsoft Exchange
Compared 9% of the time
Microsoft Exchange Online vs Microsoft Exchange Logo
Microsoft Exchange Online vs Microsoft Exchange
Compared 6% of the time
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Google Workspace vs ProtonMail Logo
Google Workspace vs ProtonMail
Compared 26% of the time
Atomic Mail vs ProtonMail Logo
Atomic Mail vs ProtonMail
Compared 20% of the time
Zoho Mail vs ProtonMail Logo
Zoho Mail vs ProtonMail
Compared 15% of the time
Microsoft Exchange Online vs ProtonMail Logo
Microsoft Exchange Online vs ProtonMail
Compared 8% of the time
Superhuman vs ProtonMail Logo
Superhuman vs ProtonMail
Compared 7% of the time
More ProtonMail Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange
January 2026
Microsoft Exchange reportDownload Microsoft Exchange product report
Buyer's Guide
Email Applications
February 2026
ProtonMail reportDownload ProtonMail product report
 

Also Known As

Exchange, MS Exchange
No data available
 

Overview

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

ProtonMail is the world‘s largest encrypted email provider, with over 11 million users trusting us to secure their data every day. We are the email service of choice for security-conscious enterprises.

Proton Technologies
 

Sample Customers

Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport, Scitec Nutrition, British Airways, InnoGames, Osteology Foundation, Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, NTC Contracting
Wall street journal,The New york times, The Gurdian, Forbes, Fox News
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange vs. ProtonMail
February 2026
Free Report: Microsoft Exchange vs. ProtonMail
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Exchange vs. ProtonMail and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
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