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HCL Domino vs HCL Notes comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
5.0
Opinions on HCL Domino ROI vary, with some reporting positive returns and operational benefits, despite initial deployment challenges.
Sentiment score
6.5
HCL Notes delivers long-term ROI through secure communications, user satisfaction, efficiency, and cost-effective annual fees per user.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
HCL Domino customer support is generally positive, praised for promptness and helpfulness, yet some find it complex and unfriendly.
Sentiment score
6.8
HCL Notes support is highly praised for knowledgeable, responsive service, with improved satisfaction since transitioning from IBM.
Once Notes is running, it performs reliably without issues.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
HCL Domino offers effective scalability for many, but faces challenges with large databases affecting reliability for some users.
Sentiment score
7.0
HCL Notes efficiently scales for small to large user groups, integrates well with mobile platforms, but demands adequate computing power.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
HCL Domino is praised for its stability and reliability, though some report performance declines with larger databases.
Sentiment score
6.9
HCL Notes is stable and reliable, with issues usually due to external factors or outdated systems, not the software itself.
 

Room For Improvement

HCL Domino requires improved integration, updated interface, better performance, enhanced scalability, security, and support for modern technologies.
HCL Notes needs a modernized interface, better usability, and improved integration to remain competitive with current email services.
In-line editing of documents and a document viewer are functionalities that would be beneficial.
The front end of the databases on the home screen looks somewhat old-fashioned.
 

Setup Cost

HCL Domino pricing is seen as high, $100/user annually, affecting smaller enterprises' decisions against competitors like Microsoft Exchange.
HCL Notes offers competitive pricing with flexible licensing and affordability, compared to competitors like Microsoft and Google.
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client.
 

Valuable Features

HCL Domino offers strong security, seamless integration, cross-platform versatility, robust encryption, and efficient storage with DAOS for comprehensive application support.
HCL Notes provides secure, flexible groupware solutions with application development, migration, and seamless document integration at an affordable cost.
Its hybrid nature allows the use of both web-based applications and Notes client-based applications.
 

Categories and Ranking

HCL Domino
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
Rapid Application Development Software (17th)
HCL Notes
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
Email Applications (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

HCL Domino and HCL Notes aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. HCL Domino is designed for Rapid Application Development Software and holds a mindshare of 0.6%, up 0.5% compared to last year.
HCL Notes, on the other hand, focuses on Email Applications, holds 3.5% mindshare, up 3.3% since last year.
Rapid Application Development Software
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

FrederickLim - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides mobile email systems with solid stability and easy deployment
The initial setup is easy. You need to sign up. It depends on the scope. It will take longer if there are more than one or more applications. The project usually includes infrastructure and deployment may take anywhere from one month to six months. I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.
Herad Howell - PeerSpot reviewer
Secure communications that prompts responses with room for improved user interface
I primarily value HCL Notes for its security features. The software's secure communication is particularly useful when dealing with professional entities. It ensures that business is conducted smoothly, allowing me to use my organization's email confidently, as opposed to my personal Gmail, which might not prompt responses from some entities.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Government
16%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?
The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client. Overall, HCL Domino is a costly product.
What needs improvement with HCL Domino?
One challenge I faced with HCL Domino was fully understanding its capabilities because initial use may lead to misconceptions based on simpler platforms. Exploring and comprehending what is possibl...
What do you like most about HCL Notes?
The security and performance of the solution are good even though our platform is variable, except for the mail services.
What needs improvement with HCL Notes?
Regarding additional functions, the front end of the databases on the home screen looks somewhat old-fashioned. It could be modernized by the development team.
What is your primary use case for HCL Notes?
Our use case for HCL Notes is that we use it for critical production databases and a lot of administration databases. We use it for email and calendars extensively.
 

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino
IBM Lotus Notes, Lotus Notes
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil
Connect2Cloud, Hansgrohe, Sauk County, Blue Water Shipping, FDBR, ibml, Multivac, Aarhus University Hospital, Hendricks Regional Health, Asian Paints, Integra Legal, Sunplus Technology, S¾SS, The Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports, Nicrometal, Doncasters Group, Practice Plan, Barr, RACV, Neotechnik, Deutsche Notes User Group
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, ServiceNow, Oracle and others in Rapid Application Development Software. Updated: August 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.