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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

"Microsoft has a very good support team."
"The setup was straightforward."
"Microsoft Exchange has good performance and is user-friendly."
"Microsoft Exchange is a user-friendly product that is easy to manage and configure."
"It is user friendly."
"It integrates well with calendar, scheduling, etc. It's easy for employees to make meetings and plan their agendas."
"I find the Outlook client very valuable. It allows me to connect to the Exchange Server and send and receive emails easily. The graphical interface is user-friendly and has a good look and feel."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange is its ease of use."
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

"One major area for improvement is the need for repeated authentication when running a meeting."
"There is a problem when scheduling an event for the whole day."
"From a reliability perspective, they need to improve the search engine, it is not very powerful."
"The solution's hybrid deployment process could be improved, particularly for customers who initially started in the cloud and may want to return to an on-premises setup. Microsoft could make this transition more flexible."
"There are issues when you add your domain to Microsoft Tenant, and you try to create that. Which is a problem for me."
"The management of .pst files and archiving need improvement."
"There are limitations in terms of the number of emails that can be sent in a minute, which makes it a little difficult for the marketing folks."
"There can be occasional challenges during the product's implementation phase, making it an area where improvements are needed."
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

"Microsoft doesn't have a unit price, it's based on the quantity, and they offer great discounts."
"I rate Microsoft Exchange a four out of ten for pricing because it is quite cheap, and many companies use the solution."
"The pricing is expensive."
"The product is quite cheap."
"It is not expensive."
"I have Outlook 365 Professional, and Exchange comes in the bundle with other solutions, such as Word and OneDrive. I pay for the use of the bundle monthly and I can imagine if you are a company with many licenses the pricing model would be a lot different."
"Its price is fair."
"I rate Microsoft Exchange's pricing a six out of ten."
More Microsoft Exchange pricing and cost advice
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Government
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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